Class merger of the Gunbreaker and the Red Mage

[DesiredStart]

I was talking with another player ( Kar Kara ) the other night and we both agreed that we'd like to see a merger of the Gunbreaker and Red Mage classes. Perhaps calling it something like Redstar Gunbreaker. Anyways, The Gunblade from back in Final Fantasy VIII never seemed to be a tank role. More like one that could jump back and forth to relieve a tank who needs to recover and hop back to doing mid range magic with for lack words having ultimate finishing moves. Like combos that utilize both melee and magic attacks.

[Rongway]

The Gunblade from back in Final Fantasy VIII never seemed to be a tank role. More like one that could jump back and forth to relieve a tank who needs to recover and hop back to doing mid range magic

This isn't VIII and by necessity any job that can relieve a tank in endgame content needs to be themself a tank. There's no getting around this in XIV. If a DD could take over for a tank nobody would ever take two tanks and one of those tank slots would always be reserved for the DD that has part-time tanking capability.

And any tank that is a tank is going to be doing all their main rotation actions at close range, by the nature of how XIV tanking works. Jumping out periodically to do long range moves will either place the bosses in bad places or it'll be suicide by wall, and when the tank doesn't just die outright, the bosses will end up following them, which is inconvenient for DDs.

Paladin already has brief instant magic phases and it's still mostly in everyone's benefit for them to just stay in melee range whenever there is no boss-centered AoE to dodge so that the boss doesn't go chasing them around the arena and turning every two seconds.

[DesiredStart]

I don't know about that. Gunbreaker shouldn't have the strength to constantly take the beating that of which a tank can, and in some tougher battles a tank needs to run away from the front lines to heal, least they die. Which is where the Royal Guard skill would come in handy for a class that can temporarily relieve the tank. Personally I feel as though that because FFXIV has the free roam ability during a battle it could allow for this to be a new type of class than what they already have available to choose from. Don't get me wrong I don't think that they should make the attacks of a Gunbreaker as strong as their counter parts. Meaning that the melee shouldn't be as strong as a regular tank nor should their magic be as powerful as say the black mages. There should be a balanced class offered is what I'm getting at. One that can do both magic and melee combat and the Gunblade was originally designed for such a role. Which is something that was shown during FFVIII cut scenes.

[ThorneDynasty]

Of course it wasn't a tank in VIII, in a game that doesn't have dedicated roles (or an aggro mechanic, like almost every FF game). They only have story beats to look at when they expand one-off characters into jobs, and the lore of gunblade-wielders in VIII was all about protecting a sorceress. Seifer, Squall and Cid all end up in a bodyguard role. It's even a cliche within the universe itself, as seen in the scene with Laguna playing a gunblade wielding knight for a B-movie.

So the common lore in XIV is that gunbreakers are bodyguards, which makes them tanks.

[DesiredStart]

Guns the size of rifles aren't meant to be used up close. Just because it is in the form of a sword doesn't change that fact. The blade is there in case your enemy closes the gap. The Gunbreaker class even has magic that can be used at a distance. So even the developers had to be contemplating which of the classes in which a Gunbreaker should be. Though with the current class of tank you never really get to use the magic from a distance. From my understanding the Red Mage has a skill in which allows them to jump back and forth in a manor of which I'm suggesting that Gunbreaker should have as well. The way the Gunbreaker is currently being used might as well not even be considered to be using a Gunblade at all. It might as well just be another sword welder. I mean it has no gun like features being used whatsoever.

[ThorneDynasty]

Gunblades aren't guns in either VIII or XIV. It's basically a vibrosword using gunpowder to make the strikes cut harder, plus in XIV to store magic in a shell, so the user doesn't need to cast spells themselves (so people like Thancred who can't personally use aether can still benefit). Gunbreaker's ranged skill (outside of filler, which is not firing from the "gun" and every single melee can has a version of sans Monk) isn't even using the weapon, but is inspired by the drawing mechanic from VIII.

[DesiredStart]

I see. Well scratch this idea then. XD. Even though XIV claims that most Gunblades are just guns with swords attached to them. Also, the Gunbreaker's mid range attack that I was talking about earlier is called Lightning Shot and Rough Divide. Granted rough drive ultimately brings you in close it's still one that is executed from a distance. So if I wanted to play this role I could but I'd be hurting the party and I would prefer to just have an upgrade that would allow for Gunbreaker to not be a full on tank. Plus there's the Shirk role skill that I could use and make sure I'm not being targeted. That again would be rather crappie of me to do, so I don't. Alas, I could add in some healing skills like Aurora and Heart of Corundum. So I could attack and heal all from a distance of I wanted to just play things my way without the devs making changes. However I'd have to have a heart of stone to do that. Funny enough that's actually a skill that a Gunbreaker has. I might just have to play around with all these skills and create my own play style as tank relief / support.

[yaba_gabagool]

I don't know about that. Gunbreaker shouldn't have the strength to constantly take the beating that of which a tank can, and in some tougher battles a tank needs to run away from the front lines to heal, least they die. Which is where the Royal Guard skill would come in handy for a class that can temporarily relieve the tank. Personally I feel as though that because FFXIV has the free roam ability during a battle it could allow for this to be a new type of class than what they already have available to choose from. Don't get me wrong I don't think that they should make the attacks of a Gunbreaker as strong as their counter parts. Meaning that the melee shouldn't be as strong as a regular tank nor should their magic be as powerful as say the black mages. There should be a balanced class offered is what I'm getting at. One that can do both magic and melee combat and the Gunblade was originally designed for such a role. Which is something that was shown during FFVIII cut scenes.

Mancred is a better version of Gunblade than Squall ever was.

#Changemymind

[Asdif_Laoeg]

I see. Well scratch this idea then. XD. Even though XIV claims that most Gunblades are just guns with swords attached to them. Also, the Gunbreaker's mid range attack that I was talking about earlier is called Lightning Shot and Rough Divide. Granted rough drive ultimately brings you in close it's still one that is executed from a distance. So if I wanted to play this role I could but I'd be hurting the party and I would prefer to just have an upgrade that would allow for Gunbreaker to not be a full on tank. Plus there's the Shirk role skill that I could use and make sure I'm not being targeted. That again would be rather crappie of me to do, so I don't. Alas, I could add in some healing skills like Aurora and Heart of Corundum. So I could attack and heal all from a distance of I wanted to just play things my way without the devs making changes. However I'd have to have a heart of stone to do that. Funny enough that's actually a skill that a Gunbreaker has. I might just have to play around with all these skills and create my own play style as tank relief / support.

Only the Gunblades from the Garleans are Guns with Swords.

[Mikey_R]

I might just have to play around with all these skills and create my own play style as tank relief / support.

That's not how it works. You will never replace a healer, you don't need to go to a ranged position to help with Aurora or HoC and the only ranged attack you have is Lightning Shot which is weak and, unless you take off tank stance, you will creep up on the other tank as all ranged attacks in the same vein (Lightning Shot, Tomahawk, Shield Lob and Unmend) all have increased enmity gain. You will just be a liability to the party.