How is BLU New and Innovative?

[Burningskull]

I keep seeing the argument that people wanted something new and innovative or something and now that FFXIV is getting it people are not happy that they are changing things? How is Blue Mage new and innovative?

The job is intended for solo play in the open world. Some every job can do. Not only that, it's the world of ARR. Not even the new areas from Shadowbrings. You're also just killing mobs. Something we've been doing since the games release.

Is the fact that you learn your abilities from mobs new? I guess. But it's just random loot drops like Atma or Pony whistle drops tho hopefully not at rare. I see no difference in a mob giving me my ability from a random trainer giving me my abilities.

The Masked Carnival? It's just an instanced area where you fight monsters solo to "test your Blue Mage knowledge."

The only thing I see new is that it's limited by what content it can do or limited by how it accesses some content.

If I'm wrong please explain. I'm genuinely curious. How is Blue Mage new?

[Derio]

Because its moves are apparently game breaking to where moves like bad breath will work on open world enemies.

However we cant be too judgmental as the content hasnt been released yet. Its the first limited job so I guess that makes it new

[Kikoten]

How the Blue Mage is new:

-It's being released in 4.5, as opposed to 2.0
-We have yet to play a job (or class, they said BLU was a class) that has the ability to learn abilities from the enemies they face, in FFXIV
-We have not yet experienced BLU gameplay in FFXIV

Hopefully that makes sense.

[Shougun]

Hmm innovative is a bit of a tough word imo so I'm just going to say I think a lot of it is definitely new for FFXIV lol. I think there is too much content in the world to often expect anything is actually innovative- just more like making something wonderfully transformative or well iterated.

So for me, certainly learning all the skills, and many more than 24, from monsters is new for ffxiv. Although I'm not sold that having that and being a part of group content is mutually exclusive. FFXI had exactly that, of course with some issues - but I feel they could have been addressed to be less problematic if not the problem removed entirely in some peoples eyes (like outline/highlight some of the skills in the blue mage book, those are skills you can use in duty finder - you can't join that level of content without the skill first).

New and novel I suppose is the concept of being able to cast "the spell" the monster uses, like level 5 death (I keep wondering if that was an off hand "example" or real lol, crazy if real). Although I believe there could have been some system in place to let them work like that and in duty finder (as in the duty finder spells are more reasonable, and outside of duty finder you can replace a set of the core with exceptional non-core op spells).

I can sort of understand the comparison to a trainer but I feel like that's a bit too simplified for the purposes of "see its the same" lol. Having to go out and learn the skill vs doing a quest that doesn't really show you / teach you the skill is a bit different imo. As an aside, I wish at least some of the job quests taught the player their skill they were learning by temporarily granting it to you in advance (revoking if you fail the quest, and granting permanently as expect if you win).

Masked Carnival is new, I think, in that they're trying to make challenging solo content. I welcome that concept, just not excited to welcome it at the cost of a whole job's future in the end game stuff. Rather- I'd super excited if they announced they were making job arenas starting with the blue mage (and blue mage can be in duty finder content).

I think we need to wait till we can really talk about if it's very innovative, transformative, new, iterative, or whatever (or if that content will be fun or not) - but I don't think people need to wait to say they're sad it wont work in end game content. :3

[Kikoten]

I always thought that the whole "limited" thing was temporary. I believe it's temporary. Eventually it won't be "limited" anymore.

[Skyskip]

I always thought that the whole "limited" thing was temporary. I believe it's temporary. Eventually it won't be "limited" anymore.

They have not even alluded to this as a possibility in the future. If they had, we wouldn't be seeing this much anger.

[alimdia]

I always thought that the whole "limited" thing was temporary. I believe it's temporary. Eventually it won't be "limited" anymore.

They explicitly said some BLU skills would be broken for group play (like a possible level 5 death) so I don't see how it would stop being limited, unless you think 1 shotting every new dungeon/raid boss with level 5 death balanced?

[Burningskull]

I mean. When I think of new Content I think of Deep Dungeon, Diadem and Eureka. You're still killing monster in each just with a new twist.

When I hear people say they want to break the cookie cutter mold, I think they mean they want something to do other than dungeons, primals, 24 man and 8 man raids. I think they mean they want more end game things to do besides Ex Primals and Savage Raiding.

Blue Mage just seems to be doing the same thing we've been doing except now you HAVE to do it to get your skills. I guess I'm just a little lost on the subject? lol. Not hard to do with me tho.

[Mibgestalt]

I always thought that the whole "limited" thing was temporary. I believe it's temporary. Eventually it won't be "limited" anymore.

Lemme tell ya, if that turns out to be true, or if they'd even say it's true, there'd be like 95% less complaints. I get there are reasons why they won't say that before they're sure they can make it work, but I think people'd be happy even to hear them say "we're not sure we can make it work, we can't guarantee Blue Mage will be a full job, but the intention is to get it there".

[Optee]

To be frank, no one knows if it is or it isn't innovative just yet. In the same vein as people calling BLU worthless the opposite end lauding it as innovative is well wrong. Based on the information we have the approach is certainly different in the context of FF14. In the grand scheme of MMOs? I wouldn't say it is 100% innovative... but the, currently on paper, the idea of MMOs having a traditional trinity balanced set of classes accomplishing one set of endgame goals and having a differently balanced set of classes accomplishing a separate set of endgame goals is a first. Most MMOs do a type of mmo only (theme park or sandbox) and balance their classes against that type. FF14 will be the 1st theme park mmo to have 2 sets of balances that don't intersect at endgame.