Geomancer/Elementalist from FFV or FFT (or like Mog's dances from FFVI)
They'd have the ability to change the local weather (like in the general area of the party). Because everything is based on elemental affinity- like elemental magic damage and resistence, or rumored to be based on elemental affinity, like item drops, why not have a job that could actually change the elements in our favor as well as working with the terrain?
You're fighting against crabs (as usual...) when you notice that you're in the middle of a heat wave. Oh no, that wouldn't do for your (overused) Distortion SC. So have the geomancer cast "Snow Buddy" and suddenly you notice that (for you and your party) it's Ice weather with all its added bonuses for a limited time!
Or imagine going into an Shiva prime battle with highly leveled ELM, at the right time, he casts Altepa Heat Stroke changing the local weather so while it wouldn't overwrite the double ice weather of the cloister, the avatar's attacks aren't as strong because of the weather effect.
Maybe that G1 paper drop is dark-based? Haul out a Elementalist to cast Xarcabard Twightlight and slightly increase the dark affinity for the party, as if it were Darkday or had dark weather. (Of course, this wouldn't be a completely positive thing against the undead...)
I can imagine that GMN/ELM magic would be based off summoning magic skill, partly because (most of) the Avatars are the manifestations of the elemental powers of Vana'diel. And it would also make raising summoning magic easier too. And as for a equipable weapons, give them instruments again, speciallizing in bells and other percussion (like elementalists have always been good at in FF).
Also, I just wanna see Geomancer AF gear complete with a bobble hat. ^_^;
It's a possibility... and I can see where there would have to be some careful balancing though...
I think this idea is pretty good for a start. It's not enough to make a whole job, but there is room for this in this game. EVERYTHING in the game is effected by moon and day pretty much, this is an good start at something the game has room for.
Only problem is it's not enough in my opinion.
I really don't think any of these job ideas are enough to go on and make as a "MMORPG" job. It's not that the ideas are bad, a bit basic though. And this MMORPG revolves completely around interdependece.
For example I like the shapelifter job,time mage, and elementalist job idea concepts. But imagine a job where the only spells/abilities were slow,slow II, slow III, haste, haste II,haste III. A retarded monkey could do that, wouldn't you get bored if that's 'all' you were doing, aisde from a few small other tasks?
Same thing with -en damage dealer. Pop a -en spell, draw your weapon, through a cure in the air once in awhile and a haste, well that got old fast. Not to mention a -en DD would probably be completely undesired for endgame activities. If 25% of the damage is coming from -en spells, I don't want to see his/her ugly worthless WSs.
What I think, is that we need to combine 2 or 3 of these ideas into one job, leaving certain spell/ability ideas out so it's not too much. That way there would be plenty to go on.
So I'd like to combine 2 or 3 ideas if the original idea holders don't mind.
Something along the lines of combing elementalist, rune/mystic knight, and maybe a multi use mage.
Now what we can't do because it would ruin game balance.
-We can't make the job a DD capable of being a support job also, if they could fill rdm-brd's role while being frontline, it'd be completely unfair to the good rdm and brds.
As it stands now ander, yes I think the 15 jobs are fairly damned balanced, especially considering there are 15 and that's alot to juggle, I probably couldn't do much better of a job than SE did. However there is a population imbalance, shortage of brds and somewhat rdms, support jobs.
I'd like to follow the 75% support-25%DD route though. A support job capable of throwing in some damage with spare time between support casting... Unlike brd who is the true champion of pure support but can offer almost zero damage dealing when they're caught up in songs.
And yes as brd, I sometimes find myself with a little time on the side, if you're good and get things done fast at the start of the fight and inbetween fights, you may of some time to spare depending on your party. That's why they sub whm alot, nothing better to do then.
For the sake of balance and yet unique characteristics I think the job has to be either 75% DD-25% support, like drk, or 75% support-25% DD, much like rdm 'can' be.
Like I said I'm going to go with the 75% support- 25% DD route since it's far more needed.
-Here goes, I'd like to see a job that can equip a variety of weapons, including a 2handed of some sort as there B+ or A- weapon.
-They'd have elementalist powers as in my quote from another person, manipulating the elements somewhat like threnody spells, but more the weather itself so that it effects everyone and everything in the very nearby area apart of that party-group.
-They'd have party target type -en spells. In other words, they could could give a tier I or II -en spell to another player within the party-alliance, thus making it more support-ish. The damage on the -en effect would be dependent on weapon delay as to not give any existing DD an advantage.
-Their own form of dispel, but I'd rather not rip off the existing rdm dispel, maybe an ability on a 25 second timer, but a disadvantage of not being learned until 38-40, so no other job could sub this job and get a 25 second dispel to spam. And it'd have to be based off a certain stat.
-If they're going to compete against rdm and brd, obviously they need a function of refresh...I have to admit I'm not good with an idea to implant this without being a complete copycat, so feel free to improvise here. I've considered a AOE refresh on a 3 minute ability timer, swapping mp, but I don't like my own ideas in that regard.
-No innate nukes, I want to seperate this idea from the existing rdm while trying to provide competion to it and brd. This job would lack in the ways of nukes and therefore MBs.
- I'd give the job an innate mp pool, although no bigger, and maybe smaller than a rdm's. I'd give it innate cures, but no higher than III or IV, and learned slower than rdm without question.
-They need a function of slow at the min, and maybe haste to compete against the other 2 support jobs. I'd like to tie this concept in with the weather ideas though, make them spells/abilities learned somewhere between 10 and 30. And just like the spells haste and slow in terms of potenty. Maybe a haste elementalist type thing better than all current haste spells/songs, to take advantage of the target en- spells, however what they gain in the ways of perfecting haste, they'd lose in slow, less potent form of slow.
It's be like this the way I'm thinking of it
Rdm-medium haste and slow
Brd-Medicore haste, and the best slow
This job-Best haste, and worst slow.
And least importently, but cool in a pitch, the DD ability
Converts -en spell damage into plain damage for a combined damage number. Practical for WS time. And maybe a blitz move or something like everyone's being talking about. No harcore DD here...but little tricks up it's sleeve. But let me say B+ or A- in a 2handed weapon most definitely can get some damage done.
I think I overpowered the job a bit, I should maybe go back and pick at it and take something out. Maybe B- or B skill in a 2handed weapon, this is a support job after all I'm thinking of.
And and it has no way to paraylze, dia, bio, blind, and gravity. I don't think it should be able to do it all, to create a variety amoung the support jobs.
Not a very practical subjob.