Question about Jobs

[Jrgsubzero]

I am a White mage. I am wondering how does someone 'be' a class if they can change their jobs after they choose them at the character creation?

I am under the impression someone can just go change their job to white mage and kick me out of the party because i'm new, replacing me.

Is this something that I have to worry about?

[Hearshot]

I am a White mage. I am wondering how does someone 'be' a class if they can change their jobs after they choose them at the character creation?

I am under the impression someone can just go change their job to white mage and kick me out of the party because i'm new, replacing me.

Is this something that I have to worry about?

The choice of job at the character select screen does not affect your character or stats. Selecting a certain job only supplies you with specific items when you log in the first time. i.e. lvl1 spell for a mage job or an onion sword as a warrior.

From the time you log in, you are free to change to any job you want and go back to old jobs with the same freedom.

The way a Party works, you must have 6 people of varying jobs that are around the same lvl, about 3 level differences.

So if you're level 12whm, the party you could join would be 14warrior, 13 blackmage, 13 samurai, 12 monk, 11 summoner. The point about someone changing their job on you rarely ever applies because people are leveling one specific job at a time and it is very unlikely they have more than one job around the same level.

[Jrgsubzero]

The choice of job at the character select screen does not affect your character or stats.

But everytime I hovered over a different class the stat numbers changed. o.O

[Hearshot]

But everytime I hovered over a different class the stat numbers changed. o.O

Yes, just like each race comes with advances in certain stats, each job adds stats as well.

For instance, White Mage has more MND because they make more use of MND with cure abilities. Black Mage has more INT for spell damage, and Warrior has more STR for weapon damage.

[Jrgsubzero]

Then when does my job start affecting my stats, if not when I choose it?

[Hearshot]

Then when does my job start affecting my stats, if not when I choose it?

"Choosing" and "Hovering" are basically the same thing. In ffxi you can level more than one job.

Lets say you level whm to 7, you can switch to blm and level that while you whm stays at 7 when you switch back to it.

Stats for each job go up every time you level. Your HP bar will get bigger. Your MND count will raise, and your Skill cap will raise. Switching to another job will only give you as much stats as the job allows, if that makes any sense.

[Mhurron]

Then when does my job start affecting my stats, if not when I choose it?
Only when you're playing that job. Play BLM and you'll notice your STR and HP go way down, next day choose WAR, STR and HP will go up, INT will go down and MP will disappear.

The only things that will permanently affect your stats are Race choice and (much later) merits.

[Jrgsubzero]

-Edited- Mhurron answered while I was replying.

So, if race is the only real thing that affects everything, was it wise wanting to main a White mage as a mithra? I read that in the long run race abilities become unnoticable.

[Mhurron]

So, if I stay a White mage while I level, will I have an 'impression' of white mage on me? No, not really. Any skillups you get (i.e. Healing skill increasing so you heal better) will stick with you, but any negative effects (lower HP for instance) won't stick with you.

There is no penalty for switching jobs, with the fact you keep your skillups, changing jobs can often be a good thing.

[hongman]

You will notice that people who discriminate about races vs playable jobs are very very niave to the game.

Any race can play any job. Some races "match" better with certain jobs, but by no means rule anything out.

I.E Some Galka mages are among the best in the game, simply becuase of their inherently smaller manapool they learn to manage it better than a taru spamming useless spells

[Jrgsubzero]

Alrighty, on to spells now. I looked at Cure II in the shop and it had like 3 acronyms with numbers by them. I recognized WHM, but was confused when I saw two other. Why would I need to have more than just white magic to learn a white magic spell? ( If that is what is needed )

P.S. I tried to read the F.A.Qs but I can't read through the acronyms fluently yet. so many more questions to come. ^^

[hongman]

The acronyms by the spell name is the job and respective levels they can learn/use the spell.

So you;re a WHM, you can learn the spell at lvl 11. If you happened to have leveled RDM (Red Mage) you can learn it a bit later at lvl 14. Same with PLD (Paladin).

Also, once you have learnt a spell, thats it. So for example:

You learn Cure II as WHM11. You then go and level RDM to 14. As soon as you hit 14, you have access to that spell again without relearning it.

[Jrgsubzero]

On to sub-jobs. I tried reading the sub-job thread and failed.

Whats the point of a sub-job if I can change my jobs in town?

If its this 'bonus' I keep hearing about, what job gives what bonus?

[hongman]

After reaching level 18, you can activate a quest which allows you to have this "sub job"

The purpose of having a subjob is to compliment your main job with additonal abilities normally only available to other jobs. Its like having 2 jobs at once, all the benefits, with the exceptin of a few rules. You can only use you're main job's 2hr special and the subjob's level can only be as high as half of your main job's level.

Lets make a few examples.

You start out as WHM, and get to 18, and complete the quest.

You then go back to leveling BLM (Black Mage) to 9.

Whilst you are leveling BLM to 9, you will notice that you can "sub" WHM. This means after level 2, you will have access to lvl1 WHM spells, that you normally wouldnt have as BLM alone.

So you get black mage to 9, and switch - you are now 18WHM/9BLM. You will notice you have a slightly bigger MP pool than before (you have the equivalent of a lvl9' blackmage manapool added) and you also have access to all black mage spells up to level 9.

Some jobs work with other jobs better than others. As a WHM you will want to sub another mage job, mainly blm. There will be no point subbing MONK to a whm job as it gives absolutely no benefits, so be careful or ask before hand.

Hope this helps for now, if it isnt clear ill try and re-explain?

[Jrgsubzero]

If I change my main job, do I get to choose another sub job?

Can I ever change my sub job?

So the only benefit of leveling my characters level is higher stats?

Can I just sit in town and cast cure on myself until I die of boredom?

[Hearshot]

If I change my main job, do I get to choose another sub job?

Can I ever change my sub job?

So the only benefit of leveling my characters level is higher stats?

Can I just sit in town and cast cure on myself until I die of boredom?

First, check out http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/White_Mage i bet you'll find plenty of useful information for starting out as a WHM.

The benefit of leveling a character is being able to take part in activities that require a higher level. There are many many things to do in this game besides EXP, but EXP is the basis for advancement.

Your Subjob is always 1/2 the level of your main job, along with the corresponding abilities. But you can level more than one job and go back to them whenever you want. For instance, check my sig for my levels. I was originally a Warrior75 and i leveled jobs Thief and Ninja for Subjob. Now, i have all 3 at 75 and i can still jump back to each whenever i want because they all have certain special abilities.

[Hantz]

If I change my main job, do I get to choose another sub job?

Can I ever change my sub job?

So the only benefit of leveling my characters level is higher stats?

Can I just sit in town and cast cure on myself until I die of boredom?

You can change your sub-job anytime you're in your Mog House, just like changing your main job.

It's not just the stats you're getting: you get all the spells, job abilities, and job traits (barring 2-hour abilities) that your sub-job has. So like in Hongman's example, a level 18WHM with a level9 BLM sub-job will have all the white magic spells that a level 18 WHM has, plus all the magic spells (granted you learned them while leveling your BLM) that a level 9 Black Mage can use.

And yes, you can sit and cast Cure on yourself all day long in town.

[Jrgsubzero]

You get ALL the spells of the job you pick as sub? That worries me a bit since a lot of people sub WHM.

[Mhurron]

You get ALL the spells of the job you pick as sub? That worries me a bit since a lot of people sub WHM.
No. Subjob is capped to half level of your main job. So if you were a level 20 BLM and subbed WHM, you would have access to all the spells that a lvl 10 WHM would have.

On top of that, subbing WHM does not make you a WHM or a healer at all, so subbing WHM is not a danger to WHM mains.

[Tirrock]

I'd like to point out that your subjob does not gain exp, only your currently selected main job. I remember when I first started thinking that I could just sub something and just go out and exp and they'd both level up.

Quite a few jobs sub white mage, but as Mhurron said...not everybody that does that is a healer. Most do it to assist the healer. In general, white mages are wanted for exp parties. It's much easier to fill out the damage dealing section of a party, due to the massive number of damage dealing jobs. But there's only one dedicated healing job, and a few other jobs that can make for passable healers (although many of them would prefer not to be).

The white mage forums here have a stickied topic about subjobs. It's probably a good thing to look at when you get your subjob. It's one thing to be told what to sub and another to understand why you're subbing it.

[Jrgsubzero]

Ok. I'm off into the world now. Thanks to all who helped me! =D