Thread: 1UP.com's new interview with Yoshida regarding 2.0

We're getting a bit long winded here so I apologize if we skip over any points.

Originally Posted by Duelle

Meh, it eliminates "Duelle, you suck because you like playing PLD more than DRK and don't even carry a DRK set. Our needs should be more important than your in-game enjoyment" entirely, which isn't a bad thing. Take it from someone to who got burned with dual specs in late WotLK/Cataclysm.

I understand and agree with the philosophy, but you're not going to get around that without some sort of compromise.

For example, if you're group is supersaturated on Paladins, and you refuse to go on Dark Knight on a Job locked run, your group is either forced to rotate Paladins (not likely in long dungeon runs) or you pretty much get the axe for that run until you find some group that agrees specifically with every stance you have.

With a class locked run, your class preference isn't compromised, and you can alter roles in balance with personal preference and group needs. This is also reflected on more in depth below.

Timers are] really something that can be applied to lots of dungeon elements, from hostages that need to be rescued to avoiding some event in the instance that would affect the battles past that point or simply just saving someone who would get captured if you arrive too late.

I disagree as far as something that is tied to a loot system, at least for the overall goals of a dungeon. They can be helpful if applied correctly, but the mechanic itself is toxic and should be dealt with great care. Right now, it's harming the game's overall health.

I disagree, because again any character could cover vital spells provided you took the time to teach them the right spells (stat modification through espers naturally came with teaching said spells and were not entirely separate processes). Mash could do healing as well as Edgar could, as well as Gau could as well as Relm could. Not to mention VI had enough jobs with good damage potential to cover that part of the equation with little trouble.

Mash? There was no character called Mash in FFVI my friend.

But you continue to overlook the primary point of what FFVI did right and how it can translated over - namely, role redundancy.

Its not the fact that every class could have access to the same spells - but that as a result of that (for some characters, others like Mog, Gau, Strego, and Gogo bypassed the entire need for the Esper system.) everyone could fit every role.

This to a certain degree can be duplicated with the Class/Job system, especially as more jobs begin to allow certain classes more diversified role.

XI's group structure is the last thing I would ever want to use. What I'm trying to avoid is player trends developing where people are expected to have multiple classes/jobs geared and leveled because the dungeon and encounter design demands it.

What FFXI did wrong was bottleneck important roles such as healer and tank into very few jobs. What FFXIV can do to counter that is properly saturate each role with multiple viable alternatives spread out among different base Classes. With that met, Class locking and split dungeons will become both functional and enjoyable, while other more straightforward group events can be far more accessible to players.

...Being able to say "my character is this job" and being able to play as such in the content that matters without social expectations and dungeon/encounter mechanics getting in the way greatly increases enjoyment of the game, believe it or not. It's largely why I support performance equality between jobs over niche gameplay, too.

I both agree and feel the same way. But I believe this can be achieved by allowing a class to assume multiple roles through multiple job sets.

Through this the players who want to strike an identity still get that identity by saying "I am a Lancer"(Self example.) And while they have preference to say Dragoon, like I do. They still maintain that base identity when having to switch jobs (and therefore roles).

It matters less to me to have to switch to Templar if I need to tank then it would telling me to jump onto Paladin. And while it's going to be a lot of work for the SE crew to balance, I do believe that is the course they are headed with this system and I support it.

Difference for the sake of being different hasn't let to much good in the MMO genre.

I agree, and I also agree that this should be a system that is used sparingly. But I'm stating difference not for the sake of being different, but difference for the sake of variant, and therefore deeper game-play. One or two of these split dungeons in the lineup will actually add some good flavor to the current lineup and make great use of the system that is currently developing.

eh, I think you're brave for stepping forward. Either way, it was a good interview, and perhaps one of the most informative articles of all the stuff that's come out of e3.

I'd just like to step in and add my support as well. Good on you for both coming forward and giving what I think was the most impacting interview of the bunch. Thanks for that.