Simple Solution to BLU

[Lord_Zlatan]

I have a better idea: make Blue Mages a DPS job that also branches off from the Arcanist class.

Except in this case, replace the whole pet thing, and instead, whenever you use the "Summon" skill, you make the Pet Hotbar appear for you to choose any Blue Magick you've learned (through something like, say, the Blue Mage's first job skill), depending on what "Summon" you used, like "Summon I" for attacks and "Summon II" for support skills.
The other skills it could learn through Job quests could be things that could help enhance any skills it has learned or something.

There, problem solved.

kinda cool except u don't summon anything as a BLU.

[Amused]

I've always imagined, and would much rather BLU function with abilities that count as a tier of enemy abilities/spells. With that ability you can select from a batch of abilities/spells that you've learned that fall within that tier. This is how every BLU ability would work, with more powerful abilities being reserved to the higher tier.

Not really digging the multiple soul crystals for each job thing. Seems like an awkward way to implement things.

[HakuroDK]

I wonder if we should be talking about this pre-Fanfest, as Fanfest will likely be going over some of the changes between 2.X and 3.0, and many of those changes could directly affect how Jobs work. I, for one, would like to see some changes, namely on things like weapon exclusivity and Soul Crystals causing complications.

[Darkstride]

I think the easiest way to impliment BLU would be to first start with a base class that can mimic foes' abilities but does not need the RNG mechanic of possibly learning an ability by witnessing it.

For example, something like 'Savage' as a base class, which learns abilities by killing monsters and consuming or absorbing their power to evolve. Once a Savage has killed a certain number of the necessary enemy (like a Hunting Log), they learn to mimic it.

Another idea would be Tactician or Magus, which would be more mage-like and able to study the behaviors of monsters in order to utilize their abilities.

The class would depend on how they want to "theme" Blue Mage as a job as to whether it would be more beastly or more "mage".

Blue Mage as a job would then be the base class learning to harness and control the most powerful and primal of beast abilities withouy becoming a monster themselves. They could also possibly be able to augment of amplify exisiting class abilities.

As for the abilities themselves, the base Class could unlock blank ability slots at the same increments as other classes. Learned abilities could then be attuned to these slots, but would have a level range to limit them. For example, if Bomb Toss is a level 20 ability, it cannot be slotted in a level 2 slot, only in a 20+ slot.

Blue Mage would also have to possibly juggle both MP and TP based on the types of abilities they are using.

Overall, it would be a DPS class but with flexibility in melee/ranged and physical/magical damage output.

[LineageRazor]

Simple Solution to BLU

Apparently, your definition for the word "Simple" is a whole lot different than mine...

[Toodles]

Stances & swappable spells wouldn't work bc SE doesn't want ability-bloat (stances give access to all-in-one albeit limited to sets of spells) & they want rigid balance (they'd have to balance around every combination of spells if selecting from a list).

Apparently, your definition for the word "Simple" is a whole lot different than mine...

It's far more simple than all these elaborate spell-slot & augment ability suggestions.

It uses the current system, it doesn't cause ability-bloat (which' SE's concern), nor does it require new tech be developed.

It's literally just 2 or 3 jobs, it's like how thru created SCH/SMN..........

But it's not faithful to what a Blue Mage is truly supposed to be.

LOL!!!

Blue Mages are different in every FF, they learn spells from monsters.

FFXIV can make BLU however they want, just because you're relegated to one role-specific set of monster-learned skills at a time doesn't make it not a BLU.

Thanks for the good laugh, that was hilarious. Can't tell if you're kidding.

[Amused]

It's far more simple than all these elaborate spell-slot & augment ability suggestions.

But it's not faithful to what a Blue Mage is truly supposed to be.

[Gelesto]

But it's not faithful to what a Blue Mage is truly supposed to be.

why not? we do job quests at 30+ to learn new abilities, i see a small trial against certain foes to learn the skills they have, fits in with what we currently have

i.e. BLU (healer) 30 Angel Whisper, 35 White Wind.. and so on

[Amused]

LOL!!!

Blue Mages are different in every FF, they learn spells from monsters.

FFXIV can make BLU however they want, just because you're relegated to one role-specific set of monster-learned skills at a time doesn't make it not a BLU.

Thanks for the good laugh, that was hilarious. Can't tell if you're kidding.

What a mature response. Your entire concept goes against the concept of Blue Mage. Blue Mage is supposed to be highly versatile and utilize abilities learned from enemies. To narrow your options down to three generic roles completely goes against the concept of Blue Mage.

[LineageRazor]

It's far more simple than all these elaborate spell-slot & augment ability suggestions.

I agree - but it's still far more complicated than the framework of this game allows. People are so fixated on the idea of BLU as a hybrid class that can fulfill several roles. I'm really not sure why... even in FFXI, where it was arguably more flexible than in any othe Final Fantasy game, it still got firmly relegated to a DD role whenever participating in party activities. Certainly there were experiments, and you'll find plenty of BLUs that will tell you, "Yeah, for this fight, you totally want BLU as a nuker/debuffer, so equip a mage staff instead of sword!" or "BLU makes the best tank for this fight!" but as a general case? BLU might have had a bunch of healing and buffing spells, but they were solidly DD in practice. If you want a healer, you don't bring a BLU with healing and buff spells equipped - you bring a healer. If you want a tank, you don't bring a BLU with tanky spells equipped (not that there really were any) - you bring a tank.

In Final Fantasies prior to FFXI, BLU was even LESS of a hybrid class. It was always, ALWAYS a generic mage, made special only by the fact that its heals, buffs, debuffs, and nukes were flavored by the fact that they were obtained from enemies and sometimes have special mechanics (mechanics, unfortunately, that are difficult or impossible to balance in an MMO, such as White Wind's restoration of HP equal to current HP, any of the Level ? spells, or 1000 Needles). Just like SMN, BLU was simply a mage job that happened to have a mix of supportive and offensive spells.

So, it confuses me why folks are so fixated on making BLU a hybrid class, particularly in a game like this one that is ferociously hostile to hybridization (not that ANY MMO is particularly kind to hybrid classes - they ALWAYS get shoehorned into a particular role, and if that role doesn't measure up to non-hybrid jobs in that role they don't get invited to events) so providing suggestions to promote a hybrid class are unlikely to be taken seriously. Pick a role: Healer, Tank, DPS. They are what we have to work with. Find a way to make BLU work in that class. It's not completely unreasonable to add a buff or something to a DPS class (MNK has Mantra, after all, and BRD has all kinds of support while both are solidly DPS), but focus on a single role. As long as BLU learns at least some of its abilities from monsters, it has fulfilled everything that is core to the idea of Blue Mage.