Subjobs and Grinding

I has a conversation with Saik a while back about our MMO playstyles. We were actually just dossing about on WoW at the time: I was levelling my Warlock, he was sitting around in Stormwind on his Rogue who hadn't really moved from the city for literal months.

He came up with this very valid point. WoW had fallen out of favour with him through its lack of challenge, especially in the crafting system. He wanted more from a game than simply grinding XP, and that is why FFXI will always win over WoW for him.

We also decided that for me, the thrill of MMOs comes in that next ding! New abilities, new equipment, new things to blat! That's what RPGs are all about for me (oh, and story, obviously).

One thing that we both agreed on was that FFXI has a couple of weak spots. Due to the subjob system, a lot of variety should be possible. Due to the party system, there isn't!

Let me explain.

If you are a Summoner, there are a variety of subjobs you could choose. WHM for backup healing. BLM for extra ooomph on your elemental bloodpacts. RDM for faster summoning. And yet I ask you if you are a player, when was the last time you saw something other than /WHM?

Another example. It is a well-known fact that I love THF. I like its abilities, I love the concept of Trick Attack and hate control through it. I like spamming status bolts and actually hitting. There are several viable subs for THF too. NIN for dual-wield, increasing damage slightly and offering the ability to wield two daggers with different stats. WAR for extra attack, Berserk, double attack. MNK at lower levels for H2H WS which kick ass. RNG for the crossbow-happy THF who likes dealing damage with ranged attacks (crossbows work pretty well at melee range too!) Does anyone ever sub anything other than NIN? 60+ WAR becomes kind of a viable option with Dancing Edge, but mostly, no. Its /NIN all the way.

Thus bringing me to the point. Subjobs are great. I love the idea of them. Trouble is, people are very close-minded, and only the really "must-have" jobs can get away with subbing something beyond the norm. I got an invite as RDM/NIN a while back. I was soloing stuff with my NPC and wanted the extra blinks from Utsusemi. And yet I had people pleading with me to come straight away.

The problem with subjobs is levelling them. Grinding them out to 37. And it often does feel like a grind. When you want to get on with levelling your main job, the one you chose cos it was fun, the last thing you want to do is to be forced to level a job that you really don't like to 37. As Saik was saying in his WHM37 post, levelling something you don't enjoy is not fun. At all.

At time of posting, here's a quick recap of my jobs above and below subjob level.

DRK71 - my main. very close to 72. Viable sub = THF60 and WAR39 (sorted!)
WHM63 - viable sub = BLM31, RDM60, SMN31*
RDM61 - viable sub = BLM31, WHM63 (I usually sub BLM so sorted only till 64)
THF60 - viable sub = NIN32, WAR39 (I usually sub NIN, so sorted till 65 only)
BLU52 - viable sub = NIN32, WHM63, THF60**
WAR39 - viable sub = NIN32, THF60 (again, mostly using NIN for dualwield)

*(sorted till 64, when i may have to sub RDM)

**(nice because BLU is very dynamic and there is no "you must use this sub or else!" yet. i've been using NIN though.)


Are you spotting a pattern? I am. Yes ladies and gents. Because of its shadows and its dual-wield ability, NIN is pretty much the safest sub for melee jobs all the way to endgame.

Trouble is, I HATE levelling NIN!! With a passion rivalling Saik's hatred of WHM. I don't actually dislike the job though. When I DO play it, I tend to enjoy it. As Damen was telling me in Resurrection the other night, NIN doesn't get fun until until 37 when Utsusemi: Ni becomes available.

I just don't have the enthusiasm to level it, but I know I need it for THF, BLU, WAR and RNG, as well as for DRK at endgame if I ever make it that far!!

Anyways, very soon I am going to grind NIN out. I can't afford Utsu:Ni I don't think, so probably won't buy that till I have a main job at 74 that needs NIN sub, cos as soon as I hit 37 I'm outta what ever party I'm in at the time. And then I get the joy of selling off whatever equipment I have laying around for it, because I can pretty much guarantee I won't be taking it up again, no matter how much fun it is, and no matter how quickly it gets invites. I've been tanking on WAR, and while I find it rather entertaining to keep hate from two BLM, a BLU, and a THF with no SATA-buddy, I still don't enjoy tanking particularly.

I dunno. Maybe in a few months I'll eat my words. But until then, I'm just enjoying the grind on Warrior. Level 39 and rising. BLAM BLAM BLAM RAGING AXE BLAM BLAM BLAM!

Can't wait till Rampage =D

~Dema