I does not matter, the fact is no matter how hard you try any class made will fall into one or at best more of these categories, unless S-E does something crazy and out of the way (and arguably stupid) like making a crafter class or something crazy.
Also, really hate that list setup. Wtf is a "SATA" and "ranger" category? It's retarded. It's not really hard to logically figure out either. Also, just because pld and nin are different they are STILL BOTH TANKS. Your argument is that they play differently, which is true, but the fact is that ultimatly they are the same thing.
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The list should be catergorized at what classes do best/what their currently viewed at doing best regardless of their name or previous use. This by no means is an end all GOD list, I'm no god, but using logic it makes sense.
Oh, and a small note. Most of these weird hybrid arguments like pld testimonies saying they've played as DD pld and done fine, or nin being DD doesn't mean anything. Any pt setup is likely to "workout" as long as you get xp. The catch is most of us like getting -good- xp, so while you may think you're hot as a pld DD, I can almost guarnatee you it's a "make it work" or "we don't care we get less xp because we're friends" group. I know if I had a choice between equally skilled rng, drk,sam,war, and a pld... I wouldn't even have the pld on my mind.
Tanks - Pld and Nin
Reason: They reduce damage and keep hate better then any other class.
Damage Dealer - Drk,War,Sam,Drg,Mnk
Reason: Doing damage is their specialty, and they do it better then other classes. Mostly gear based classes, require less skill then other classes since all that is required is use of your abiliies,scing knowledge, and basic gameplay know how. Commonly played, leading to the phrase "DD are a dime a dozen."
Support - Rdm, Cor, Brd
Reason - Supportive abilities that don't directly effect the outcome of a battle. These abilities strengthen allies, weaken monsters, and increase the effectiveness of the party in many ways like reducing mage downtime. They are highly sought after, but hardly played in comparision to other classes. No one likes being the backstage stagehands that deserve the credit, they like being the famous actors that steal the spotlight. There is an exception, and that is rdm because even though it's fully a support character, it's soloing power makes them less depentant then your average support class. Being desired in parties to get what you want and having enough power outside it to fufill that power fetish is a thing few traditional support classes can boast about.
Super Damage Dealers - Rng, Blm , Blu
Reason - To earn a place above a DD a class must hold incredible raw power far above that of regular DD. And these classes do, however the catch is all of them have a limiting factor to their power in the name of balance. They still command the power to deal enormous damage until their limiter kicks in, and can usually outdamage a DD if both classes are at equal skill and gear for their respective class. Rng are limited by the amount of money they pay for their power, which at first seemed to be a good limiter. Unfortunely, thanks to IGE and our friendly gil sellers it's not much of a problem anymore, for being an expensive class escpicially if you don't make your own arrows and use nin sub... most rng seemed more decked out then other classes sporting the best gear like PCC. Hmmmm. Well, S-E fixed that by giving rangers another limiter, one rng know very very well hehe. Blm and blu both have the power to distance their damage from other DD, I regulary do more between my spells and normal attacks without much effort. And blm do the same, and to power their eliteness compared to your average DD, during a DD's biggest damage spike, a WS/SC, a blm can out damage each DD with their MB most of the time. Blu and blm both share the limiter of MP and hate, while they may do more damage then regular DD, they can't do too much or they will die, and they can only keep it up for so long before their mp pool is exhausted.
Healer - Whm and Smn
Reason : Summoner can do it as well as whm, and they have tools for most of the whm ailment cures. As nin and pld are different, so are smn and whm. They can do the same thing differently, and the argument of lower level raise and protect ect is moot. Those are perks that belong to whm. Smn's perks are their avatars, and what they can do with them. You sound as smart as someone arguing why ninja can't use shields and cure themselves if they are tanks. Smn's abilities do not justify them anywhere else. This is why pld are not here. This is why rdm are not here, because although a rdm CAN make a good replacment for a healer, their abilities are -best- used as a support, as 9/10 people given a generic situation and given a choice between cure/protect or refresh/dispel from a rdm would choose refresh/dispel. Regardless, a good rdm helps heal and offers protect should a smn be in party anyways, adding to their supportive role points rather then healer. Classes that are here effectively keep the party alive and going with healing abilities and spells, and have tools to make it easier, be it a large mp pool and auto refresh or spells like high level protect and shell and reraise.
(off the topic of my post and personal, I'm pissed about how everyone says smn can't main heal to 75. Every smn I pt with says they need help to heal. Please realize when you say this that you are a horrible summoner. Because people like myself have main healed to 75 WHILE summoning avatars and buffing the party without any problems what so ever. So saying you can't main heal without help or at all or can -only- main heal is calling yourself gimp. The only argument I will even tolerate hearing before I boot smn is that they don't -want- to main heal. I can appreciate that, I didn't want to either but instead of whining about it like a wuss I considered leaving the class or dealing with it. Please realize that while this may have "Final Fantasy" in the title does not mean that S-E is soul pledged to bring you material exactly as is from other FF games. Each FF game is different, and if in this one summoners aren't meant to summon like in other FF games, tough. If you think about it anyways, lets take popular FFVII, avatars came and went after using their abilities.)
Special - Pup, Thf, Bst
Reason: These classes are linked to each other by the fact that they have no defining role or a unique role not shared by other classes. Thief is the only hate control class in existence through the use of SATA. While it does some pretty nice numbers early on, eventually other DD use it to add some spice to their attacks and steal thief's hate control abilities, arguably making them useless. Arguably, they aren't needed anyways. Any pld worth his salt can hold hate, I've played with pld that can take a high damage SC and a high damage MB without a hitch. And although nin will benifit from extra hate from with a thief's help, any good nin can tank without a thief. Thief are alsot he only money making class, and while not an incredible increase, they are the only ones that can boast about making money due to their class abilities, which is what almost all of theirs lean toward. Either that or staying alive.. which helps them make money... neither of which helps a pt get xp . (Sorry thieves, <3 ya but it's the simple truth, blame S-E) Bst have the unique ability of being able to effectively solo, bearing the power of a full xp pt alone. PuP are just plain weird, although currently they are effectively being used as DD. They boast the uniqueness of their puppet, which can switch roles, although not in a drastic manner from what I've seen.
