Let's talk: Advanced Jobs

[Kenji1134]

So how would these advanced jobs affect endgame gating, raid progression, and class viability?

Right now, Jobs are designed to be "specialized" versions of a class, meant to perform better at a narrower role, best suited to group and raid content.

Out by yourself, use a base class to have more options and abilities to mix/match as needed.
Out with a partner, still probably use a base class and throw in a heal.
Out with a group, use a job to maximize your contribution in your specific area (heal/dps/tank).
Part of a raid... this is where things get messy...

So lets say that Advanced Jobs are for raiding. They need to provide some incentive to unlock, level, and use over regular jobs. So the advanced job needs to heal more, hit harder, tank/control better, otherwise there is no point in using it over the normal job.
But if we make advanced jobs simply superior to normal jobs, then a player with an advanced job will likely never use the normal job again... why would they, its a weaker option. This would also cause a degree of player segregation in raiding, those who have unlocked and leveled their advanced job, and those who have not, and are therefore weaker raiders.

I suppose that IF advanced jobs must be the stronger options that a player has, then there should be a locking/usage limitation. For example, advanced jobs can only be activated when inside of a raid instance/dungeon (would be pseudo leveled somehow). This would still handicap newer people who do not have the advanced job leveled for raiding, but it would prevent advanced jobs from being superior for all content.

[Kavaskous]

I demand a more in-depth explanation of how you think such a system would be truly unique, effective, balanced, and whether or not it makes any sense. Although, to expand on this idea, perhaps you could also marry the DoL and DoH to be able to add certain properties and dimensions to battle; FSH/"SCH" for instance, would be a an Advanced Job of many different combinations on account of the Adv. Job being "unlocked."

Then let's say... FSH/SCH is able to have more familiarity with water and wind, or perhaps more damage to Scalekin and things fish-related; or MIN/PLD could have upped defense due to their familiarity with say... Ice and Stone so they're more capable of upping their own defense b y some....means...

Or let's imagine ALC/SCH could be something akin to an Alchemist/Creator from Ragnarök Online if you can imagine throwing magical alchemical potions at things and watching them explode like Acid Demonstrations on a Paladin before "renewal."

Or even ALC/SCH could be a potion-throwing, heal casting monster.

Then again, think of the major cost of production in complexity of such a system alone. It might be a while until a game can successfully develop a game that is able to have a high degree of complexity, a healthy balance between a broad band of class/job combinations, each combination a little unique to everything else combat-wise, practical, and be able to afford the technical know how to get such an accomplishment any chance of happening. Then again, if you consider the six hundred or so employees they've had working on FFXIV:ARR at one point (Which was rumored to include people "supposedly" working on FFXIII Versus), plus consider how much work they've supposedly done to the game while "a lot more" is in store. If you also consider the fact that the Companies Honor is at stake, they're trying to each back their customer's trust, and the likelihood that they're burning the midnight oil on a regular basis.

TL:TR

It's possible due to their huge number of employees and other factors, however unlikely.