Blue Mage should not be a Limit Job. Limited jobs shouldn't exist.

[Vitallian]

I have been saying this since it was implemented. But you'll have people rush in that don't actively understand how to fix it, or claiming that it can't be done because it can't be balanced. It can be.

Agreed. Limited Jobs should have two modes: a normal one in which they behave like any other job and their current limited mode in which they can do what they've always done.

The normal mode could have skins for the abilities, such as being able to choose which type of Water Cannon variant you want to visually use.

While fun, you cannot do much with them. They don't have their own roulettes, Deep Dungeons, Field Operations or PvP and they even lost one of the things that made them useful when the Moogle tomestone events were updated.

This is one way, and probably the better way to do it. No one loses, and something is gained. However you'll have people run in here and start complaining "oh they can't do that because it won't be unique" or any other situation they can think of. It really ends up becoming that they, simply put, don't want more people, for some reason, to enjoy something that they themselves like because they think it will take that away from them.

The limited system has been a hindrance, wasted potential, and wasted time just so they can add classes people want without having to work on them, or improve the game so that they work as intended.

Edit: They came just like I said they would.

[XtremePrime]

I like BLU exactly because it's different from other jobs!
(But I wouldn't mind if they stripped the Primal spells from BLU and gave the exact mechanic of spell learning to SMN, it would make 100% more sense for those specific spells)


The devs have a few routes if they wished to make it into a regular job:

1) Rework it in the traditional sense and make it play similar to other mDPS jobs. This would probably be the case, get a single and aoe combo based on different types of monster spells, and that'll be the end of it. Would just feel like a different version of BLM.

2) Keep the mechanic of getting spells. This one would be fun if they can pull it off since you're goal to play BLU would still revolve around getting spells through all types of content, but it might lead to players not accepting certain BLU in their parties because "you don't have spell X", or making it feel unfair from other jobs like BLM who gets all their spells from the get go without extra effort (gil cost in the case of FFXI)

3) Split BLU into a Normal and Limited mode as @Aco505 mentioned. Create a traditional variant of BLU for regular play and keep the carnival and spell collecting for the limited version. This might end up a bit messy since then they'd have to maintain two jobs effectively, and they'd feel very different from eachother even though they're the same job


I don't know which would be best for them, but BLU's main asset is its unique gameplay. Reducing it to a simple do job quest every X level for new spell and no flexibility in play would be disheartening.

[Stasya]

It's a dilemma IMHO.

BLU is fun. But the day they decided it should not be a limited job anymore they'd most likely take out all what makes the job fun, because it doesn't adhere to their strictly crafted DDR + 2m burst rodeo.

Ah yes blu is fun. It is so popular to play so i am jealous of all those blue mage pfs i can't join.

[Cidel]

Good luck, I've been barking up this tree for the past couple expansions.

I've said more than a couple times that they could have made a current content-ready, "normal" version of the job and the ability to turn on it's Limited status to include everything it is now, while capping it's level and barring it from DF; the same restrictions it has now. Limited still retains it's unique and bloated job spell list and access to Carnival and achievement challenges, while the "Normal" version has the traditional and balanced skills just like other jobs with balanced (or new) spells to perform whatever it is they deigned to want BLU to do. It takes nothing away from people who enjoy BLU as it is now.

The idea of it turning into a different flavor of BLM or something is a rather short-sighted take; in that sense I don't see why they should have bothered adding another caster at all if that's what you felt, but PCT exists and I didn't see anybody complaining about PCT just being a different flavor of BLM. It's always going to come down to what mechanics or job gauge gimmick they pick for it.

If you ask me, the current Limited BLU, with it's large selection of spells, still somehow ends up being set with mostly rigid "must-have" spells and a largely universal rotation outside of niche situations. Most other spells seemed pigeonholed into just being a solution to 1 or 2 Carnival challenges, as most other content doesn't call for any innovative set-ups, just damage while being able to memorize the fight's mechanics. Even the super-gimmicky "over-powered" spells the devs found absolutely necessary to have BLUs learn don't even really work on trial/raid bosses, let alone FATE bosses and some mobs beyond HW. And even the spell learning system that Yoshida found absolutely necessary to define BLU's identity started out as one of the more frustrating systems implemented in FFXIV that required several adjustments just to become reasonable.

It kinda stings a little to see BLU all over max-level casting gear; I feel like the job as a whole is basically right there ready to go, with all it's /victorypose /battlestance flair, weapon design contest inclusions and SE store merch... The only thing holding it back being a balanced skillset and a job gauge.

I don't even know why BLU couldn't be in this current iteration of PVP at the bare minimum. PvE skillsets are largely divorced from their minimalist PvP skillsets, with many abilities only existing for PvP like WHM's Miracle of Nature polymorph or AST's RPR dash. As role-agnostic as PvP is trying to be, BLU would have been perfect with a few damage spells/abilities, a support ability or two and a couple abilities with CC. Heck, GNB's tank/healer/dps junctions would've made more sense on a BLU.

[Canadane]

I am more than happy to have limited jobs if it means more things like BLU.
I don't want another cookie cutter DPS job when instead we can have a whole adventure out there learning skills and whatnot.

[Raikai]

I don't agree. White Wind doesn't really unbalance anything in a world where every job has heal abilities, including WAR, PLD, DNC, didn't MNK get one now? and didn't we get a healer-less M4S run?

We can also use the Red Mage argument: they can use Vercure, but it's not socially accepted to do it unless everyone's on the brink of wiping anyway and at that point, it's only got a small chance of salvaging the pull.

Bad Breath, Frozen, Paralysis, Petrify and Level 5 Death would simply not function on bosses. The only one of those things that even functions on bosses, as far as I know, is the damage down from Bad Breath. Realistically, that is comparable to Reprisal and they could just give it a temporary immunity like stuns have to balance it with Reprisal. Even then, you could argue that if the entire party rotates Reprisal/Addle/Feint/Raidwide mit it produces a similar to maintaining Bad Breath.

White Wind as it is, defnitely would causa balancing issues, especially paired with a Swiftcast. That's an extremely stong AoE heal even with the BLU at half health.

[Canadane]

White Wind as it is, defnitely would causa balancing issues, especially paired with a Swiftcast. That's an extremely stong AoE heal even with the BLU at half health.

It's also the best enmity generator in the game lmao

[RedLolly]

Oh I hate it, too.

The monster skills could've been set up as part of the questline to explain why we learn certain skills. The fact that the devs draw the line at "respecting the traditional FF image of a job" here when that didn't stop them from doing some wacky stuff with other old jobs really bothers me , too. Our version of Dragoon is a dragon *slayer.* Astrologian pulls from both Time Mage and Geomancer. Black Mage only uses specific elements. Summoner in general has never played anything like other FF summoners in any form it's taken. The idea that the buck stops at Blue, and now Beast Master is so weird to me, and I hate it for players that dreamed of those jobs. (Forever salty GEO was rolled into AST so poorly. Whyyyyy....)

[Eastwall]

It can be limited Job, just allow it on ultimate... Who cares if ucob is cleared with blue mage, it can be cleared with only 6 people

[Raesha]

It can be limited Job, just allow it on ultimate... Who cares if ucob is cleared with blue mage, it can be cleared with only 6 people

Only if the title for clearing Ultima is "True Bluwu" lol