New Classes

[Amas]

I hope for a few things.

1) No pet classes. Ever.

MMO pet AI is always terrible, and unless they have a gimmick (e.g. Summoner's hateless BPs in FFXI) they are inevitably underpowered and in low demand. Balance says that the main class can't be as strong as a regular DD or else the joke of a pet will put them over the top and make them overpowered. But then they're balanced weaker and the utterly useless pet AI comes into play and they're still too weak.

I'm sure someone will jump in here with a loud, shouting defense of pet classes, but let's just save your breath. And just as a note - I quit about when the first cap raise happened, so I'm pretty much just concerned with 2004 through the end of the 75 cap. And yes, I hear Abyssea is pretty cool, but all the cool people worth playing with long since quit or were banned. Anyway...
-DRG: not really a pet class in FFXI. Balanced pretty much like any other DD. Wyvern made up for lack of innate damage buffs.
-SMN: Gimp WHM in XP parties. Used when hate control is more of a concern than raw damage output. If played exceptionally well, can be a decent hybrid between healer, buffer, and DD, but odds are even if you think you're one of the people who played it exceptionally well, you're wrong. And no, I don't care about soloing bombs for XP. No one, ever, in the history of FFXI said "man, we need more damage faster, let's invite a SMN" except on old school kited Kirins back in 2004.
-BST: lolBST. I had a lot of friends who were BSTs in FFXI, and once SE started buffing jug pets, they could compare to an average or slightly above average AH WAR in most any regime... if they were completely pimped out with the best gear available (e.g. Dusk +1). If the WAR had the same gear as the BST? lolBST. Most of my BST friends were intellectually honest enough to admit that they found the class tremendously fun, and solo'd very well, but in any multiplayer aspect of a multiplayer game, they were underpowered and a crappy choice over any real DD.
-PUP: lolPUP. I guess they weren't a total miserable waste of space if they had full Usukane and Stringing Pummel.

2) Balance the current classes before adding new ones. And if new classes are to be added, revamp the system so they are advanced classes based off current classes.

3) Lock down Dual Wield if it's ever added. Either a GLA-only trait to offset their pokey melee damage (WS damage isn't terrible, but if a GLA isn't tanking, they're not a big contributor right now. Or as a "dual sword" or "dual katana" weapon that officially only occupies the main slot, the same way a PUG's knuckles do.

4) Fewer, more distinct classes is preferable to a bunch of generic ones. Allow existing classes to specialize, and introduce new weapons for those specialties, while still keeping the number of overall classes low. Balance is paramount, and 4 or 5 identical DDs just means 4 or 5 people fighting to fill the same party slot. Right now there's a tank, a piercing DD, a blunt DD, a slashing DD, a ranged DD. That's plenty. Let those classes grow and specialize, and be the starting point for anything new that's added. And make sure the balance stays. There should never be a lolDRG, a lolBST, etc. Every job should be useful and in demand, and the easiest way to do that is not add 20+ battle jobs, especially right away.

Edit: So I guess given that framework, what would I like to see?

Samurai as an evolution of Marauder (how the lore on that would work... I don't know).

Ninja implemented somehow, but please not the same weird concept of an enfeebling DD with strong ranged attacks (and prohibitively expensive or unobtainable ammo). Maybe as an evolution of PUG?

A situation that lets CNJ nuke rather than be a curebot, or a specialization off CNJ a la BLM where they can nuke more efficiently and be a real alternative to a melee DD.

More pimp hats. Doesn't have to be RDM (no pigeonholing with MP regen please), but all MMOs need more pimp hats.