Real talk; the lack of Job-specific STORY content is really hurting my excitement...

[Terin]

Honestly, I don't even need "big, epic stories". Just added story that continue fleshing things out, making those characters feel like they're still in the world. Also yeah, I'm a huge fan of the initial Pugilist quests and characters, so it would be great seeing how things are doing there, or things like that.

I mean, FFXIV is pretty great at handling that kind of stuff in general, seeing familiar faces and such. But like I said, the lack of Job-specific content just really sticks out to me, as those are a huge part of what make each job "feel special" and unique from one another. Without them, they lose a lot of their magic and just feel like "which buttons do I want to click and do the most damage?".

[OM3GA-Z3RO]

Jobs needed to be thoroughly looked at before they get job stories again because at this point Jobs are becoming very close to each other.

[Terin]

Jobs needed to be thoroughly looked at before they get job stories again because at this point Jobs are becoming very close to each other.

Fair enough, though that's a gameplay issue, which would involve entirely different teams.

I feel like some new Job quests would just add a bit more spice to the game.

Maybe even as simple as "here's a new Relic Weapon to pursue, it's mostly the same between Jobs, but includes a couple of quests interacting with familiar faces for each Job".

[utterablevenus]

personally im fine with them ending all of the older jobs' stories, most of them felt decently wrapped up (maybe some less so but whatever). my problem is with newer jobs getting totally shafted with having to tell their stories in 5 odd quests and thats it. gunbreaker's story is easily the worst offender in trying to tackle such heavy topics with the tact of a dump truck because the exposition is moving at breakneck speed. dancer was ok, made a little better with the release of endwalker, but still felt a bit rushed for what it was trying to accomplish. sage was just bad, in the bland and boring kind of sense. reaper was slightly more interesting but again the pacing made it feel really weird you essentially stumble into this den of fugitive garleans and almost immediately get considered a part of the family

i really wish they wouldve broken the "no new quests after 80" thing with these jobs, they all desperately need it. and it makes me worry about future jobs if this is the precedent theyve set for them

[Midareyukki]

personally im fine with them ending all of the older jobs' stories, most of them felt decently wrapped up (maybe some less so but whatever). my problem is with newer jobs getting totally shafted with having to tell their stories in 5 odd quests and thats it. gunbreaker's story is easily the worst offender in trying to tackle such heavy topics with the tact of a dump truck because the exposition is moving at breakneck speed. dancer was ok, made a little better with the release of endwalker, but still felt a bit rushed for what it was trying to accomplish. sage was just bad, in the bland and boring kind of sense. reaper was slightly more interesting but again the pacing made it feel really weird you essentially stumble into this den of fugitive garleans and almost immediately get considered a part of the family

i really wish they wouldve broken the "no new quests after 80" thing with these jobs, they all desperately need it. and it makes me worry about future jobs if this is the precedent theyve set for them

Ah GNB. Where a war veteran who broke out of jail, had to see his ancestral icon be twisted by the enemy as a tool to break his comrades' spirit, had to endure years of electrical torture that ended up damaging his nerves and then had to endure his own country get nuked from orbit is told by a plucky Viera to shut up and get over his trauma.

Remember kids, it doesn't matter how bad it gets, just smile and plough on through ;D

[Terin]

I'd definitely like to see them continue some of those quests, even as just odd little additions here and there over time. Seeing the different characters moving on, like maybe the leader of the Pugilists' guild (his name is eluding me right now), maybe their guild come into recognition, challenging the Gladiators' guild in the Bloodsands or something, or maybe even putting on a demonstration at the Gold Saucer to drum up new students to join?

I love the big, meaningful stories that feel like you're truly becoming a *master* of your job, but I also dig just seeing more of all those characters you've met along your journey.

[Remish]

I agree the 5 quest pacing for new jobs doesn't work at all. You're brought from zero to expert in 5 quests and the pacing is really awkward. I can't say I really miss job stories cause half the time they don't really go into detail about the job anymore anyway. You could almost substitute some of the job quest plots for a different job and it'd feel all the same because after awhile they quit being about the job and more about the people within. The Role Quests are kind of the same.

[Terin]

I definitely would love to see more Job-specific quests again. Like I said, even if it's just relatively "slice-of-life" content, just something to make the jobs feel alive again.

It's a problem I've felt lately with WoW, where the "classes" in that game feel kind of meaningless other than "which buttons you push", and while I hate to say it, I've been feeling the same about FFXIV's jobs as well.

FFXIV's strength, to me, has always been how immersive the Jobs feel. You aren't just "some dude with a sword and shield", you're a PALADIN. Or a Dark Knight. Or a Black Mage.

Without the Job quests and unique storylines, they're just all starting to bleed together, and I think the game is weaker for it.

[Connor]

I feel like ‘job lore’ overall has just went out the window for the devs at this point. There’s simply too many jobs for them to write lore for, I guess.

I mean, there is like 21 normal jobs (counting Viper and Undisclosed Caster), 2 limited jobs (including Undisclosed Limited Job), 8 crafting classes, and 3 gatherers. So I do get why it’d be so difficult.

At the same though with lore not keeping up with the game itself the jobs themselves feel hollow - not just gameplay wise (which is an entirely separate issue lol) - but in terms of ‘established lore identity’, because that lore no longer even matches the practical identity of the job. Astrologian’s cards are a great example - the job quests go around telling you all the different empowering effects the stars can have on your allies. Then they made them all Balance, so the lore just feels disconnected from what you’re actually playing (if that makes sense lol).

The same argument could (well I think it could lol) be said about Bard. It’s got all this established lore as singing in the heat of battle, then you play it now and it’s like ‘oh I’m not playing instruments I’m just twirling and shooting my bow while facing the opposite direction from the enemy’ lol.

[Mayhemmer]

I was just thinking about job quests the other day, so I'm glad this got bumped. I don't really have much to push this with, but I wondered to myself if the lack of job quests are, or have been, damaging to job identity. I was thinking of White Mage when I had the thought. It feels like they've long since moved away from the "harmony with nature" theme they had earlier in the game, and how that's even been reflected in their newer skills being more just nondescript, bright flowery spells.

I feel like the lack of job quest lines, specifically ones that dive into job themes and lore, have aided in job design drifting away from their unique identities, both mechanically and thematically.