Blue mage and why I like the idea

[MeowingKittens]

Personally, I like the idea of what they're doing with Blue. But maybe marketing it as "limited" perhaps wasn't the best way to present it. It gives the impression it is a watered down or beta of a full-fledged job, when the reality is it's something completely different that doesn't fit into the mold of the other combat jobs.

Maybe they could have had blue keep what gives it its identity and made it raid ready and balanced. But they didn't, and they were under ZERO obligation to ever do so; regardless of what anyone has to say about how "easy" it would be. WE are not in the ones calling the shots. And it's okay to be disappointed or apprehensive about their choice to impliment blue as they are.

But that doesn't mean people can take that disappointment and start making demands to Yoshi and team. As our own knowledge of the job is quite limited itself, pretty much everyone's opinion about how the job will ACTUALLY function (and if it was worth the time and resources) is worth absolutely nothing because they are uninformed and uneducated.

Maybe it'll actually be really fun and something to fill the time waiting on those long DPS queues. Maybe it will be complete trash. No one knows. I think they are aware they are taking a risk with this job, but I'd rather them do so and fail than have never tried. It won't ruin anything about what's already enjoyable about the game.

[Ramesses]

Full disclosure... I am excited and thoroughly looking forward to playing the Blue Mage job exactly as it has been designed by the Dev Team.

Since it's announcement, I've been very amused at the general amount of negative uproar generated from the fact that it is a limited job with its own unique approach to solo play. Thus, I've generally steered away from making comments on the issue, maintained a comfortable seat on the sidelines with my popcorn and have been watching the drama unfold.

I also continue to find it incredibly fascinating how there are extremely few people who understand that there is a massive demographic of players around the world who prefer aspects of solo play for a multitude bevy of reasons.

In fact, I personally have a couple friends (who I have met since my FFXI days) who are thrilled about the possibilities that BLU's solo play brings because they are dealing with aspects of social anxiety... one is in Amsterdam (she absolutely hates raiding), the other is in Japan --he got me into the dot.hack GU games back in 2007 and helped me understand what his life was like as hikikomori, which is now a global issue.

There are times that the human condition makes us oblivious to the struggles of our fellow human standing right beside us... I keep learning a lot more about my staff at work just by interacting more with them; not just by hanging out with them at the pub now and then. This was also true for me even back in grad school. Thus, I admire the fact that the Devs seriously sat down to develop a concept that would cater to one of the ideals of solo play while also emphasizing a method for people to interact more. That is just gold.

So yes... bring on Blue Mage as it is and let's all test drive it thoroughly before making judgement... let's have fun with it first and work together to work out any future kinks we find. Heck, I might even create a linkshell called "Blue Man Group" when it releases. Phenomenal show by the way.

[jon041065]

It's kinda sad that you can't say anything positive about BLU without attracting this crowd:

It's kinda sad that you can't say anything negative about limited BLU without getting attacked for your point of view. I have said multiple times that there are people on our side that are being too negative saying things like there is no point in solo content in MMORPGS but there are more of us saying that we would like to see BOTH sides get what they want and think it's possible.

But maybe marketing it as "limited" perhaps wasn't the best way to present it. It gives the impression it is a watered down or beta of a full-fledged job, when the reality is it's something completely different that doesn't fit into the mold of the other combat jobs.

Calling it something else wouldn't change the fact that it is restricted in a way that our side finds unacceptable.

Maybe they could have had blue keep what gives it its identity and made it raid ready and balanced. But they didn't, and they were under ZERO obligation to ever do so; regardless of what anyone has to say about how "easy" it would be. WE are not in the ones calling the shots. And it's okay to be disappointed or apprehensive about their choice to impliment blue as they are.

But that doesn't mean people can take that disappointment and start making demands to Yoshi and team. As our own knowledge of the job is quite limited itself, pretty much everyone's opinion about how the job will ACTUALLY function (and if it was worth the time and resources) is worth absolutely nothing because they are uninformed and uneducated.

We don't know everything about limited blu yet but they did present some of their design choices and the reasons why and that's what we are against. Info that we have already been given and that we are giving feedback on it. SE isn't obligated to do what we want but were people wrong to complain about 2.0 smn and about bow mage in Heavensward? Is it wrong that our side is giving feedback on what they have already told us?

Maybe it'll actually be really fun and something to fill the time waiting on those long DPS queues. Maybe it will be complete trash. No one knows. I think they are aware they are taking a risk with this job, but I'd rather them do so and fail than have never tried. It won't ruin anything about what's already enjoyable about the game.

Glad the job that many of us waited years to main could potentially serve as a time killer why you wait in queues. That makes it sound more like a mini game than an actual combat job and that's what we are against.

Full disclosure... I am excited and thoroughly looking forward to playing the Blue Mage job exactly as it has been designed by the Dev Team.

Since it's announcement, I've been very amused at the general amount of negative uproar generated from the fact that it is a limited job with its own unique approach to solo play. Thus, I've generally steered away from making comments on the issue, maintained a comfortable seat on the sidelines with my popcorn and have been watching the drama unfold.

I also continue to find it incredibly fascinating how there are extremely few people who understand that there is a massive demographic of players around the world who prefer aspects of solo play for a multitude bevy of reasons.

In fact, I personally have a couple friends (who I have met since my FFXI days) who are thrilled about the possibilities that BLU's solo play brings because they are dealing with aspects of social anxiety... one is in Amsterdam (she absolutely hates raiding), the other is in Japan --he got me into the dot.hack GU games back in 2007 and helped me understand what his life was like as hikikomori, which is now a global issue.

There are times that the human condition makes us oblivious to the struggles of our fellow human standing right beside us... I keep learning a lot more about my staff at work just by interacting more with them; not just by hanging out with them at the pub now and then. This was also true for me even back in grad school. Thus, I admire the fact that the Devs seriously sat down to develop a concept that would cater to one of the ideals of solo play while also emphasizing a method for people to interact more. That is just gold.

So yes... bring on Blue Mage as it is and let's all test drive it thoroughly before making judgement... let's have fun with it first and work together to work out any future kinks we find. Heck, I might even create a linkshell called "Blue Man Group" when it releases. Phenomenal show by the way.

Just as there are people from your side that are oblivious to the fact that a lot of us wanted to main blue mage so will be disappointed no matter how fun the limited blu content might be. Jobs shouldn't cater to any single type of player. They should be for everyone then there be types of content for you to choose to take the jobs into.

There are people on our side that are just against solo content period but it's disingenuous to act like there isn't more of us that are saying we want both sides to get what they want. Solo content can be added to the game and NOT require solo jobs.

[Mholito]

It's kinda sad that you can't say anything negative about limited BLU without getting attacked for your point of view. I have said multiple times that there are people on our side that are being too negative saying things like there is no point in solo content in MMORPGS but there are more of us saying that we would like to see BOTH sides get what they want and think it's possible.

It was not directed at you though. It was directed to those that feel the need to antagonize everyone that dares to speak positively about the idea. Though you claim to be speaking for the majority of those that want BLU implemented as a regular job, that does unfortunately not stop the overwhelming agression directed towards those of us that actually like the current plans. Just take a look through the various BLU-related topics on this forum and look for the posts that are in favor of it, then look at the next few responses after them.

[jon041065]

It was not directed at you though. It was directed to those that feel the need to antagonize everyone that dares to speak positively about the idea. Though you claim to be speaking for the majority of those that want BLU implemented as a regular job, that does unfortunately not stop the overwhelming agression directed towards those of us that actually like the current plans. Just take a look through the various BLU-related topics on this forum and look for the posts that are in favor of it, then look at the next few responses after them.

Fair enough and yes I've seen that there was an increase of people on our side saying those kinds of things in the last several days. I wish there wasn't this post limit so I could reply to each one saying that I think solo content is fine and to focus feedback on the limited job concept and not the content itself. However, your post doesn't help to get to a middle ground just like their posts don't.

*(Raises a quizzical eyebrow)*

While I'm attempting to follow the strange logic of your argument... what are you even on about with the "sides" verbiage...?

You said that there are people that don't understand that there are others the desire solo content so you're talking about people that want to see full blue mage aka our side. I'm not denying that there are those that are saying to not even make solo content in a mmorpg. But there's also people on the other side that are saying for us to just give up and accept that we can't main blu. There's wrong on both sides but there are also plenty of us saying that we believe SE can make both groups happy.

[Ramesses]

Just as there are people from your side that are oblivious to the fact that a lot of us wanted to main blue mage so will be disappointed no matter how fun the limited blu content might be. Jobs shouldn't cater to any single type of player. They should be for everyone then there be types of content for you to choose to take the jobs into.

There are people on our side that are just against solo content period but it's disingenuous to act like there isn't more of us that are saying we want both sides to get what they want. Solo content can be added to the game and NOT require solo jobs.

*(Raises a quizzical eyebrow)*

While I'm attempting to follow the strange logic of your argument... what are you even on about with the "sides" verbiage...?

[BubblyBoar]

Why is this an if/or deal? Why can't we get both? I don't understand why not wanting BLU to be limited somehow gets rid of the solo content portion of BLU. Why is that so hard to understand?



Why does BLU have to be sacrificed to make this solo content?


Why can't all job have access to the monster arena they are calling masked Carnivale? Why can't all jobs have logos actions for fun solo play? WHy just BLU?


Why can't we do cooler solo content with limited jobs? Call them disciples of Commerce/Entertainment? Make classes like Performer, Blitzball Player, Chocobo racing, Airship pilot all into expansive mini-games with their own skills and leveling system like they are doing for BLU instead?

[Blueyes]

I want to use this spot to express something that has been on my mind for quite some time now that I want get off my chest before we receive official confirmation. I hope that the LB3 for Blue Mage will be Protostar. I want to walk through my investigation process to show how I came to that conclusion. (Minor spoilers ahead.)

LB3 represents the pinnacle of what a job can do. It is their ultimate attack. In the case of Blue Mage, their ultimate attack is something borrowed from a powerful foe. There are basically two ways that SE can go about it. Either they can take something from previous Final Fantasy games and establish it as BLU's LB3 in this game, or SE can use something from an already established foe that exists within FFXIV.

I started my investigation by looking at what has been already established. The first place I looked was at the Behemoth which use Ecliptic Meteor. Behemoth's are a well established and iconic enemy in the Final Fantasy franchise. There's a reason why it was used to represent FFXIV in the Monster Hunter: World crossover event. However, there was an issue with Ecliptic Meteor. Visually, it was nearly identical to the Meteor cast by Black Mage. I think it's important to have each job's LB3 be distinctive. So for that reason, I eliminated Ecliptic Meteor as an option.

Let's take it further. What, or who, is the strongest non-Primal monster that exists within FFXIV? That can be debated, but I concluded that Midgardsormr was worthy of that title. In a fight against Midgardsormr, an ultimate attack called Protostar is used. Visually, it was distinctive, which was ideal. It proved to be a solid option.

But now to take it even further. It was around this time that I heard about the rumor that Blue Mage would learn spells from Primals. I was skeptical, but if true, then that would raise the bar in terms of what could represent the ultimate attack of a Blue Mage. So then, who is the apex predator of Primals? Well, obviously, that's Bahamut. Summoner already had that covered. So what's next?

My investigation brought me to Shinryu. And here is where things get interesting. The ultimate attack used by Shinryu in FFXIV is none other than Protostar. Both Shinryu and Midgardsormr use an ultimate attack of the same name. Though visually, they appear different from one another, which potentially opens the door for Blue Mage to invoke its own take, like giving it a blue color palette, for example.

But there's more to Shinryu that makes this option appealing. Shinryu knows the actions of other Primals. Aerial Blast, Diamond Dust, Earthen Fury, Hellfire, Judgement Bolt, Tidal Wave. Shinryu uses all of those. This mirrors what Blue Mage can do with evidence of Glass Dance and Eruption being shown. Thematically, it fits incredibly well.

To make a long story short, if SE decides to have the LB3 for Blue Mage be based on the ultimate attack of an already established foe, I think Protostar would be a great option.