The Limitation Dilemma: Why Final Fantasy 14's Limited Job was a Mistake

[TheRealMadruck]

Final Fantasy 14 has constantly managed to keep players engaged with regular updates, patches, and new material as a virtual world with an endless adventure. However, one big flaw in FFXIV was the Limited Job option. When Blue Mage was released, it was a new and original concept that piqued the interest of many gamers. However, as it turned out, limited jobs came with substantial constraints. Players rapidly discovered that this new system was restricted to certain level caps, could only be leveled with specified content, couldn't queue for ordinary duties, and was barred from accessing end-game stuff. In summary, it utterly disrupted immersion and caused players to experience a variety of frustrations. But, because the devil is always in the details, let's delve more into why the limited job was a mistake and how Beastmaster being implemented as one could exacerbate matters even more.

To begin with, in an MMORPG, gamers want the flexibility to explore and experience whatever aspect of the game they want. Players' freedom of choice is limited since limited jobs keep them from accessing end-game content and obligations. Blue Mages, for example, could not participate in typical raids, dungeons, or content, with the exception of ones designed particularly for Blue Mages. Implementing Beastmaster as another limited job would be a huge error owing to the same limitations. With Beastmaster, an already small number of jobs would be further cut off from the game's endgame material. It'd be like creating a virtual nightclub and then excluding the best dancers. The players that enjoy doing alot of things want and expect the opportunity to try fresh material with the job they've enjoyed in the past and tend to align with. This is why, in any game, let alone FFXIV, limited jobs are undesirable.

Second, by creating restricted jobs, Square Enix's development team has created an ongoing problem with game balancing. When creating a limited job, such as Blue Mage or potentially Beastmaster, developers must generate content and fights that must consider their mechanics and nature, which might make balancing all of the jobs tougher than it has been which means more mainstreaming jobs via being more milquetoast or generic. Blue Mage was one of the game's most wanted jobs, and with the possible addition of Beastmaster, there is always the possibility of creating another limiting aspect of the game in compared to the game's standard system.

Finally, gamers return to FFXIV because of the game's amazing world-building and storytelling. Limited Jobs offer nothing to assist players in engaging with the current world or content. Instead, players are left battling with the job system that does not 100% sync to other forms of current content or jobs, which detracts from the story and immersion. Limited job players miss out on the overarching narrative that connects everything in the game's universe and risk getting detached from the game as a whole since they are locked out of stuff shared with other jobs.

When it comes to Final Fantasy 14, limited jobs should be a thing of the past. Instead, developers should concentrate on developing new jobs that all within FF14 may do without restriction. Beastmaster should not be pushed out as a limited job, but rather made available to all players in the same way as a normal job. This would result in a much smoother and more pleasurable gaming experience for everyone. In short, while this system was a respectable attempt of trying something new like they did with Blue Mage which is a noble aim, they're far too limited to ever genuinely be applied within such a vast MMORPG.

[Zebraoracle]

I don't know if this is a troll post or not, but regardless I agree 100%. Limited jobs are bad and should not be a thing. Being unable to play relevant content as one (potentially two if beastmaster is made into one) of my most wanted jobs feels like a slap in the face. If the devs want these jobs in, the onus is on them to figure out how to make them interesting and balanced. And no, letting them be non-limited doesn't suddenly mean they don't get to have their minigames like some people seem to think. The two things aren't mutually exclusive.

Of course what more should I expect from the devs that told healers to go play ultimates if they want engaging content...

[Eisi]

[fulminating]

yeah nah fffriend, blue mage is the only fun job because its limited status shelters it from the nonsense going on with the wimpy 19.

1) What it could do with is the blue mage log being unlocked significantly earlier, possibly a dedicated queue too as long as there's some in-instance way to acquire mimics. Blue mage being true to the past game incarnations is less damaging than summoner being made into whatever "traditional summoner" abomination we've landed rather than the suitable adaptation prior to endwalker. Integrating the spell collection minigame with the msq gates would be a lot of work for a single regular job, to the point I expect it wouldn't happen. I'm fine with it being a bit delayed and semi-interesting rather than just being handed them.

2) What do you mean by this? blue mage gets a couple of dozen spells each level cap increase, adding something to deal with mechanics it would find particularly tricky should be entirely possible. See cold fog for movement, devour for after they messed up the dark damage stat squish in a4s and it dealt more than 100% of a fed blue mage's hp, increasingly potent primal spells, might and magic x and so on.

3) Yeah, I think they should let blue mage into story content but also be very clear that it isn't allowed in regular duty finder for the instanced combat portions of the content*. Not that that makes much difference, I'm sure if you let me finish this sentence I'd have made a tasteless joke about not leaving weapons lying around near the msq bosses. I do still think they should be excluded from current raids (eg pandaemonium entirely) and not be allowed into ultimates as a mixed party (all blue or none). I also don't see the harm in the latter applying to deep dungeons, solo runs with a unique blue mage title should be both possible and a good way for people to learn the ropes without being handed necromancer/etc.

I don't think it's perfect, but I'm happy enough with it as it is and expect introducing changes would only make things worse.

*presumably it is the way it is so you can't accidentally strand yourself with a level 70 blue mage and level 50 as your next highest - some kind of centurio seal leveling buff or allowing blue mage to pick up gnb/dnc/rpr/sge would probably mitigate this a fair bit though.

[Atelier-Bagur]

I'm sorry but Im going to have to disagree here with this statement. You're blatantly ignoring the fact that the purpose behind Blue Mage is to break the game in unconventional ways. With MMOs, class balance is king and if Blue Mages are allowed to do current content then say sayonara to every single class in the game because they're all now pointless to play.

Blue Mage exists for people to have some fun with nonsensical balance and the only way this can be ethical in a sense in a live MMO is to only allow its use with previous older content.

[Zebraoracle]

I'm sorry but Im going to have to disagree here with this statement. You're blatantly ignoring the fact that the purpose behind Blue Mage is to break the game in unconventional ways. With MMOs, class balance is king and if Blue Mages are allowed to do current content then say sayonara to every single class in the game because they're all now pointless to play.

Blue Mage exists for people to have some fun with nonsensical balance and the only way this can be ethical in a sense in a live MMO is to only allow its use with previous older content.

Isn't blue mage a normal job in 11 though?

[Kranel_San]

Isn't blue mage a normal job in 11 though?

That's correct, and to my knowledge, there aren't any balancing issues with BLU in FFXI.

[Fawkes]

Isn't blue mage a normal job in 11 though?

FFXI never had quite the same obsession with balancing jobs. So they didn't mind if certain jobs fill a certain niche, or have no niche at all.

[kaynide]

Isn't blue mage a normal job in 11 though?

The problem with 14’s design is they decided every job should be equally viable in all content. In 11 it is entirely possible to get into situations certain jobs are just not designed for, and there is a lot more personal responsibility in getting gear/spells/etc.

In 11, a blue acquiring certain spells is not much different than a samurai grinding a monster to get a specific katana, or a white mage trekking out in no man’s land to get a teleport spell.

Unfortunately, in 14 a level 90 Paladin needs to be functionally identical to every other 90 tank.

Lack of job individualism, lack of horizontal progression and lack of the devs being able to allow certain jobs to be better than others in certain circumstances are IMO this game’s biggest faults.

In other words: what is the point of allowing one character to play all jobs if mastering those jobs doesn’t bring any tangible benefits or otherwise make certain situations easier to do? If you have 90 Paladin, there is no point to having 90 dark knight.

On topic of Blue, they really should go with the intention of allowing blue to run amok in older expedition content like Bozja and Eureka. Why they decided to lock spells behind dungeons was an incredibly dumb decision.

[Hasrat]

Why they decided to lock spells behind dungeons was an incredibly dumb decision.

Putting spells in dungeons is kinda trivial at this point with Basic Instinct. Think the only level 70 dungeon spell I opted to group for was Cold Fog, and that just for the boss being too tedious and troublesome, but not impossible to solo.

Agreed on expedition content, tho. Not being allowed in Eureka was the biggest disappointment. I don't even need the whole "elemental" thing to be relevant. Just wanted to have some extra fun.