Full Blu Concepts

[Saefinn]

I applaud the constructive approach. I think there are many ways an alternative version of Blue Mage could be adapted, as I have theory crafted too since Yoshi P expressed the challenges of making a Blue Mage people would be happy with back in 2014. But I think there are some good ideas there. Plus I do kinda miss elemental weaknesses myself and it is a shame that Eureka ended up an unenjoyable experience.

I suppose it is a good way to appease both camps and not sacrifice anything from the existing Blue Mage, to have a non-limited version of Blue Mage could be made as suggested. They could do it without actually changing a lot. They introduce a set of Blue Mage skills required for it to meet the requirements for on content stuff and they can balance those skills. I mean in fairness, it would not be the first time that SE has restricted Blue Mage to have a specific set of skills for content for anybody who was there for Abyssea in FFXI, you had to have the trigger spells equipped to hit the triggers needed for Abyssea content and we rolled with it. Though I was a Scholar main then and was often asked "do you have a WHM instead?" or "Do you have a BLM instead?", so in fairness that system got its complaints, but not many from Blue Mages.

I think it could potentially also open doors for limited versions of other jobs, such as Summoner, keep those happy who complained that FFXIV Summoner is not a real Summoner. As the meme goes: "why not both?"

[Fadnog]

I think it would have been interesting if instead of being able to set 24 spells reduce it to 10 and then give BLU 14 core abilities that aren't necessarily blue magic.

The Core Abilities

• A 1- 2 - 3 combo using the cane for weaponskills.
• oGCDs that enhance your BLU spells ex. Efflux could increase potency of next BLU spell or Diffusion make the next self buff party-wide.
• Job quested BLU spells that could be the more essential spells. ex. a quick low potency ranged attack like Enpi or Throwing Daggers or a Quick Nock like skill.

Settable Blue Magics

• Physical blue magics that function as weaponskills that combo or branches off of the 1 - 2 - 3 combo.
• Magical spells that can be either powerful combo finishers (ex. Eruption) or more situational spells(ex. Bad Breath)
• Support magic which would be things like Mighty Guard or White Wind to things that do vuln up or physical damage down to the enemy.

Job Mechanic

The job mechanic could be something like as you execute combos and offensive spells you build up a gauge that, like WAR's Beast Gauge, allows you to use incredibly powerful spells or use abilities that grant you buffs at the cost of some or all of the gauge.

Other Notes

• The settable blue magic should be more for situational spells like things that augment the BLU's AoE DPS, single target DPS, utility, or even skills that allow the BLU to be more mobile. These can be spells that require having to go out to hunt and actively learn them from mobs.
• The core skills should be things more along the lines of a base line of what BLU should be able to do be default. These are spells that you can get from leveling up and job quests as these are the minimum requirement to be able to function in a party.

In this scenario I would see it being a mage that would be fighting at close range that uses both weaponskills for sustained DPS and spells for versatility or spike DPS. This is just my ideal imagining of how BLU would play and is only my opinion as, I'm sure, people will be pointing out the flaws in this design.