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).

[Shurrikhan]

Absolutely. As Limited Job, that is.

That is, absolutely, how you make it no longer worth making.

[ty_taurus]

That is, absolutely, how you make it no longer worth making.

I'm in this camp of thought. BLU is fun for a hot minute until you've collected all the spells, but the rest of its content is just not very fun or engaging to me. It's basically a way to put a gimmicky spin on recycling content, and while there is a small community of players who were able to find entertainment in it, I feel there are far more people who are frustrated that they'll (as far as it seems currently) never be able to live out one of their favorite jobs because it's been demoted to a minigame. I just don't want that for anyone else.

[Exodus-E]

That is, absolutely, how you make it no longer worth making.

I'm in this camp of thought. BLU is fun for a hot minute until you've collected all the spells, but the rest of its content is just not very fun or engaging to me. It's basically a way to put a gimmicky spin on recycling content, and while there is a small community of players who were able to find entertainment in it, I feel there are far more people who are frustrated that they'll (as far as it seems currently) never be able to live out one of their favorite jobs because it's been demoted to a minigame. I just don't want that for anyone else.

You both forgot this bit from my original post:

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

Beastmaster could very well be a "regular" job, but then they'd have to throw its "collectable" aspect out the window (because of the "rigid" structure/learn-set inherent to being a "regular" job).
Unless, of course, you could change its pets aesthetically (not mechanically) through a glamouring system, similar to how SMN's Egi glamour should be working.

[ty_taurus]

You both forgot this bit from my original post:

Beastmaster could very well be a "regular" job, but then they'd have to throw its "collectable" aspect out the window (because of the "rigid" structure/learn-set inherent to being a "regular" job).
Unless, of course, you could change its pets aesthetically (not mechanically) through a glamouring system, similar to how SMN's Egi glamour should be working.

I was just responding based on that one statement and generally would prefer we not ever do another limited job because I just don't feel like it's worth the effort when we could do better instead. Having said that, I would gladly throw out the concept of creature collecting to make Beastmaster work for FFXIV, and I was perfectly content doing the same for BLU prior to its release. Back when BLU was a hot topic of new job potential, I stated multiple times that you should just learn spells from the enemies you encounter in the job quests, or similiarly to how SMN has been given Bahamut and Phoenix, introduce spells from enemies we encountered in past expansions.

The way this game is structured means that we just can't have a free-for-all with abnormal mechanics. I mean just look at how livid people get over job balance now over incredibly tame mechanics. Could you imagine if we had a traditional BLU that wasn't limited?

Having said that, it completely baffles me that if we were to have compromised on BLU's traditional roots in any capacity, that it would've been tantamount to sacrilege in the eyes of the producer. But yet, look at RDM... RDM is not at all like the traditional RDM, yet we were able to create something that works within the restrictions set forth by FFXIV while still respecting those origins and using them to add respectable flavor to the RDM's playstyle. Why couldn't we have done that with BLU instead? And where is this righteous will to protect the traditional roots of a job's identity for BRD?

In short, I see no reason why we have to protect the sanctity of Beastmaster's roots when we could just create a modern interpretation respectful to the job's identity from past titles. And since Beastmaster is not a standard job that has been consistent over the years of Final Fantasy, there's a lot of room to be flexible and creative with it. Same is true for Puppetmaster. They can both be jobs that are neither pet-reliant nor limited and still feel like respectful, exciting jobs to play.

As I mentioned above, taking inspiration from Rinoa, for example, or even the Trainer dressphere from X-2, could be great places to start.

[Shurrikhan]

You both forgot this bit from my original post:

Oh, I'm not forgetting it. I just don't think having additional skill acquisition requirements ought to demand an unbalanceable gimmick kit or that it can't be relevant to living/current content. Such demands that extra time expense be 'rewarded' with... a terrible playflow and being barred from the last 10 levels' worth of stuff.

The "rigid" class-job or by-level skill acquisition need not be a universal requirement. It's a job that won't be unlocked until having reached the tail of the previous expansion, thereby providing all but some 2 options alternative to it if one doesn't want to take the extra time to do what we find thematic for a BST.

[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.

[Seraphor]

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.

How do you feel about PvP, Crafting/Gathering, or the Gold Saucer?
There are other modes of play in this game, it's not just a single avenue, and BLU finally gave us a pve battle based one.
BLU has seen more use than any of my non-main jobs. I never play MNK, SAM, PLD, BRD, DNC or SMN, so I play BLU far more than any of those.

Like it or not, Limited jobs fill a useful and interesting gameplay niche outside of the core grind, and bring life to older content. For months between patches in Shadowbringers, me and my FC would pretty much only play BLU or work on relics in Bozja, neither of which are the main focus of the game.
BLU was great content, but that doesn't mean I don't have my issues with the job. It gave us an entirely new mode of battle which was far more reactionary and dynamic, over the rigid rotations of 'non-limited' jobs, but that's not something that I really wanted on a caster. I want to see that sort of content on other roles, and Beastmaster could give us one of them.

Ideally, it would be great if Limited jobs could pull from a small selection, maybe a caster, a melee and a phys ranged, and could all run older content together for the same rewards.
Give us a 'limited roulette' just for limited jobs while they're at it.

In addition to expanding limited job content, Beastmaster could also provide an avenue to upgrade another area of the game. Companions.
What if, instead of being the same sort of pet job as SMN used to be, it instead simply served as an expansion of the Companion system?
Beastmaster could tame new companions that use the same system as the companion chocobo, and could bring them into duties and issue them commands to execute unique moves. Meanwhile outside of Beastmaster, you could summon any of those new companions in place of the chocobo, but have them act functionally the same as the chocobo, just with visually different movesets.
You're now enhancing your gameplay with all of your other jobs, by playing the limited job.


If we get Beastmaster as a regular job, I don't want it.
It'll have one preset 'pet' that it's identity is based around, either an awkward clunky rotation because pets don't work, or a simplified rotation that may as well be on any job without a pet, and I will never play it.