Most MMO's or games period take Area of Effect damage into balance considerations. There are currently only 3 jobs good at AoE damage in FFXI, and then there's others that are comparatively terrible at it due to long timers or having to use weaponskills. Many games, a job good at AoE is a job defining trait, because it is a very powerful tool for a variety of content. Take Vagary for instance. Without AoE damage you can't even do Vagary well. Merit farming, cleaving reisenjima for Job Points, handling adds on dangerous mobs such as Reisenjima T1 Tonberry or Wynav on WoC or even the ability that BLU has to breakga with elemental Seal for resleeping adds on a melee setup of albumen (in which btw BLU is both tanking and doing primary dps, I don't think some of the BLU saying you can't do that here even have experience with it, let alone researched what others are already doing), and there are many many more examples of where AoE damage is needed. So why is an already overtuned and overloaded job like BLU would you drop area of effect damage from the conversation? This and many other points made in my original posts are ignored and so far every person ignoring it happens to play BLU. Hmmm.

Cleaving is very important in FFXI, and adding status effects on top just seems overkill. BLU spells used to be somewhat gated by MP costs and tizona was the answer to that, but in the era of magic hammer and refresh for free out the whazoo, it's not even a barrier and BLU wanting to cleave will use Clubs and spam spells anyway. As stated in my original posts BLU is a problem at all levels of play. Also nerfing diffusion for mighty guard doesn't really help break the BLU only mentality and culture, as they'll just be even less inclined to include other DD that aren't BLU. I'm also astounded that of all the melee DD, a hybrid job that can cleave, enfeeble, cap haste, and have so many buffs also gets the most melee accuracy while also being top of parses (if not the top on the very upper end).

These are the reasons for it's popularity, and it's even pushing out RDM in shout groups for the Ambuscade frog, because their subduction gravity is stronger than most RDM gravity II. RDM niche is enfeebling that is what they have the highest skill in and highest tier spells no one else has. And yet, BLU is even outperforming them when it's important in their niche role. Haste II at one time was also a RDM exclusive thing, and BLU does that better too. BLU obviously melees far better as well. Oh and Tanks better.

BLU in it's current state is basically what every RDM always wanted to be, the best at nearly everything and it's too strong and is really hurting game balance. Look at shouts for content of any kind, look back to skirmish II shouts even. What was most shouted for? BST and BLU. And why was that? Both could be self sufficient, do great single target or aoe damage, and damage type didn't matter. BLU literally is getting the best of all worlds right now, and it is very bad for job balance.