Geomancer vs Blue Mage

[Talraen]

Not that I'm a big proponent of taking things from FFXI, but FFXI showed you could make an effective geomancer without having their powers based on specific terrain. I imagine if they ever implemented GEO in FFXIV, it would work similarly. I don't really see any reason why they couldn't make a workable geomancer in this game.

Blue mage wasn't really known as a sword-wielding job until FFXI. (They could use them in V, but really, RDM have been the "sword-wielding" mage since FF1). Stragos in VI was mostly using rods. Quina is using forks and such. Khimari was using spears. Quistis whips. "Gun Mage" was the Blue mage of FFX-2.
Blue magic is often more useful for its unique support and healing abilities than its damage -- once again, a difference that comes mostly from FFXI.

Except Quistis, Quina, and Kimahri aren't blue mages, they just use the blue magic mechanic. Strago may or may not have been a blue mage (honestly not sure of his official class) but he doesn't actually wear blue so :P to that. Plus given that this game already differentiates between swords (GLD), daggers (ROG), and greatswords (DRK), I think it can easily add rapiers (RDM) and scimitars (BLU). Frankly even if they implement BLU as a pure caster, I'd personally rather see them have swords than another generic rod class.

Also I'm not sure if you're saying FFXI made BLU a support or the opposite, but most blue magic in the series is just straight offense. A lot of the common and awesome blue magic is of a support nature (e.g., white wind and big guard), but in terms of pure numbers it's mostly non-standard attack mechanics (Lv. 5 Petrify, Roulette, Exploder), elemental attacks using non-standard elements (Aqua Rake, Aero), or alternative status attacks (Frog Song, Stone).