My personal thoughts on Blue Mage

I am just a simple guy, with no authority on the topic, I don't want to act like I speak for anybody else but myself.

I was really looking forward to Blue Mage. Finding out that it would be a Limited Job did disappoint me at first, but then I gave it a try and enjoyed my time. It was this overpowered job that could overcome tougher enemies than any other job at that level. It gave me the impression that I'd be able to use it whenever someone wants to do some old content, and it would give me some advantage. OK, sure, I would never be max level, but hey, maybe I could serve the role of a tank! Maybe for some players, this would be the chance to play a healer when needed. A jack of all trades, master of none! However around the level 50 point, it all stopped. My character doesn't feel that much more powerful than the normal jobs at that point, a lot of the special tools in BLU's toolbox are not that useful against the enemies, and to grind out those primal spells, I'm using the help of some high level players.

The Masked Carnival doesn't really seem to be made for me either, considering how much it is about precision, timing, which I'm not too good at, and even once I watch a video guide on how to beat it, I feel unsatisfied. True, I appreciate an alternative method of earning Allied Seals, but once I get all the riding maps for the ARR areas, I won't have any reason to continue this.

I see this as a problem. To me, the solo content doesn't last for long, and if Blue Mage were to be used in content with other players, then it should either be in that slightly overpowered state, which would justify it not being allowed in with the other jobs, or if it is to be balanced, then it should be allowed in with the rest.

To me, that is the critical issue with Blue Mage continuing on, because while you could just add more solo content, it would be just a short-term win for a niche player group. It would need to join groups, either justifying its separation, or not being separated.

Im just hoping someone says something about BLU this weekend at fanfest, its clear the community feedback has not been positive for BLU. Im still personally quite upset, but at the same time making more threads about it probably isnt the most productive, bumping and liking the main threads will likely make things more focused

I had quite some fun with BLU. Most at lower lvls and later with some of his OP skills like tail screw.
Carneval was nice to finish and im doing the weeklys sometimes.

In my opinion BLU is a nice fun minigame that will get expanded over time.
But i also think, BLU should be more overpowered. Every attack should have not have 130 but 200 potency for example.
Too many mobs are immune to most of the OP stuff.

And the droprate of Primals spells is to low. For me they got it the wrong way, open world spells should be rarer, Primal spells should drop better and synced all blu grps should have a 100% drop rate.

All around im looking forward to 5.1 (probably) with the next BLU content and i hope they change the spell drops a bit.

ReiMakoto:
Yeah, you likely have a point. I might have felt a tad hesitant about posting in those bigger topics, but it might have been the better choice.

Laphael:
I do admit that the biggest reason for me to hold back on asking for changes, are the people who actually do like BLU. I mean..... yeah, I'd feel a bit annoyed that despite Blue Mage being my favorite FF job, I didn't get to really play it that much in both FF11 and FF14. If it does make certain people happy the way it is, then that's fine by me. Would be great if it would work for me, but if it won't, I at least hope it'll work for you.

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Originally Posted by ReiMakoto

making more threads about it probably isnt the most productive, bumping and liking the main threads will likely make things more focused

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What do you think this is, the JP forums? :rolleyes: :p

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Originally Posted by FarelTheGecko

I do admit that the biggest reason for me to hold back on asking for changes, are the people who actually do like BLU.

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What always confuses me is how often people seem to equate changes to BLU meaning completely removing literally everything about current BLU.

Like, side content like Masked Carnivale can still exist with a BLU that has been altered. Even if it was made into a "Normal Job" that could play with others.

Given, that I can play my WAR or SAM or WHM etc. in the Gold Saucer. Or do Hildibrand quests. Both of which can easily be called "Side Activities" and are done mostly solo (If not entirely, as you can do Triple Triad tournaments vs NPC's as well as Chocobo racing doesn't need to match you with any other players. Only a few Trials here and there for Hildibrand stuff)

Which is one of the odd things about BLU as a "Limited Job" - There is literally potential to have it be an actually balanced and functional job like any other. Just with a fun side activity where they're OP with lots of cool and silly spells.

Not unlike PotD where one can get a Pomander to turn you into a Manticore and then run around literally one-shotting all the enemies, or turn into a Succubus and apply a ridiculous duration 5% vulnerability to enemies (Usually a boss)

Or even Eureka where there are OP Logos actions available for players, but only within that specific content.

It just strikes me as odd that, given what we already have in the game in terms of side activities and areas where players can utilize OP skills that there's this thought process in which BLU needs to be "OP" with a bunch of solo side content or balanced as a regular job and able to run all content. As if they're mutually exclusive.

BLU is definitely suffering from an identity crisis.
It's not a complete failure in my mind, and it still has some potential even as a limited job, but it needs some changes.

It should never have been marketed as a solo experience, it's not, BLU mage requires you to party up, it merely has some solo content linked to it in the form of the Masked Carnivale.

Changes I'm hoping for:

A potency boost, or some additional mechanic that can boost potency. So far, it's irritating having a ton of spells, only missing a few, but almost everything does the same amount of damage, and it's not very impressive damage. It needs more of those skill interactions that boost potency. Or more stuff like "deals X potency additional damage when target in inflicted with status Y".

Less focus on trials/dungeons, more focus on open world. Nerf the drop rates of the primal skills, and add in more skill that are learned from FATEs. make these FATEs possible to solo, but make that a challenge.

Masked Carnivale rework. Turn this into an arena that can be played with other players, and have the enemies scale, or change completely based on if it's solo or as a party. Only allow limited jobs into this new Masked Carnivale, but that would include any future limited jobs they add.

I feel like I can't even evaluate BLU's effectiveness or otherwise, since it's impossible for me to get all of the spells released thus far. Consequently, it just seems like another slap in the face to those who play solo/casually the majority of the time, instead of being something that could have catered specifically to that segment of the playerbase.