Next Scouting Job?

[Alacran]

I'm not sure it does. There is nothing in game that says that scouting jobs always have to be melee. It's true that, so far, all jobs that share left-sided gears are placed in the same role, but that was also true for accessories until they made Ninja. They could do the same thing and make another exception with the next scouting job being ranged physical.

Except the current role quest specifically separate Physical ranged from Melee roles. Similarly the one Scouting job is placed along side the other melee jobs, therefore placing Scouting squarely in the melee camp.

The whole reason i had to level & tolerate the ridiculous Machinist job animations was because of that split of the role quest.

At this point i just want a scouting job that isn't tied to a eastern thematic.

[Iscah]

Similarly the one Scouting job is placed along side the other melee jobs, therefore placing Scouting squarely in the melee camp.

Not necessarily. That just tells us that ninja is a melee job.

If they had hypothetically assigned dancer to Scouting but still kept it designated as a ranged DPS, it would be grouped with the ranged DPS quests while ninja would still be grouped with the melee.

And I do think that dancer should have been Scouting. Both dancer and ninja are nimble, fast-moving fighters who shift between close quarters and ranged fighting, and they fight using bladed weapons. In some other FFs, chakrams are even designated as thief/ninja weapons.

Meanwhile the two "definitely Aiming" jobs, bard and machinist, fight exclusively at range (at most approaching the edge of a pack of enemies to use their AOE skills) and use projectile weapons.

It seems far more logical to me to have grouped dancer with ninja, especially given the gear situation.

[Garet]

Not necessarily. That just tells us that ninja is a melee job.

If they had hypothetically assigned dancer to Scouting but still kept it designated as a ranged DPS, it would be grouped with the ranged DPS quests while ninja would still be grouped with the melee.

And I do think that dancer should have been Scouting. Both dancer and ninja are nimble, fast-moving fighters who shift between close quarters and ranged fighting, and they fight using bladed weapons. In some other FFs, chakrams are even designated as thief/ninja weapons.

Meanwhile the two "definitely Aiming" jobs, bard and machinist, fight exclusively at range (at most approaching the edge of a pack of enemies to use their AOE skills) and use projectile weapons.

It seems far more logical to me to have grouped dancer with ninja, especially given the gear situation.

Agree with you here. The DNC here could be implied to be a job that uses dancing as a disguise to do espionage and spying. Hence scouting

[linayar]

Except the current role quest specifically separate Physical ranged from Melee roles. Similarly the one Scouting job is placed along side the other melee jobs, therefore placing Scouting squarely in the melee camp.

Only because Ninja, a melee job, is the only scouting job right now. Create a ranged physical scouting job and that job can go with their appropriate role quest. Scouting does not need to be limited to melee.

[Hasrat]

Only because Ninja, a melee job, is the only scouting job right now. Create a ranged physical scouting job and that job can go with their appropriate role quest. Scouting does not need to be limited to melee.

In reality, it most likely will be, tho. Also consider we do have role skills as well, another reason they'd be unlikely to split up scouting into different roles.

In truth, though, I'd wager the biggest hurdle they have right now is designing around Trick Attack. If they have a goal of not doubling up on DPS roles in parties, NewScout needs a reason to exist alongside NIN, and NIN's major reason for existing in a party is TA. So, they're now stuck with designing something new that works similar, but also doesn't stack, and also the delicate balance of not making NEW so OP that NIN is obsolete.

Whatever new job they conceive, I don't think it's going to go as pretty and smooth as we might like...

[linayar]

In reality, it most likely will be, tho. Also consider we do have role skills as well, another reason they'd be unlikely to split up scouting into different roles.

Role skills are tied to the melee role, not scouting.

In truth, though, I'd wager the biggest hurdle they have right now is designing around Trick Attack. If they have a goal of not doubling up on DPS roles in parties, NewScout needs a reason to exist alongside NIN, and NIN's major reason for existing in a party is TA. So, they're now stuck with designing something new that works similar, but also doesn't stack, and also the delicate balance of not making NEW so OP that NIN is obsolete.

Whatever new job they conceive, I don't think it's going to go as pretty and smooth as we might like...

If they make the new scouting job a ranged physical, it's not going to compete with ninja. Besides, ninja doesn't need to be in the party right now. Trick attack is not a hurdle for any job, scouting or otherwise.