Trends from the job updates

Hello. Long time no post. Yeah, didn't have much to say, and I really do stink at this whole "blogging" stuff.

Anyway, major major updates in Final Fantasy XI, with the really big one being the job updates and the raising of the level cap up to 80 (with 99 on the way). This post is an attempt to analyze where SE is going with what they've released.

General: SE seems to be promoting Skillchain and Magic Bursts. With the large number of traits available, it seems most of them deal with magic bursting and skill chaining.

It also seems that SE is diversifying roles a bit here with the release of new job traits. For example, WAR has a new trait that will allow it to do more crits with a shield equipped. It also has the Shield Defense bonus, which is the same as PLDs. Frankly, I'm surprised I don't see more WAR/PLDs doing tanking. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised too much when the playerbase pigeon-holes WARs into DD roles, and then whine that there aren't enough tanking jobs.

Job Specific things:

WAR - More tanking abilities, as well as a way to increase WS damage. I wonder how Restraint and Mighty Strikes work together.

THF - More steal

BST + RDM - SE has no idea what to do with these jobs yet.

BLM - More survivability. Who needs Stoneskin when you have Mana Wall? I hope this encourages more BLMs to go /SCH, which will do more for their DD capabilities.

DNC - Huge gain. Can natively dual wield now (which about stinkin' time! Off hand choices stink with DNC). And a new ability which allows a DNC to get a full compliment of finishing moves in 20 seconds. I don't feel too guilty about not taking the No Foot Rise merits now. ^^ Climatic Flourish seems to be nice, especially stacked with Building Flourish.

SCH - They want SCH to be a "tactical mage" which is what I figured SCH to be all along. Too bad most of the playerbase views SCH as nothing more than a BLM with a tassel. Too bad, also, that Libra doesn't have much application yet. Information is always useful, but information without application isn't so much.

Beyond 80:

Every job will get something new between 80 and 85, 85 and 90, 90 and 95, and 95 and 99.

SCH will get more spells that will allow better use of Libra.

PUP will be a tanking automaton (I'll post more on this later).

BLM will get Meteor (but not until the final push to 99).

RDM will be better defined as a buffer and debuffer.

SE will have no idea yet to do with BST. I don't think anyone knows exactly what the problem is with BST yet. (I'll post on this later)

Anyway, exciting times to be a FFXI player. ^^