Simple Solution to BLU

[LineageRazor]

Sorry, you're telling me my solution is for a non-existent problem then point out an existent problem this suggestion applies to.

Designing BLU in such a way:

a) relegates it to separated roles

b) giving it access to a multitude of BLU spells

c) & causing it to fit into the ARR framework as necessary

You've put his quote right there in your response. I've read it over several times now, and nowhere do I see the dev concerned about ANY of those three issues.

a) Nowhere does the dev mention any concern about whether a BLU is DPS, healer, tank, or any combination of those. Splitting the job into three job roles does not address any of the dev's concerns here - and really, splitting a BLU into multiple roles is the major thrust of this thread. It is PLAYERS that have their undies in a twist about what role BLU will fill, not the dev.

b) The dev is comfortable with giving BLU a multitude of spells.

c) The dev does not seem concerned with the ARR framework, or, at least, does not address it here.

THESE are the problems the dev has, as I see it:

1) Players will ostracize players who have not obtained certain spells. I see this as a non-issue, no different than parties ostracizing a WAR who hasn't leveled GLD for Provoke. A responsible BLU will learn their spells. Doing so may even be required to advance through class and job quests.

2) Since spells are learned forever, they will be hard to learn, and that will take significant time away from acquiring gear. This is only an issue if they MAKE it an issue; there's no reason BLU spells need to be hard to learn. FFXI was the first game to add a "chance to learn" mechanic to BLU, and it sucked big time. I will not be sad to see it go.

3) Swapping in spells and only being able to use some of the abilities you've learned at any given time isn't true to the spirit of BLU. Again, only an issue if they make it an issue. Keep the BLU spell list small, and make all the spells accessible at all times. There's no reason a BLU needs to learn a spell from every mob in the game - again, that's FFXI talking. While it is true that BLU has classically had a large list of spells, so too has SMN classically had a large list of Summons. Now SMN has three. THREE. Possibly eventually as many as six, but likely never more than that. By comparison, reducing BLU's list of spells to a dozen or less is hardly an issue. (Note, too, that this thread not only fails to address this issue, but provides a POWERFUL example of it - by switching to Tank BLU, you're becoming unable to use any of your Healer or DPS spells!)

To sum up, the dev here seems as obsessed with the FFXI version of BLU as many of the people posting here are. The dev needs to understand that BLU doesn't need to have a huge spell list or awkward mechanics for learning spells to still be a viable Blue Mage. Neither does it need to be a solo powerhouse; it can be as dependent on party structure as any other job. Players posting in these threads need to understand that BLU doesn't need to be a versatile jack-of-all-trades to be a viable Blue Mage.

There are so many preconcieved notions about what makes a REAL BLU, notions held both by the dev and by posters. The one and ONLY trait that all BLUs share across all Final Fantasies is that they learn their abilities from enemies. Once that trait is covered, you can build your BLU however you want to - everything else is fluff.