[Eauijhkuu]

I'd have to agree with that... I feel bad for the people who are the current non favorite jobs, but IMO it's not as "horrible" as people are making it out to be since this has happened since day 1 practically. Are you going to invite that level 13 thief to your party?

The only difference now is that it is happening to the jobs that used to be considered the kings of DD.



I just love it when people in my party say, "let's go to (insert ToAU zone here)"

I check the zone, 9+ parties in our level range, supposedly can support 3 parties.

I check some other non ToAU zone, 0 parties, 5 tumbleweeds, and a whole bunch of mobs just waiting for nonstop chaining with a standard party.

Yup, I'd rather take the zone with fewer parties.


But let's be honest here, how many people actually go and make a party? It's not as often now that I'm at level 67 only because there aren't as many lvl 60ish people, but in my 50s I would see at least enough people to make 5+ good decent parties all sitting there lfg, and no one would assume the leadership role.

So how much of this is actual job discrimination and how much of this is just people being lazy and not wanting to actually start a party?

I think this is the mentality that is slightly responsible for the overshadowing of most occupations on FFXI, not to mention the practicalities that our community is lead to venture - valuing EXP/HR exploitation more important than a strong party balance/structure. That LV13 THF/MNK (Speaking from experience) was able to do just as much damage as the LV 13 MNK who was LFG. But people rarely take the time to think or consider the fact that a THF can hand-to-hand at those levels, and use Combo. Nevertheless, he will remain looking for parties for days until he gets a random invite or decides to man up and start his own.

Why?

"Because THF is practically worthless to a party until LV 15."
-Society

For this reason, it is idiotic for me to depend on waiting for invites from other people who wouldn't waste their time considering me for a party slot; If I held that attitude, wouldn't have reached where I am now.

Forget the biased opinionated social dogmas that our players develop or have had developed since square 1; If the TP burn or the Mana burn - Axe burn - Hand-to-hand burn, knife burn etc works, by all means use it. Ignorance is developed, however, when we claim that XYZ job is useless because ABC can basically EXP faster without them, or have skills that make missions a quick breeze. It becomes full blown Ignorance when this starts to become like a diehard truth.

As for me, personally - Though the damage and experience chain might become obsolete, I don't mind the idea of main tanks. Or DDs. Or Burst Damage. Since we're pretty much working towards the same goal. And as long as we're on the same page and in each other's interest, balanced party structure is and will always be part of my game strat.

But yeah. LFG and waiting for /NIN to grab its past due penalties is probably a good analogy to end on.