Request: Please allow BLMs the option of using traditional FF spell names

Hi,
I've been a BLM main ever since I started playing this game and BLM is my favourite FF class. Thus, I was disappointed to learn that the English names were stuck with a numbered system instead of the traditional Fire -> Fira -> Firaga. I originally thought that this was the case for the game in general outside of Japan, but I have learnt that this is not the case when it comes to the translations of BLM spells from Japanese to other languages.

In addition to this the current system is not very intuitive as it makes new players think that Fire 2 and Fire 3 are upgrades to Fire which is why one can find a number of BLMs spamming Fire 3 in dungeons because they believe it to be a direct upgrade to the original Fire spell.

Thus, I would like to request that we get the option to switch spell names to the traditional FF format, as is the case in every language except English. This would allow the people who like the current system to keep using it while giving the rest of us the chance to play BLM with it's traditionally named spells like in every other Final Fantasy.

Thank you for your time. I hope I am not the only one who loves the traditional BLM naming system and hopes to be able to cast Firaja instead of Fire IV one day.

The numbers are fine.

There's actually an interesting book in Gubal Library (Hard) that covers the reasoning for the current system.

Basically, while something like "Cure, Cura, Curaga" is a classic evolutionary chain, step 4 is inconsistent; -ja, -sa, -za, -gun, etc. have all been used to denote something stronger than -ga, and that only complicates matters more for potential further evolutions (though there are admittedly zero Rank 5 spells in-game at the moment, with Stone V being replaced by Glare, and no DPS gaining any spells above IV in two expansions).

It's also just a complicated FF in-joke that non-veteran players won't get. To claim the number system is not intuitive because Fire III isn't a rank off of Fire II isn't really a solid counter-argument if nobody gets "Fire", "Fira", "Firaga" except fans who will recognize the difference.

It sometimes can vary between FF titles as well, Fire, Fire 2 and Fire 3 were naming conventions of FF7 as an example. And Fire, Fira and Firaga can also be upgrades of each other in FF titles.

But I like how XI handled the differences and maybe this would probably fit a little better here too. Fire denoted your single target Fire element spell, whereas Firaga was your AoE version. As different types of "Fire" spells ended up being added, they also got Firaja and Fira. So Fire, II, III etc existed there as well as Firaga, II etc also existed. I can see how, although a subtle change, it'd be nicer to have names to indicate variation in use and be a shoutout to FF naming conventions. Fire II might be better served as a Firaga to indicate it's an AoE and Thunder II/IV could be Thundaga I/II. Blizzard 2 would be Blizzaga. A part of me would probably want to rename Freeze to Blizzaga II in light of its change in functionality. Though Freeze is still a FF naming convention.

By extention it could work for WHM too.

Last time I checked it (3.0) it was named like this in the german client which caused a lot of confusing for me checking online guides as Fire2 was "Feura" instead of "Feuer2" in german. :D

I’m on board with this actually.

Seems to me that distinct skills should have distinct names, while upgrades to II, III, IV etc. should instead of upgrades to distinct skills.
Stone I upgrades to Stone II, etc.

The fact that Fire, Fire II, Fire III and Fire IV all function completely differently… bugs me I guess.
Would make much more sense if Fire II was Fira, Fire III was Firaga, and Fire IV was Firaja.
It would allow for upgrades to these skills, so that we could get a superior Fira II to make our AoE rotation a bit smoother, instead of having a defunct Fire II.
And Fire could upgrade to Fire II to have a shorter cast time or something.

I don't see the point in changing names. The only thing you're looking at (for probably 90%+ of the time) is a small square with a picture, so I fail to see how changing the names would add any real depth. Also, if they were going to upgrade the skills then it could be handled with passive skills, rather than upgrading each individual skill and changing the name again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seraphor

I’m on board with this actually.

Seems to me that distinct skills should have distinct names, while upgrades to II, III, IV etc. should instead of upgrades to distinct skills.
Stone I upgrades to Stone II, etc.

The fact that Fire, Fire II, Fire III and Fire IV all function completely differently… bugs me I guess.
Would make much more sense if Fire II was Fira, Fire III was Firaga, and Fire IV was Firaja.
It would allow for upgrades to these skills, so that we could get a superior Fira II to make our AoE rotation a bit smoother, instead of having a defunct Fire II.
And Fire could upgrade to Fire II to have a shorter cast time or something.

---

Then what about Thunder?

Thunder 1/3 and 2/4 both have upgrades and functionally separate iterations. If you argue Fire 2 should be separated as Fira, then Thunder 2 should be Thundara -- but if Stone still upgrades to Stone 2/3/4, then Thunder III and IV would be Thunder II and Thundara II.

For maximum confusion, between 45 and 64 this means your options are Thunder II and Thundara.

Same point could be made about SMN's Ruin line too, since 1/3 and 2/4 are similarly just upgrades. And seriously, good luck with the tongue-twister of Veraerora, I think I have an aneurysm just looking at it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Archwizard

Then what about Thunder?

Thunder 1/3 and 2/4 both have upgrades and functionally separate iterations. If you argue Fire 2 should be separated as Fira, then Thunder 2 should be Thundara -- but if Stone still upgrades to Stone 2/3/4, then Thunder III and IV would be Thunder II and Thundara II.

For maximum confusion, between 45 and 64 this means your options are Thunder II and Thundara.

Same point could be made about SMN's Ruin line too, since 1/3 and 2/4 are similarly just upgrades. And seriously, good luck with the tongue-twister of Veraerora, I think I have an aneurysm just looking at it.

---

Absolutely.
Thunder for single targets.
Thundara for AoE.

Blizzard for single targets.
Blizzara for AoE.
Blizzaga for deeps and full UI transition.
Blizzaja for top deeps and generating Umbral hearts.

Fire for single targets.
Fira for AoE.
Firaga for deeps and full AF transition.
Firaja for top deeps and spending Umbral hearts.

It's entirely consistent.
No confusion whatsoever.

Could even call Thundercloud Procs Thundaga/Thundaja.

RDM should never have got Verthunder II and Veraero II anyway, they should have been Verwater and Verblizzard.

That's like the only thing I do not like from the translation team, in Japanese, every single skill is called as you might expect, you have your thundara, curaga, etc. heck even materia isn't Materia I, II, etc. it is Materiara, Materiaja, etc. (or something like that don't don't exactly remember where the suffix goes, Materira?) I forgot how the new ones are called.

Would be great but I understand it would require a lot of work, to add the option of "Classic Spell Name" with the ones we love from the FF series.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Archwizard

Then what about Thunder?

Thunder 1/3 and 2/4 both have upgrades and functionally separate iterations. If you argue Fire 2 should be separated as Fira, then Thunder 2 should be Thundara -- but if Stone still upgrades to Stone 2/3/4, then Thunder III and IV would be Thunder II and Thundara II.

For maximum confusion, between 45 and 64 this means your options are Thunder II and Thundara.

Same point could be made about SMN's Ruin line too, since 1/3 and 2/4 are similarly just upgrades. And seriously, good luck with the tongue-twister of Veraerora, I think I have an aneurysm just looking at it.

---

Single target thunder: Thunder > Thundaga
AOE Thunder: Thundara > Thundaja

Veraerora is the reason the media tour had that confusion of 2 Veraero / verthunder on the translated tool tips.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Seraphor

I’m on board with this actually.

Seems to me that distinct skills should have distinct names, while upgrades to II, III, IV etc. should instead of upgrades to distinct skills.
Stone I upgrades to Stone II, etc.

The fact that Fire, Fire II, Fire III and Fire IV all function completely differently… bugs me I guess.
Would make much more sense if Fire II was Fira, Fire III was Firaga, and Fire IV was Firaja.
It would allow for upgrades to these skills, so that we could get a superior Fira II to make our AoE rotation a bit smoother, instead of having a defunct Fire II.
And Fire could upgrade to Fire II to have a shorter cast time or something.

---

That's exactly how fire is named in Japanese.

https://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/jobguide/blackmage/