Classes in WoW can be overwhelming compared to jobs in FFXIV
Appearance, World of Warcraft And Final Fantasy XIV have a lot in common in terms of gameplay. Both are hotkey MMOs set in a medieval fantasy setting (generally). But despite running on similar archetypes and party roles, the Classes OH And The work of FFXIV can provide a distinctly different playing feel, sometimes to the point of being overwhelming to the uninitiated.
The most noticeable difference is the number of options you can choose from. FFXIV There are around 21 Classes (22 if you include the Blue Mage), but each class generally has only one playstyle. Every Paladin you encounter will have the same abilities as any other Paladin.
Opposite, OH There are only 13 base classes, but each class has around 3 specializations that can significantly change their playstyle or even their role in a party, for a total of 38 different options. Depending on their specialization, a given Paladin can take on the role of a damage dealer, healer, or tank, although not every class is as versatile. For example, Warlocks and Mages will always take on the role of a ranged DPS, but the spells they use and their priorities or cooldowns can be very different.
And it goes even further as each specialisation has a talent tree, giving players the option to further tailor their class. Obviously they don’t have as big of an impact as a completely different specialisation but they do mean you’ll have to choose between learning certain abilities and bonuses over others, which could lead to builds that are more focused on single target damage, dealing with larger groups, or perhaps simply providing more utility options for a raid. It’s hard to understand if you’re used to a more streamlined system and it only gets more complicated as The War Within The expansion adds many new Hero Talents.
Then there’s the difference in Global Cooldown, which may be less obvious until you reach a higher level of play but is nonetheless the basis for many of the immediate differences in gameplay feel. Global Cooldown, or GCD, is essentially the short delay between activating one ability and activating another, although there are abilities that aren’t affected by it. In FFXIV GCDs last around 2.5 seconds before any stat reduction, which at lower levels can feel sluggish and unresponsive. However, at later levels, this develops into a deliberate, rhythmic dance as you weave abilities from GCDs into the middle of your main rotation.
OHon the other hand, there is a base GCD of 1.5 seconds that drops to 1 second for certain classes. It’s much faster and will only decrease as you accumulate certain stats, although the difference is less than you might imagine when you factor in more consistent use of non-GCD abilities in some FFXIV Jobs. For example, Summoners will often use skills outside of GCD to command their minions, sometimes two at the same GCD time. No, the real difference is felt when you combine this with how the rotation works.
A rotation is basically just the order in which you need to press your buttons to deal the most damage (or heal, or mitigate damage…) possible for your class. Works well at higher levels in MMOs like FFXIV is all about executing your rotations optimally while also avoiding hazards and performing whatever mechanical tasks the encounter asks of you. In OHquite similar, except its classes tend not to use fixed rotations.
While both games use a basic build-spend framework for most character classes (you build a resource, then use it to deal damage/heal, etc.), OH‘s class design has gradually changed over the years to focus more on Procs. Short for Special Procedures (or Programmed Random Ocurrence, there is some disagreement about the origin), a Proc in this context refers to an effect that has a certain chance to trigger, usually when using an ability but sometimes also things like taking damage. A critical strike is technically a type of Proc, but the effect can also be applying a buff, refreshing a cooldown, or activating or upgrading a certain ability. Some jobs in FFXIV also use them, such as with the Archer’s Straight Shot skill, but they are not as common as in OH.
Because this random element upsets the fixed spin sequences, OH Classes tend to use a button priority system. A basic priority might consist of a fixed open wheel that sets your buffs and DOTs, but as you get into the main fight, you’ll need to maintain some flexibility. Your biggest damage-dealing ability might suddenly go off cooldown, or you might see a string of lucky activations flood your class’s resources, and you’ll need to use it before doing anything else that might generate more. It’s definitely a more reactive system, and smashing the big glowing button that just activated will satisfy your lizard brain more than anything else. But it can also be harder to learn a priority than a simple rotation chain, and if you’re used to FFXIVthe steady dance of ‘then OHCombat can feel frantic or boring.
This is the part where I have to disclaim that no game is “better” than another, but I’ll skip it because this is probably obvious to most well-intentioned people. OH It’s certainly a more *complex* game, at least in terms of mechanical density, but complexity doesn’t always equate to depth, and relative simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of depth.
Instead, I want to encourage people to consider the impact these small differences in design have on two games that are very similar in space. How something as small as the delay between attacks can change the pacing of combat so much, and how a different mechanical focus can change the way players think about their inputs so drastically. And most of all, I want to encourage players of both OH And FFXIV to try another game, just because looking at a different system might refresh your perspective on the one you’re more familiar with. Both have free trials, after all, you’re not losing anything but your time.
World of Warcraft Available immediately for PC and Mac, with The War Within The expansion will be released on August 26, 2024. Final Fantasy XIV and its latest expansion Dawn Trail Available on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
