Why new basic classes are NEEDED!

[Xikeroth]

Hey everyone as I was thinking about the jobs in FFXIV and how its set up I kind of realized the existing classes don't really work for all the jobs Final Fantasy has had in its history and based off Final Fantasy tradition.

Lets face it SE, your classes right now don't fit all Final Fantasy jobs for the most part. You'll need to make a bit more eventually.

Ninja for example mainly had Katana as well as the Dual Wield ability, while looking at the classes it doesn't really fit to any basic class. Thief as well is primarily a dagger using class which doesn't really get much attention in FFXIV, also a lot of people would love to dual wield as both jobs.

Samurai used Great katanas...(mostly)

Dark Knight is kind of on the fence since in some Final Fantasy games it could sword/shield others it was almost always a 2h damage dealer so that's on the fence..

Red Mage is another example, its also a class that needs a dramatic revamp for MMORPGs because it doesn't really work how its supposed to in Final Fantasy history. Look at FFXI, it was supposed to be a front line caster and the community mutated it to be back line only, and no one really allowed them to fight without complaining about it. So it basically turned into a mini WHM or BLM in FFXI just not as many cures or nukes.

Red Mage could easily be redone while still keeping some traditional aspects of the job in place and allowing it to melee. However this would require a new base class. Gladiator using THM and CJN spells as well as a few debuffs that you'd get every 5 levels at 30+ doesn't exactly scream RDM. And since BRD is a support style class but has high dmg, so should RDM for the sake of Balance. Enfeebs aren't always the saving grace of a job.

I was playing Final Fantasy tactics a few weeks ago and kind of noticed a class several people I know in FFXI that wanted but was never added: Geomancer

Geomancer could be a quite useful base class to have in FFXIV As it could lead to jobs like Red Mage and Blue Mage (depending how you make them) They could also use a completely diff type of sword (just to keep them different from Gladiator). Conjurer and THM both have staff-like weapons. Nothing is stopping you from making exclusive weapon types for diff classes. (In FFT geomancer COULD use a sword)

I also noticed that several Geomancer abilities had debuffs attached to them which could also fit Red Mage (BLU in FFXI also had debuffs attached to many attacks).

As for the quested spells Possibly instead of making basic enfeebs such as slow, paralyze, silence... You could attach these enfeebs to MP based sword attacks, something along the lines of Lightning's Ravager attacks in FFXIII. Damage wouldn't be as high, but they would have enfeebs attached to them, again promoting front line while raising Red Mages Damage to help support it in a very different game.

(also abilities similar to fists of earth/fire/wind could and SHOULD replace enspells unless enspells are actually made useful)

Red Mage is a big deal to me personally because I played one in FFXI for years and it frustrated me how it was never really changed into what it could be and what by Final Fantasy tradition usually was. So I'd like to see some effort in bringing the roots of the job back. Just have to be very careful with classes like this because the Community can and WILL mutate it into something unintended.

Red Mage isn't a Red Mage without melee ability its something else.

So to basically all that said, some Final Fantasy Jobs need a new base class before they get launched. The current classes we have don't exactly fit most of them, but can fit some of them.

That and some people like having a reason to go out and gain xp instead of just sit around and wait for events to start.

[Kalehon]

Very well put =D

These are my 2 cents:

The devs could let the existing classes have more skills and be able to equip more than one type of weapon. There would be 3 types of skills: 1) those that are usable by the class regardless of the weapon; 2) those that are usable with one weapon; and 3) those that are usable with the other weapon. This way, for example, GLD could equip one handed swords and 2 handed swords -> with the 1H, he would equip a shield and tank, becoming later on a PLD; with the 2H, he would do the DD role and become later on a DRK. Both jobs would share a small set of skills, but they would be really different in stats and main skills (changing the weapon could give the ability to redistribute stats).

Another thing would be to create more job-only skills, especially for those that are so unique and should not share skills with another job through the class system. Example: BLUEMAGE.

This would be a way to introduce less basic classes and more jobs and still allow players to play with all the classes they love.

Another example: the Arcanist class could receive a little bit of changes to be more "versatile", so it would evolve into 2 different jobs (summoner, which is long ranged, and beastmaster, which is melee focused).

Jobs like Redmage and Bluemage could even come from the same basic class, as long as the skills are shared in an intelligent way.

THAT also reminds me of our current CNJ/THM problem... something I don't need to explain, right? =D

[PSxpert2011]

...Ninja for example mainly had Katana as well as the Dual Wield ability, while looking at the classes it doesn't really fit to any basic class...

I agree and for this, one class should compensate this as a "Boshido class"(eastern style swordmanship as we know it). Combine this with gladiator and you get ninja, combine it with Marauder and you get Samurai but there needs to be origens and story added to it along with new areas and quest. This is just a basic idea but you get the jist.

We could use new class for new jobs w/o everything being so convoluted, while we understand the current system, combining classes should work just fine but we need new arts(since everyone should have all leveled by now, it's so damn easy).

[Cyonos]

I agree we need new classes for jobs not just branching out from existing classes. All that is going to do is give everyone lvl 50 jobs for not having to do anything to obtain them except do a few quest for gear and abilities.