I'm glad people like BLU has it is, or at least, as many as I think do like it... Personally I'm one of the butt munches that dislikes the limited job system and I've had my own ideas since prior to it's release. Since then however, I've seen how it works and have thought of new ideas how it could or could've at least worked as an actual job. So below I'm going to give a full layout of the hypothetical opening quest for becoming a BLU, hypothetical how you'd start, and the hypothetical basic fundamentals. Just some ideas of mine I've had and some I've developed after recently, mashed together into something palpable. I'll be reusing some ideas and current lore as well, also excuse the crappy accents typed out, I'm not going full blown on it but just enough to sound like some of the dialogue in this game. I'm also going to use generic ideas rather than grounded in ones like Martyn as the mentor but I will use the names/lore as placeholders.
---------------------------------------------------------
The quest to unlock
Why they call it the Blues
*quest will start at the Western Thanalan gate in Steps of Nald Ul'dah, The Brass Blade Guard*
*guard is turned toward the entrance with a /think emote "hells, I was 'old 'o guard here.... no' go ou' in'o the infested wildlife..."
*guard turns to you* "Gah! You didn' hear tha' did ye?"
*nods*
"Thal's bleeding balls, there's a ruckus going on ou' 'here and people are running in screaming in panic abou' all sor's of s'range magicks. Lightnin', poisonous gasses... Flying fish!"
"I'm supposed 'o be stationed here and I can't get ahold of any o' the blades. Ye bein and adventurer 'n all, would ye mind checkin ou' the field so I can say I did me job?"
*player is given the option to say "Well if your job is at stake..." or "Flying... Fish? I'll pass"*
option 1: "Thank ye, I can't leave here as is with all the rustled people coming in."
option 2: "Warrior o' light, allergic to a few sardines... Who woul'a thought."
*Upon the player accepting this quest, the quest marks x25 y22 on the map of Western Thanalan to continue the quest. The player arrives there seeing 3 strange looking men surrounding a blue dressed figure out on the road, each carrying a sword or staff wearing clothing that resembles that of a common thief/criminal. The player can click on the location marked "Watchpoint" to observe the following cutscenes proceed.
*player looks around for a few moments and the cutscene ensues*
*Player's character kneels and ducks behind the rock, peering over at the roadway with the 4 strangers. The cutscene pans over to the man in blue*
"Why is it no matter where I go across this confound land, I find people like you that haven't the slightest bit of tolerance for a traveler.... Rather, people like you who would throw the punch first and ignore a simple parchment and quill?"
*camera pans to the stranger in front of him holding a sword in combat*
"Maybe if ye wasn't using such strange and questionable magicks 'round here! We got enough problems with the world and you're here from a whole 'nother part of the world acting like ye own the place. Don't ye know Ul'dah frowns on illegal magicks?"
*camera pans to another individual of the group*
"And if you ain't willing to turn yourself in like a good lil piece of shite, then we're gonna do as your bounty posters say and ring your throat. Seems this side of the world ain't happy with a cursed individual like yourself. You brought it on yourself wielding things no ordinary adventurer does 'round here."
*camera pans back to the man in blue's face, with a smirk*
"Cursed am I?... Then it is most unwise that you would be willing to put your lives at risk bringing in a bounty that would bring you ill fortune."
*the cutscene plays the continuous use of magics you haven't seen before except from monsters, knocking out the 3 skeptical men*
"Don't think I didn't notice you back there as well. I've given you audience to my skills as a token of mercy, to flee as the rest have."
*the camera turns to the player running into the scene near the blue dressed man, caught from out of their spying position*
"Oh? You would be so bold to indulge the criminal, the cursed mage? So be it!"
*the man in blue turns to you and the cutscene ends with a purple circle around the blue figure indicating you are entering a zone to do battle. The player confronts the man, having to dodge aoe's such as "Bad Breathe" and "1000 Needles" and being attacked with "Water Cannon". Upon defeating the man in blue, they are /winded and enter regular dialogue with you.
"Heh... well aren't you different than the common cutthroat. I see you recognize these attacks as well and your skills in combat aren't half bad either."
*the player /converses with the targetand they get up*
"Hmm? Panic in the city nearby you say? I'm not surprised, this whole continent has treated me with such animosity already. Once people see a new trick of trade, they either follow the chocobo's arse or scurry from it like a newfound disease. Such is my life as a blue mage."
*the player tilts their head*
"I'll take it from your blank expression you're asking what a blue mage is. Me... for one."
"Considering you're not cuffing me now and attempting to assassinate me like the rest of this accursed place has been, I'll grant you a short education. However I would hope if I do, perhaps you could help me in return by finding a way to alleviate these rumors about a man dressed in blue clothing conjuring unholy magicks. I'd rather like to continue my expedition here as much as it pains me to do so, but if some adventurers can vouch I'm no criminal...."
*the player character nods*
"Very good then. Blue mages use a form of aetherial manipulation called- you guessed it... Blue magic. It originates from The New World, from a tribe known as the Whalaqee, found across Indigo Deep. For decades now, the Whalaqee have studied a means of looking into the very souls of the beasts that roam the plains of The New World."
"In doing so, they have perfected a technique that allows one to read the beast's aetherial control and even mimic the magic or skill they use. By looking into the eyes of your enemy, your prey, or a predator, you develop a form of blueprint as to how the ability can be controlled using your own aetherpool and a common aether conduit. This allowed the Whalaqee to thrive in almost any environment by understanding how its creatures held their own against the weakest and the strongest of obstacles and elements."
*The player character crosses their arms in disapproval*
"I'm not sure if you're doubting my words or simply unamused at some accidental wordplay. Either way, I would very much like to return to the city unscathed as I have unfinished business to conduct within the Miner's Guild... such is why I was out here to begin with. If you would be kind to uphold our small bargain and see to it no one's trying to kill me again, I should be able to finish my own business and depart shortly."
"Oh, and don't worry about these three. The techniques I used should only cause minor damage to the brain they were already without.... I jest of course. They're simply unconscious."
*the quest continues to just a short distance outside the Miner's Guild and the man in blue is still staying put. Talking to them again only gives the player dialogue saying "Now where was I..."*
*The player can complete the quest at x11 y14 in Ul'dah Steps of Nald. The blue mage is leaning against a wall talking to a blue mamool'ja and can click on the blue mage to initiate*
"Ah, there you are. Don't mind the mamool'ja, he's my assistant in my endeavors."
*the mamool'ja bows to the player*
"Anyroad, I believe we got off on the wrong foot. I am Martyn, this is Maudlin Latool Ja. I've come here researching for a medicine that may very well save my kind in The New World. Ul'dah as I hear is a city of many trades, so it is here I have been attempting to make progress."
*player /converses*
"-Player's Name- is it? My apologies for earlier and my graces I've found someone with such fortitude that won't hunt me down."
"Speaking of, you recognized my attacks with such ease earlier, I've contemplated making yet another offer to you. In exchange for keeping my namesake intact and safe for the remaining time I conduct my research, I would be willing to teach you the secrets of blue magic. Do you accept these terms?"
*the player is offered yes/no*
Yes: "Wonderful, the art that conceives a Blue Mage is one filled with trial and error- er, mystery and excitement."
No: "A pity, perhaps I was mistaken."
"To begin, you must accept this soul crystal. While the Whalaqee have spent years perfecting how to gaze into the souls of monsters to learn singular skills, this soul crystal should speed up the process of learning how to analyze your opponent's abilities. As it so happens, I also have a spare focus that you may use to begin. Let's see how they resonate with you yes?"
*The player confirms their reward of a Blue Mage cane and Blue Mage Soul Crystal*
The quest after to learn blue magic
*the player can only accept this quest after putting on the blue mage arm and soul crystal*
Between Blue and Me
"Hmm... Well, I can't say you are radiating the essence of a blue mage, but judging how the crystal is cooperating... I can safely say you can now begin your journey as a Blue Mage."
"To begin, I would give you this book. It contains information on various monsters and their abilities that you can learn. I've specified locations on where they can be located but I won't be the one to tell you what beasts can teach you."
"Don't give me that look, this is apart of your reward for seeing to that I'm not some fraud or criminal. Like the Whalaqee people, you must adapt to your environments and your opponents. Understanding what you're facing and overcoming them will ignite the soul crystal and allow you a newfound way to see."
"One cannot simply copy another blue mage either, as our body's are different than one another's and our abilities would dwindle to become weaker and weaker. Imagine a Roegadyn trying to learn how to cast a spell by analyzing the soul of a Lalafell... It would be quite an underwhelming fireball considering what the Roegadyn would see."
"Anyroad, Maudlin Latool Ja should be able to supply you with a unique totem from The New World to grant you your first ability to defend yourself with. With that, I grant you leave to adventure anywhere you desire in that book to learn abilities and develop your blue magic arsenal. Being able to witness the skill and stay on guard, as well as defeating the opponent should press your analytical abilities. Come back to me when you have learned at least five spells."
"Oh, and I would get acquainted with understanding Aetherial Mimicry. While a blue mage can learn nearly any ability, we must still needs attune ourselves toward a purpose to truly unveil our potential. Whether you're healing a comrade, protecting them, or pressing on the offensive will determine how you should perform your newfound abilities. Just as the Whalaqee, you will adapt to overcome."
*The player unlocks the Blue Mage spellbook and the option to obtain skill totems from Maudlin Latool Ja. The player also unlocks the skill "Aetherial Mimicry".
----------------------------------------------
How the job would WORK
That ends the quest portion I wrote up. It's a bit dry and kinda off the top of my head but I feel it's a better way of making the job somewhat more serious and less of a joke job. The comedy can be in here but it doesn't have to border on "lol get hits and learn the things". With that out of the way, if you read this far.... good for you and thank you. Now lets get into the mechanical side of things that can make this genuinely a job.
You would begin with Water Cannon purchased for free from the Mamool Ja NPC as your starter. But you also come with a toggle-able skill that we recently obtained in our patch... Though with some minor altercations. One being that it's a toggle, you use it and you swap between dps/tank/healer... Each role of course providing their respective effects that alter how some skills work by adding things such as enmity/defense for tanks, increased healing, so on and so forth. The scaling would be another matter but this is essential in making this a real job.
Using this skill, you can effectively fill any role in a party. Being a tank, healer, or dps. It would still have to use caster gear but that's where I wonder how they could scale the stats in its favor to adapt to which role it plays. It would likely need different % values than the common tank since it would use cloth and have to be capable of tanking.
By changing roles, you would also of course get each role's role actions. With that, I almost think having a way to link aetherial mimicry to different hotbar/skill setups would be a good idea so you can build your own "tank build" or "dps build" and so on. Needless to say, a lot of skills would need some adjusting but you could essentially build around what is needed. Wanting to tank a dungeon? Pick out abilities for prolonged mitigation and great aoe potential. Tanking a trial? Choose if you wanna be an OT and select more offensive abilities or MT and pick mitigation skills that would help out with TB's. Healing a fight? Pick between high healing abilities or mitigation techniques. Etc etc... The main point here would also be that you could fill any missing spot in a party as well. Using this skill would essentially turn you into that role entirely, and allow you to queue into a dungeon with that role on.
I would say there should be a requirement in the amount of skills you need to be able to participate in dungeons or heck, even continue the job questline. Something along the lines of "you must have obtained at least 10 skills in order to complete this quest". Ideally I would want some system in place so a BLU can't queue into a dungeon with 0 healing skills but tags themselves as a healer. Perhaps upon unlocking enough skills that can be altered by Aetherial Mimicry should they actually be allowed to change from a dps into a tank or healer. Maybe even give the skill at level 10 or 15 and offer some basic totems that give skills for tanking/healing. Unlocking maybe 3-5 healing spells will unlock "Aetherial Mimicy: Healer" and so on.
I also had a idea for original concept art of a different BLU outfit, and if needed be.... Perhaps 3 different outfits for each role, which all could be obtained from the Mamool NPC. The story could easily continue into the same direction presenting the carnival and so on to participate in. I would also reconsider making the blue mage spell book actually reveal some enemies or at least provide some form of hint in the book itself per skill. Something more than just "it's in this map"... You tell me Western Thanalan, I think "cool... WHERE IN IT?" Jus sayin.
At that point, it would just come down to what abilities you select to make you feel optimal. So perhaps you want a physical based build, or a magical one, or a tanky with good aoe's, or good healing but support buffs, so on and etc. There's plenty of spells used by monsters that offer buffs in all sorts of areas too. I would want to keep the concept of having to adventure and find the abilities yourself but I also would want to allow any BLU be able to complete any dungeon or content they desire within reason. So even if you're missing some important/key/powerful abilities, you can still do what your role is with what you have and complete the objective.
Continue reading...
---------------------------------------------------------
The quest to unlock
Why they call it the Blues
*quest will start at the Western Thanalan gate in Steps of Nald Ul'dah, The Brass Blade Guard*
*guard is turned toward the entrance with a /think emote "hells, I was 'old 'o guard here.... no' go ou' in'o the infested wildlife..."
*guard turns to you* "Gah! You didn' hear tha' did ye?"
*nods*
"Thal's bleeding balls, there's a ruckus going on ou' 'here and people are running in screaming in panic abou' all sor's of s'range magicks. Lightnin', poisonous gasses... Flying fish!"
"I'm supposed 'o be stationed here and I can't get ahold of any o' the blades. Ye bein and adventurer 'n all, would ye mind checkin ou' the field so I can say I did me job?"
*player is given the option to say "Well if your job is at stake..." or "Flying... Fish? I'll pass"*
option 1: "Thank ye, I can't leave here as is with all the rustled people coming in."
option 2: "Warrior o' light, allergic to a few sardines... Who woul'a thought."
*Upon the player accepting this quest, the quest marks x25 y22 on the map of Western Thanalan to continue the quest. The player arrives there seeing 3 strange looking men surrounding a blue dressed figure out on the road, each carrying a sword or staff wearing clothing that resembles that of a common thief/criminal. The player can click on the location marked "Watchpoint" to observe the following cutscenes proceed.
*player looks around for a few moments and the cutscene ensues*
*Player's character kneels and ducks behind the rock, peering over at the roadway with the 4 strangers. The cutscene pans over to the man in blue*
"Why is it no matter where I go across this confound land, I find people like you that haven't the slightest bit of tolerance for a traveler.... Rather, people like you who would throw the punch first and ignore a simple parchment and quill?"
*camera pans to the stranger in front of him holding a sword in combat*
"Maybe if ye wasn't using such strange and questionable magicks 'round here! We got enough problems with the world and you're here from a whole 'nother part of the world acting like ye own the place. Don't ye know Ul'dah frowns on illegal magicks?"
*camera pans to another individual of the group*
"And if you ain't willing to turn yourself in like a good lil piece of shite, then we're gonna do as your bounty posters say and ring your throat. Seems this side of the world ain't happy with a cursed individual like yourself. You brought it on yourself wielding things no ordinary adventurer does 'round here."
*camera pans back to the man in blue's face, with a smirk*
"Cursed am I?... Then it is most unwise that you would be willing to put your lives at risk bringing in a bounty that would bring you ill fortune."
*the cutscene plays the continuous use of magics you haven't seen before except from monsters, knocking out the 3 skeptical men*
"Don't think I didn't notice you back there as well. I've given you audience to my skills as a token of mercy, to flee as the rest have."
*the camera turns to the player running into the scene near the blue dressed man, caught from out of their spying position*
"Oh? You would be so bold to indulge the criminal, the cursed mage? So be it!"
*the man in blue turns to you and the cutscene ends with a purple circle around the blue figure indicating you are entering a zone to do battle. The player confronts the man, having to dodge aoe's such as "Bad Breathe" and "1000 Needles" and being attacked with "Water Cannon". Upon defeating the man in blue, they are /winded and enter regular dialogue with you.
"Heh... well aren't you different than the common cutthroat. I see you recognize these attacks as well and your skills in combat aren't half bad either."
*the player /converses with the targetand they get up*
"Hmm? Panic in the city nearby you say? I'm not surprised, this whole continent has treated me with such animosity already. Once people see a new trick of trade, they either follow the chocobo's arse or scurry from it like a newfound disease. Such is my life as a blue mage."
*the player tilts their head*
"I'll take it from your blank expression you're asking what a blue mage is. Me... for one."
"Considering you're not cuffing me now and attempting to assassinate me like the rest of this accursed place has been, I'll grant you a short education. However I would hope if I do, perhaps you could help me in return by finding a way to alleviate these rumors about a man dressed in blue clothing conjuring unholy magicks. I'd rather like to continue my expedition here as much as it pains me to do so, but if some adventurers can vouch I'm no criminal...."
*the player character nods*
"Very good then. Blue mages use a form of aetherial manipulation called- you guessed it... Blue magic. It originates from The New World, from a tribe known as the Whalaqee, found across Indigo Deep. For decades now, the Whalaqee have studied a means of looking into the very souls of the beasts that roam the plains of The New World."
"In doing so, they have perfected a technique that allows one to read the beast's aetherial control and even mimic the magic or skill they use. By looking into the eyes of your enemy, your prey, or a predator, you develop a form of blueprint as to how the ability can be controlled using your own aetherpool and a common aether conduit. This allowed the Whalaqee to thrive in almost any environment by understanding how its creatures held their own against the weakest and the strongest of obstacles and elements."
*The player character crosses their arms in disapproval*
"I'm not sure if you're doubting my words or simply unamused at some accidental wordplay. Either way, I would very much like to return to the city unscathed as I have unfinished business to conduct within the Miner's Guild... such is why I was out here to begin with. If you would be kind to uphold our small bargain and see to it no one's trying to kill me again, I should be able to finish my own business and depart shortly."
"Oh, and don't worry about these three. The techniques I used should only cause minor damage to the brain they were already without.... I jest of course. They're simply unconscious."
*the quest continues to just a short distance outside the Miner's Guild and the man in blue is still staying put. Talking to them again only gives the player dialogue saying "Now where was I..."*
*The player can complete the quest at x11 y14 in Ul'dah Steps of Nald. The blue mage is leaning against a wall talking to a blue mamool'ja and can click on the blue mage to initiate*
"Ah, there you are. Don't mind the mamool'ja, he's my assistant in my endeavors."
*the mamool'ja bows to the player*
"Anyroad, I believe we got off on the wrong foot. I am Martyn, this is Maudlin Latool Ja. I've come here researching for a medicine that may very well save my kind in The New World. Ul'dah as I hear is a city of many trades, so it is here I have been attempting to make progress."
*player /converses*
"-Player's Name- is it? My apologies for earlier and my graces I've found someone with such fortitude that won't hunt me down."
"Speaking of, you recognized my attacks with such ease earlier, I've contemplated making yet another offer to you. In exchange for keeping my namesake intact and safe for the remaining time I conduct my research, I would be willing to teach you the secrets of blue magic. Do you accept these terms?"
*the player is offered yes/no*
Yes: "Wonderful, the art that conceives a Blue Mage is one filled with trial and error- er, mystery and excitement."
No: "A pity, perhaps I was mistaken."
"To begin, you must accept this soul crystal. While the Whalaqee have spent years perfecting how to gaze into the souls of monsters to learn singular skills, this soul crystal should speed up the process of learning how to analyze your opponent's abilities. As it so happens, I also have a spare focus that you may use to begin. Let's see how they resonate with you yes?"
*The player confirms their reward of a Blue Mage cane and Blue Mage Soul Crystal*
The quest after to learn blue magic
*the player can only accept this quest after putting on the blue mage arm and soul crystal*
Between Blue and Me
"Hmm... Well, I can't say you are radiating the essence of a blue mage, but judging how the crystal is cooperating... I can safely say you can now begin your journey as a Blue Mage."
"To begin, I would give you this book. It contains information on various monsters and their abilities that you can learn. I've specified locations on where they can be located but I won't be the one to tell you what beasts can teach you."
"Don't give me that look, this is apart of your reward for seeing to that I'm not some fraud or criminal. Like the Whalaqee people, you must adapt to your environments and your opponents. Understanding what you're facing and overcoming them will ignite the soul crystal and allow you a newfound way to see."
"One cannot simply copy another blue mage either, as our body's are different than one another's and our abilities would dwindle to become weaker and weaker. Imagine a Roegadyn trying to learn how to cast a spell by analyzing the soul of a Lalafell... It would be quite an underwhelming fireball considering what the Roegadyn would see."
"Anyroad, Maudlin Latool Ja should be able to supply you with a unique totem from The New World to grant you your first ability to defend yourself with. With that, I grant you leave to adventure anywhere you desire in that book to learn abilities and develop your blue magic arsenal. Being able to witness the skill and stay on guard, as well as defeating the opponent should press your analytical abilities. Come back to me when you have learned at least five spells."
"Oh, and I would get acquainted with understanding Aetherial Mimicry. While a blue mage can learn nearly any ability, we must still needs attune ourselves toward a purpose to truly unveil our potential. Whether you're healing a comrade, protecting them, or pressing on the offensive will determine how you should perform your newfound abilities. Just as the Whalaqee, you will adapt to overcome."
*The player unlocks the Blue Mage spellbook and the option to obtain skill totems from Maudlin Latool Ja. The player also unlocks the skill "Aetherial Mimicry".
----------------------------------------------
How the job would WORK
That ends the quest portion I wrote up. It's a bit dry and kinda off the top of my head but I feel it's a better way of making the job somewhat more serious and less of a joke job. The comedy can be in here but it doesn't have to border on "lol get hits and learn the things". With that out of the way, if you read this far.... good for you and thank you. Now lets get into the mechanical side of things that can make this genuinely a job.
You would begin with Water Cannon purchased for free from the Mamool Ja NPC as your starter. But you also come with a toggle-able skill that we recently obtained in our patch... Though with some minor altercations. One being that it's a toggle, you use it and you swap between dps/tank/healer... Each role of course providing their respective effects that alter how some skills work by adding things such as enmity/defense for tanks, increased healing, so on and so forth. The scaling would be another matter but this is essential in making this a real job.
Using this skill, you can effectively fill any role in a party. Being a tank, healer, or dps. It would still have to use caster gear but that's where I wonder how they could scale the stats in its favor to adapt to which role it plays. It would likely need different % values than the common tank since it would use cloth and have to be capable of tanking.
By changing roles, you would also of course get each role's role actions. With that, I almost think having a way to link aetherial mimicry to different hotbar/skill setups would be a good idea so you can build your own "tank build" or "dps build" and so on. Needless to say, a lot of skills would need some adjusting but you could essentially build around what is needed. Wanting to tank a dungeon? Pick out abilities for prolonged mitigation and great aoe potential. Tanking a trial? Choose if you wanna be an OT and select more offensive abilities or MT and pick mitigation skills that would help out with TB's. Healing a fight? Pick between high healing abilities or mitigation techniques. Etc etc... The main point here would also be that you could fill any missing spot in a party as well. Using this skill would essentially turn you into that role entirely, and allow you to queue into a dungeon with that role on.
I would say there should be a requirement in the amount of skills you need to be able to participate in dungeons or heck, even continue the job questline. Something along the lines of "you must have obtained at least 10 skills in order to complete this quest". Ideally I would want some system in place so a BLU can't queue into a dungeon with 0 healing skills but tags themselves as a healer. Perhaps upon unlocking enough skills that can be altered by Aetherial Mimicry should they actually be allowed to change from a dps into a tank or healer. Maybe even give the skill at level 10 or 15 and offer some basic totems that give skills for tanking/healing. Unlocking maybe 3-5 healing spells will unlock "Aetherial Mimicy: Healer" and so on.
I also had a idea for original concept art of a different BLU outfit, and if needed be.... Perhaps 3 different outfits for each role, which all could be obtained from the Mamool NPC. The story could easily continue into the same direction presenting the carnival and so on to participate in. I would also reconsider making the blue mage spell book actually reveal some enemies or at least provide some form of hint in the book itself per skill. Something more than just "it's in this map"... You tell me Western Thanalan, I think "cool... WHERE IN IT?" Jus sayin.
At that point, it would just come down to what abilities you select to make you feel optimal. So perhaps you want a physical based build, or a magical one, or a tanky with good aoe's, or good healing but support buffs, so on and etc. There's plenty of spells used by monsters that offer buffs in all sorts of areas too. I would want to keep the concept of having to adventure and find the abilities yourself but I also would want to allow any BLU be able to complete any dungeon or content they desire within reason. So even if you're missing some important/key/powerful abilities, you can still do what your role is with what you have and complete the objective.
Continue reading...