Blue mage at patch 4.5

**Cidel** · 11-19-2018 10:28 AM

I had a long response typed-out for how this whole BLU situation feels to me, but it's kind of hard to articulate. So I just finished deleting that essay (for another thread, some other time perhaps...) and I'll do my best at just consolidating my opinions with much shorter, to-the-point statements.

I am somewhere between disappointed and dull surprise with how they are handling Bluemage. Disappointed, because (thus far) nobody can ever say "I'm a BLU main" or play it in relevant content with randoms due to restrictions of the status of being "limited." Dull surprise, because while actually letting BLUs collect spells outside of job quests, of course they'd turn around with a big "BUT-" because them leaving it at that would actually require extra work and balancing. One interview with Yoshi-P a while back even foreshadowed this because he didn't know how to make such a thing with XIV's limitations.

I think restrictions they had to impose on their chosen "vision" of BLU highlights the underlying issues they designed themselves into regarding their battle content. The fact that they think BLU as they designed it would have access to too many "overpowered" spells that they're only willing to allow it in largely irrelevant content makes the whole job sound like a glorified god-mode undersized party mode for the duty-finder. It was their choice to give BLUs access to those potentially problematic spells/abilities in the first place.

I appreciate them having BLU be able to go and collect their spells on their own, but if that was the only way they felt comfortable designing the job's identity after turning BRD into an archer-archetype with limited buffs with flashy music-based flair and SMN being delegated to only 3 unique summons (with no new egis of the other iconic summons- even aesthetically, from ARR launch all the way to the coming-end of this 2nd expansion) but suddenly a strong affinity to Bahamut (and only Bahamut)... then as of now I dunno what more to say about them. It doesn't feel like a new job, it's a sideshow that apparently is designed with game-breaking spells and the freedom the job is designed with permits too many possibilities for bad/new players to apparently ruin group content and they don't want to take steps to make stopgates to moderate/prevent it (as of now).

**Alleo** · 11-19-2018 05:52 PM

I am not sure how take in that limited job. It is something new but at the same time I am not sure if that is good or not.

Will there be enough content for Blue Mages to do so that people are not just done with it once they reach lvl50 or the next max level? Because if not then I question why we even needed it. At the same time I fear that this gives them more reason to push out more limited jobs as soon as its more complicated to implement them. If we had great solo overworld content this wouldnt be so bad but there is nothing much to do, so I kinda wonder how long people will truly play it.

I am not sure why they didnt give them certain base skills from quests which then could have been used in dungeons and other instanced content, while you can learn more skills next to that, which would be locked out of this content. This way people can still feel powerful in the overworld but also can take part in instances.

**ReiMakoto** · 11-19-2018 07:46 PM

I posted this in another thread but I feel like it summed up my feelings perfectly:
Imagine for a moment that bard did not exist. Then in 4.5 bard was released as a limited job, it can only use the perform action and by learning different songs in perform you apply various buffs and damage, because for some arbitrary reason bard is special and must stay true to its source material, but this is hard to balance because people might be bad at music, so its locked out the df and locked at level 50. If bard was your favourite class this would be a kick in the teeth, why couldnt bard say, use a bow, or have songs set to abilities to make it fit in with the other classes, why does bard need to be this red headed step child. This what BLU fans are currently feeling.

**ChazNatlo** · 11-19-2018 08:57 PM

I'll refrain commenting on the limited job aspect. I can see the pros and cons, and I love using blue magic and equivalents.

I will, however, say that I love that they went with the mask and cape design.

**Ilenya** · 11-20-2018 12:30 AM

Originally Posted by ReiMakoto

I posted this in another thread but I feel like it summed up my feelings perfectly:
Imagine for a moment that bard did not exist. Then in 4.5 bard was released as a limited job, it can only use the perform action and by learning different songs in perform you apply various buffs and damage, because for some arbitrary reason bard is special and must stay true to its source material, but this is hard to balance because people might be bad at music, so its locked out the df and locked at level 50. If bard was your favourite class this would be a kick in the teeth, why couldnt bard say, use a bow, or have songs set to abilities to make it fit in with the other classes, why does bard need to be this red headed step child. This what BLU fans are currently feeling.

That'd actually be kinda a neat thing to use Perform for, actually.

**JBee** · 11-20-2018 12:55 AM

The game is just a game - it is a means of fantasy and escapism, and some of us have put many, many hours into it.

But for a real world analogy....

If I treated my Job as a Limited Job, it would be "UNM" ...

Unemployed.

**Ilenya** · 11-20-2018 12:58 AM

Originally Posted by JBee

The game is just a game - it is a means of fantasy and escapism, and some of us have put many, many hours into it.

But for a real world analogy....

If I treated my Job as a Limited Job, it would be "UNM" ...

Unemployed.

It'd be a hobby.

**kikix12** · 11-20-2018 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by JBee

If I treated my Job as a Limited Job, it would be "UNM" ...

No. It would be a low-wage job with no prospects for a raise or promotion. Aka...what many people in the world can relate to.

**JBee** · 11-20-2018 01:19 AM

I worded my post poorly, that's on me.

What I meant was... if I only did a limited number of my job duties in my current position, I should expect to be replaced. Not the best analogy, granted.

**Ilenya** · 11-20-2018 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by JBee

I worded my post poorly, that's on me.

What I meant was... if I only did a limited number of my job duties in my current position, I should expect to be replaced. Not the best analogy, granted.

That still doesn't make any sense to how BLU is planned?

Thread: Blue mage at patch 4.5

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Display