Classes?

I'm thinking of starting the game again with classes. Can anyone tell me who should have what class? (Depending on their personality). Other than Vaan because I'll make him a thief.

Since Balthier and Fran can stay out of the fray with their long range weapons, I always enjoy putting them a support role with various support magicks, like haste, protect, shell, bravery, etc...

I did something similar the last time I played.

Vaan (Thief) - Dagger, Shield, Light Helm, Light Armour
Balthier (Samurai) - Gun, Katana, Mystic Helm, Heavy Armour
Basch (Knight) - Sword, Shield, Spear, Greatsword, Heavy Helm, Heavy Armour
Fran (Red Mage) - Mace, Shield, Greatsword, Mystic Helm, Heavy Armour, White Magick 1-5, Black Magick 1-5, Time Magick 1-4 and Green Magick 1-4
Ashe (White Mage) - Dagger, Shield, Rod, Greatsword, Mystic Helm, Mystic Armour, All White Magick, All Green Magick, positive Time Magick
Penelo (Black Mage) - Staff, Bow, Mystic Helm, Mystic Armour, All Black Magic, All Arcane Magick, negative Time Magick.

i done somthing like that mine were

bashe: Knight, Heavy armor/helm, greatsword, spear,
Fran: archer/green mage mystic armor helms bow green magicks and some white
ashe was a dark magician using arcane black magicks equipped 1h swords

GameFAQs: Final Fantasy XII (PS2) Enforced Class System Challenge FAQ by atma6

If you combine their initial license progression with their Revenant Wings classes (where applicable) and their depictions in various guides/media you might come up with something like:

Fran : Red Mage (black & white magic) + a hunter/archer (bows)

Balthier : Hunter/archer/skypirate (guns and technics, light armor)

Basch : Paladin (white & green magic + heavy armor, shields, swords, greatswords, axes & hammers, bows)

Ashe : Time Mage (time magic) + Paladin (white & green magic) your choice between heavy or cloth armors, magic enhancing weapons or a sword & shield

Penelo : Classic White Mage (white & green magic, cloth armor, rods, possibly staves early on or maces where appropriate or when your tactics dictate)

Vaan : Thief (daggers, technics, light armor, possibly expanding into the upper left weapons quadrant to grab crossbows and ninja swords with poles where necessary)

Vaan is the ultimate utility character because he is good or great in every statistical category, and he also could be envisioned to undergo a great degree of evolution and maturation in his combat abilities from a street thief to skypirate. A bit of magic (black, time, and arcane supplements the party quite a bit under the above class setup) could even be justified IMO.

This class setup lacks in Arcane as well as lagging in Time and in a strong Black magic caster, so letting Ashe or Fran or even Penelo into the Arcane (or Time and Black) magic licenses could help expand your combat options.

If you want Fran to be more of a fighter primarily, with White and Black magic as support, equip her with heavy armor and think of giving her spears like a dragoon or something (since that category might be underutilized). If you are using her for her magic, light armor and bows IMO.

Without magic Balthier loses some usefulness as the game wears on, but you can use him as a stealer/poacher and it might be fun to try to work overlooked technics into your combat strategies.

Personally the way I set up the jobs in XII is as following

Basch-Knight (no magic, heavy armor, shields, swords, greatsword, break techniques)
Vaan-Thief (no mage, light armor, dagger, shields, ninja sword, and steal and gil toss)
Fran-Archer (first couple green magics, heavy armor, bows, poach
Penelo-black mage (Black magic, mystic armor, staffs, and no techniques but libra and charge)
Balthier-gunner (no magic, light armour, guns, and horology)
Ashe-white mage (white magic, mystic armor, rods, and no techinques but libra and charge)

latter in the game I'll upgrade the classes.

Basch- Dark Knight (Arcane Magic is added)
Vaan- Sky Pirate (Time Magic, swords, and shields are added)
Fran- Hunter (Green Magic, and Spears are added)
Penelo- Sorceress (All Magic is learned, Katanas are added)
Balthier- Sky Pirate (I usually just wing it with Balthier)
Ashe- Paladin (sword, shields, and sometimes time magic is added and maces)

This is just a general idea on how I do it, sometimes I'll make small alterations, but I try to stick to the this formula.