4.0 new ability predictions

For 4.0, I think it's safe to assume we'll get new abilities in some form or another. I thought it'd be fun to see what people's predictions are for what they believe their job to get and how they match up with what we actually get!

If we assume that they follow the same pattern as Heavensward, that means 5 new abilities per job. We don't know if this'll continue with Stormblood, but for practicality let's assume this will be the case.

My predictions for Bard, for example, would probably be:


62 - Quick Shot (GCD, no cast)
A standard gcd weaponskill with lower potency than Straight Shot, it remains instant-cast even whilst under the effect of Minuet. Think Ruin II but for Bards

64 - Voice of Valor (GCD, 1.50 cast)
Same as the one that's already in-game; gradually restores the HP of nearby party members with the usual 10% damage reduction. Regen potency of 100 (same as Whispering Dawn) but with the same MP cost as Requiem so it can't be up too often.

66 - Pianissimo (120 cd)
The next song affects a single party member. This one isn't as much a prediction as it is just something I think would be cool lol. The single-target song would have a duration (30 secs maybe? that's 300 TP / 1500 MP) and gives a bit more freedom with what to use.

68 - Aim (90 cd)
This is a pretty iconic FF Ranger skill, so I imagine we'll get an ability like this eventually. Maybe something like 'increases both the damage and cast times of the next attack' and can't be paired with Barrage.

70 - Apex Arrow (60 sec cd, 1.5 sec cast)
An AoE with a potency of 100 that can only be used whilst under the effect of The Wanderer's Minuet, with an additional utility effect (stun maybe?)

I've tried to be semi-realistic, otherwise I'd just have made up 5 new songs :rolleyes:


What do you think we'll see? And what would you like to see? Feel free to include changes to current abilities or new traits if deemed necessary!

I... need... a suplex. If this next expansion is going to be about the monk, I need a somewhat functioning suplex. I also want a train for... reasons.

In all seriousness, I feel like there has been a huge neglect on the spiritual lore that seems to rival the physical aspect of the Monk class. The near entirety of the class quests for the job Monk, involves spiritual contact on a couple of different levels, yet the majority of our skills are primarily physical based. Sure, I have maybe two skills that could be considered spiritual... but that's two.

Dragoon.

Dragonheart: Healing potency: 300. 10% Chance to get auto-rise status if self healing is critical. Auto-Rise: Replenish all HP and skips death animation and rise animation. Death Penalties still apply.

Give Black Mage one, just one, oGCD damage spell. Make it like 400 potency and give it like a 90s cooldown. Sharpcast and swiftcast help with movement. But when those are on CD, we're stuck with Scathe. It'd be great to have an ability that will damage the target while we're on the move and not trigger the GCD.

I'm guessing SMN will get a new Trance related to Alexander or the Warring Triad.

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Originally Posted by Alberel

I'm guessing SMN will get a new Trance related to Alexander or the Warring Triad.

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I doubt this hard. Bahamuts aether is collected in cartenaeu (don't know the spelling), a place accessable for us players. Alexander and the Warring Triad are never happening for chars, who don't do this sidequests, so it can happen that this aether is never accessable for some chars.

I'd like it so that Enkindle will briefly transform the egi into the Primal itself (just smaller)

As for BLM I know what I don't want: Fire 5 or Blizzard 5

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Originally Posted by Legion88

I doubt this hard. Bahamuts aether is collected in cartenaeu (don't know the spelling), a place accessable for us players. Alexander and the Warring Triad are never happening for chars, who don't do this sidequests, so it can happen that this aether is never accessable for some chars.

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Alexander appears immediately following the conclusion of the 3.0 MSQ so anyone that has leveled from 50-60 will have at least encountered him. We still don't know if the Triad series will tie back into the MSQ as well. I wouldn't dismiss either of them just yet.

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Originally Posted by Alberel

Alexander appears immediately following the conclusion of the 3.0 MSQ so anyone that has leveled from 50-60 will have at least encountered him. We still don't know if the Triad series will tie back into the MSQ as well. I wouldn't dismiss either of them just yet.

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I know you think like the old HMs who are now a requirement to progress somewhere in the level 50 MSQs, but how will you gain access to Alexanders aether within his bubble or even worse his core or the commandroom (A10 onwards) within himself without completing this duties?

I predict new traits that give existing skills new featured. And perhaps one or 2 new skills per job

I'd like to see for WHM:

Granite Skin (trait) I want this to return. I miss 18% stoneskins. Its not required but it sets WHM apart from the other healers which both have mitgation.
Nature's Grace: All spells cost 0 mana for 15 secs. 2 minute CD.
Holy II: 360 potency oGCD spell (additional effects: 30 sec Blind). 3 minute CD (looks like smn deathflare but from above and more "holy")
Esunaga/EsunaII: make it aoe esuna or an esuna which remove all status ailments from 1 target.
Reraise: Last 1 minute on target. 5 minute CD
Revitalize (trait): each HoT tick from Regen or Medica 2 has a 30% chance of refreshing itself.

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Originally Posted by Derio

I predict new traits that give existing skills new featured. And perhaps one or 2 new skills per job

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Same. At most I'm expecting something like:
62: skill
64: trait
66: skill
68: trait
70: skill

Or the inverse with 3 traits and 2 skills.

If healers are going to continue to deal damage, I'd like a more interesting toolkit. Maybe each time one of your Aero effects expire, your fluid aura comes off CD and gains 10 yalms in range? Something interesting to react to.

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Originally Posted by Derio

I predict new traits that give existing skills new featured. And perhaps one or 2 new skills per job

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I'd love if they give us a new trait every odd level, and a new skill every even level. With the traits they can bring underused skills back up (such as a major potency increase for Touch of Death for MNK), and then give us new stuff to play with for the skills. Best of both worlds.

DRK
Pain/Atroh/whatever. Ability.

Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 250 to all nearby enemies.*
Additional Effect: Silence
Potency increases the lower the HP
Entering Walking Dead will reset the recast timer

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Originally Posted by Legion88

I know you think like the old HMs who are now a requirement to progress somewhere in the level 50 MSQs, but how will you gain access to Alexanders aether within his bubble or even worse his core or the commandroom (A10 onwards) within himself without completing this duties?

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You mentioned before that we gained the Dreadwyrm Trance by channeling Bahamut's Aether at Cartenaeu. But this location is never visited within the MSQ either. Only in Frontlines and the Summoner Instance. By your logic, no one who has never participated in Frontlines should be able to use SMN's HW skills.

If SE really wanted to give SMN Alexander-related abilities it could just include a separate instance for them to do so, as with Bahamut's power. As far as keeping fidelity with the side-story, they wouldn't even have to go into Alex's bubble to do so. Just say, attune with some of his aether still seeped into the Hinterlands; a place that EVERY player has been at that point.

BLM: Probably Flare 2 or, I'm hoping, a non-LB Comet spell.

SMN: New egi? ..... probably not but can hope. 99% chance of Ruin 4.

DRK: Probably just new traits.

Other: Yoshie P said in a previous live letter that he regrets the team got carried away with timers on dps, and with the battle adjustments being planned for 4.0, here's hoping for less micro managing on BLM/SMN/DRG/etc. I'd like to see Enochain and leylines combined into one as an example.

I want silent dusk to hit at 250 potency ( Selene's Mnd)

We'd probably see more new traits than new skills. People's hotbars are full as it is right now.

SMN:
*A new spammable AoE spell for SMN that can effectively replace Blizzard II. Although something not necessary because there's Blizzard II already, I don't want a spell that's at point blank range.
*A trait that lets you use Deathflare three times in quick succession (maybe decreases the Dreadwyrm Trance duration by 3 seconds, Dreadwyrm Trance ends after the third Deathflare)

For adjustments, make Enkindle a bit stronger or reduce the cooldown since it has a pretty long cooldown and the damage isn't very impressive because of that.
I also want Contagion removed from Garuda-Egi, made into a SMN skill instead and replaces Tri-Bind (and if people want Tri-Bind back then just make it an ACN skill). Garuda-Egi would get a very effective AoE attack in its place. They could adjust the Caster Egis to be more fitting for packs of mobs and then DPS Egis for 1-2 targets. That would also encourage switching Egis.
Also replace Garuda-Egi's Shockwave with something better, please.

I want to see Boost come back. :)

I might get some moans from you pc guys but I hope they don't add extra skills or if they do I don't see what's wrong with upgrading old ones to replace. The issue is on controller it's hard to be competitive if I fumbling around having to switch hotbars. It's just not as fast as clicking things. You have to be kinda fast to get good dps. I've managed to get most on front bar and expanded bars and there is some space but it's not optimal and my dps I'm sure will drop because I honestly won't access it in a way thats comfortable or fast. So I hope that is considered at least.

Considering you can switch hotbars in a split second and controller muscle memory. I have no issues with them adding new skills.

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Originally Posted by basketofseals

If healers are going to continue to deal damage, I'd like a more interesting toolkit. Maybe each time one of your Aero effects expire, your fluid aura comes off CD and gains 10 yalms in range? Something interesting to react to.

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Well, I on the other side predict that they include fluid aura in the useless skills that they're gonna rework completely.
Honestly, when I tank or meelee and a whm uses fluid aura more than once, it's valid reason for me to kick them.