Blue mage shouldnt be "Limited"

[Hank_Hotspur]

I think the more important part of keeping Blue Mages similar to how they were in previous FF games was to make them actually usable in the main game rather than a side thing. While earning spells from enemies has been a staple, no way would the job become beloved if you couldn't use it in dungeons or story quests from FFV on. Right now, FFXIV Blue Mage is more like the Gold Saucer, Triple Triad, Tetra Master, Blitzball, or any of the other side content from a normal FF game rather than a job: it's something you do as a side distraction before getting back to the meat and potatoes main game offers.

We've come to understand that MMO conventions mean things from regular FF games must be altered. I love Red Mages in the other games as a jack of all trades, but they wouldn't fit into the role paradigms of this game, so it was changed. I like Red Mage in FFXIV very much, making it a caster with a melee combo and some token white magic utility spells was a very pragmatic adaptation. So why is it that every other job is subjected to some form of alteration to fit the MMO gameplay but it would just be too unreasonable for Blue Mages to undergo the same?

[Ultimatecalibur]

I think the more important part of keeping Blue Mages similar to how they were in previous FF games was to make them actually usable in the main game rather than a side thing.

The Blue Mage has always been a "side thing." In every game in which Blue Magic has appeared almost all of it has been backtracking for bonus gimmick content job rather than an on content job. The primary way to learn most Blue Magic spells in the majority of games is to go back to earlier areas, often after you have gained access to the "Control" command, and deduce how to get them to use their Blue Magics.

While earning spells from enemies has been a staple, no way would the job become beloved if you couldn't use it in dungeons or story quests from FFV on.

I doubt that. The collecting spells was something you did before completing the Disc-One, Disc-Two, Very Definite, and/or Bonus Dungeons not while you were progressing through the game. Heck, FFV added an additional version of Blue Mage (Necromancer) gained only after completing the Bonus Dungeon and beating the Super Boss. FFVI required that one of it's three Blue Mages (Gau) return to a specific over world area after you completed content in order to collect his variation of Blue Magic (Rages).

You dont seem to care about BLU much, but I know there are a lot of people who do care, and would like to actually do something relevant with the job.

Blue Mage has always been about warping standard gameplay and going back through irrelevant content to break it harder.

[P0W3RK1D]

Blue Mage has always been about warping standard gameplay and going back through irrelevant content to break it harder.

But even then Blue Mages could still play and fight on the same level and content as every other class, the devs didnt put in a content or level lock, keeping you from venturing in the overworld with the blue mage in your party, and blue mage could still fight and progress on the same level as everyone else.

[Raikai]

I think the more important part of keeping Blue Mages similar to how they were in previous FF games was to make them actually usable in the main game rather than a side thing. While earning spells from enemies has been a staple, no way would the job become beloved if you couldn't use it in dungeons or story quests from FFV on. Right now, FFXIV Blue Mage is more like the Gold Saucer, Triple Triad, Tetra Master, Blitzball, or any of the other side content from a normal FF game rather than a job: it's something you do as a side distraction before getting back to the meat and potatoes main game offers.

We've come to understand that MMO conventions mean things from regular FF games must be altered. I love Red Mages in the other games as a jack of all trades, but they wouldn't fit into the role paradigms of this game, so it was changed. I like Red Mage in FFXIV very much, making it a caster with a melee combo and some token white magic utility spells was a very pragmatic adaptation. So why is it that every other job is subjected to some form of alteration to fit the MMO gameplay but it would just be too unreasonable for Blue Mages to undergo the same?

I think it is possible. For example, if you give Blue Mages different roles (tank, melee, healer, caster), you'd still have enough spells slots to fill the whole, or nearly the whole, spellbook as it is now... And role unlock would be tied into certain spell unlocks. And the spells would be properly balanced around the role and the "1 hit KO" spells cooldown and enemy invulnerability already make them extremely niche anyway. There are ways to implement the flavor of spell collectability with it being a regular job.

I'd be all for this, but sadly they went into an easier route and made what it is now.. The damage is already done, and I honestly don't see they re-creating the job from zero to implement such a thing, because that would be like creating a new job.

Said that, I do enjoy Blu for what it is today, but the limitations behind the limited job defnitely need more love, because there are a lot of potential there and so much more that could've been given.

[alceste007]

I think the more important part of keeping Blue Mages similar to how they were in previous FF games was to make them actually usable in the main game rather than a side thing. While earning spells from enemies has been a staple, no way would the job become beloved if you couldn't use it in dungeons or story quests from FFV on. Right now, FFXIV Blue Mage is more like the Gold Saucer, Triple Triad, Tetra Master, Blitzball, or any of the other side content from a normal FF game rather than a job: it's something you do as a side distraction before getting back to the meat and potatoes main game offers.

We've come to understand that MMO conventions mean things from regular FF games must be altered. I love Red Mages in the other games as a jack of all trades, but they wouldn't fit into the role paradigms of this game, so it was changed. I like Red Mage in FFXIV very much, making it a caster with a melee combo and some token white magic utility spells was a very pragmatic adaptation. So why is it that every other job is subjected to some form of alteration to fit the MMO gameplay but it would just be too unreasonable for Blue Mages to undergo the same?

Yeah, I really agree with this. The current mage implementation feels like a downgrade from previous FF games where Blue Mage could be a main job. The current Blue Mage really is just for goofing around which is a big disappointment.