Quote Originally Posted by Nestama View Post
@Aegis
Learning blue magic at level 1 was pretty frustrating though, as you could not raise your BLU skill level unless you used BLU magic (more BLU skill meant better chance at learning BLU magic, for those who do not know). Though once you learn your first spell, it was an amazing feeling. Aside from trying to learn the first spell, the only part I think I hated the most was when I tried to learn Blue Magic from beastmen, since they have a massive move list depending on what Job they were (Tonberry's especially. Light of Penance was a nightmare to learn because the Tonberry would never use it... they LOVED to use Throat Stab, though). But yeah, forgot to mention that learning Blue Magic was a fun experience. Atma, however, is not.

Yes, learning Blue Magic was entirely RNG as well, however, to learn the magic, you needed the mob to use their ability. If they used their ability, then there was a chance you would learn it. If your skill level was high enough, you'd learn it pretty quick. Atma, however, lacks all of that. No monster in a FATE has 'Atma Lights' attacks. There's also no 'combat skill levels' in XIV to make the drop rate higher. It's just purely RNG urgh times.
I don't think it was ever proven increasing Blue Magic skill increased your odds of learning. You had to be within a certain skill range (30, was it) to be able to learn, but I think that once you were there, you had as much chance as anyone else. I know a couple of spells that I learnt more or less immediately as soon as I was eligible to, and some others that took days even though I had over levelled them by quite a bit.

My first was Sprout Smack followed by Pollen, once I had pollen, the rest became a breeze because I could keep myself alive so much longer.

But RNG is RNG, and FFXI was the land of superstitions. YMMV.