Blue Mage: FFXIV Style

[AceofRains]

The recent class revisions has yet again got me thinking about another topic; blue mage.
Has anyone given any thought to how this should get implemented or are just going to go:

HURRR THM + CNJ = BLU

and leave it at that?

As we all know, blue mage is among the most unique jobs in that you learn monster abilities
then turn those abilities against other foes. As there are many foes in the game, surely you will have a large spell base...
but wait!
We only get a new ability or spell every 5 levels!? (starting at lvl 30)
Again, the magus is different, but we can conform to this system.
Blue Mage "should" gain an ability every 5 levels, this ability is not an ability, but a slot.
This, depending on how implemented would be very much like the ffxi blue mage, possibly even with the stat bonuses
A slot can be filled simply by setting it to be learned, then going and learning the blue magic of your choice.

Now we've handled learning, but what about retention.

You've filled all your slots, but monsters have SO many abilities and you want a new one, but you
have a hard time deciding to replace your slot. Do we implement a blue magic spell book? or is that not fair to other classes, should we rather, just your completely forget the skill and have to get it again. Where as in having to re-obtain a skill, learning should be quick, if not instant.

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All that being said, we must remember that a Blue Mage is an ever versatile job.
According (and assuming) to my Ratio thread, multiple classes maybe required to unlock this job,
and we could see multiple class style potential.

A) (Pet Class) name is of course tentative and none of us know it unless they go
with one of the old ones in the DAT files, but it is the basis for being
a master of monster magics. You also will have basic control over monsters.
(On a side note to the devs, I'm hoping it will be a whip class, Quistis ftw...)

B) GLD, paladin does not need to be our ONLY tank, that's kinda boring. With blue magic, you can round
your character to play in the tank style. Favorable for sword users. And no, blue mage does not have to be
ninja-esque in this game.

C) CNJ, a play style with emphasis on the magical arts, rounding your character out with magical abilities,
healing and offensive blue magic is suggested to be equipped.

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tldr; BLU is the shiz, lets see it done right, not like some of these other lame suggestions...
(Just to clarify, blu is a job, not a class. Therefore it would not recieve 15 skills, but 5 under the current decision on job abilities. Therefore you would have 5 slots to equip magic.)

[Shneibel]

I have not play FFXI so I dont have much idea about Blue mage play style, theory on paper doesn't make 1 understand the class anyway. But some thing I can say about the "book".

for BOOKS: nothing against neither nothing wrong to put a spell you learn into a book (unique, untradeable), and then later re-use it as it ll be only available for that char and for Blue Mage anyway

about Blue Mage: afaik Blue Mage use Fence (melee sword wep) no ? so why Blue Mage = THM + CNJ and not THM(?) + CNJ(?) + GLA(?) or GLA (15) + new job(30) ? and if Blue Mage = THM + CNJ, which is their main class ?

[AceofRains]

I have not play FFXI so I dont have much idea about Blue mage play style, theory on paper doesn't make 1 understand the class anyway. But some thing I can say about the "book".

for BOOKS: nothing against neither nothing wrong to put a spell you learn into a book (unique, untradeable), and then later re-use it as it ll be only available for that char and for Blue Mage anyway

about Blue Mage: afaik Blue Mage use Fence (melee sword wep) no ? so why Blue Mage = THM + CNJ and not THM(?) + CNJ(?) + GLA(?) or GLA (15) + new job(30) ? and if Blue Mage = THM + CNJ, which is their main class ?

I believe you missed my sarcasm when I said HUURRR THM + CNJ = BLU, of course that's a ridiculous idea for unlocking a job that isn't just a mage.
below I did list MY speculative opinion on the job which honestly, not to be self centered or arrogant, but makes a hell of alot more sense of the type of role the blue mage is.

As for books, the only reason anyone would think it to be unfair is because BLU would then have access to ALOT of spells, more than any other job, unfortunately outstanding the revisions being made to the classes. In this sense, BLU shouldn't be able to retain his skill from perfect memory. It out of fairness to the other jobs.

[Shneibel]

I believe you missed my sarcasm when I said HUURRR THM + CNJ = BLU, of course that's a ridiculous idea for unlocking a job that isn't just a mage.
below I did list MY speculative opinion on the job which honestly, not to be self centered or arrogant, but makes a hell of alot more sense of the type of role the blue mage is.

y, I admit that I miss your sarcasm. I did read the the wall of text you wrote but due to not understand the sarcasm leading to I got confuse. I ll say it again, I am all for the "book" idea, ignore the 2nd part of the post as it is now clear

[Claire_Pendragon]

Well as you have mentioned, Blue Mage would be the JOB.
So if we can assume to use a class before it, I would strongly suggest a DIFFERENT class than what is available.

Which would make for quite a unique BLU.

BST is currently going SMN, but maybe if the ratio of class/jobs is every 1:2, then BST would be a reasonable class for BLU.
You may lack a certain number of spells, but having the BSTs pet would including forcing certain BLU spells out of the pet.

I'm no fan of pet classes, and dislike this, but this seems rather logical.

I can see where you are going with all of your assumptions, but I would be in preference of a BLU like class 1st, that will teach "Teir1-2" monster abilities, then BLU job gets "teir 3". (maybe, sounds a bit sketchy still)

[grandm]

just a thought

we only get 15 abilities at lv50, so when you learn an ability you have the choice to keep it or bin it, you can only keep up to 15 at a time. but if you want to change one just go learn the new ability off the mob that has it and at the end of the battle choose which to drop

all sounds very straight forward and easy but there is one snag, what about combos?

[syntaxlies]

just a thought

we only get 15 abilities at lv50, so when you learn an ability you have the choice to keep it or bin it, you can only keep up to 15 at a time. but if you want to change one just go learn the new ability off the mob that has it and at the end of the battle choose which to drop

all sounds very straight forward and easy but there is one snag, what about combos?

15 for a class, I bet blm will be a job.

[grandm]

15 for a class, I bet blm will be a job.

good point but that complicates things even more, as a class you have 15 abiliies to start with. as a job you get some of the class abilities, so that would mean you get less than 15 spaces for enemy's moves, and you are hindered with moves from your class, a blue mage should not have any class abilities it should all be mob abilities, so the only way to make it work, would be to make it work totally different from all other jobs.

and there is still the combo problem

[Sephr]

I think the combo thing could easily be worked around. In FFXI BLU had abilities that gave its physical spells the ability to form skillchains with its weaponskills. The same could be done here, BLU could have a few basic weapon skill-type abilities, and then loads of its other spells could be 'chains off of ...' or certain spells could simply link to each other, the choice then would be whether you'd want to pick spells that could chain or a greater variety of utility.

[Chardrizard]

I like Blue Mage as long as they do not implement it the way FFXI did lol, BLU in FFXI was useless once run out of MP, they will score very high damage spike until no more MP, while the other melees keep plowing through the mobs. It was a very situational job.

I do like self skillchain of FFXI's BLU however, it was fun.