Empy V. Relic Dilemma

First thing’s first: I'm well aware my stance on this is not logical or entirely without bias and bitterness through my own person history of experiences. But it's been my experience that people who hop from job to job based on what’s doing the most damage at the time step on a lot of other people’s toes.

We’ll use paladin as an example. I know a few people who just love paladin. They always have, always will. If you ask them what job they want to be on, they will say paladin ten times out of ten.

But paladin goes in waves. Back at 75 at various times in its tanking history it was great, useless, marginally useful, complete garbage (depending who you ask), absolutely wonderful. It didn’t matter: those people always enjoyed being on paladin. That’s not to say they always insisted on being on paladin – sometimes it just wasn’t useful or practical, etc. – but given the choice, they take paladin.

However, when paladin was having a crappy time of it – ninjas, red mages, bards (wtf SE) tanking “better” – no one else wanted to be on paladin. They laughed at it. But when the pendulum swung, people wanted to be paladin all the time…and didn’t care if people who have always loved the job got to sit on the sidelines while they got their jollies off with the flavor of the month.

And that’s where you find my rub with the whole thing. The “best numbers vs. job” concept tends to accept no leeway. People who love a job for a job generally tend to understand that they can’t be on that job all the time – circumstance, usefulness and the opportunity to let others play that job too all dictate you sometimes suck it up and play something else. But the people who absolutely must put up the best numbers all the time generally don’t see it that way nearly as often (I’m not saying “ever” and I’m not saying there aren’t exceptions). They tend to see their numbers going down, their name not at the top of the parse…and it drives them batty. So they have no problem trying to push others onto marginal/support jobs in order that they use their newest toy to put up the biggest numbers or get the most glory.

And when SE implements something new or adjusts something, they have no problem casting off the job other people really enjoy to go onto the next big-number fad.

I realize I’m speaking in pretty big generalities. But it’s a cycle that I’ve seen play itself out countless of times in many linkshells over the past eight years.

I don’t want to stop anyone from enjoying the game in a fashion in which they see fit. But I have always taken the “role” in “role playing game” somewhat to heart. I play a variety of jobs for the sake of usefulness and variety, but I really only truly enjoy a few and those jobs don’t change based on how SE balances things up and down. And I really resent when I and others who feel the same get crowded out by a bandwagon big numbers crowd.

It’s why, despite my own feelings that they’re completely useless in any sort of group setting, and why I may make snide comments regarding their dubious investment, I actually support people who make things like Claustrum and the like; if it enhances that person’s enjoyment of a job they love, it’s completely worthwhile.

I’m aware this goes both ways. I try to see it both ways and give room to my friends who just want to pump out as much damage as possible. I’ll take my turn at support rolls as long as they do so in kind.

But while in my current situation this works, I’ve seen it go very horribly for people in the past.

And ultimately, as pertains to the thread, I think it's important to make a relic for a job you love first and foremost, unless you're going to make multiple relics. Because jobs will come and go as "the best," and if you only make a relic to put up big numbers, you're eventually going to have a useless waste of time and money collecting dust on a mannequin.

Again. This is biased. This is subjective. This is opinion based on personal experience and point of view. And Altana knows I do not always practice what I preach. I'm pretty guilty of hating on puppetmaster, blue mage, and melee white mages and red mages. But I also like to think that if they are useful in a situation -- or solo and not dragging anyone else down -- that I'm willing to live and let live.

But you won't see me rushing to level red mage and strap on a Murleis if all of a sudden it somehow becomes the best thing since red curry.

But I hope that clears things up some.

The response is appreciated.

Despite your insistence to the contrary, I find your position to be perfectly reasonable. The issue, if I may, is that you seem to be falling prey to a misnomer. What you're taking issue with isn't the "bandwagon" mentality, it's the "strictly business" variety. What you seem to have extensive experience with is correlative with bandwagon movements, to be sure, but far from causal. The "strictly business" types, which is a category I typically fall under, have a habit of both opportunistic job-hopping and extra-personal job assignment based on efficiency. It's true that, in efforts to produce desirable results, I myself have both done this and have had such things done to me- it isn't always enjoyable in the micro, which is very much understandable. This alone isn't a problem, though. The problem is when capitalistic assignment meets selfishness, as seen in situations where certain people delegate less desirable roles for others in lieu of themselves. This is, again, correlative, and not causal. I suppose that's really my point. Noting the difference between causal and correlative when labeling things like this. It's when these things aren't clarified that we end up with people like Dawn who will chastise those who are monomaniacal about roles instead of jobs, and haven't an inkling of an idea how to defend their silly view.