JUST FOR DISCUSSION: How would YOU make BLU a normal job with rotation

[Nalien]

You know, the problem is they went for a classic Final Fantasy V route with Blue Mage, when they could easily have adapted something like how Kimahri functioned as a Blue Mage to pigeonhole the Job into XIVs rigid role system. Just make Blue Magic something you learn on the fly, make Lancet a "Learn enemy skills" spell, so you use it on an enemy, and learn 2~3 skills from that enemy that you can then presumably spend the Jobs gauge on; Direct damage skills, AoE skill, utility skill perhaps. Doesn't even need to be a balance issue that way, you can literally have it so the learning aspect is purely cosmetic, learning Chocobo Kick from a Chocobo, or Goblin Punch from a Goblin? Same potency and effect. It's just the name and animation that changes.

That keeps to the spirit of Blue Mage, IMO, while making it a functional and simple enough to balance Job for regular gameplay. Could even keep the Blue Mage we have now as essentially a mini-game off the main Job, ultimately no different from say Bards Performance functionality. Just like Bard can't actually use Performance to customize its songs in combat (or even use Performance in instances), Blue Mage wouldn't be able to use Final Sting in regular content, at least not the version we currently have. It could learn it for the Spell Book almost exactly as it does now, and Masked Carnival could function exactly as it does now (same way PvP gives you a different hotbar, Masked Carnival could give Blue Mage a separate hotbar). Essentially we'd have the best of both worlds... People who want a functional Blue Mage get it, people who want a spell-collect-a-thon get that too. Everyone wins.

Would actually be really smart if, once Blue Mage reaches the level cap (I know they said it'll always be behind, but humor me) we unlock Blue Magus, which is a functional Blue Mage. Just another way they could work it. You'd need to fully level Blue Mage, presumably clear some of the quests with whats-his-face and thus have unlocked some spells to clear Masked Carnivals. That alone justifies the "How did we learn these spells?" portion for a real Blue Mage Job. And if you like the current Blue Mage and want to keep playing it for various content, maybe fill out some spells in the book you missed? Equip that Blue Mage Job crystal instead of the Blue Magus one. Bam. Both the Limited Job and "real" Job exist side by side.