Class

Classes are divided into groups of disciplines. The term "disciplines" applies to Final Fantasy XIV in a different way than the term "job" applied to Final Fantasy XI. With the discipline system, not only are the classic mage and melee heroes and heroines considered, but also the "crafting" and "gathering" classes. There are currently four unique disciplines: Disciples of War (DoW), Disciples of Magic (DoM), Disciples of Hand (DoH), and Disciples of Land (DoL). Within each discipline, a player will find a unique playing style. Players can play as all classes on a single character and can switch between classes by equipping the appropriate weapon or tool.

Disciples of War and Magic
The DoW consists of the use of melee and weapon damage to take down powerful foes. In a similar fashion, the DoM encompass all spell casters and users of magic. These two disciplines represent the typical population of characters built to team up or fly solo and wreak havoc on enemies.

Disciples of the Hand and Land
The DoH are analogous to the crafters of FFXI. These classes develop by focusing on the production and manipulation of armor and weapons, medicines, and more. Finally, the DoL can be viewed as an interpretation of the classic "H.E.L.M." domain in FFXI, wherein hobbies like logging, mining, and fishing took place. With FFXIV, players can now choose to grow through these hobbies, while working to gather useful materials that should prove valuable to other players, especially those involved with the DoH.