Beastmaster: Can it work?

[Ranek]

Beastmaster: Potential of how the job could work

We all have that one job that we think could be interesting in FFXIV, and for the most part the development team have done amazing work in rebuilding classic jobs to fill the mold, or even creating new ones that surprise us all (Reaper, I’m looking in your general direction). Even things like limited jobs have been somewhat amusing, but there has been a distinct lack of traditional pet jobs in this game, one attributed to Yoshi-P not enjoying the concept.

So, we are left to wonder, how could we modify this to be something that people would enjoy, not as a limited job, but as a full implemented design.

Taming the wilds: The Origins of Beastmaster:

Born in the time of antiquity, the Beastmasters of old hailed from the now reclaimed city-state of Dalmasca. The origins of this class came from a need for survival, as the wilderness around Dalmasca was amongst the most unforgiving. Beastmasters forged their path by forging bonds with the wilds and the creatures which inhabited those domains. Relying on whips and traps, they had managed to contain and train some of the most lethal creatures on to ever walk upon the world.

Weapons:

While it has been observed that the Beastmasters of the Garlean Empire relied upon axes and shields in combat, the traditional weapon of the Beastmasters of Dalmasca were always whips. Designed to keep themselves away from any potential predators or opponents, these tools are usually crafted of the sturdiest leather available. Difficult to master, it takes absolute concentration to achieve the best results.

Familiars:

While Beastmasters are able to tame the creatures of the wilds, their true strength comes from familiar jugs. Once a creature is defeated, beastmasters are able to claim the creature’s essence, it is said that upon claiming the beasts aether that a Beastmaster can summon forth these creatures to attack those who stand in their path. All the while unleashing their own martial prowess against the enemy in question.

Armor: (Scouting gear)(Aiming Accessories)

Relying on what the land provides has always been a key component of the Beastmasters longevity, so it is unsurprising that the armor they use is traditionally made from leather. There is a belief that they honor the spirit of the slain creature by using its skin for protection.

Relic Weapon: Dobrynya

An ancient weapon, said to have been crafted from the skin of a Hydra that had gone insane, it is said this weapon was once a prized treasure of the Dalmascan royal family. None know what became of it after the wrath of Garlemald descended upon the city-state, though some claim it will one day return to the capital.

Just some random musing, feel free to add or remove what you like or dislike

[Exodus-E]

Beastmaster: Can it work?

Absolutely. As Limited Job, that is.
Which is inevitable, considering its "collectable" nature (akin to BLU's spells).

Otherwise, it'd be "limited" (pun intended) to a select number of creatures, given how "regular" jobs work.

And before anyone points it out, at least with SMN's Egi glamour system would (in theory) only affect their pets in an aesthetic manner (not in a mechanical/game-play one).

[aveyond-dreams]

I believe we are long overdue for a "hunter with pet" type job, as it's a pretty popular archetype. That being said, I cannot support the addition of new limited jobs that only see bursts of activity and work off of fomo as opposed to something I can play whenever I want.

I would gladly take a reduced number of pets/having them be animations like Reaper's avatar as a compromise for having it as a full job.

[Exodus-E]

That being said, I cannot support the addition of new limited jobs that only see bursts of activity and work off of fomo as opposed to something I can play whenever I want.

Not entirely true.
BLU's still useful for clearing older content (such as dungeons/FATEs/etc.) whenever you like outside said "bursts of activity".
Not to mention that they're a great source of Aetheryte Tickets.

[aveyond-dreams]

Lvl 90 max ilvl job > usually a faster and less stressful clear than when using a Blue Mage, especially for farming old EX/savage fights.

Dungeons see above.

Fates? If I want an easy time with those I just do them as a tank. Blue Mages cannot do any current fates worth grinding at the moment.

Lastly Aetheryte tickets mean nothing to me given that I'm sitting at 10mill+ gil spread out across my characters.

There is no functional use for limited jobs outside of moogle events, and that's if a player doesn't own all of the (old) rewards or wouldn't already obtain any new rewards by just playing the game normally. Like I often say, at least Gacha limited events have the bonus of being able to take your temporary pull reward into any content you want, Blue Mage cannot even say that.

That job aside, I struggle to think of a reason as to why Beastmaster should be limited to outdated content and why they cannot play with others normally. No monster in this game is so powerful as to outclass a player or even be viable to use against other monsters via taming. It just doesn't make sense to apply the same restrictions here.

[WiccaP]

I dont understand the aversion so many players and the devs have against pet classes. Numerous other MMOs utilize them effectively and in a balanced way. a lot of players enjoy that style of class and they can work. i would love to see a beastmaster as a regular full job. I would stick to FF lore and previously they have used whips. I would love that

[MagiusNecros]

Matsuno told Yoshi P if he ever decides to include Beastmaster that he would help him make it work. And Limited Jobs aren't the answer. As is I see no reason to not let BLU run whatever it wants. Letting BLU run stuff like Palace or Eureka/Bozja won't kill the game.

Personally BLU is still the most fun job to play. Tied with Fisher.

[Xiaoki]

I dont understand the aversion so many players and the devs have against pet classes. Numerous other MMOs utilize them effectively and in a balanced way. a lot of players enjoy that style of class and they can work. i would love to see a beastmaster as a regular full job. I would stick to FF lore and previously they have used whips. I would love that

Have to have functional pet AI before you can have pet based classes.

That's why FF14 got rid of their only pet based class and other MMOs have had pet based classes for years and years.

[Grimoire-M]

Have to have functional pet AI before you can have pet based classes.

That's why FF14 got rid of their only pet based class and other MMOs have had pet based classes for years and years.

After getting functional pet AI on the other one.

Personally I think Summoner should support it via Carbuncle as a persistent ranged pet while Beastmaster is held in reserve to make use of a persistent melee pet. Most of the AI breaks are unfortunately due to pets not having the range to function properly, so melee pets definitely still need more attention. Every example XIV has cheats in some manner with infinite dashes or is actually a ranged pet in practice.

[CKNovel]

In a case of a limited job, if they rework the limited job into a more interesting content and allows queueing.
In a case of a non-limited job, pets should be like the avatar of RPR or Egis from SMN. Only visuals.

Pets don't work in this game. And there is already 3 cases of pets:
-The dumb one, does its things then execute your order. Removed from MCH and SMN, limited to SCH.
-The Dot one, press and forget. Unfun and frustrating at times. MCH and DRK.
-The animation one, critically acclaimed, SMN and RPR.

Also, lore, weapon, relic name... It's alright to have ideas but is it really a priority?
Square Enix will make the choice about these, like how they decided Sage would be a gundam.