Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XII (01/14/2014)

[Niiro]

I dunno about that. You could strip out the songs/support role and make it a ranger a la ffxi style. Maybe make it a crowd control class. Enhance bind effect, sleep arrows....rage/arrow arrow where you shoot it and the mob runs around pointlessly for ten seconds...

What I meant by role is that ARC is hard to turn into anything other than a DPS.

[Buffy]

What I meant by role is that ARC is hard to turn into anything other than a DPS.

A reasonable point. As the game scales you could move brd closer to a support job and its alternate class closer to a dps class if they wanted to.

Hell, Utsusemi was a bizarre concept when it was introduced to ffxi, I have faith in their ability to create unique jobs slots over time.

[Makwa]

Though even with that in mind I dunno what you'd do with GLA's 10billion defensive cooldowns if it changed to hypothetical DRK. Some DRK30 thing that converts all instances of "Damage taken / block rate" to "Damage dealt / crit rate"?

Two-handed swords for GLA. Equipping one changes certain defensive abilities/WS into offensive ones. (Rampart becomes increased crit rate, Shield Lob becomes idk, Throwing Dagger? Rage of Halone can just be increased damage, lose enmity buff and gain HP Drain)
Leaves sword/board setups alone while still setting up a DPS role for early GLA and into DRK. Maybe DRK can lean away from magic use as well and focus more on the "Sacrifices HP to increase damage" aspect with an ability at Lv30 when you unlock it. Sorta like Defiance.

[Takiwaki]

If they are gonna make all those changes might as well make a new 2 handed sword class with dps gear to match.

[Grey Jorildyn]

There's already evidence that they can make an ability do something slightly different (Wrath effects on MRD abilities) or completely different (Summon, Summon II) based on equipped soul crystal. Though even with that in mind I dunno what you'd do with GLA's 10billion defensive cooldowns if it changed to hypothetical DRK. Some DRK30 thing that converts all instances of "Damage taken / block rate" to "Damage dealt / crit rate"? Then you're giving it a ton of native offensive CDs >_>

Stance that swaps defense and attack. Done.

[miokomioko]

Changing from 1-handed to 2-handed weapon of the same class will not be what drastically alters actions. They could add 2-handed swords for GLA with better offensive stats (along with an entire animation set) but the role switch will only be solely via the job stone since Gladiator & Paladin will remain tanks regardless of what sword you're holding (much like Arcanist & Summoner).

Keep in mind, even though Scholar switched from DPS to Healer, the only base actions that were affected were the already minimally-worded Summon & Summon II.

[Scythiroth]

I really do not want more jobs branching off classes. It's -okay- for Scholar and Summoner since they have pets making up for the not many new abilities gained, but it is just boring/lazy to me to attach more jobs to a single class. Especially since I have most leveled already, being given another free job at 50 is really meh to me. I actually enjoy leveling and learning a job as I level up, but just magically being 50 on something does not work for me. Really hoping Scholar and Summoner are the only jobs that end up working like this. Oh, and the whole attribute points issue for different roles being on a single class.

[Niiro]

They should have level capped classes at 30 and jobs should have taken over from there with their own abilities/traits.

ie. SCH and SMN wouldn't share a level, at ACN 30 you could unlock 30 SMN and 30 SCH and they would have separate exp.

[Scythiroth]

They should have level capped classes at 30 and jobs should have taken over from there with their own abilities/traits.

ie. SCH and SMN wouldn't share a level, at ACN 30 you could unlock 30 SMN and 30 SCH and they would have separate exp.

^

Would have much preferred this.

[Cutriss]

Hell, Utsusemi was a bizarre concept when it was introduced to ffxi, I have faith in their ability to create unique jobs slots over time.

Bizarre how? Blink was in previous titles and has the same function. Blink-tanking? "Tanking" in general is something that you don't have in any FF game before XI outside of Cover.

Not arguing, just wondering where you're going with that.

[Arelian]

If they are gonna make all those changes might as well make a new 2 handed sword class with dps gear to match.

The DPS gear is already in the game. Don't you find it kinda odd that casters and tanks share gear, yet DPS all have individual sets? I've got a feeling it has less to do with armor "class" and more to do with adding new jobs onto existing gear in the future. DRK or whatever could easily equip the current DRG sets, like Onion from CT.

[Niiro]

Don't you find it kinda odd that casters and tanks share gear

What?

[Galkaeater]

They should just start all over again because the job/class system is shit.

[Arelian]

What?

Er, worded poorly. I blame football. Healers all share the same gear, caster DPS shares the same gear, and tanks share the same gear.

[Buffy]

Bizarre how? Blink was in previous titles and has the same function. Blink-tanking? "Tanking" in general is something that you don't have in any FF game before XI outside of Cover.

Not arguing, just wondering where you're going with that.

Just meant that when it was introduced, it would take all damage, including AoE, and completely changed the way ninja was supposed to be played from day one. The devs could easily introduce a game changing mechanic just as easily in FFXIV.

[lolwut]

It'd make more sense to have Drk branch off Marauder than Gladiator. Give it traits that increase hp drain abilities, and a stance increases potency but lowers defense as enmity increases. Cross class Pug and Lnc abilities and you have a 2hnd hp drain glass cannon.

I'd prefer Gld have something like Rune Fencer as a secondary. Keep the Gld defensive traits, but add in magic defense rune buffs/attacks instead of the Pld abilities.

[Vuitton]

Er, worded poorly. I blame football. Healers all share the same gear, caster DPS shares the same gear, and tanks share the same gear.

Oddly, Archer / Bard is the only class/job that doesn't share it's main gear with anyone else.

[Eldelphia]

Oddly, Archer / Bard is the only class/job that doesn't share it's main gear with anyone else.

I wouldn't be surprised if whatever musketeer/corsair/gunslingingpirate ends up being, ends up on BRD gear

[Raldo]

^ The only reason why I even give a shit about Aiming coil drops (except feet).

[Andradi]

Oddly, Archer / Bard is the only class/job that doesn't share it's main gear with anyone else.

Monk and Dragoon?