JUST FOR DISCUSSION: How would YOU make BLU a normal job with rotation

[Bright-Flower]

So would that turn into 'use a small handfull of spells that happen to be useful for this fight then swap out to another small handful for the next one?'

In a game designed around that, that may be interesting, but I don't think that would translate well into FFXIV's main combat.

[linay]

Okay, but adding something as mundane as a rotation in a game that has too many of them isn't going to do it.

Too many? Irrelevant. Each job is only concerned with its own rotation, not any other rotation.

[SturmChurro]

So would that turn into 'use a small handfull of spells that happen to be useful for this fight then swap out to another small handful for the next one?'

In a game designed around that, that may be interesting, but I don't think that would translate well into FFXIV's main combat.

ESO yes, FFXIV no.

[Bright-Flower]

I mean I can get preferring a system where you choose from a set of abilities depending on the circumstances, but that game isn't FFXIV. Not in the main content anyway. In a game designed for that it could be great.

Having ONE job designed like that in a game designed around having roations (or at the very least, a semi rotation with lots of procs like dancer has. ) and applying those rotations to boss fights with different mechanics flying at you, I feel wouldn't really mesh well.

Something like WoW's talent system might work, where you have your core abilities and can choose from a list of abilities that augment the rotation to change things up or to play to the mechanics of different encounters. But having one special snowflake job that can do any role or can completely change up its abiltiies between duties rather than a rotation designed to flow and have synergy with its abilities, would just not fit IMO. In another game with a different overarching design sure, but not in FFXIV.

[StriderShinryu]

I suppose that instead of having a standard skill progression, you could unlock slots that would be filled by the player with skills they have learned. Your skill rotation could essentially be similar to other classes in that you'd have a 1-2-3 chain or two, a few OGCDs, a few panic buttons or big DPS buttons, etc. but exactly what skills those were would be chosen by the player. Each learned skill would have an associated classification and each slot would have a classification(s) that could be slotted into it so that you couldn't just put your most powerful skills in your basic 1-2-3 chain. Each slot might also have an attached bonus that would impact the skill slotted into it as well to encourage mixing and matching depending on content or player preference (say slotting an attack into your 3 chain slot would give it a potency boost or make it an AoE, or putting something into your OGCD slot #1 would make it a DoT).

This should largely marry the learn skills nature of the BLU while still mostly keeping it viable in the system we have currently. The only real issue would be that there would be definitively BiS skill/slot choices but that's not really a large departure from the rest of the game given that even the most basic rotations for every class are pretty much set in stone anyway.

[ReiMakoto]

Who says a job needs a rotation?

You realise by definition that any optimal way to play a class is in fact a rotation, like you could have a class that picks skills on a fight by fight basis with a priority system and it'd still have a rotation unless the class was literally pure rng

[linay]

I mean I can get preferring a system where you choose from a set of abilities depending on the circumstances, but that game isn't FFXIV. Not in the main content anyway. In a game designed for that it could be great.

Having ONE job designed like that in a game designed around having roations (or at the very least, a semi rotation with lots of procs like dancer has. ) and applying those rotations to boss fights with different mechanics flying at you, I feel wouldn't really mesh well.

Something like WoW's talent system might work, where you have your core abilities and can choose from a list of abilities that augment the rotation to change things up or to play to the mechanics of different encounters. But having one special snowflake job that can do any role or can completely change up its abiltiies between duties rather than a rotation designed to flow and have synergy with its abilities, would just not fit IMO. In another game with a different overarching design sure, but not in FFXIV.

FFXIV sort of has that. It's called changing your job. But people don't want to be forced to level another job to do different duties, so every job has to be able to do every main content. That's why many people don't like the concept of Limited Job, at least as it exists now, as they want to be able to main BLU (not to mention not being able to just queue for a duty).

[ReiMakoto]

But to answer the question I'd have 3 specs, all revolving around blus unique mechanic of rapid casting with ogcds with cast times

Elemental DPS spec:
Uses ogcds to apply various elemental debuffs, which are then exploited with spells to make elemental chains to do damage

Physical Tank spec:
Uses skills like bristle and whistle which are gcds that buff damage, to combo into large single hits, applies a phsyical vuln too

Invert Healer Spec:
Has a core set of moves such as song of torment and abyssal transfixion and bad breath, then can use invert to turn damage skills into healing skills, think like old cleric stance but it literally flips the purpose of the skill.

[linay]

You realise by definition that any optimal way to play a class is in fact a rotation, like you could have a class that picks skills on a fight by fight basis with a priority system and it'd still have a rotation unless the class was literally pure rng

Even pure RNG is still a rotation; bard comes close to that. A rotationless job system would require no synergy between abilities as well as no limitation in ability usage. Even putting a resource, like a cooldown or MP, can tempt you to use another ability, and you've got a rotation as soon as you use two or more abilities in combat.

The tab targeting game that comes close to not having a rotation for me is playing SWTOR in story mode where you can be at max level and just spam literally one offensive ability for many fights while your companion keeps you alive.

[ReiMakoto]

Even pure RNG is still a rotation; bard comes close to that. A rotationless job system would require no synergy between abilities as well as no limitation in ability usage. Even putting a resource, like a cooldown or MP, can tempt you to use another ability, and you've got a rotation as soon as you use two or more abilities in combat.

The tab targeting game that comes close to not having a rotation for me is playing SWTOR in story mode where you can be at max level and just spam literally one offensive ability for many fights while your companion keeps you alive.

Im talking like pure random though is the only way to literally not have a rotation, as it like youre basically just playing bop it the class, even spamming one skill over and over is a rotation, and bard is priority based.