Job quests could be easily be focused around getting hit by certain abilities.
They simply script the enemy into using a unique version of the skill you learn after getting them to a certain HP threshold.
It's not the same mechanic as in XI or as fulfilling, but it carries the lore on.
Conversely (or in addition to) it's job mechanic could be centered around taking hits to power it's blue mage spells, similarly to DRKs ability to gain MP via taking hits.
So you can see how it would work as a tank, a similar mechanic already exists in an existing tank job.
When looking at the most common blue mage spells it's easy to see how they'd work in a tank roll.
White wind is a unique healing spell (typically healing up to the same HP as the character using it) that could have a calculation that works as tank utility, something like an AoE clemency. (it could heal up to the same percentage of HP as the tank, so the healer can focus on keeping the tank alive, then the blue mage tank pops a White Wind cooldown to bring everyone in range up to his level)
Mighty Guard is already a tank limit break, but could be replicated via its own shield skill.
Spells like mind blast, magic hammer, blaster and bad breath, all providing debuffing and could also work as enmity generators.
1000 needles is just begging to be their staple AoE pulling skill, while Matra Magic could be the ranged pulling skill.
Then the unique flavour of elemental spells like aqualung, electrocute, etc, could differentiate from other elemental spells on the existing coloured mages by making them enmity generators, or the blue mage tank's high level AoE attacks.
Meanwhile, if you make it a healer, you're only going to be utilising a couple of classic blue magic spells and inventing a bunch of White Wind alternatives to fill in the gaps, and if you make it a DPS it'll just end up being a Red Mage clone with a few different utility spells and a slightly different job mechanic.
A Blue Mage as a tank would basically be a Dark Knight, but with more focus on utility and mitigation than HP and MP maintenance, and with their damage mainly coming from the big ticket spells while their bread and butter weaponskills are a little weaker to compensate.
Personally I think the next expansion should introduce a new Tank and Healer (with the Tank being Blue Mage) and then the expansion after than can be free to introduce another two DPS.

Reply With Quote



