Next Job/Jobs Speculation

[Kazrah]

I don't know how a mage could be a tank?

Just like how mage tanks work in any other game they've been implemented in. Defensive stance would increase defense, maybe health and other stats necessary for tanking, and problem solved. As for spells, most (if not all) spells would be instant-cast or at least given the Paladin treatment of interruption prevention.

Blue mages are unique in that they gain power through being hit. They are not your typical mage. Most of the Blue Mage characters that I know of tend to be able to take hits and provide support through their utility abilities like white wind and mighty guard. If anything they are one of the most suited jobs for a tank role due to their tendency to have high health and a diverse array of utility for most situations. The tank role is the only one that can satisfy the job without degrading some aspect of what we know as a blue mage.

They don't necessarily gain power through being hit, but rather abilities, which could be displayed via cutscenes from job quests rather than the old-fashioned "go hunt for it" method that will--and rightfully should--never work in this game. This means that Blue Mage could just as easily be a DPS, learning by observations regardless of whoever is being hit while having skills like White Wind as a support feature rather than a tanking skill.

Now that's not to say it shouldn't be a tank, but with FFXIV reinventing and re-adapting jobs of past games to be applied to a proper MMORPG, and Blue Mage doesn't deserve to be any different in that regard. It's really because of that that some aspect of what we know as Blue Mage would be degraded simply by being brought into the game, which I think is why Yoshi has been more vocal about why it wouldn't work.