In most MMORPGs, no one wants to become a jack of all trades, master of none. But in Final Fantasy XIV it is a viable option under the Armoury system, which allows each character to switch from an axe-swinging gladiator to a bass-frying culinarian with a simple switch of the main weapon hand.
So far, Final Fantasy XIV closed beta testers have been delighted with the variety of adventures the Armoury system opens up. For the benefit of those who missed out on the beta test, Square Enix has even updated their official website with detailed information on the Armoury system for all fans to dissect.
Eighteen of Armoury system disciplines–the game’s terminology for classes and professions–are on full display divided along their combat and support roles.
The Disciples of War and Disciples of Magic, which constitute the combat branches, illustrate the capabilities of each fighter and magic class. Archers are shown to have the highest battle range followed by thaumaturges and conjurers. The rest are close-range combatants. Each role has been given innate abilities and spells that enhance their unique fight style.
The harvester roles called Disciples of the Land have also been fleshed out with a list of gatherable items and required tools, but only the miner seen above is complete with information as of now. The same goes for the crafter roles known as Disciples of the Hand. Only the blacksmith has full details on its craftable items.
An interesting side note though are the role descriptions, which reveal how each of the harvester and crafting disciplines can affect the field of battle. Blacksmiths, for example, “are capable of weakening enemies constructed of metal, as well as discovering loot that would otherwise be overlooked by the untrained eye.”
Based on balancing concerns alone, we assume all Discples of the Land and Disciples of the Hand will have their own combat perks. But it might be too early to form goldsmith attack teams, especially when tackling harder mobs, which have been known to roam aplenty in all Final Fantasy games. (Just ask the unfortunate Joes who died from seemingly harmless critters in the early days of Final Fantasy XI.)
