SUGGESTION: Turn Bluemage into a regular job - Limited Job>Advanced Job (An Approach)

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

This isn't aimed at OP, but I really don't get the mentality of "I dislike Blue Mage, so Square Enix should erase it from the game." I mean, really, beyond the fact that Square would have to throw out a fair deal of gear, writing, content, and other things they've already made at this point, is it hard to believe there are some people who do like the content, even if it is flawed? Maybe we can't main it or do every bit of content with it, and that sucks, but maybe being able to bulldoze through what content is available to it with unorthodox abilities is more fun than just getting bored spamming the same Level X0 rotation over and over in the endgame.

[JiSH]

This isn't aimed at OP, but I really don't get the mentality of "I dislike Blue Mage, so Square Enix should erase it from the game." I mean, really, beyond the fact that Square would have to throw out a fair deal of gear, writing, content, and other things they've already made at this point, is it hard to believe there are some people who do like the content, even if it is flawed? Maybe we can't main it or do every bit of content with it, and that sucks, but maybe being able to bulldoze through what content is available to it with unorthodox abilities is more fun than just getting bored spamming the same Level X0 rotation over and over in the endgame.

I think with this approach, even though you're not aiming at OP, but OP is trying to make an option where SE don't have to throw out everything they've made for BLU out of the window, it's an addition to the already existing BLU system so even more people can take interest in them because they're not limited to obscure contents. It's not about not understanding why people like this content, it's about making it better.

[Mariel_Crystallie]

You need to think of it less as a job and more as side content like Hildibrand quests - it’s a fun little diversion in that sense but I do understand it’s disappointing for some.

The problem is you need an extra effort to do this content properly. yes it's fun but again no replayabilty at all. meanwhile hildi leaving us a trial behind that we can use for some DR trials. but as BLU? with that much effort collecting skill we STILL need a proper team to finish the end content challenge (savages for morbol mount) and it will be getting more ridiculous harder at this point which is not casual friendly anymore ( Celestriad & Hello World will be more chaotic than gavel A8S ) .

then to people that already clear this will become meh to do it again. why put such a good potential job to become side contentlike this?

[Volsungr]

All well thought out suggestions, and I salute you for them.

They have two specific problems.

1: That's not blue mage. That isn't 'fixing' blue mage as some would say, that's 'completely replacing it and giving the new thing the same name.' What you have described is an entirely new job, and not one SE wants, which brings us to point 2.

2: SE doesn't *want* blue mage to be a normal job. They want it to be a limited job, and no matter how wonderful, intricate, well thought out and intelligent the ideas for making it a normal job-which yours are, by the way-the devs don't want it to be a normal job. They want it to be side content, to be something for players to do outside of normal content, something to say 'I'm caught up on MSQ, now what do I do, I can do this while I wait for more content', and that, in essence is what BLU's purpose is in 14, just like relics. Something to keep us busy that is not directly tied to the main story, to give them time to work on it. No matter how brilliant the idea to change it to a normal job may be, doing so would defeat the primary purpose of the job and that is, side content to keep us busy.

i would agree with you were it actually playable. at this point i could care less what they name it, limited, normal, advanced, special, exclusive, whatever. heck, it could be double beef cheese bacon egg lettuce tomato job for all i care. But because of its nature as a "side content", once you're missing out it's not easy to find people to do it with you and you can't do it solo. at least with relics i can do it solo if i really wanted to. I've been in a solo instance eureka just trying to finish my relic. but to completely finish BLU you need 8 people and once people are done with it god forbids you find a party to do it. call me a quitter for all i care cause i've tried, i had to actually beg my already getting morbol BLU friends to accompany me do BLU stuffs.

[Alysella]

For the moment , Blue is still just a side content that needs more effort to do than the other side contents. So yeah , blue right now doesn't seem appealing to most people.

[Volsungr]

For the moment , Blue is still just a side content that needs more effort to do than the other side contents. So yeah , blue right now doesn't seem appealing to most people.

that's what i think as well. Restricted side content with little to no reward (and when there IS one the journey is just arduous) and (currently) no continuation capability like blue mage is a real turn off. at least they're trying to improve the situation with raising the level cap mid expansion but if it keeps on going like this i don't think it'll be a good content, much less for a side one.

[MartaDemireux]

For rotations: I think it would be best to give each (or at least most) spell a really long cooldown. Then, each time you cast a spell it reduces active cooldowns by enough so that after 6 or so casts your first spell is ready again. This way some elements of freedom with BLU are preserved: set the spells you want, use them in the order you want. The coding already exists as well, since SCH used to reduce Aetherflow cooldown by using Aetherflow actions.

Existing spell rankings should be made note of and incorporated into spell builds, too. This way you could have a BLU with no support spells to mimic the contribution of a BLM, or a BLU with max allowable support spells to mimic the contribution of a RDM. The rankings would be the classifier as to what you would be capable of - a super strong self buff or potency attack would take the same ranked slot as a super strong support move like White Wind.

I don't think the gauge system you created would work well in practice. White Wind would be an emergency spell but the odds of having charges available would be rare as they would always be going toward DPS.

[Alysella]

Its possible for them to make gauge with timers too like Whm gauge. The op spell will use from 1 up to 3 stacks of blue mage gauge. So they cant just spam it and can adjust to it accordingly

[JiSH]

I don't think the gauge system you created would work well in practice. White Wind would be an emergency spell but the odds of having charges available would be rare as they would always be going toward DPS.

I think it'll work just fine, if we consider BLU as a healer in this case, in high end content people do prog and end up with a set rotation for each fight, and do mitigation and healings accordingly, people will just have to do bar management according to the fight. In non high end content, it doesn't really matter.

[Volsungr]

I think it'll work just fine, if we consider BLU as a healer in this case, in high end content people do prog and end up with a set rotation for each fight, and do mitigation and healings accordingly, people will just have to do bar management according to the fight. In non high end content, it doesn't really matter.

It can be said to be almost similar to when DPSes holding their OGCDs to burst specific adds/mechanic that provided in high-end content. it's not always optimal and often times you'll be inclined to use your GCD in your burst window/ASAP. But harder contents don't compromise, if you have to hold, you hold it. i think it's the same with the blue mage's system introduced in this thread. if some phase require healing, even if it have to us your gauge, you do it.