- Joined
- Jan 2, 2006
- Messages
- 22
Like many other players I am excited about the new upcoming jobs, especially Blue Mage, and have tried to think through some of the ups and downs of this new job.
The following was posted by Kolid in another thread on QCDN and is representative of many sources.
Acquiring those dreaded special abilities and turning them back on the mobs are the obvious upsides, and the subject of much discussion, but it is my nature to explore how the downsides will shape this new job and its function in party.
1) When Blue Mage was first announced months ago, I noticed the resemblence to Guild Wars "Capture" and some of the downside will be brought with it. Also resembling Guild Wars is the system where abilities taken into the field are limited by total count or value. Result, a Blue Mage seeking party must be interviewed as to what abilities have been acquired, and which will be available to the party. Currently my Red Mage is often the last to leave the Moghouse, as my sub affects my contribution to the party, and what gear I should bring. This will become routine for a Blue Mage.
2) There is a curious relationship between Blue Mage and RMT (Real Money Trading). As a Red Mage, I have been paid astonishing sums of gil (likely from RMT) to power-level. But I (like most of us) have met, and sadly depended on, enough players who have been power-leveled so far beyond their abilities as to be virtually useless, that I have largely cancelled the practice. Because a Blue Mage must be subjected to a special ability, and earn experience, and survive, and be nearby to acquire an new ability, a quality Blue Mage must be carefully crafted. An ability must be acquired when and where it is available. Once an ability falls beneath the level to earn experience it cannot be acquired. A large amount of travel will be involved, to visit areas where the prevailing mobs have the ability you wish to add to your repetoire. Spending an endless supply of gil for gear, scrolls and assistance will not have the same affect on Blue Mage as it has on other jobs in the past, and may have played a role in how Square Enix shaped the new job.
3) Because of the restrictions on building a quality Blue Mage, one wonders if the first high-level Blue Mages will turn out to be the most gimped in the long run. Look for Blue Mage statics that will carefully coordinate their travel, acquisition of skills and leveling with an eye toward building a high quality Blue Mage.
Just some thoughts, we will know a lot more soon (but never soon enough, lol.)
The following was posted by Kolid in another thread on QCDN and is representative of many sources.
Blue Mage
Acquisition of Spells
# Can only get new abilities with Blue Mage as main
# Must Defeat enemy before ability can be learned
# Must be able to get XP from a mob to learn a spell from it
# Can't learn it if you die
# Must be within a certain distance of the monster
Setting Spells
# Must 'Set' a learned spell
# Blue Mage has 'set-up' points, based on level
# Each spell costs a certain number of 'set-up' points
# In addition to 'set-up' points, a maximum number of spells can be set
Acquiring those dreaded special abilities and turning them back on the mobs are the obvious upsides, and the subject of much discussion, but it is my nature to explore how the downsides will shape this new job and its function in party.
1) When Blue Mage was first announced months ago, I noticed the resemblence to Guild Wars "Capture" and some of the downside will be brought with it. Also resembling Guild Wars is the system where abilities taken into the field are limited by total count or value. Result, a Blue Mage seeking party must be interviewed as to what abilities have been acquired, and which will be available to the party. Currently my Red Mage is often the last to leave the Moghouse, as my sub affects my contribution to the party, and what gear I should bring. This will become routine for a Blue Mage.
2) There is a curious relationship between Blue Mage and RMT (Real Money Trading). As a Red Mage, I have been paid astonishing sums of gil (likely from RMT) to power-level. But I (like most of us) have met, and sadly depended on, enough players who have been power-leveled so far beyond their abilities as to be virtually useless, that I have largely cancelled the practice. Because a Blue Mage must be subjected to a special ability, and earn experience, and survive, and be nearby to acquire an new ability, a quality Blue Mage must be carefully crafted. An ability must be acquired when and where it is available. Once an ability falls beneath the level to earn experience it cannot be acquired. A large amount of travel will be involved, to visit areas where the prevailing mobs have the ability you wish to add to your repetoire. Spending an endless supply of gil for gear, scrolls and assistance will not have the same affect on Blue Mage as it has on other jobs in the past, and may have played a role in how Square Enix shaped the new job.
3) Because of the restrictions on building a quality Blue Mage, one wonders if the first high-level Blue Mages will turn out to be the most gimped in the long run. Look for Blue Mage statics that will carefully coordinate their travel, acquisition of skills and leveling with an eye toward building a high quality Blue Mage.
Just some thoughts, we will know a lot more soon (but never soon enough, lol.)