I sort of wish players could only choose one job.

[Cendres]

It ruins my "immersion" being tied to 1 job per character as I have to leave my 1 character that I am fondly attached to in order to play another role.

That's exactly my problem, in FFXI/XIV you play a character, in other MMOs you play a class. Being able to switch means that your character can change function just like you would. A single player FF is meant to tell a particular story and only lasts for 40-80 hours long. An MMO last a hell of lot longer meaning that your character has a much bigger window to want to learn new things.

Also in FF sequels we have seen characters grow and be able to learn new skills and even 'jobs'. This is no different. (Yuna is a summoner that channels a singer...)

[Mikita]

Before getting ARC though, when people asked what job I had, I could proudly say PGL. I mained it, it was the only combat class I enjoyed, and it's still the one I associate Llen with the most. Therefore, I argue that locking us to a single class not only ruins any sense of attachment to a character, it actually impedes it entirely. Why let the game tell you what you can and can't do. If you're an intelligent, sentient being, maybe you don't want to be a level 50 Everything. Maybe you want to use only one class. I did, and I can assure you I feel much closer to my character for having done it.

Similarly. I started as Lancer, then tried Pugilist before finally finding my heart in Conjurer. I thought Lancer might be to my liking when I first started, but to be honest, if I were locked into Lancer I probably would have just quit after a few weeks out of boredom rather than create another character and try again.

Instead, being able to try different classes without losing any of my other progress gave me lots of things to try out and learn from.

In the end, despite playing practically every day for over 2 years, I didn't have level 50 everything. I am still dabbling in and leveling different classes when I feel like it, but despite that flexibility I still consider myself a White Mage at heart.

I would also say that the freedom to experiment and eventually find what I like contributed to turning someone who was basically a non-gamer into a dedicated FFXIV fan.

[NecridRagnarok]

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of Final Fantasy are the jobs, like White Mage, Black Mage, Monk, etc and that the characters were normally reined to one role and thus were indispensable for their unique abilities. (Well, for the most part that is.) It is this, I think that allows others to more readily respect and appreciate the significance of that specific role and player when it isn't so easily replaceable, or if at all. The player and their name sort of becomes renowned with that role.

I mean when if I wanted Black Magic I think of Vivi, the black mage. Martial combat? The monk, Tifa Lockhart of course. The list goes on, but if these characters were allowed to change their abilities freely, like lets say give Vivi a sword and Tifa a staff they wouldn't be as iconic to these roles as they are now.

Lastly I feel like allowing players to change their roles at will takes away from the traditional Final Fantasy experience, and overall makes it less gratifying to play a Job when you can potentially be replaced by anyone and everyone in your party at the flick of the wrist.

I feel as if the effort that comes along with making a new character for a new job that would make the Jobs feel more signifigant. The hard work only serves to bolster the sense of accomplishment once you've endured it. For example, the feeling of fulfillment for getting a weapon from a low-level dungeon is no where near as appealing than achieving a weapon from an end game dungeon. Like working hard to level a new job, there's a notoriety with earning a weapon from a hard boss.

In the end, I feel like it is this inherent "unappealing" nature of leveling and having to go through lots of work that would put a cog in the large proliferation of jobs and return that sense of accomplishment when you finally reached your level cap. Because personally, leveling in FXIV was so easy that capping out hardly phased me.

In the end, I understand why others like it and why it's detrimental to playing online, but just wanted to share why I don't particularly like it myself. Perhaps my ideals are a little dated.

Edit*
Again, I just wanted to clarify that I am not saying I want the game to change or I think it SHOULD be this way. It's just a personal opinion on something.

What do you think? (Sorry if this is a misplaced thread, or repeat.)

This is something that should be squashed as soon as possible I for one would not play if I got limited to 1 job per character, I like the ability to change what I'm doing and just thinking of having to change taht to multiple characters is a big turn off

[Yrusama]

I think multiple jobs is one of the things people really do want to take from XI. (or 5 if we want to get pedantic about it)

You mean 3. For the NES/DS....

[Ryokyu]

if people want 1 job per character I WILL TELL YOU AGAIN YOU ARE IN THE WRONG GAME!!! GO PLAY WOW/GW2/RIFT/ETC the FF fan will NOT WANT TO BE LIMITED to 1 job! GET IT! AND MOVE ON! we dont want idiots threads that wont help the game improvement!

[Yrusama]

Well, I'd like to hear why other player do, or don't like the multiple job mechanic. While I appreciate it's functionality toward online dynamics, it's the novelty that I feel takes away from the Final Fantasy atmosphere.

You think it takes away from the Final Fantasy atmosphere? Let's see...

Only counting numbered titles, no sequels

Games that allow job changing:

• III
• V
• XI
• XIII

Games that allow role changing or custom ability choices (ability swapping)

• II (any character can master any weapon or spell)
• VI (all characters can learn all magic, so any character can be the main heal/buff/nuke. stats are also manipulable)
• VII (materia allows ability swapping for commands/magic and stat changes)
• VIII (junction abilities like Mug or Steal, all characters can use all forms of magic)
• X (except for overdrives and summoning, all characters can do anything)
• XII (any character can use any weapon and all characters can learn all magic)

Games that use your system of locked roles:

• I (jobs chosen at start are locked thereafter)
• IV (characters have fixed jobs tied to their stories)
• IX (characters are locked in their roles, with limited customization for each)

I'm not willing to read the whole thread, so forgive me if this argument was brought up already. I'm willing to give you that in VI the characters are partially locked in their capabilities, and you normally don't bring a physical character like Cyan for the sake of nuking. That being said, most of the games to date have a great degree of role swapping, if not job swapping. Remember that I decided not to include the Tactics games, X-2, XIII-2, Dimensions, and even an off-shoot like FFCC: My Life as a King, all of which allow a great degree of freedom over jobs.

[Ryokyu]

if people want 1 job per character I WILL TELL YOU AGAIN YOU ARE IN THE WRONG GAME!!! GO PLAY WOW/GW2/RIFT/ETC the FF fan will NOT WANT TO BE LIMITED to 1 job! GET IT! AND MOVE ON! we dont want idiots threads that wont help the game improvement!

[Colino]

Pretty much. It's easily one of the most appealing features of the game and its what distinguishes it from other MMOs (especially after all the streamlining that's being done for ARR).

[Duelle]

VI (all characters can learn all magic, so any character can be the main heal/buff/nuke. stats are also manipulable)

I wouldn't call that "customization" when magic was pretty much the only thing that could be shared between the characters. Each one was built as their respective classes and then magic was sprinkled on top. Most of the personalities were even reflected by their chosen classes.

That being said, most of the games to date have a great degree of role swapping, if not job swapping. Remember that I decided not to include the Tactics games, X-2, XIII-2, Dimensions, and even an off-shoot like FFCC: My Life as a King, all of which allow a great degree of freedom over jobs.

Not so much role swapping. What they did is give the player a bunch of characters that were not defined by anything outside of what you did to develop them. The resulting game mechanic is great because it also plays into the fact that unlike MMORPGs, you don't need the trinity in a console RPG. You have have a heavy armor character with strong melee attacks and strong heals and no one would cry "OP" and demanding nerfs.

[Altena]

if people want 1 job per character I WILL TELL YOU AGAIN YOU ARE IN THE WRONG GAME!!! GO PLAY WOW/GW2/RIFT/ETC the FF fan will NOT WANT TO BE LIMITED to 1 job! GET IT! AND MOVE ON! we dont want idiots threads that wont help the game improvement!

lol Ryo.. So much passion in that voice.