Don't like Blue Mage? Here is how to convince SE to change it...

[Reynhart]

Nor are our options here solely "get a butchered BLU" or "don't get BLU at all".

I suppose they started their BLU concept expecting it to fit XIV's mold at first. If they ended with that version of BLU, I'd assume that it's because they didn't find a way to make a traditionnal job work while retaining the core concept of BLU.

Sure, they could have made BLU learn their spells via monsters in quest, like other jobs did, but I'm not sure people would have really liked that. At best, they could have made you chose the order of the spells (14 spells for 14 quests and you pick one of them at each quest). Their is also the issue BLU is frequently massively overpowered in every game it appeared on.

They also commented on how not having the appropriate spells might result in being kicked, but, for me, it felt like overdramatizing. After all, you're not forced to do your job quest right now, so you could end up with a tank not having all its skills (True story when I ran Coil, our WAR forgot to unlock Infuriate ).

The stronger the mob, the less they're affected by a Slow, such that the damage reduced from a trash mob and a boss are very similar despite their varying power levels.

You'll probably end with FF frequent issue with debuffs. The only mobs that would be affected significantly by them are those that you can kill without those effect easily. Especially if BLU is the only job to have expanded CC.

[Shurrikhan]

I suppose they started their BLU concept expecting it to fit XIV's mold at first. If they ended with that version of BLU, I'd assume that it's because they didn't find a way to make a traditional job work while retaining the core concept of BLU.

I see no reason to assume that they started with aims to create a combat-ready BLU, and -- as naive or egotistic as it may sound -- suspect shortsightedness if they honestly could not find a way to make a "true" BLU work as a content-ready job.

Sure, they could have made BLU learn their spells via monsters in quest, like other jobs did, but I'm not sure people would have really liked that.

This has nothing to do with BLU being made content-ready. All other jobs could as easily have their skills learned through RNG methods in the open world and specifically designed content and it would not remotely affect their ability to be matched into content. At worst, without merely sane guideposts or requirements, they would underperform when missing certain skills relative to having them, but competency variation already exists in far greater amounts based on simple player ability alone, even in a guaranteed skillset. (Hell, perhaps with a bit more agency in the acquisition process, and more difficult solo content included in the process, people might bother to read their tooltips and understand what rotations work and why, indirectly decreasing the variation in player performance in leveling dungeons.)

At best, they could have made you chose the order of the spells (14 spells for 14 quests and you pick one of them at each quest). Their is also the issue BLU is frequently massively overpowered in every game it appeared on.

But, it hasn't been. Certain skills have been incredibly powerful in the right contexts, but BLU itself has not been overpowered in "every game it appeared on".

They also commented on how not having the appropriate spells might result in being kicked, but, for me, it felt like overdramatizing. After all, you're not forced to do your job quest right now, so you could end up with a tank not having all its skills (True story when I ran Coil, our WAR forgot to unlock Infuriate ).

For now it can at at best be a "hero class". Allow it to progress through the latest expansion only after another job has already reached level cap, and attach simply attach a warning to it that job acquisition is an additional responsibility. Signal in the Recommended Duties and/or Actions & Traits pane when one may unlock a further action. Done. They were warned.

You'll probably end with FF frequent issue with debuffs. The only mobs that would be affected significantly by them are those that you can kill without those effect easily. Especially if BLU is the only job to have expanded CC.

Not unless you do a poor job of it. The steps to create a balanced defensive debuff are both simple and universally beneficial.

1. Allow for dynamic cooling rates, rather than solely reduced recast times. You can think of this as the difference between the old Spear card, which worked only before abilities went off and affected each varying recast time by a percentage -- varying in flat amount -- and what would affect the recast times if cast after usage and would, after its effect time, reduce each recast time by the same flat amount, maintaining sync.
2. Give debuffs actual potencies. This is multiplied by the caster's relevant stats and effects just as damage would be. It is cast on an enemy and...
3. Calculate percentile through the formula 20 times debuff "damage" divided by in-nominal-duration generative mob damage. This refers to how much damage the mob is recharging every second within the debuff's stated duration.

Modifications specific to Slow and Blind. (Slow and Blind do not include avoidable damage in its in-duration generative damage calculation.

• Calculate the damage that would be dealt for the original strike. Do not inflict.
• Calculate the damage that was dealt for the real, delayed/blinded strike. Inflict.
• Reduce duration of the remaining Slow/Blind debuff as if adding the difference between the second and first to the in-duration damage. (In this way the effect is accounted for only if it makes an actual difference.)

Benefits of such a change:

• A more effective and engaging Blood Price mechanic, a slew of Defiance mechanics, and a fair bit of stuff to be done with Shield Oath and maybe even Samurai's parry, Monk's earth stance, and Ninja's shadow and wind techniques.
• Literally every debuff can be used in-combat to produce up to roughly twice* its would-be damage as damage prevented, regardless of whether it's on a mob or boss. The greater the damage effected, the lesser and/or shorter the effect. Given same mob damage per second, the lesser the duration, the greater the percentile. (*Can be adjusted.)

[Reynhart]

I see no reason to assume that they started with aims to create a combat-ready BLU, and -- as naive or egotistic as it may sound -- suspect shortsightedness if they honestly could not find a way to make a "true" BLU work as a content-ready job.

I'm pretty sure you could suggest your own view of BLU and it would be received "too powerful"/"too weak"/"not faitfhull" complaints at the same time. It's not that easy to create such a versatile job.

All other jobs could as easily have their skills learned through RNG methods in the open world and specifically designed content and it would not remotely affect their ability to be matched into content.

First, it would have affected their ability to be useful in content. What would happen to unlucky DRKs that couldn't manage to "drop" their Blackest Night "accreditation" ? And BLU is built upon running around seeking monsters, the other jobs are not. Remove that from BLU and you have simply another hybrid mage.

competency variation already exists in far greater amounts based on simple player ability alone, even in a guaranteed skillset.

Yes, more the reason to not add another opportunity for underperforming. Like I said above, be unlucky enough that you can't drop that one mandatory skill and you're screwed. And the people you're paired with in matchmaking are also screwed.

(Hell, perhaps with a bit more agency in the acquisition process, and more difficult solo content included in the process, people might bother to read their tooltips and understand what rotations work and why, indirectly decreasing the variation in player performance in leveling dungeons.)

In theory, you're right, but seeing what they did with most jobs in SB, it doesn't seem to be the direction they want for their playerbase.

But, it hasn't been. Certain skills have been incredibly powerful in the right contexts, but BLU itself has not been overpowered in "every game it appeared on".

You're right. White Wind and Angel Whisper are overpowered in the context where you need healing. Bad Breath is overpowered in the context where mobs is not immune to status ailments...Blue Mage is so overpowered that they dediced it was worthy a being a Limit Break in two games. There is also something else to consider. BLU frequently has access to more elements that BLM, frequently limited to Fire/Ice/Thunder. In a content where elemental weakness has been removed, BLU would lose that specificity.

Debuff calculation

I won't lie, it sound extremely convoluted...and it also point how silly "speed" is actually calculated in this game, since your Slow wouldn't actually "Slow" the target.

Benefits of such a change: [LIST]A more effective and engaging Blood Price mechanic, a slew of Defiance mechanics, and a fair bit of stuff to be done with Shield Oath and maybe even Samurai's parry, Monk's earth stance, and Ninja's shadow and wind techniques.

Problem is, at that point, you're not just creating a new job, you're changing lots of formula in the game. A game that is purposefylly streamlined to be available for a broader audience.

[Shurrikhan]

I'm pretty sure you could suggest your own view of BLU and it would be received "too powerful"/"too weak"/"not faitfhull" complaints at the same time. It's not that easy to create such a versatile job.

You've tried, then? Thoroughly? Have you see the work of those you'd trust with difficult work attempt it? Don't toss in a slipped premise and pretend its common sense or a widely held myth and pretend its fact.
You've seen other versatile jobs fall flat or be dismantled because of some flaw inherent in being versatile? I can't think of any examples for which that has been true, yet I've seen many a successful versatile hybrid.

First, it would have affected their ability to be useful in content. What would happen to unlucky DRKs that couldn't manage to "drop" their Blackest Night "accreditation" ? And BLU is built upon running around seeking monsters, the other jobs are not. Remove that from BLU and you have simply another hybrid mage.

I never said anything about removing its acquisition mechanic. I very clearly said that everyone could face that same issue and it would do nothing to make them unable to perform in the current climate of instanced combat short of Savage. The acquisition mechanic is a non-issue. People often forget to do their latest job quests and come out fine given the current difficulty. Exchange a forgotten job quest skill acquisition for a forgotten monster-kill skill acquisition and nothing changes. A warning that "You have not yet unlocked all the skills available to you. Do you still wish to queue for duty?" would be apt for both, but is still currently unnecessary.

Yes, more the reason to not add another opportunity for underperforming. Like I said above, be unlucky enough that you can't drop that one mandatory skill and you're screwed. And the people you're paired with in matchmaking are also screwed.

No. ... No. We already allow for far, far, far greater underperformance just due to player stupidity in ways that cannot be as easily checked. In that context, refusing to use a traditional acquisition system the potential underperformance of which can be incredibly easily checked is ridiculous.

In theory, you're right, but seeing what they did with most jobs in SB, it doesn't seem to be the direction they want for their playerbase.

Well, what's most under fire with BLU, BLU itself, or the direction it indicates? It doesn't take but a page of threads to randomly choose from to find that more players would choose better in-game guides and support tools over dumbing down the game. If the devs continue to favor the latter, that's on them.

You're right. White Wind and Angel Whisper are overpowered in the context where you need healing. Bad Breath is overpowered in the context where mobs is not immune to status ailments...Blue Mage is so overpowered that they decided it was worthy a being a Limit Break in two games. There is also something else to consider. BLU frequently has access to more elements that BLM, frequently limited to Fire/Ice/Thunder.

And none of that matters to an MMO. You know what else is OP? Life Surge Full Thrust. Foul. Deathflare. Should I just spam those every GCD? No. Obviously what applies to the turn-based combat of FFI-X will not apply directly to XIV, or we'd all be auto-attacking once every six seconds, for seemingly a Foul every strike.

In a content where elemental weakness has been removed, BLU would lose that specificity.

The loss of elements being differentiated by a Pokemon-esque wheel makes virtually no difference to how well elements can be diversified in a toolkit. Your lamenting a specifically poor design to the point of ignoring all others, almost all of which are better. You can integrate elements or similar aspects into a BLU-unique combo system, such that ought take a combination of lower-tier and higher-tier abilities to ramp up an element, "spin" it a certain way, nuke, ride that "spin" onto the next phase of play, etc., etc. You can have spells within a specific element convey specific benefits that then synergize with other elemental schools. You do not need to limit all interactions to Wind beats Fire beats Ice beats Wind || Earth beats Lightning beats Water beats Earth.

I won't lie, it sound extremely convoluted...and it also point how silly "speed" is actually calculated in this game, since your Slow wouldn't actually "Slow" the target.

It slows, just by a variable percentage such that the potency you prevent is roughly equal between being used on a squirrel, a colossus, or Omega Weapon. But fair enough; I made a mistake in giving the full details. Here: % = your potency / target's potency. It's a simple ratio.

Problem is, at that point, you're not just creating a new job, you're changing lots of formula in the game. A game that is purposefylly streamlined to be available for a broader audience.

You mean, purposely dumbed down... to frequent playerbase complaint. Gutting and hollowing =/= streamlining. Intuitive design =/= convolution.

What's the actual complaint here? That I'd rather a game with so much potential not bore itself into obscurity? If so, you're going to run yourself ragged on these forums ensuring that everyone has the PSA that "SE likes 'em dumb," and without a bit of relevance to show for it.