Blue Magic - do the spells truly need to be learned manually?

[Zohar_Lahar]

Whenever the subject of Blue Mage comes up, this is the main obstacle to adding it into the current battle system. Even Yoshi-P addressed this before last year when the subject came up.

Now, the thing is: none of the other Disciplines of Magic had to purchase their spells from a magic shop. They either learn it via level up, just like Final Fantasy IV and the Dragon Quest series, or through a class quest.

If BLU were to be added to FFXIV, why should it be any different? Is Blue Magic defined as learning abilities from monsters, or using otherwise exclusive enemy skills?

There's also the subject of party role: how it could fit in the trinity Looking at Blue Magic in V through X, it was always an eclectic school of magic that nevertheless mostly focused on dealing damage. In that respect, I'd say Blue Mage would be best implemented as a Ranged DPS caster.

[Neri]

It could be like a job quest. The NPC send you to slay a certain monster and you automatcally receive the spell as a reward.

[Drakeos]

http://ffxiclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Mage << Blue Mage info/job skills and abilities to learn :P

[Luvbunny]

There is also Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 1 and 2, they did a better job in "condensing" blue mage and how it should play.

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Mage_(Tactics_A2)

[Yellow]

Make it a special class that you start at level 10 or something? Class and job quests can be how you learn new spells, I guess. Maybe throw in some unlisted spells that you can get from killing certain monsters in different corners of Eorzea.

[Drakeos]

Prob become a 2nd job class for CNJ or THM ....

[Rumpelstiltzkin]

For me it is one of the best things about the job generally, but I don't think I really care in this game because it would be a fast learning experience in a world where exploring is very meh so I might as well just get spells via leveling up normally.

[SpiritMuse]

It would be relatively easy to incorporate it into the class/job quests. Of course, that would bypass the mechanic of going out by yourself to find monsters to learn abilities from, but I can see it working as some sort of "hey, Blue Magic student, I found a monster that has a worthwhile ability for you to learn, it should be holed up in such and such region". At first, of course, the teacher would have to go with you to teach you how to learn these abilities, but later she would send you out on your own.

Maybe the way to make it unique would be to have the leveling process only teach a few basic abilities, and then loads and loads of job quests could give you the rest. That might require you start at level 1 though, because you wouldn't want a level 30 character starting with just three abilities.

[jomoru]

What makes a blue mage a blue mage other than stealing the powers of monsters?

[Lorie]

Could have an ability that once a target uses their ability, you send it right back at them.