If Blue Mage Became A Full Caster DPS Job (Unlikely), Which Spells?

[ForsakenRoe]

Before we got BLU or GNB, I envisioned a Blue Magic Gunblade tank class. It would 'Draw' spells from enemies in job quests to learn them, and then Draw job gauge in battle to power those Blue Magic spells, as well as having 'Magic Ammo' for combo finisher spells. Thought it was pretty neat tbh, and it would have fulfilled the 'Mystic Knight' fantasy as well as a sword wielding knight with elemental spells.

Same on the gunblade, for me it would be as a (probably Garlean) magitek themed hi-tech tank that had an 'analysis' gauge, that allowed you to 'replicate via simulation' certain previously analyzed enemy techniques via combat with them. Thousand Needles, for example, would be simulated by projecting hard-light into tiny, impossibly thin needle shapes, and then firing the resulting projectiles. Bad Breath would be a synthetic chemical formula with a terrible odor and noxious effect when inhaled, rather than an organic thing like the actual version from morbols, etc

Owing to the ceruleum that powered the armor (idea was that since it's Garlean tech, it doesn't use aether in any way), and it's similarity to Blue Mages, Cerulean Knight seemed like a fitting name. Magitek Knight would also work

edit:

I could list how I'd match up every skill for each reskin set but... there's like 80 skills, I cannot be bothered. Maybe tomorrow

Yes I was this bored (while macro crafting for new sets), behold:




(open in new tab if they're too small to read)
Note, any skill, while having slightly different aesthetics, will do the same damage regardless of it's animation. For example, in the '60s Guaranteed Crit/DH GCD' section, we have Rose of Destruction, Triple Trident, and Matra Magic. While we might see 8 damage splats from Matra Magic, or 3 from Triple Trident, or just one from Rose, the damage values of adding those splats from Matra together would have equalled the splat of Rose, had Rose been the spell that was cast. Functionally, the damage behind the scenes is the same, it's just how that number is presented to the player that changes. Same goes for any other skill compared to it's counterparts in the category.

For gameplay, as I hastily outlined above, it'd be a fairly reactive and engaging gameplay style. You'd use your big damage stuff for your 2mins, pool stuff like the 40s OGCD charges so you can blast in 2min harder, but the gameplay loop of the 'filler' would be where the class keeps you on your toes. All of the singletarget, Circle, Cone, etc skills are equal potency. However, when you cast Martyn's Shortcoming-Seeking Scan (Libra), you get a buff for, let's say 5 spells. This buff grants a potency buff to one of those shapes, chosen at random. Thus, the gameplay is to react to that 'found weakness' and exploit it.

Also, all the default spells have cheesy Martyn branding plastered all over the names, because at the end of the day we're his walking advertisement. Also it kinda reminds me of Discworld somehow.

edit: spreadsheet has an error, Garuda and Ifrit would be 30s, one charge. Titan/Shiva/Ravana/Suzaku would be 40s, up to 3 charges

[Gserpent]

Didn't stop PLD having a cast time on Holy Spirit under Req during SB. And while the cast time is gone now, it's not because the cast time was a bad idea per se, it was because while casting you can't block. A BLU that is a tank, but all of it's skills are cast time GCDs, would work fine, as proven by the fact that it can be a tank in an all-BLU party and it works fine. Having cast times on defensives like Diamondback can go though, that's annoying as hell.

Having to memorize the fight to a much greater degree than regular tanks is part of what makes it fun to tank as BLU. I think Dragon Force should be oGCD as an oh shit button and for a little bit of versatility (same with Matra Magic and Angel's Snack) but the rest should have cast times.

[Deveryn]

Having to memorize the fight to a much greater degree than regular tanks is part of what makes it fun to tank as BLU. I think Dragon Force should be oGCD as an oh shit button and for a little bit of versatility (same with Matra Magic and Angel's Snack) but the rest should have cast times.

I agree with the part about memorization (and maybe that's something the haters don't care for). Tanking as BLU eventually got me to try out the other tanks. I don't think anything needs to become an OGCD. Swiftcast is your oh shit button, usually because you forgot something is coming up.

[Seraphor]

Same on the gunblade, for me it would be as a (probably Garlean) magitek themed hi-tech tank that had an 'analysis' gauge, that allowed you to 'replicate via simulation' certain previously analyzed enemy techniques via combat with them. Thousand Needles, for example, would be simulated by projecting hard-light into tiny, impossibly thin needle shapes, and then firing the resulting projectiles. Bad Breath would be a synthetic chemical formula with a terrible odor and noxious effect when inhaled, rather than an organic thing like the actual version from morbols, etc

Exactly. Specific mechanics aside, being a Garlean class meant they would have to steal magics from others, instead of using their own.
I think I also thought of Cerulean Knight!

[Palladiamors]

All of them? If blue mage becomes a full job, and it should, it shouldn't follow the usual rules. Instead have templates, and have them require you have certain blue mage spells in order to enter into content with other players. In the Blue Mage book have four different categories: Solo, Healer, tank, and DPS. Then within those categories, have required types of spells. For tank, for example, require a single target taunt, an AoE taunt, a defensive stance, several aggro garners, and a couple of high damage abilities, then have several 'free' slots for flavor while disallowing anything that could be considered broken for tanks. DPS, a spammable cast, a couple of mid-tier damage dealing abilities, then a couple of long cooldown high damage skills, then the free slots. You get the idea, force them to have the correct kit if they want to que for content, then make a baseline of those skills easily acquired so casual Blue Mage players can acquire them without too many issues and after that, more dedicated players can choose to have different variants for flare and for some different but equally effective approaches to combat. Make bosses immune to the ridiculous stuff when que'ed up normal content.