While it’s in between major updates right now,Final Fantasy 14is in a great place. Players are still basking in the afterglow of two great expansions, and the content released since Endwalker has been well-received. The ability to replay much of the game and often do so with AI companions has breathed new life into older parts ofFinal Fantasy 14, and even PvP modes have been given a significant overhaul. While the exact direction of the story isn’t clear yet, the fact that the prior arc just finished means that’s not an issue yet.
The state ofFinal Fantasy 14is impressive for a decade-old MMORPG, even if it has taken its foot off the gas to prepare for its future adventures.Final Fantasy 16, which shares staff withFF14, also needs the spotlight right now. However, asFF14is a live service game first and foremost, the question of what will come next must be asked. The expected addition of more jobs creates an especially difficult quandary that may not hold a pretty answer.
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Final Fantasy 14 Has Given Jobs A Lot Of Attention
The job system, stemming from a franchise-wide focus onRPG character classes, forms the core ofFinal Fantasy 14’s gameplay. Each one is assigned one of three roles, those being Tank, DPS (or “Damage-Per-Second”), and Healer, with more specific categories available for DPS and Healer. This system governs what a character is allowed to equip, how they play in combat, and even which role quests they can tackle. Switching jobs is encouraged during downtime, and the game’s design supports leveling multiple preferred jobs.
Jobs are a central part of the game, and a surface-level reference to pastFinal Fantasytitles. A couple new jobs also make for effective marketing tools whenever an expansion is coming out, as it’s still exciting to see a job’s aesthetic, mechanical, fanservice, and even narrative qualities. However,Final Fantasy 14’s steady flow of jobsmay be approaching a turning point. As the game becomes older and more complex, the time and effort it takes to implement jobs will become harder to manage.
Jobs Are Getting Harder To Implement in FF14
If Square Enix wants to add a brand-new job toFinal Fantasy 14now, it needs to consider many things. There’s already a disproportionate amount of DPS jobs, but the role still needs to be considered for each new job set due to its popularity. After picking a fitting job fromFF’s history or inventing one that works in a preferred role, it then needs to be given abilities to match other jobs, and balanced in both PvE and PvP. Throw in a massive amount of equipment and animation work, and finding aplace for the job inFF14’s narrative, and the limits of this practice start to become clear.
Regularly adding jobs is great for marketing, but it can’t be done forever.Final Fantasy 14may need to cut back in future expansions, going down to one or no new jobs after long enough. It’s unfortunate, but a live service title likeFF14needs to prioritize sustainability, especially if it intends to keep nearly every feature it’s ever had somewhere in-game. Even attempting another limited job like Blue Mage has drawbacks, as that job – fun as it can be – is a gated-off side mode.Final Fantasy 14has demonstrated enough ingenuityand flexibility to make a name for itself in the MMO space, but the true test of its longevity and community patience may be near.
