Full Blu Concepts

[jon041065]

Duzzeno on reddit asked me to post the link to his idea here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comme...nally_thought/

[Samasa]

While I don't have anything extensively thought out I do have some ideas particularly with respect to what was highlighted as constraints in the live letter. Frankly speaking, I found it bizarre that with RDM they were so proud that they were able to deliver the class fantasy within the rigid trinity system of XIV but it was not possible with BLU.

I get that the Lv. 5 Death banter was played up for humorous effect but I think getting hung up on it is a mistake. Even in FFV, where the spell debuted, there were only a few bosses that were even affected by it (Adamantoise and the last phase of Archeoaevis come to mind). It certainly could've been a finisher oGCD like Misery's End or Heartbreak that instantly killed an enemy under 5% HP or something and delivered a strong potency nuke instead if the target was immune to death and slap on a long cooldown. Then name it Lv. ? Death a la Quistis from FFVIII. That way not only do you get an iconic blue magic spell, it also functions within reason.

As for the not learning the right skills issue, they could tie in the leveling process with skill acquisition if they really wanted to keep learning skills as overworld content. Chocobo partners already can't level up properly past 10 without the help of thavnairian onions so why isn't it possible to simply not allow level progression until you've gone out in the field to learn your skills? To go further on this, there could be a select group of skills balanced for endgame combat content the level gates apply to and a bunch of other unbalanced stuff restricted to solo play.

I just think there's such a wealth of BLU spells and interpretations of BLU throughout the series' history. Surely there's enough to create a new, balanced job not restricted from a huge portion of combat content.

[Flana]

I see nothing good coming from posting this but whatever. I spent like 2 hours letting trash auto me for attack names I might as well post it somewhere. As I've said elsewhere, BLU is not a job I really cared about, this was just a thought experiment to keep me sane while grinding epic seven.

This is a very quick mockup I did for Blue Mage to fit it into the role of tank and allow it to still learn monster skills in a way to satisfy the "blu fantasy." The only skills you get are two at level 1, and you acquire no skills from leveling up. Every 5 levels a job quest will pit you against a specific enemy or situation to provide you with a basic skeleton of a tank job, up until level 50. After that you're on your own.

At no point do you need to do these quests to learn from mobs in the wild. You can do that at level one, right from the get go. The job quests are only to provide a very basic skeleton so that any BLU at or above level 50 can preform the role of tank with no issues. You could lock matchmaking and roulettes from BLU until they finish the level 50 job quest, but after that it should be understood they have the tools to do their job.

If you really want to get pedantic you get no skills at the start, and in the cutscene to become BLU the crystal casts Memory/Learn/Whatever on you and your trainer immediately punches you in the face before it fades off. Now you know the skills at level one.

I'm only going to post the 1-30 skill mock up and my thoughts on it to save space. You can see the entire thing on this google doc.

Level 1:

Goblin Punch: Punches an enemy.
Monster Memory: If you are hit by an ability over the next X seconds, that ability will be memorized for the duration of combat. If you are hit by the same ability again, damage will be reduced by Y%. After combat, if applicable, the ability will be learned and available to use. Reactivating Monster Memory will clear the memorized ability.

Level 5:

Hammerbeak: Combo action with Goblin Punch. Combo effect: Increased Enmity.

Level 10:

Body Slam: AoE centered around the caster. Low damage, high enmity modifier.

Level 15:

Beetle Rush: Combo action with Hammerbeak. Combo effect: Increased Enmity.

Level 20:

Screwdriver: Combo action with Goblin Punch. Combo effect: Increased potency and damage changed to Water aspected.

Level 25:

Bad Breath: Attacks all enemies in a cone in front of the caster. Applies Blind, Paralysis, Silence, Slow, Heavy, Damage Down, and Poison. Bosses may resist all debuffs except Poison.

Level 30:

Iron Justice: Combo action with Screwdriver. Combo effect: Increased damage. Additional Combo Effect: Attack changes from single target to a cleave.
King’s Will: Increases all enmity gained by X% for Y seconds. Z Seconds cooldown. OGCD.


My Reasoning:

Like I said before, the idea was to provide a very basic framework for other skills to build off of them from over world mobs. If you didn't take the time to go pokemon hunting, you can still perform the absolute minimum expected of you in a party and function as a tank. This is no different from getting a DRK now that only runs through spamming Unleash and Power Slash combos.

Some of the addition skills I had were things like Tortoise Stomp being a combo from Body Slam, letting you deal more damage if you went out and got them. Or Realm Shaker being an aoe that either Heavies or Knockbacks like the diremites do so that you can use it in the Carnival to deal with mobs that chase you or something.

There was also things like Deadly Thrust being a straight upgrade to Iron Justice, since it also poisons enemies when hit. But, again, if you don't have it, you still aren't useless as long as you did the job quest and learned the skill from the monster in there.

There are still dozens and dozens of moves you could learn, and they could be anything. Learn 6 different elemental breath AoEs. You might only need one for raid but they could all be useful in niche situations in the Carnivale. Learn Soar from Zurvan and meme trash to death. Do whatever. Make the carnivale an unbalanced freakshow, we could all have fun being Overpowered in that. Or underpowered if you want a challenge. It's on you.

Give things a cast bar or make them weaponskills. Whatever floats your boat.

I also tried to make a tank without needing a tank stance, and you could use basic abilities or coordinate with your second tank in raids to manage aggro, but on reflection that would make them extraordinarily squishy in dungeons where trash pulls result in constant damage. Maybe someone else can solve that problem. Maybe it isn't a problem. I don't know, haven't played it. Only concepted it. Do as you will with it.

[Encaitar_Envinyatar]

I had been tinkering with the idea of a party version of blue mage for a few months. I honestly do not have any opinions about the announced implementation being am alternate system. I'm was mainly just challenging myself to think about how to make it feel as nostalgic BLU as possible within the available party system.

Concept: Mid-to-long range magic DPS with different damage types that enhances party utility of certain jobs; primary stat is INT. There are three resources: MP, blue mana (BM; which accrues up to a limit of 50), and burst affinity (which accrues up to 3). To keep things simple, the potencies that I list are the combo potencies only. Please note, when BLU inflicts a physical damage resistance, it does it differently than other jobs. It not only inflicts the effect if it is not present but adds to the duration if it is present.


Statuses

• Mind Blast: Upgrades certain area of effect actions.
• Convergence: Restricts area of effect actions to a single target and increases potency by 1.5 times.
• Azure Lore: Increases magic damage by 25% and upgrades certain actions.
• Oil: Increases vulnerability to fire damage by 10%.

Spells
Goblin Punch. 88 pot, 25y range, 2.5s cast, 2.5s recast, 50% blunt/50% non-elemental.

8% chance of inflicting 8x damage. Additional Effect: BM+3.

Seed Cannon. 200 pot, 15y range, instant cast, 2.5s recast, blunt damage.

Combo Action: Goblin Punch. Additional Effect: BM+5.

Bludgeon. 340 pot, 15y range, 2.5s cast, 2.5 s recast, blunt damage.

Combo Action: Seed Cannon. Additional Effect: BM+9.
Additional Effect: +10s to blunt resistance down on target (10%).

Magic Hammer. 360 pot, 25y range, instant cast, 2.5 recast, blunt damage.

Combo Action: Seed Cannon.
Replaces Bludgeon at BM>39. Consumes 40 BM. Applies Azure Lore (20s). Additional Effect: Burst Affinity+1.

Laser Eye. 185 pot, 25y range, instant cast, 2.5s recast, non-elemental.

Combo Action: Goblin Punch. Additional Effect: BM+5.

Mortar. 340 pot, 25y range, 2.5s cast, instant recast, non-elemental.

Combo Action: Laser Eye. Additional Effect: BM+9.

Flamethrower. 450 pot, 25y range, instant cast, 2.5s recast, fire.

Combo Action: Laser Eye.
Replaces Mortar at BM>19. Consumes all BM. Only available under the effect of Azure Lore. Ends Azure Lore effect. Additional Effect: Burst Affinity+1.

[Encaitar_Envinyatar]

Icicle Impact. 200 pot, 25y range, instant cast, 2.5s recast, 50% blunt/50% slashing.

Combo Action: Goblin Punch. Additional Effect: BM+5.

Death Claw. 300 pot. 25y range, 2.5s cast, 2.5s recast, 50% blunt/50% slashing.

Combo Action: Icicle Impact. Additional Effect: BM+7.

Screwdriver. 300 pot. 25y range, 2.5s cast, 2.5s recast, piercing.

Combo Action: Icicle Impact. Additional Effect: BM+5.
Additional Effect: +10s to piercing resistance down on target (5%).

Aqua Breath. 100 pot, 15y range, 15y radius, 2.5s cast, 2.5s recast, water.

Deals damage to all enemies in a cone...10% less for the second enemy...(down to 50%). Additional Effect: BM+1.

Leafstorm. 120 pot, 25y range, 6y radius, instant cast, 2.5s recast, wind.

Combo Action: Aqua Breath. Deals damage to all enemies in a radius around target...10% less for the second enemy...(down to 50%). Additional Effect: BM+2.

Bomb Toss. 200 pot, 25y range, 6y radius, 2.5s cast, 2.5s recast, fire.

Combo Action: Leafstorm. Deals damage to all enemies in a radius around target...10% less for the second enemy...(down to 50%). Additional Effect: BM+3.
Ends Convergence effect.

Acid Breath. 100 pot, 15y range, 15y radius, 2.5s cast, 2.5 s recast, water.

Replaces Aqua Breath while under the effect of Mind Blast. Deals damage to all enemies in a cone. Additional Effect: BM+1.
Additional Effect: Acid: Deals damage of 35 potency over 30s.

Twister. 150 pot, 25y range, 6y radius, instant cast, 2.5s recast, wind.

Combo Action: Aqua Breath or Acid Breath. Additional Effect: BM+2.
Replaces Leafstorm while under the effect of Mind Blast. Deals damage to all enemies in a radius around target. Additional Effect: Resets Aero effects to maximum duration.

Beta Bomb. 225 pot, 25y range, 6y radius, instant cast, 2.5s recast, fire.

Combo Action: Leafstorm or Twister. Additional Effect: BM+3.
Replaces Bomb Toss while under the effect of Mind Blast. Deals damage to all enemies in a radius around target. Ends Mind Blast effect. Ends Convergence effect. Additional Effect: Burst Affinity+1.

[Encaitar_Envinyatar]

Abilities
Transfusion. 15y range, 4s, 4m recast.

Raises target party member to weakened state, sacrificing all of the user's HP and MP.

Angel Whisper. 30y range, 2.5s, 2m recast.

Restores HP to the party member with the lowest HP in range. Available only when BM>19. Consumes all BM.

Unctuant. OCD. 15y range, 6y radius, instant cast, 60s recast.

Consumes two chain affinity to inflict oil status on target on all enemies within 6y for 15s.

10,000 Needles. OCD. 25y range, instant cast, 7s recast, special damage.

Consumes two chain affinity to deal 10,000 damage to a single enemy. 20% chance that chain affinity will not be consumed. Additional Effect: 15y backstep.

Blaster. OCD. 100 pot, 25y range, instant cast, 30s recast, lightning.

Additional Effect: Potency increased to 200 when enemy HP<20%.

Mind Blast. OCD. Instant cast, 3m recast.

Grants user the status Mind Blast for 15s.

Convergence. OCD. Instant cast, 90s recast.

Grants user the status Convergence for 15s.

[Yimiko]

Instead of "limited," make it an "elite" job. Instead of just levelling up and being able to faceplant into all new content whether you know how to play or not, you have to actually work for it. It still can't go into anything it can't currently go into, until you unlock a specific set of abilities, or even all abilities, and pass some trial. After you have done so, you are allowed to use it in normal play.
Basically, It remains almost entirely the same as it is now, but people who actually get their abilities and pass that carnival whatever can use it in roulettes and such. All they'd honestly need to do is adjust cooldowns, costs, etc on skills so that a maxed out blu isn't a flat out god. Then, keep adding ability/competency checks every 10 levels before allowing it into the same content as everyone else at that level. Anyone who can't cut it can't play it, anyone who wants to play it better learn to do it right and pass their test.