Quote Originally Posted by ddwarbird View Post
I love this game, just like all of you, I think it immensely superior to WoW. I quit WoW long before the exodus here in recent years.

However the one minor criticism of this game that I have is that there is no specialisations, so if I want to play something like a Paladin (which have traditionally been all 3 roles), I need to be a tank.

It really puts me off being a Paladin, because I love the look but just don't want to tank dungeons and raids. Its sad that there weren't more choices when it comes to classes, I know that makes it harder to balance and I'm not complaining to be petty...

Just makes me a little sad is all. (Healer main btw)
I would argue that the specialization system from WoW is rendered unnecessary by the Armoury system here. And also, historically in Final Fantasy (and also in D&D, which the first Final Fantasy was pretty clearly based on) Paladin has never been anything but a tank.

Final Fantasy 3 - Paladin has the special ability Cover, which intercepts physical attacks aimed at low HP party members.
Final Fantasy 4 - Same as above (Cecil after proceeding through the Mount of Ordeals)
Final Fantasy 5 - Same as above (though called Knight).
Final Fantasy 6 - Knight's Code/True Knight relic grants the ability to use Cover
Final Fantasy 11 - Paladins are pretty much exclusively tanks
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance & A2 - Paladins gain abilities like Defense, Cover, and Parley (which can convince an enemy to leave battle)
D&D 3.5e - Paladins have the heaviest armor, are one of the few classes with shield proficiency, and have a spell list that has primarily buffs, and are meant to be played to place themselves in between the enemy and the squishy mages.
D&D 4e - Paladins are explicitly the Defender class of the Divine power source. Defender is literally a tank, and they gain abilities that force enemies to engage them or take severe penalties if they decide not to.
D&D 5e - Building on 4e, they get some of those abilities again as spells, able to magically force a particularly dangerous enemy to face them instead of their allies.