Full Blu Concepts

[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.

[LoreChief]

I have a very lengthy document written up for my own design concept for BLU somewhere on one of my computers, but I can't find it right now - so I'll just post the primary points of it.

Blue Mage A class which utilizes monster magic.

Story: Blue Magic has its own interesting place in the world of Eorzea. Black Mages are appalled by it - being unable to conjure and control its wild whims the same as they do the void. White Mages see it as no different than Black Magic, a wild and uncontrollable abuse of aether wielded by ne'er-do-wells. Red Mages are sickeningly curious as to the nature and implementation of it - using someone elses Aether (monsters no less!) other than simply their own. None of this judgment does the Blue Mage any good though - as they themselves struggle to control this power, a curse upon themselves if you will.

You see, Blue Mages in Eorzea are few and far between - and some have lived since the peak of Allagan civilization! Their origins are quite similar, though executed by different hands. Most recently it has been the result of testing by Garleans, attempting to steal and imbue the Aether of other creatures, that resulted in the latest incarnation of Blue Magic.

Core Design Concepts:

• Weapon: Dual Swords
• Primary Role: Tank
• Skill Acquisition: Traditional XIV job class quests for some, Rare Monster Hunting for others
• Secondary Resource: Blue Aether
• Special Skill Consideration: There are a few core skills in the class that do not have binary effects, which is to say - they are unaffected by the 'stance' taken by the BLU. All of the rest effectively work as two different skills based on 'stance'.

[LoreChief]

Skill Concepts:

The BLU utilizes a minimum of two stances, similar to WAR. The first stance Behemoth Soul places the BLU into a defensive mode, increasing their enmity generation and defense while converting skills to their Behemoth mode. Behemoth mode skills are those obtained from Monsters that have a 'physical' existence, such as 1000 Needles from Cactuar or Bad Breath from Malboro. These attacks are primarily melee range and PBAoE.

The second stance Moogle Soul places the BLU into an offensive mode, increasing damage, adding DoT effects to single target skills, and converting skills to their Moogle mode. Moogle mode skills are those utilized by monsters that utilize magic, such as Arcane Dart from Porogo or Void Water from Sirens. These attacks are primarily ranged or ranged AoE.

Another layer of complexity is added when you take into account that *some* monster skills, which I will refer to from now on as just BLU Magic, behave similarly to normal skills (weaponskills/spells) that are on the GCD. They eat some mana, they have basically no cooldown - and thats the end of it. However all of the oGCD BLU Magic requires Blue Aether to cast - and none of these skills have actual cooldowns. Before I start talking about skills though - I will explain Blue Aether.



Blue Aether is the secondary resource for BLU, which is spent on oGCD skills and is obtained in various methods; Being healed, Being buffed/shielded (not by yourself though), killing monsters, and being drained from monsters.


Drained? Yes! If you look at the above methods, you'll notice that for the most part - you'll be depending on two methods of getting aether for solo content (killing & draining), whereas group content your aether gain will be supplemented by support from allies. BLU has access to a skill called Blue Drain, which quite literally saps the blue magic from enemies.

Blue Drain: Place a debuff on the target enemy, lasting for 15s. Each tic grants the BLU 3 Blue Aether. If the monster dies while this debuff is active, the BLU is healed for 10% of their max HP. Can only be placed on one monster at a time.

Oh but I suppose I should also talk about the Blue Aether gauge. This gauge goes from 0 to 50, but if at any point the gauge is over 25, damage both taken and received is increased - giving you a reason to both horde or expend your blue aether depending on what your job is in the fight.

BLU Magic that consumes your Aether will cost anywhere from 5 to 25 aether, with a singular skill exception that simply consumes "all your aether".

[LoreChief]

So let's talk about some examples of other skills:

• True Blue: Consume all available Blue Aether to shield yourself and targeted ally - preventing damage to either of you for the duration. This effect lasts 1 second per 10 blue Aether. If activated with max Aether, both you and the target will be healed for 30% of your max HP.
• Reflect (B)/Haste(M):
  Reflect: Generate a shield for 2 seconds, at the end of the duration you explode, damaging nearby enemies for X damage.
  Haste: Reduces the remaining cooldown on self/allies by 5s.
  Consumes 15 blue aether.
• Bad Breath(B)/Sylph Sparkles(M):
  Bad Breath: Briefly breathe on unsuspecting monsters, silencing/stunning them and reducing their outgoing damage by 10% for 8s.
  Sylph Sparkles: Target area quickly becomes a supportive field for 5s, quickly restoring MP of self and allies, and reduces damage taken by 20%.
  Consumes 10 blue aether.
• Thousand Needles(B)/Void Water(M):
  Thousand Needles: Enemies in the area around you are struck with 1000 needles, placing a DoT on them that lasts for 30s. If the enemy is already affected by 1000 needles, they instead take X instantaneous damage.
  Void Water: Target area receives AoE damage - if Blue Aether is above 25 this damage is increased by 30%.
  Consumes MP

[XelphatolTylenolCepacolAlcohol]

I would be somewhat surprised if someone, at least one person, on the dev team did not anticipate this announcement of BLU as a Limited Job not going over well. I would like to think that someone around the office would have a few conceptual layouts for BLU as a regular job around somewhere. Perhaps.

[jon041065]

I would be somewhat surprised if someone, at least one person, on the dev team did not anticipate this announcement of BLU as a Limited Job not going over well. I would like to think that someone around the office would have a few conceptual layouts for BLU as a regular job around somewhere. Perhaps.

Oh, I bet there is. What probably happened though is that they saw a way to address people that wanted open world content, people that wanted side content, and people that wanted blu potentially all at once. It definitely seems to have the first two groups excited and only a part of that third group. It's supposed to be content for the more casual crowd (there MIGHT be some hard content in the Carnival) but the main purpose would be to have more content there to keep subs up in between patches. I wonder as you do if they thought this level of backlash was a possibility though. Retention content is good and all but making a good piece of your playerbase mad doesn't help.


Anyway, let's keep the ideas coming in!

[jon041065]

Just a lil bumperino.