When given the choice, I always go for the mage.
Why swing metal when I can manipulate nature itself?
Your Job is your role in the game.
And I chose the wrong one.
The first choice is between a tank, healer, or DPS (damage per second) role.
The first two - defending or supporting - come with extra pressure, so damage dealing it was.
I went with Dragoon.
Dragons are cool, right?
And Dragoons can leap into the air with a spiky lance and fancy armour.
And so my Warrior of Light began his journey: 1, 2, 3.
The role of DPS is to simply deal damage and dodge attacks.
1, 2, 3.
Attacks are assigned to the numbers on your keyboard and lead into each other as a combo.
1, 2, 3.
1, 2, 3.
All of which is to say I eventually switched to healing and never looked back.
White Mage requires strategy and thought.
I hold not just magic in my hands, but the lives of my teammates.
So that’s the ongoing journey of my Warrior of Light.
But what about the rest of the Final Fantasy 14 community?
Why do players choose one Job over another?
“Due to its great defence and even healing abilities, Paladin is ideal for solo content.
As for the Black Mage class, Sooth sums it up nicely: “Explosions.
The effects of the spells feel great, reflecting the nature of a Black Mage’s destructive nature.
“Oh, and they have big hats.”
Playing as a support character is particularly satisfying for some players.
White Mage Tony agrees.
For others, though, playing as a tank or healer brings anxiety.
“Personally I had played DPS classes and started Final Fantasy 14 assuming I would continue doing the same.
Shingo, though, recommends more of an all-rounder approach by playing as multiple Jobs.
“I am convinced that overall switching around improves my gameplay for all roles.”
I can concur: to be a great tank, you oughta learn to be a great healer.
For some players, the choice of Job is more personal, reflecting their real lives.
Ended up loving the Scholar,” says Loup.
“I think as healers we have to be the mentor of the group.
With Bard for example, I made her into someone who likes storytelling and music.
But what happens when fantasy becomes reality?
Perhaps the game has offered a chance to reflect on themselves, or experiment with who they are.
“And it’s also okay to experiment and not to commit to anything.
I can wear a pretty dress one day and epic armour the next.
For Nicola, her self-discovery has been profound.
Others have found love in Eorzea.
“Those pixels on a screen have become hugely important to me.
A considerable number of players have also discovered their gender through role-playing.
Playing video games can provide a safe space for experimentation with identity.
“My Warrior of Light has grown on me a lot,” says Najme.
I realised a lot of things thanks to her (like that I am non-binary!).”
“For me he represents gender neutrality in its most beautiful nature.
He gave me the strength to be honest with myself and finally made me see I myself am agender.
I just don’t care.
He gives me strength.
And represents that in Final Fantasy 14.”
Your choice of Job says a lot about you, then.
It’s a distillation of the ideal you.
After all, Final Fantasy 14 is an MMORPG.
The ability to be someone else but learn about yourself is the true power of role play.
