Quote Originally Posted by Saiph View Post
Ok let's look at the Final Fantasy games and it's "Job systems".

FFI: set jobs/roles but you can choose how many of every job you want at ebginning
FFII: no jobs but every character can do what he wants
FFIII: free job system
FFIV: set roles/jobs
FFV: free job system
FFVI: set roles but magic is learned through espers which you can equip as you want
FFVII: limit breaks and freely usable materia system
FFVIII: limite breaks and freely switchable GFs and Magic system
FFIX: set/jobs roles
FFX: freely usable Spheregrid + Overdrives which you can consider a bit job like
FFXI: free job system
FFXII: license board

As we see only FFIV and FFIX has really set roles through the whole game. In FFI you can decide at the begining but it's set after that.
The rest has either a completly free system or set system for character + a free system.
While a character's role throughout the series isn't specified, that shouldn't suggest that they weren't there. In every game, (in my experience) each character is depicted with a set of unique abilities that usually indicates their role in the party.

For example, while you can use Tifa in any way you want, her particular set of skills depicted in her limit breaks and stat advantages for physical combat allow us to deduct that she is a monk classed character. Cid, of course taking part as a Dragoon. These aren't coincidences. In all those games (Or at least most of them.) The characters all exhibit abilities unique to a particular job.