As Final Fantasy XIV is gradually unveiling the mystery of the wild exploration area, the appearance of some jobs is reminiscent of the Phantom Job System. Can this innovative mechanism inject new vitality into the gameplay of FFXIV outside of high-difficulty dungeons?
Job System Changes
FFXIV has always been restrained in job design. Currently, the official jobs in the game are either full jobs or limited jobs, both of which represent a wider range of abilities than most traditional jobs in the series. But the reappearance of phantom jobs marks the beginning of the developer's exploration of new routes.
The five confirmed jobs of Ranger, Berserker, Chemist, Time Mage and Cannoneer are essentially remakes of classic jobs in FF series. Take Time Mage as an example. Its core skills are very likely to conflict with Astrologian in the traditional MMO framework. In order to avoid players thinking this is a variant of Astrologian, FFXIV still needs to do a lot of work and integrate it into the game.
However, in the restricted environment of the exploration area, perhaps the developers can boldly try high-risk and high-reward designs such as temporarily speeding up 30% at the cost of 10% vulnerability - this degree of freedom is the essence of the phantom system.
Chemist
As the most anticipated healing phantom job, the Chemist is facing a unique balance problem. Because the current version of the game does not have the item economy you need, the potions you throw are actually spells. It will also cause the Chemist to become a visual variant of the White Mage - unless a real-time synthesis system for collecting and making medicine is introduced, but this will risk coupling with the core gameplay of the exploration area.
But then again, FFXIV has always been good at turning restrictions into features. Imagine: Chemists can temporarily make enhanced potions by collecting herbs in the area. This Monster Hunter-style gameplay fusion may open up a new dimension for MMO healing jobs. After all, there are previous successful experiences that prove that players have amazing enthusiasm for non-combat gameplay.
Classic Return
Looking at the jobs that have been exposed, the shadow of FF5 is everywhere. As the foundation of the job system, FFV pioneered the freedom of RPG build through the Job Master mechanism. Now, these classic jobs that have been dormant for 30 years are returning with a new look:
- Cannoneer: This physical output job that relies on the amount of ammunition in Final Fantasy V is likely to be transformed into a mobile turret in the FF14 version. Combined with the terrain destruction mechanism of the exploration area, players may need to calculate the ballistic parabola to achieve beyond-visual-range strikes.
- Gladiator: Although there is a naming conflict with Paladin, this classic tank job that emphasizes group hatred may become the strategic core in large-scale encounters if the damage conversion shield mechanism can be introduced. Players can use FFXIV Gil to strengthen the defense of this job and amplify its advantages.
It is worth noting that data miners found the job icon of Mime in the patch file. This interesting job in FFV, which can copy the actions of teammates, may solve the long-standing balance problem of Blue Mage if it is designed as a real-time learning mechanism - after all, in a limited area, allowing players to temporarily imitate boss skills is much safer than permanently mastering them.
Other Jobs
Although I have talked about the need for developers to explore more jobs in the main game, obviously, I can't be sure which of these jobs will appear. However, based on the compatibility of the series' main games with FFXIV's existing system, I speculate that the following jobs are expected to join the phantom camp:
- Geomancer: This natural mage mentioned in the Far Eastern plot line can be strengthened in specific terrain. You will have a more controlled environment, in which the terrain may be more important, and you can use techniques such as damage floors. Imagine summoning lava eruptions in volcanic areas, or causing blizzards in ice fields - this environmental linkage design is in line with the world view and avoids overlapping with Black Mage's skills.
- Viking: A variant of the berserker from FFIII, which can achieve a DPS curve that becomes more and more courageous through the injury increase mechanism. Considering that the current Tank Job lacks the gameplay of self-harm in exchange for output, Viking may attract hardcore players to challenge their limits.
- Gambler: Although the randomness mechanism runs counter to the precise operation emphasized by FFXIV, if it is designed as a probability prediction system - such as betting on the boss skill type 3 seconds in advance to gain a buff - it may create a unique strategic dimension.
In addition, the naming of jobs is always a sensitive issue. For example, Thief has been fully integrated into the Rogue/Ninja system. If you want to revive this classic job, you may need to enable some variant names.
In any case, we are still looking forward to and excited about what is about to happen, and we will continue to pay attention to this information in the future. Of course, players still need to pay more attention to the official information and take it as the standard. I hope everyone can have fun!
