Geomancer and Chemist - A Better Idea

[Vendalwind]

I'm not asking for an entire design document, I'm asking for literally any specifics about what the job actually does or how it plays.

but you have a habit of jumping on anything thats not fully developed without a positive thought...
So you could say you aren't asking for an entire design document, but if its anything short of an entire design document you have been creating flaws out of thin air and only looking at the downsides of peoples ideas rather than the positives.

You're talking in circles and ignoring my responses. I already explained that 14's AST is related to Astrologer from FF Tactics in name only. Stop acting like they magically conjured another dozen or so additives for it from thin air, when you know they just renamed Time Mage.

...what? its closer to zodiac styled than time mage.... Also Astro wasn't really a class in FFT. one character could use astro and he wasn't even recruit able. Astro is probably the most unique class to FFXIV currently as the tactics astro was more of a shield mage/status support unit. If it was a time mage in any sense it would have
Haste
Haste 2
Slow
Slow 2
Stop
Don't Move
Float
Reflect
Quick
Demi
Demi 2
Meteor
Teleport. Which are all iconic time mage abilities.

AST has almost no connection to the time mage style.
Point: AST has a less of a connection to time mage than to chemist, and AST is only connected to chemist in its current form by the devs original design issues that you mentioned in your first post.
Time mage would be very difficult to get right tho in this game for many many reasons.

The ASTs moves that look similar to clocks are horoscope wheels. Even redraw is not actually a clock but an array of cards spinning out from the Astro's arm. The only aspects of AST even slightly related to time are lightspeed, and diurnal vs nocturnal sect i spose.

The unique job resources are built resources that determine the flow of the rotation. MP is used as a spender and limiter for each job that uses it, so that they're not just reliant on CDs for their strongest heals. In the hands of a WHM it keeps them from just spamming Cure II/III, Medica II and Raise, and encourages them to use more efficient forms of healing like Cure and the Afflatus line. Also, jobs in other roles don't have their spender resource gain determined by an unavoidable gear stat -- partly because TP was removed.

Spender AND limiter. so couldn't a separate resource with more unique qualities be developed for chemist that works as both a limiter and spender? IE very simply a charge system of components where multiple components are used for a single cast. You could even make the charge speed of the components for this section of the class tied to piety if you can dispel disbelief for it.
Point being getting antsy about an alternate resource on a healer than MP is stupid. There are many other forms of resources that could have limiters imposed on them such that they would work similarly when overused.

Then why would it even have a ranged weapon.

Look, here's the problem: You are still arguing aesthetics and cosmetics as a response to lack of mechanics.

You are the only one requiring mechanics in this discussion.

It's not a problem. When designing something most people start with aesthetics and then work from there to discover how mechanics would allow those goals of class style to be achieved. If you aren't using aesthetics and playstyle for the basis of your class design what are you even making? You are still treating peoples creative ideas like trash just because they are opposed to your original statements and desires.

Also heck you could give it a chefs knife as they could also equip daggers in fft, and then you'd have a weapon they used to help prepare ingredients, wouldn't be my choice tho.

I'd just straight up give them a potion filled belt as their weapon where a single potion is drawn from the hip when unsheathed. (similar in uniqueness to how Monk weapons sometimes overtake the gloves cosmetics and stay on hands)