Lets have class only abilities and spells

[rwyan]

While I like the addition of iconic FF jobs, I feel like the whole class/job system is hacked together. I doesn't have to be that way, but I think the issue lies in faults with the armory system as a whole.

Originally, classes were intended to be skills - no different than the skills in Ultima Online or the weapon/magic skills in FFXI. It seems like the idea was that players would invest time and effort into skills - learning a variety of abilities. These abilities could then be mixed and matched to create your "job" or your "role". I think the original design was so ambiguous (are they skills? are they classes? or both? ) and the underlying logic complex that it obviously needed a revamp. While it functioned, it just didn't work.

Right now, the whole relationship between jobs and classes is just so odd in concept and functionality. They really need to tighten up the system - both conceptually and functionally.

Solution #1 - Jobs are too dependent on Classes. Most jobs should be able to use multiple weapons. For example, Paladin should be able to equip Lances, Swords and Axes.

This would further the Armory systems original intent... allowing players to adjust on the fly to meet the current needs of their party and situation. For example, if two lancers join a raid party (Lancer being both their only level 50 class). One lancer could equip the Paladin job stone while the other could equip the Dragoon job stone. The Lancer/Paladin is now better able to tank as opposed to Lancer and especially Dragoon/Lancer.

This would also allow the developers to add Jobs and Classes independently from each other. So long as a class is compatible with an already existing job, no additional job is required. And vice verse, the developers can add an additional job without needing to design a class to go with it. For example, the Thief job can be added as it could conceptually be compatible with Gladiator, Pugilist and Archer classes. The Musketeer class can be added assuming it could job at least Bard.

Solution #2 - Get rid of classes all together and keep jobs. Players would change jobs as they do now - via job stones. The armory system can still exist in some fashion. Equipping a different weapon will enhance a job's role in some way. For example, if a Paladin needed extra dps - he would equip a lance as opposed to a sword/shield. If he wanted some aoe capability, he would equip an axe. For mages, the various wands/scepters/staves/rods would innately impact various aspects of a spell. For example, using a wand may increases range and overall accuracy whereas a staff increases the accuracy and potency of enfeebling effects. Or maybe the weapon affects the combo action?

Once again, the developers would be free to add weapons and jobs independently from each other.