Rework BLM static leylines to be an aura instead

Please just redesign this class and rework its static leylines. Maybe the leylines are lore-friendly, maybe they look cool, maybe they're shiny, but please step back for a moment.

The static leylines are encouraging toxic gameplay:

• standing relatively still in fixed position
• not wanting teammates near them
• not moving to do mechanics

I can expand on this.

The game encourages standing relatively still in that leyline (within its circle) by reducing cast times. AoE about to hit them? They now begin calculating whether a manaward while staying in the leyline is worth it. Boss has moved but still barely in range while leyline still up? They likely will continue casting from Narnia, while potentially out of range of other team buffs or heals (assize/whispering dawn, etc).

A BLM usually doesnt want a teammate near them while they're on their leyline. If the boss does a line attack on random target, and a teammate is between BLM and boss, there's a chance the line will target through the teammate to the BLM. Then it's a tragedy when the mage has to step off the leyline to temporarily dodge a mechanic. If the boss does a puddle-type of AoE on random player, and the chosen player is near the BLM, similarly the BLM might have to leave the leyline.

I often see BLMs not want to move to do mechanics. For example, stack markers that are comfy with 4 people, but *could* be done with 3. More often than not, if a BLM has spawned their leyline, they are not going to help w/ the stack marker, letting the three poor brave souls take a much greater hit than normal.

Solution? Rework the "Ley Lines"(lvl52) and "Between the Lines"(lvl62) so that the ley line buff is instead an aura around the BLM and can let him/her move freely and maintain said buff. The second skill, not sure, perhaps add another charge to Aether Manipulation, or create a new trait. Perhaps the people nearby the Aether Manip destination get a short buff of some kind -- if not broken, this would definitely encourage the BLM coming to teammates instead of away from them.

It all begins with design change, and then selfless gameplay will follow. People should be encouraged to work together and not stand by themselves.

Ley lines should just offer a buff to everyone standing in it, OR just be a personal buff on the BLM, for the reasons you stated. Even if keeping up noke is fairly easy, its still frustrating in many high movement fights to begin with due to cast times/whatnot if you plan on dodging consistently. Id prefer the aura/personal buff to get rid of button bloat with between, and just add a second charge to AM personally. Half the time you drop lay lines, expect the boss to plop an acid aoe or something in it anyways.

Dunno I haven't have had any issue with leyline beside the second part of E4S p1 where leyline would often coincide with a heavy mvm mech...
I also think it fits the job fantasy very well.
Each caster has its issue in term of movement
RDM has to go melee else they overcap (which I find more annoying than leyline sometime ) , smn wants to be static during Bahamut to avoid loosing peanut potency on ruin and BLM have their leyline every 90s .

If any change I wouldn't mind reducing the duration a bit (with some buff else where)

If the BLM you see do not want to move to do mech then they're just bad. And mana ward will hardly save you from an extra hit... I mean it's not like ff14 raid design is dodge or die...

I never had an issue being in range of healer (aka center of the map) and stay on my leyline on any fight...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by icy_

The static leylines are encouraging toxic gameplay:

• standing relatively still in fixed position
• not wanting teammates near them
• not moving to do mechanics

---

That's not toxic, that's by design.

I think it'd be really cool if it worked that way instead. The aura could be a reference to the casting animation of the old FFs (yellow/green Aurora borealis looking circle) and could give their eyes a yellow glow like Vivi's (sorta like WAR has red eyes minus the slow light movement).

It's important to note that even this alteration would encourage staying away from people and moving as little as possible, though - which are related circumstances. But it would be better than it is currently so you could move and stay in the new place instead of losing your lines (like when arenas change or a fire puddle is placed on your ley lines).

I wouldn't want BLM to give a buff though, being the SAM of casters. An extra charge of Aetherial Manipulation would be a fine substitute for Between the Lines - maybe even a second movement ability that works like DNC's and lets you move forward (or maybe even strafe to the left to shake things up) a certain distance without the need to drop target.

While I can see this being enticing and all, it doesn't matter whether or not LL is up, if you so much as drop a baited AOE near or on a BLM and force him to move, he will hate you regardless.

Apart from that, I think it is cool having to think about ideal spots and time in a fight for Leylines.

Alright but nerf its effect because of "mobility".

Leylines are meant to create a "High risk, high rewards" situation and it's not like BLM didn't had enough tools to move back and forth.

No. Leylines are a big part of why BLM has such a high skill ceiling, and part of the reason why I personally find BLM's gameplay loop so engaging.
If you place Leylines on the wrong position, you get punished hard. If you know the fights, then you'll get rewarded. This contributes to the gap between good BLMs and average BLMs.
It also has enough mobility in its state as the radius of the effect is high, that you can just dance along the edges of the LL.
LL in general changes how BLM approaches fight as well, producing more replayability out of the fights if you're approaching it from a BLM perspective.


Leave BLM alone, there's little depth in the job design of the game as it is. Not everything needs to be easier.

I mean you can literally say the same thing about any of the other casters and they don't have Ley lines weighing them down. When I play Summoner or Red Mage in raid, I'm not doing much in the way of moving either and my healers are normally just telling me to stay put and keep casting if the mechanic requires significant movement. When I healed the first Eden raids I just accepted that our strategies needed to be a bit different because a BLM was in the party. That's not Toxic gameplay. It's different gameplay that requires a different mindset from teams and healers. Not staying near a Black Mage's Ley lines isn't a difficult thing, hell its normally a thing to give at least a little bit of space to any caster or healer when you know AOE's are coming up, and the same is true for Melee's as well. As for the stacking part, thats actually pretty easy to handle, just stack on the Black Mage (or any other person with a stack AOE that does not have much free movement). Of all the jobs in a party, no one loses more by dropping casts. Move the AOE to them (if they are a good black Mage they should be just within range to where a melee can still hit the boss and stack) and then move away once it's over and everyone is healed back up.

Cooperation goes both ways of course. Black Mages are not like they were in 2.0 and have tons of movement abilities. I routinely will Aetherial Manipulation to my healers side sometimes for a stack Mechanic then instantly between the lines to get back to Ley lines if I put them in a place that is out of Melee range, and if triple cast is available you can sure as hell bet it's already marked for the heaviest upcoming movement mechanic. And I'm sure not all BLM's do that. But we shouldn't be making changes and decisions on class play based on the worst players, thats how jobs like Bard lose all their popularity and identity in the sake of balance and ease of use. BLM is literally one of the best designed jobs in the game. I'm more worried of what 6.0 will change on an already near perfect play style.

This will come off as harsh: Try playing high level Black Mage before making such incompetent critiques.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rika007

But we shouldn't be making changes and decisions on class play based on the worst players, thats how jobs like Bard lose all their popularity and identity in the sake of balance and ease of use. BLM is literally one of the best designed jobs in the game. I'm more worried of what 6.0 will change on an already near perfect play style.

---

You will know its the end, when the trailer for the new expac shows the WOL as a BLM. I can already see it, a reference for the battle scene with Garlemald meant to be familiar with the 2,0 opening movie, Then the WoL walks in watching from the background at the armies charging, raising his massive 2 handed Thaumaturge's arm, and waves it slightly, music going, big ol' meteor swarm comes down on a giant magitek mobile tank/fortress and it explodes, begins to break down as troops rush to exit it. RIP BLM as you know and love it

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ADVSS

You will know its the end, when the trailer for the new expac shows the WOL as a BLM. I can already see it, a reference for the battle scene with Garlemald meant to be familiar with the 2,0 opening movie, Then the WoL walks in watching from the background at the armies charging, raising his massive 2 handed Thaumaturge's arm, and waves it slightly, music going, big ol' meteor swarm comes down on a giant magitek mobile tank/fortress and it explodes, begins to break down as troops rush to exit it. RIP BLM as you know and love it

---

Lol probably. Although I honestly don't see them ever doing a caster or healer save maybe Red Mage. The derplander just has a specific aesthetic that lends itself to a more raw physical power type thing. I don't ever see them doing any of the healers, none of the casters, and then probably also remove Dancer and Bard.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rika007

Lol probably. Although I honestly don\\'t see them ever doing a caster or healer save maybe Red Mage. The derplander just has a specific aesthetic that lends itself to a more raw physical power type thing. I don\\'t ever see them doing any of the healers, none of the casters, and then probably also remove Dancer and Bard.

---

Personally I think SMN has more of a shot than BLM or RDM just cause of how they fit into the next expansion thematically and cinematically. Want your 20s of grossly misrepresented Demi-Egi attacks that pay homage to previous iterations and use Allagan magic against a similar technocratic imperial empire? Bam. Also Bard/Archer was already done for 1.0. The cameo in the ShB trailer is meant to reference how far we have come since then.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darsien

This will come off as harsh: Try playing high level Black Mage before making such incompetent critiques.

---

Move along, Karen. Go continue your pattern of example-less one liner negativity in other threads. Oh wait, you do, month after month.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rika007

I mean you can literally say the same thing about any of the other casters and they don't have Ley lines weighing them down. When I play Summoner or Red Mage in raid, I'm not doing much in the way of moving either and my healers are normally just telling me to stay put and keep casting if the mechanic requires significant movement. When I healed the first Eden raids I just accepted that our strategies needed to be a bit different because a BLM was in the party. That's not Toxic gameplay. It's different gameplay that requires a different mindset from teams and healers. Not staying near a Black Mage's Ley lines isn't a difficult thing, hell its normally a thing to give at least a little bit of space to any caster or healer when you know AOE's are coming up, and the same is true for Melee's as well. As for the stacking part, thats actually pretty easy to handle, just stack on the Black Mage (or any other person with a stack AOE that does not have much free movement). Of all the jobs in a party, no one loses more by dropping casts. Move the AOE to them...

---

Summoner has a bunch of sources of movement -- 4 pet skills, Ruin IV, swiftcast, all phoenix skills... . Sure, it loves to sit and Ruin III a bunch too, but it's not nearly to the extent of BLM. Red Mage, in an emergency, could spend 5 of each mana to move, but of course this is not advised. Better to attempt to slidecast or time combo and/or finishers for bigger movement periods. If anyone has limited movement, it's the healers, who ideally move only on dot refresh or certain gcd heals. Choosing someone to stack on is fine; I have no problem with that. Much better if that job also didn't have 30sec of not leaving its position, no?

Quote:

---

Cooperation goes both ways of course. Black Mages are not like they were in 2.0 and have tons of movement abilities. I routinely will Aetherial Manipulation to my healers side sometimes for a stack Mechanic then instantly between the lines to get back to Ley lines if I put them in a place that is out of Melee range, and if triple cast is available you can sure as hell bet it's already marked for the heaviest upcoming movement mechanic. And I'm sure not all BLM's do that. But we shouldn't be making changes and decisions on class play based on the worst players, thats how jobs like Bard lose all their popularity and identity in the sake of balance and ease of use. BLM is literally one of the best designed jobs in the game.

---

I'm going by 'most', not 'worst'. The good BLMs -- the ones who anticipate mechanics, heal points, team buff timings, and actually move in to be in range -- are far too few. Other jobs are often moving to hit the BLM's range. Also, a static group is a completely different animal. This thread is for the sake of reducing the random BLM's worries as well as the party's worries in a pick-up run.

Oh my god, I've never seen a job balance take as bad as this one.

Bravo, OP.

if I ever saw someone's leylines tracking to them like a helicopter spotlight as they ran across the map I'd get so pissed off

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by icy_

Move along, Karen. Go continue your pattern of example-less one liner negativity in other threads. Oh wait, you do, month after month.

---

Sorry you got offended that I called out the fact you're complaining about a job you DO NOT play. Thus, you have NO REAL PERSPECTIVE. As a higher-end player, I'm holding you a standard higher then the normal person on this forum. Predictably, you FAILED in your analysis of BLM's utilization of LL.

Well, as high end as someone can be one-tricking the easiest DPS job in the game. =) At least you're not a WHM main.

What's next? Melees getting ranged attacks when they pop their damage buff?

Please don't ruin BLMs job identity and gemapley... >.>

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MatthewW7

if I ever saw someone's leylines tracking to them like a helicopter spotlight as they ran across the map I'd get so pissed off

---

LOL no i think the "aura" or self buff would just give you the buff without giving other players who are easily distracted something to stare at honestly. That would look so funny though, esp if you had a group with 2 or more BLM

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Grimoire-M

Personally I think SMN has more of a shot than BLM or RDM just cause of how they fit into the next expansion thematically and cinematically. Want your 20s of grossly misrepresented Demi-Egi attacks that pay homage to previous iterations and use Allagan magic against a similar technocratic imperial empire? Bam. Also Bard/Archer was already done for 1.0. The cameo in the ShB trailer is meant to reference how far we have come since then.

---

You make a good point. It could be SMN, WHM or BLM at this point. I still envision the cutscene happening like that though lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darsien

Sorry you got offended that I called out the fact you're complaining about a job you DO NOT play. Thus, you have NO REAL PERSPECTIVE. As a higher-end player, I'm holding you a standard higher then the normal person on this forum. Predictably, you FAILED in your analysis of BLM's utilization of LL.

Well, as high end as someone can be one-tricking the easiest DPS job in the game. =) At least you're not a WHM main.

---

Man I can respect you're probably much higher end with BLM than others, or whatever but could we please leave RDM out of this?
Not sure about all of OP's suggestion, but I find it odd that you would think that having Ley lines as just a buff, somehow deletes your ability to stand and turret(far away from healers who need to aoe group heal) They even pointed out the issues that if the group adjusts to their BLM its no problem. Take the BLM out and the group doesnt have to adjust at all(not a problem?). But im not here to destroy your job. The only reason i can see people being upset about the change is because they arent really using lay lines for the damage, but as an anchor point to zip around the stage, which yeah thats pretty fun as well(also just makes it a mobility tool). For the average player though, for instance the poor BLM we had in bozja to which my AST friend was seriously considering not raising for the nth time because he was dead certain the dude lost more mettle than he was even gaining doing CE with us, its kind of not fun when you have to wind up by: popping 2 buffs, casting a spell, pop another buff, cast a spell. In the time that wind up takes, you're being splattered with aoes everywhere. RDM and SMN dont have these issues so much, is all i see being suggested. But you bring up a good point. If it isnt broken to pro players, then it shouldnt be fixed

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by icy_

Summoner has a bunch of sources of movement -- 4 pet skills, Ruin IV, swiftcast, all phoenix skills... . Sure, it loves to sit and Ruin III a bunch too, but it's not nearly to the extent of BLM. Red Mage, in an emergency, could spend 5 of each mana to move, but of course this is not advised. Better to attempt to slidecast or time combo and/or finishers for bigger movement periods. If anyone has limited movement, it's the healers, who ideally move only on dot refresh or certain gcd heals. Choosing someone to stack on is fine; I have no problem with that. Much better if that job also didn't have 30sec of not leaving its position, no?

---

The majority of summoner's 'free movement' GCD's are monopolized by it's opener and it's Bahamut period, the way it breaks out is at the most you have 2 or 3 extra casts that allow for free movement every minute, not much of a difference from Red Mage and the 2 enchanted Reprise's you can get off between your melee windows so your cool downs don't drift. And even though Phoenix movement isn't AS punishing as Bahamut, you still want to limit it as much as possible as the chances of losing Scarlet Flames out due to the Demi following you like a loss puppy is too high, and that loss isn't insignificant. Having played all 3 jobs in a raid setting I would rate their maneuverability as Red Mage > Summoner > Black Mage if you are trying to play them at their absolute peak. But even then I wouldn't consider the gap on any of them significant.

Scholar is the only healer that truly lacks movement at this point. I did white mage throughout all of Eden's Gate Savage and was surprised just how much the addition of the Afflatus spells really helped in moving around. Astrologian has always been quite mobile due to its shorter cast times, and a skilled one can move just as easily as Bard's could in Heavensward. And Lightspeed is still a thing. Scholar feels just as rooted as Black Mage, so it just becomes a party thing on which one they prioritize.

Quote:

---

I'm going by 'most', not 'worst'. The good BLMs -- the ones who anticipate mechanics, heal points, team buff timings, and actually move in to be in range -- are far too few. Other jobs are often moving to hit the BLM's range. Also, a static group is a completely different animal. This thread is for the sake of reducing the random BLM's worries as well as the party's worries in a pick-up run.

---

I'll just have to agree to disagree. Wither or not the best ones are too few, I hate anytime a class or hero based game starts balancing and making decisions on the more random PUG environment, it always ends up leading to either homogenization or dumbing down the class for the sake of those who can't work it out. Making the job less rooted isn't going to suddenly make those players better and less toxic. They still will stand too far away, they still won't come in for heals, they still will not learn mechanics, they still will shout at anyone who gets close to them even though they cancel a cast every 4 GCD's. And it should stay that way. That's how Black Mage should be at it's peak. It's skill comes not from it's rotation, but it's game sense. It's rewarding to learn a fight to the T and zoom all over the map and watch your numbers still blow by everyone else on a class that's supposed to have the agility of an oak tree.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darsien

Sorry you got offended that I called out the fact you're complaining about a job you DO NOT play. Thus, you have NO REAL PERSPECTIVE. As a higher-end player, I'm holding you a standard higher then the normal person on this forum. Predictably, you FAILED in your analysis of BLM's utilization of LL.

Well, as high end as someone can be one-tricking the easiest DPS job in the game. =) At least you're not a WHM main.

---

Honey, I agree with you on the overall theory of your argument, but let's not gate keep here. Someone who is great on even an 'easier' job is still better then 98% of the population on this game, even if their take is wrong, there will always be room for amicable arguments. We don't have to be pricks about it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by icy_

I'm going by 'most', not 'worst'. The good BLMs -- the ones who anticipate mechanics, heal points, team buff timings, and actually move in to be in range -- are far too few. I'm going by 'most', not 'worst'. The good BLMs -- the ones who anticipate mechanics, heal points, team buff timings, and actually move in to be in range -- are far too few. Other jobs are often moving to hit the BLM's range. Also, a static group is a completely different animal. This thread is for the sake of reducing the random BLM's worries as well as the party's worries in a pick-up run.

---

This is honestly a bad reason to change the job. Why remove the parts that's enjoyable for the people who've actually dedicated themselves to practice the job for the people who can't be bothered to learn the job?
Your argument is the same thing as:

"Ok guys. What if we turn verfire/verthunder into veraero/verstone when white magic attacks is already casted? Oh and we should also get rid of the melee combo as well. I don't wanna have to go to the melee side, most mechanics interfere with it hard."

"Yeah let's get rid of positionals, and make melees non-melee. Most melees can't keep melee uptime up and aren't hitting positionals. Let's just get rid of it, this is just for reducing the random Melee's worries as well as the party's worries in a pug."

"Yeah, let's get rid of cast times in general. Most casters can't slidecast. Let's just get rid of it. This is just for reducing the random caster/healer's melees worries as well as the party's worries in a pug."


Also, current BLM can actually be as mobile when it needs it. Hell it can do Illya Orbs E/W just fine. Sharpcast, Triplecast, Swiftcast and Slidecasting will give BLM so much mobility during mechanics and even more so when thunder procs hard, and even then, in worse case scenarios, there's just Transposing into Ice and Spamming Umbral Soul or spamming Scathe. Leylines isn't even a problem as depending on fights, you just don't drop it on cooldown like every other raidbuff during E6S.

Lowering the skill floor and eliminating the gap between the skill ceiling and the skill floor will just make the whole job boring.
Look at how homogenized most tanks are now. Look at how less fun the healers are now. Look at how absolutely dumbed down MCH and BRD are now.

Keep what little complex jobs there is, complex. Not everything needs to be easy, and if everything needs to be catered to PuGs, then there will be no Savage and no optimization.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XIPOTATOX

You ever consider that some people are new to the game and don't have every single mechanic memorized.

---

And thats fine? Show me a BLM who says they did everything perfectly in every fight always and forever from day one onward, and ill show you a pathological liar. We all made mistakes, we all had growing pains. Most of us got better, though we dont all reach the same levels(i know im not top tier and would never claim such). But part of the joy of the class for many of us is seeing just how much you can improve by knowing the fights/mechanics/your rotation/your party. If this isnt to the liking of someone "new to the game", its a good thing they arent locked into the class. They can swap to another class and hopefully find one that feels right to them. And if they happen to pick another caster they even have a set of gear already.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XIPOTATOX

You ever consider that some people are new to the game and don't have every single mechanic memorized.

---

I mean, the game would be boring if a new player could come in and instantly knew every mechanics.
Every new patch, there is new mechanics.

The difference between BLM and other jobs is the choices they have to resolve certain mechanics. Other than that, everyone has to deal with mechanics the same way. (Ranged MUST deal damage while moving for copping for they low damage but that's not a ranged thread)
BLM still has massive mobility tools and many moments where they don't move at all and are free to cast. It's quite rare that there is a Construct 8 like boss that requires a lot of movement for more than 10 seconds.

IMO, a Melee will have the same amount to learn. Except they can't pre-place themselves unless they are at melee range.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rika007

Honey, I agree with you on the overall theory of your argument, but let's not gate keep here. Someone who is great on even an 'easier' job is still better then 98% of the population on this game, even if their take is wrong, there will always be room for amicable arguments. We don't have to be pricks about it.

---

Unfortunately, "kind" doesn't get through to this community. Rather be a right prick then an unheard saint.

The opinion of the inexperienced is irrelevant in the context of changing things for the experienced. Remember that. It'll help you not to make fundamentally flawed opinions, based on other player behavior, influenced by said inexperienced and a clear bias.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XIPOTATOX

Massive mobility tools, which ones? The only one I can think of is that ability that pulls you to a party member and triple cast. But only one is reliable the one that pulls you to party member everything else is timed. swift cast is not a blm ability.

---

Xeno, Triple, any procs, Sharpcast-forced procs, Between the Lines, Aether Manip, and yes Swift are all powerful tools for BLM's mobility. Also, just because Swift's not exclusive to Black Mage doesn't mean it doesn't count, however you managed to come to that conclusion. With proper planning, there are currently no current content movement issues for Black Mage and all of those options are entirely reliable. If you wanna have some fun, you can get up to 9 consecutive free movement GCDs. 4 from Swift/Triple, 3 from Xeno (2 stacks, one rolled over), any Sharp Cast proc, any natural proc.

*pst, OP. See what I'm talking about with experience? And this person apparently mains the class!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darsien

Well, as high end as someone can be one-tricking the easiest DPS job in the game. =) At least you're not a WHM main.

---

Excuse me, neither RDM nor WHM is the easiest job in the game. That'd be MCH.
-Sincerly, MCH main

If this change made it in, I'd drop Black Mage in a heartbeat. The entire fun of playing the class is in planning out leyline placement and movement so you don't lose out on it while still dodging AoEs within its bounds.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by XIPOTATOX

Massive mobility tools, which ones? The only one I can think of is that ability that pulls you to a party member and triple cast. But only one is reliable the one that pulls you to party member everything else is timed. swift cast is not a blm ability.

---

The way it works out is Black Mage has essentially 8 free casts per every minute of a fight. 2 Xenoglossy's. 3 from Triple Cast. 1 Swift cast. 2 from sharp cast procs. You combine this with Between the lines and Aetherial Manipulation and you have all the movement you need to handle even the most intensive movement mechanics in the game at even a Savage or Ultimate raiding level. However it does require an acute knowledge of the fight to pull this off and flat out, to get that, you are going to fail a lot figuring it out. If you see a black mage zooming all over an Arena, never getting hit, blowing up the DPS, always being top of the aggro charts (or the other charts we don't name) and never once dropping a cast, lookin as mobile as a Bard or Dancer; you are watching a pro at work who has probably died to those same mechanic on several occasions to learn exactly how long and the exact inch they can place themselves to pull off it all.

I say this as a player who played Bard for every raid tier up to Shadowbringers, then swapped to caster for the final tiers. Black Mage is a very mobile class, far more then it gets credit for. It's why I'm one of the people who say the 'mobility tax' on Ranged DPS is a joke. Once you know a fight BLM is not taxing at all to maneuver around. It's why OP's point is so off base.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Payotz

No. Leylines are a big part of why BLM has such a high skill ceiling, and part of the reason why I personally find BLM's gameplay loop so engaging.
If you place Leylines on the wrong position, you get punished hard. If you know the fights, then you'll get rewarded. This contributes to the gap between good BLMs and average BLMs.
It also has enough mobility in its state as the radius of the effect is high, that you can just dance along the edges of the LL.
LL in general changes how BLM approaches fight as well, producing more replayability out of the fights if you're approaching it from a BLM perspective.


Leave BLM alone, there's little depth in the job design of the game as it is. Not everything needs to be easier.

---

^ This.

/10char

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ADVSS

You will know its the end, when the trailer for the new expac shows the WOL as a BLM. I can already see it, a reference for the battle scene with Garlemald meant to be familiar with the 2,0 opening movie, Then the WoL walks in watching from the background at the armies charging, raising his massive 2 handed Thaumaturge's arm, and waves it slightly, music going, big ol' meteor swarm comes down on a giant magitek mobile tank/fortress and it explodes, begins to break down as troops rush to exit it. RIP BLM as you know and love it

---

They could even do a tease with them in the dark robes of a BLM (or if they add one, a new darkness-based caster), flashing Azem's Convocation sigil, just for a bait and switch.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rika007

Lol probably. Although I honestly don't see them ever doing a caster or healer save maybe Red Mage. The derplander just has a specific aesthetic that lends itself to a more raw physical power type thing. I don't ever see them doing any of the healers, none of the casters, and then probably also remove Dancer and Bard.

---

What's wrong with buff mages? :p

Besides, the character being

Azem

means they're probably possess the aetheric reserves to make for a potent mage - maybe not necessary for BLM but every little helps. Rigid adherence to "what's been done" for its own sake can grow dull, and if they don't know how to make a mage play in an exciting way in a trailer, they just need to look at how other games manage to do it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lauront

They could even do a tease with them in the dark robes of a BLM (or if they add one, a new darkness-based caster), flashing Azem's Convocation sigil, just for a bait and switch.



What's wrong with buff mages? :p

Besides, the character being

Azem

means they're probably possess the aetheric reserves to make for a potent mage - maybe not necessary for BLM but every little helps. Rigid adherence to "what's been done" for its own sake can grow dull, and if they don't know how to make a mage play in an exciting way in a trailer, they just need to look at how other games manage to do it.

---

Dang, that entrance description would make for an awesome trailer

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ADVSS

Dang, that entrance description would make for an awesome trailer

---

Throw in a blast of Megiddo Flame, and Dark IV for good measure.

How about you leave things as they are and quit trying to make things easier for you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magnedeus

How about you leave things as they are and quit trying to make things easier for you.

---

Well some buttons will have to get cut, or truncated for sure, just hope its the right ones for you. Prob see fire 1/blizz 1 turn into 4 during noke to make way for the new 1 or 2 spells BLM will probably get

So change laylines to presence of mind?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SWB

So change laylines to presence of mind?

---

I was just thinking the contrary honestly.
WHM wants more challenging gameplay, or/and want to move more ?
I prefer they follow the BLM treatment, having some more actions for more mobility yes, but not the equivalent of Malefic 1,5 sec cast time of AST.
The mobility is one of the (left) core which should define each gameplay caster.

So if WHM can have Presence of Mind reworked to fit the risk/reward Leylines, I think it would be satisfying.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ADVSS

Well some buttons will have to get cut, or truncated for sure, just hope its the right ones for you. Prob see fire 1/blizz 1 turn into 4 during noke to make way for the new 1 or 2 spells BLM will probably get

---

It's more likely B2 gets upgraded to Freeze and F2 upgraded to Flare.
Both becomes useless once you learn the higher level spell.

Hmm. My BLM is only 56 right now, but it sounds like much if what you want changed strips away a lot of what makes BLM a BLM.

As a lv 80 NIN, I can also say that I can't even begin to express how jealous I am of the BLM ability Between the Lines. This ability has a Flying Raijin double function in that it also marks a spot on the arena for you to instantly teleport to. I am quite certain a knowledgeable BLM can use this in their favor to cheese some mechanics or to realign their optimization if their position is compromised.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ADVSS

Well some buttons will have to get cut, or truncated for sure, just hope its the right ones for you. Prob see fire 1/blizz 1 turn into 4 during noke to make way for the new 1 or 2 spells BLM will probably get

---

Fire 1 is actually still used during rotation to refresh AF. I find it likely that they'd instead combine Ley Lines and Between the Lines. You can't use the latter without the former being active in the first place, so having them be one button that changes would open up that space.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gemina

Hmm. My BLM is only 56 right now, but it sounds like much if what you want changed strips away a lot of what makes BLM a BLM.

As a lv 80 NIN, I can also say that I can't even begin to express how jealous I am of the BLM ability Between the Lines. This ability has a Flying Raijin double function in that it also marks a spot on the arena for you to instantly teleport to. I am quite certain a knowledgeable BLM can use this in their favor to cheese some mechanics or to realign their optimization if their position is compromised.

---

Utilizing BtL and AM to cheese mechanics is imo one of the best and fun parts about BLM.
You can move out to drop your HoH puddle and nyoom back into the safezone with BtL in one GCD if you time it right. Titan bomb patterns could also be cheesed if you AMed the person behind the rock and nyoomed back into your LL the moment the middle line of bombs went off. If timed well you lost only one GCD on your LL regardless of "pattern luck".

BLM is probably the most well-rounded, well-designed class with fluent gameplay and some really interesting mechanics. My only tiny gripe is that switch to UI3 doesn't give you a tiny amount of MP (800 would be enough), so leveling BLM have to content with awkward MP tick idle times.
They better not touch BLM gameplay. Making LL into an aura would take away a lot of the challenge of mastering a class with a fairly easy base rotation. There is absolutely no need to play BLM selfish, it's entirely possible to dodge aoes in your LL or placing them well within range for heal/ buffs.
If someone doesn't do it, they are most likely still learning the ropes but that's not because of faulty skill design but because of faulty player skill. Just like physical ranged standing in Narnia. Should they all get their range limited to 15y or less because of this? Doubt it.