BLU for Duty Finder and Raids! Show your support!

[MrKimper]

A poll with questions along those lines would be favorable over the earlier poll from around BLU's announcement. Not to criticize the proposed poll, but I find myself scratching my head at those who wish to see Blue Mage made so powerful that it can conquer threats like Shiva Extreme at level 50 all on its own. To achieve that, its strength would have to be increased tenfold, or effects like Tail Screw would have to work which would be a cheap win.

In either case, it's highly unlikely that SE would allow a job with that much power anywhere near max level without limiting what content the job can access even further. It's sole purpose (outside of collecting spells and Masked Carnival) would be to blaze through outdated content. To which I have to ask... why not blaze through old content as a level 80 Blue Mage?

Heck, if SE wanted to (and they probably wouldn't) they could make spells like Tail Screw work against all bosses from dungeons and trials as long as it's at least 10 levels lower than your own. That would allow for Blue Mage to feel broken in old content as long as they enter unsynced. And it wouldn't upset balance for current content or synced content (like Roulette) as those spells could be made ineffective against all bosses of comparable level.

I just... don't see what there is to gain by keeping Blue Mage limited. A lot of what people want can still be achieved while allowing Blue Mage to function as a full job.

http://www.strawpoll.me/17279778/r here's a new poll.

[Reynhart]

http://www.strawpoll.me/17279778/r here's a new poll.

For me, there's still a problem with this poll, because you don't really say how you would implement the first solution.
It's easy to suggest an ideal answer, but if one can't do it, it's still an unrealistic poll.

So, my question is : How would you do a BLU that match at least all the criteria below :

• Have to hunt for spells
• Can hunt spells in mostly random order
• Is customizable to be versatile in content
• Have comparatively more powerful spells than other jobs to compensate for the additional work of hunting them
• Is balanced with every other job so that matchmaking and the meta are not overrun by BLUs

[GucciSan]

For me, there's still a problem with this poll, because you don't really say how you would implement the first solution.
It's easy to suggest an ideal answer, but if one can't do it, it's still an unrealistic poll.

So, my question is : How would you do a BLU that match all critera below :

• Have to hunt for spells
• Can hunt spells in mostly random order
• Is customizable to be versatile in content
• Have comparatively more powerful spells than other jobs to compensate for the additional work of hunting them
• Is balanced with every other job so that matchmaking and the meta are not overrun by BLUs

...and I think we could still need more criteria, but those are already a good start.

One idea I've seen tossed around is to have you learn your overall abilities through Job quests, so that way everyone knows exactly what abilities you'd enter an instance with, but to have additional "glamour" skills you can learn out in the world if you want to. We'd have the best of both worlds; a Job to do content with, and for those that love the collecting part there's still that minigame for them.

EDIT: And to keep the Carnivale, we can have those glamour skills do different effects at their full power, and say that in this certain instance, you "unlock the full power of your Soulstone" or something.

[Reynhart]

One idea I've seen tossed around is to have you learn your overall abilities through Job quests, so that way everyone knows exactly what abilities you'd enter an instance with, but to have additional "glamour" skills you can learn out in the world if you want to.

Something like "Do that quest to 100% learn this AoE, but hunt these optional mobs to learn 6 different aspects of this AoE for elemental purpose in the Carnival" ? That could be a thing, but it might be difficult to do the same with every type of skill.

Or, like I suggested in some other topics, you could have talents that would be "limited". So, in matchmaking, you'd be forced to use the base version of a skill and those wouldn't be random, but in "talent-parties", you'd have your talents available to enchance some of those. And BLU would have to hunt those "talents" or "talented-skill".

The poll is simply meant to fairly give even options.

Yes, but considering SE basically said that this was the only way they could implement BLU, you still need to have a plan to give shape to those options.
It's like if someone made a poll asking if people want "10 dungeons, 5 trials, and 15 floors for raids in each major patch" or if they'd rather "stick to the current formula".

[MrKimper]

Something like "Do that quest to 100% learn this AoE, but hunt these optional mobs to learn 6 different aspects of this AoE for elemental purpose in the Carnival" ? That could be a thing, but it might be difficult to do the same with every type of skill.

Or, like I suggested in some other topics, you could have talents that would be "limited". So, in matchmaking, you'd be forced to use the base version of a skill and those wouldn't be random, but in "talent-parties", you'd have your talents available to enchance some of those. And BLU would have to hunt those "talents" or "talented-skill".

Yes, but considering SE basically said that this was the only way they could implement BLU, you still need to have a plan to give shape to those options.
It's like if someone made a poll asking if people want "10 dungeons, 5 trials, and 15 floors for raids in each major patch" or if they'd rather "stick to the current formula".

Except it's not, option one is meant for people who want option one BLU but with less focus on solo content outside of learning.

but wait what if someone wants BLU to be a regular job but they don't want the solo content at all and just want it to be a normal run of the mill job?

Or Hey what if someone just straight up doesn't want BLU to be like every other job but doesn't like how weak it is now and just wants OP skills that lets them solo anything with a hard focus on more solo content?

Or what if people just like how BLU is right now and want more of that?

Or what if someone just doesn't care?

The point of the options is to just give a general CHOICE of how you would like BLU's design plan to be, there's no point in elaborating on what you feel BLU means or how which would be implemented, as each has their own draw backs and benefits and is meant to speak to a general demographic. Just because one has less text attached to it doesn't make it an inherently wrong decision, feeling that way is a subjective interpretation.

[Reynhart]

The point of the options is to just give a general CHOICE of how you would like BLU's design plan to be

Again, if the design plan is not doable, this CHOICE has no value, especially if you want your poll to prove anything in how BLU should be implemented.
Sure, my criteria might not be shared by everyone, but if you suggest I'll have a BLU that's simply another caster DPS that would still have the additional work of hunting for the skills while every other job simply gain them by leveling, there's no way I would chose that type of BLU.

Yeah that's basically the gist of it.

It would be interesting to pick several BLU spells and see how we could tweak them. I think White Wind could be easily adjusted by splittng the healing on all targets. So, basically, in solo, the skill would still be very powerful, basically doubling your HP, but in 8-man party, it would simply be a moderate AoE heal. And maybe you could have a "glamour' version that works the opposite, giving you the HP you lack, like the one from FF VIII, that would still be less useful in group content since you wouldn't be the one to take heavy damage.

[Valdegarde]

Again, if the design plan is not doable, this CHOICE has no value, especially if you want your poll to prove anything in how BLU should be implemented.
Sure, my criteria might not be shared by everyone, but if you suggest I'll have a BLU that's simply another caster DPS that would still have the additional work of hunting for the skills while every other job simply gain them by leveling, there's no way I would chose that type of BLU.

Right now it's simply to show what the majority player feedback is leaning towards. Who knows what the devs are thinking right now, anyway? I imagine this poll just helps clarify what the majority playerbase is actually wanting. You're a couple steps ahead in your thinking, as we all are, that's fine and understandable, I have my ideas about how I want those options realized too, but that's the step after a poll. Think about what your ideal Blue Mage implementation is and which option would potentially lead to it, then you can vote that way. If the poll ends up leading to anything then further distinctions can be made.
Another way of saying this is, if each idea about specific criteria within branches of development direction were added it'd be like a 20 item poll and not a very good one. This helps narrow things down for further discussion.

[MrKimper]

Again, if the design plan is not doable, this CHOICE has no value, especially if you want your poll to prove anything in how BLU should be implemented.
Sure, my criteria might not be shared by everyone, but if you suggest I'll have a BLU that's simply another caster DPS that would still have the additional work of hunting for the skills while every other job simply gain them by leveling, there's no way I would chose that type of BLU.

Then dno't choose it, there's a reason there are MULTIPLE options, and if you don't like ANY of those I can't really help you there chief. You're already coming into this with the idea that "This can't work because I can't envision it working and don't agree with it therefore this option is invalid" so there's not even a point discussing it. To you the BLU implemented is the way BLU should be and any vote that doesn't align with that is invalid to you.

[GucciSan]

Something like "Do that quest to 100% learn this AoE, but hunt these optional mobs to learn 6 different aspects of this AoE for elemental purpose in the Carnival" ? That could be a thing, but it might be difficult to do the same with every type of skill.

Yeah that's basically the gist of it. Say you learn AoE spell that does 130 potency through your Job quest and applies a slow. You can then go learn AoE spells that do the exact same potency in the world with the same additional effect, but in the Carnival you'd have additional elemental effects applied, the same as they are now but only in the Carnivale. You swap these out in a similar BLU spellbook menu to what we have now, except you choose what skills to replace over your core Job spells. Illusion of choice? Yes, but you still get the satisfaction of "learning" and in theory you can at least have that sense of personality involved with your rotation; for example you can have all your spells replaced with lightning themed spells if that's your flavor, or fire or ice.

[MrKimper]

For me, there's still a problem with this poll, because you don't really say how you would implement the first solution.
It's easy to suggest an ideal answer, but if one can't do it, it's still an unrealistic poll.

So, my question is : How would you do a BLU that match at least all the criteria below :

• Have to hunt for spells
• Can hunt spells in mostly random order
• Is customizable to be versatile in content
• Have comparatively more powerful spells than other jobs to compensate for the additional work of hunting them
• Is balanced with every other job so that matchmaking and the meta are not overrun by BLUs

The poll is simply meant to fairly give even options. Whatever you feel constitutes a criteria for how BLU plays is purely subjective, as BLU has been wildly different in many of it's iterations outside of keeping learning enemy skills.