Two weeks out from the August 27th release of FFXIV: ARR and I’m beginning to realize this may very well be one our last previews. We’ve covered character creation, battle systems, social aspects; leveling up and even an in depth look at the PlayStation 3 version. So, it’s far to say you’re nearly ready for your journey into Square Enix’s reborn land of Eorzea.
As we quickly approach release, it’s finally time we take a look at the classes throughout the realm. We’ve discussed how to swap between classes in our “leveling up” preview, but now it’s time to really outline what you can expect when setting out on your journey.
[ The Disciplines ]
The first thing to note about the classes of Ezorea is the fact that they fall under one of four different disciplines. These include Disciples of the Hand (crafters) and Disciples of the Land (miners and harvesters). The other two are Disciples of Magic and Disciples of War, one for the spell weavers and the other for those that like to get physical.
Once you’ve chosen your discipline it’s time to dig into your choices of class. So where to begin? Why not start with top and work our way down, shall we?
[ Disciples of the Land ]
We should note that Disciples of the Land actually work hand in hand with the Crafters of the Disciples of the Hand since Disciples of the Land harvest the materials that will need to be crafted. Classes in this Discipline include the Miner, Botanist, and the Fisher. The names alone should give you an indication as to what these individual classes have to offer. Those who choose to walk with the Disciples of the Land earn experience through their harvesting abilities, not from combat.
[ Disciples of the Hand ]
The Disciples of the Hand are, as I said, the crafters of Ezorea, playing an extremely vital role within the realm. Classes here include a wide variety including Blacksmith, Goldsmith, Carpenter, Weaver, Culinarian, Leatherworker, Armorer and the Alchemist. That’s a total of eight different classes under this particular discipline, all with their own unique ways of forging precious items for those engaging combat. Yes, that’s right, just like those who harvest, the crafters don’t earn their experience through battle. You may have guessed that they too level up through their abilities in their particular field.
[ Disciples of Magic ]
Those walking the path of the spell caster know what to expect: dealing damage in battle or healing your party. No matter the route you choose under this discipline, you will be an essential part of any adventuring party. The Disciples of Magic only have three classes: the Conjurer, the Arcanist, and the Thaumaturge. Though they may only have three available choices, these classes do have the ability to lead to powerful jobs such as Summoner.
The individual classes do have some noticeable differences that may not be readily apparent through the titles alone. The Conjurer plays a vital role in party combat as they are designed to utilize healing spells and really keep the party alive as possible. Keeping a conjurer on hand in the back of your group will all but ensure you will survive the big encounters Eorzea has to offer.
Arcanists should still be relegated to the back of the party, but they are able to unleash a vast array of offensive spells. Through the usage of symbols of power they are able to wield great magic. It is also interesting to note that this particular class offers the ability to summon a familiar called the Carbuncle to help with an attack.
The Thaumaturge fits in the offensive category too, but they have a distinct difference from the Arcanist. Both should be situated in the back row during combat, and both posses the ability to throw powerful spells. The main difference here is that a Thaumaturge can also wield an assortment of curses and other player-affecting spells. Of course, just like the other Disciples of Magic, this class requires a strong and reliable support team.
[ Disciples of War ]
Are you ready to charge head-first into battle? Then I suppose you already know which discipline you’ll be picking when you step in to A Realm Reborn. As you probably assumed, this specific discipline contains all the physically damaging classes. Only sporting a few more classes than the Disciples of Magic, the physical damage discipline includes the Gladiator, Marauder, Pugilist, Archer and the Lancer. All of these can transfer into jobs as well, such as the Dragoon.
While all of these choices share similarities, there are some subtle differences to consider before deciding on your initial class. First, it’s obvious if you want to deal ranged damage the Archer is your prime choice. The ability to regulate damage from a distance makes them a highly effective combatant on the battlefield.
The Marauder, Gladiator, Lancer and Pugilist all sit front and center in the enemies’ faces. These also feature some slight differences of note as well, like the fact that the Marauder is a tank that will focus on dealing short spurts of damage while healing. This is the heaviest armor class so it also makes perfect sense that they are designed to keep the opponents’ attention.
The Gladiator on the other hand is a master of wielding one-handed weapons, and also has the ability to protect your party.
The Lancer can frustrate his combatants through his barrage of attacks with his lance as he keeps himself just out of range.
Only one uses his fists though: the Pugilist. He also attacks front and center, but can self heal and evade incoming attacks for defense. This inherent ability to quickly maneuver away from incoming attacks also means lower armor, so be prepared to avoid damage at all cost.
[ Wrap Up ]
So will Square Enix deliver the Final Fantasy XIV that should have been released back in 2010? Will it surpass expectations? Well, by all indications and my own hands-on time, I can say the game looks to be in prime shape to reclaim a nice chuck of the MMO market. Time will tell, so make sure to stay tuned here at Exilic for our next Preview on the Jobs of Eorzea and all the latest MMO news, reviews and previews.