I understand why some players want RNG in jobs.
Old Astrologian cards, Bard procs, and Dancer procs can make a job feel less scripted. They create moments where the player reacts to something unexpected instead of repeating the exact same flow every pull.
So I understand the appeal.
But personally, I am against RNG in job design in general, and these are the main reasons.
First, RNG reduces reliability.
A job should feel like a stable toolset. I should know what my resources are, what tools I have, and how to plan around them. When a job depends on random procs, random cards, or random resource generation, the job becomes less consistent.
Second, RNG weakens mastery.
Good job design should reward planning, timing, execution, positioning, and decision making. But if part of my output depends on whether the game gave me good or bad rolls, then performance is no longer fully tied to skill.
Third, RNG can affect logs too much.
Two players can play almost the same fight with very similar execution, but one gets better proc chains, better resource timing, or better RNG during burst windows. That can create a noticeable difference in logs without proving that one player made better decisions.
Fourth, RNG is often a cheap way to create variation.
Instead of designing deeper job mechanics or more dynamic encounters, the game can simply add random procs and make the job feel different. But different does not always mean deeper.
Fifth, RNG often makes players react to the hotbar instead of the fight.
If my main adaptation comes from waiting to see which button lights up, then I am not really reading the encounter. I am reacting to my own job rolling dice.
That is why I think unpredictability should come from encounters, not jobs.
Bosses should have mechanics that are less predictable, but still readable before they happen. Different mechanic orders, different target selections, different movement patterns, and different pressure points can create real adaptation.
That kind of unpredictability is good because the player is reacting to the fight itself.
The job should be reliable.
The encounter should create uncertainty.
So my position is simple:
I am against RNG in jobs because it reduces reliability, weakens mastery, affects logs, creates cheap variation, and shifts attention away from the encounter.
I want to react to the boss, not to my hotbar rolling dice.
Continue reading...
Old Astrologian cards, Bard procs, and Dancer procs can make a job feel less scripted. They create moments where the player reacts to something unexpected instead of repeating the exact same flow every pull.
So I understand the appeal.
But personally, I am against RNG in job design in general, and these are the main reasons.
First, RNG reduces reliability.
A job should feel like a stable toolset. I should know what my resources are, what tools I have, and how to plan around them. When a job depends on random procs, random cards, or random resource generation, the job becomes less consistent.
Second, RNG weakens mastery.
Good job design should reward planning, timing, execution, positioning, and decision making. But if part of my output depends on whether the game gave me good or bad rolls, then performance is no longer fully tied to skill.
Third, RNG can affect logs too much.
Two players can play almost the same fight with very similar execution, but one gets better proc chains, better resource timing, or better RNG during burst windows. That can create a noticeable difference in logs without proving that one player made better decisions.
Fourth, RNG is often a cheap way to create variation.
Instead of designing deeper job mechanics or more dynamic encounters, the game can simply add random procs and make the job feel different. But different does not always mean deeper.
Fifth, RNG often makes players react to the hotbar instead of the fight.
If my main adaptation comes from waiting to see which button lights up, then I am not really reading the encounter. I am reacting to my own job rolling dice.
That is why I think unpredictability should come from encounters, not jobs.
Bosses should have mechanics that are less predictable, but still readable before they happen. Different mechanic orders, different target selections, different movement patterns, and different pressure points can create real adaptation.
That kind of unpredictability is good because the player is reacting to the fight itself.
The job should be reliable.
The encounter should create uncertainty.
So my position is simple:
I am against RNG in jobs because it reduces reliability, weakens mastery, affects logs, creates cheap variation, and shifts attention away from the encounter.
I want to react to the boss, not to my hotbar rolling dice.
Continue reading...