What do you actually expect from the new expansion.

[epigram]

Being that this thread is about what to expect about the new expansion. I generally am trying to follow trends set out by the new jobs.

Generally I think it's clear that blue mage:
-Can use a sword
-Can use monster abilities

I think it's reasonable to presume that:
-Blue mage won't have an A+ rating in sword.
-Won't buy scrolls at the AH. <-- I CHANGED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Will have to learn spells.
-Won't have access to the most powerful 1h swords in the game.
-Won't be a direct copy of RDM.
-Will have access to end game armor that is of the same wear as their AF.

The most useful monster abilities that I can think of for a party in a support role are (probably more though):
-healing wind
-whistle
-def down (aoe)
-eva down (aoe)
-acc down (aoe)
-str down (spoil good, bubble shower aoe)
-vit down (leaf dagger)
-mnd down (scream aoe)
-petrify abilities

Although you may say that BLU will be a DD, it's generally expected in this game and in most PT's that if you have a mage hat on and have MP you should be able to heal.

From the last job release, summoner, ninja, samurai, and dragoon, two had major bugs and flaws (note that it took one to two years to fix these), one had continuous changes, and the other with a slight tweak became incredibly nice.

Generally it's assumed that of the new jobs comming out one or two will have major bugs, and one might have an unexpected job function change that will need gear to be added for that purpsose. Regardless it will most likely take one to two years before all the bugs and kinks to be worked out, new equip added, changes to job abilities, and other tweaks to make these jobs of the same calibur as the prior.

[Soje]

New missions to gain access to the new zones. These zones will be lacking in content beyond just basic mobs and npcs which will then point you toward the next set of missions to get access to the next zone which has no point beyond just allowing you to do the next mission and get access to the 3rd new zone. Rinse and repeat 7-10 times.

6 months later NMs will be added to these zones which drop marginally useful items but nothing better than what is currently in the game. These nms will be on 24-36 hour lottery pop timers and also only pop in certain weather conditions which will vary by day.

Mobs in these zones will be designed in such a way that xping there is impractical either due to the placement of mobs, or the tp moves will be much more powerful/annoying/spammed than existing xp mobs of the same level. As a result all of these new zones will be largely empty except for those people camping the nms which as mentioned above will not be added for 6 months.

New fishing stuff.

More NPC stuff.

More storage of useless event trash.

The section of Norg currently blocked off will be for a ship dock to the new zone. This ship is only available to those that have completed all of the new missions for this zone. Everyone else will have to get there from the only other way... the portal on the top of Ulegard Range.

The placement of certain mobs in Ulegard Range will be adjusted. (Jorgy, IT elementals, and a small army of true sight demons now patrol the only path to this portal.)

[NynJa]

People are a bit...to hard on Blue Mage w/o knowing anything about it.

If you look at the jobs they added in Zilart, SAM, DRG and NIN, 2 of the 3 are amazingly good and considered some of the best endgame jobs. I see reason to hope that history will repeat itself and Blue Mage has a 2/3 chance of actually being good.

drg's a good endgame job ?

sarcasm doesnt relay well online

[BRP]

This thread has turned bitchy and emo.

[epigram]

Just to clear this up, zilart added FOUR jobs.

[layoneil]

Just to clear this up, zilart added FOUR jobs.

you're wrong. SMN came in a patch pre-Zilart. Zilart added Avatars not named Carbuncle.

Yes, SMN was THAT gimp.

[epigram]

Weird, I always thought it was zilart. How did they get there AF?

[NynJa]

lvl cap used to be 50 or some shit, no ??

[Khamsin]

I love how you guys think you know a damn about Blue Mage. I bet you don't even learn abilities from enemies

That's precisly what Blue Mage job do:learn ability from ennemies

In FFV and FFVII you had to be hit by an ability to learn it.

In FFVI you had to see an ability used on someone in your party to learn it.

In FFVIII you used an item dropped from an enemy to learn abilities.

In FFIX you ate enemies to learn abilities.

In FFX you used lancet on enemies to learn abilities.

There are many ways one could learn abilities.

Fixed.

[epigram]

I'm pretty sure it was 60 pre zilart. I can dig through the ffxi change logs, but I'm at work.

[Khamsin]

They just had to do without AF or avatars. But they could unlock the job without Zilart installed, and before Zilart was even out.

Carbuncle's Ruby, House of the Hero.. all things available without Zilart. Just go get a ruby, find fire weather not in Altepa or Kazham, and voila, you have unlocked SMN with no potential for avatars or AF.

[epigram]

Yet people still wonder why we belive most of the new jobs will be broken on release...

[Sefier]

-Abj will drop from KS99 i really think they might implement this and im hoping so ~_~;;

[Shigemo]

I can't wait to see how hard will be the quest to unlock Blue Mage if there'll be one

[Maguspk]

I can't wait to see how hard will be the quest to unlock Blue Mage if there'll be one

I hope it requires finished mission line for ToA and like a linkshell of 75s, that way only deserving players who have put up with SE's shit get to reap the just desserts of a potentially broken, overpowered, job that could, quite possibly, be lots of fun.

[Heian]

I can't wait to see how hard will be the quest to unlock Blue Mage if there'll be one

I hope it requires finished mission line for ToA and like a linkshell of 75s, that way only deserving players who have put up with SE's shit get to reap the just desserts of a potentially broken, overpowered, job that could, quite possibly, be lots of fun.

Amen to that.

[Demetrick]

I can't wait to see how hard will be the quest to unlock Blue Mage if there'll be one

I hope it requires finished mission line for ToA and like a linkshell of 75s, that way only deserving players who have put up with SE's shit get to reap the just desserts of a potentially broken, overpowered, job that could, quite possibly, be lots of fun.

going along that, then you need to have farmed pop - items with a crap drop rate, and to fight a NM that isn't 100% more like 10% drop rate on the item you need to return to whatever NPC gave u the quest. That way, only the most deserving lv75 in your linkshell thats put up with SE's BS gets the goods ><

[Maguspk]

I can't wait to see how hard will be the quest to unlock Blue Mage if there'll be one

I hope it requires finished mission line for ToA and like a linkshell of 75s, that way only deserving players who have put up with SE's shit get to reap the just desserts of a potentially broken, overpowered, job that could, quite possibly, be lots of fun.

going along that, then you need to have farmed pop - items with a crap drop rate, and to fight a NM that isn't 100% more like 10% drop rate on the item you need to return to whatever NPC gave u the quest. That way, only the most deserving lv75 in your linkshell thats put up with SE's BS gets the goods ><

Remember that interview SE had with BG where the rep basically said "Huh?" when they mentioned non-100% drop rates on pop nms? Maybe it was just a mistake, idk wishful thinking I guess lol

[Khamsin]

I was hoping Diabolos would required a Tear of Altana and Hydracorps Battle Standard to obtain (it would sort of make sense, as he has connections to both). But no, they went and gave him away like candy to any noob that got past 3-5. You didn't even have to do anything, you just talked to the NPC and go straight to the Prime fight.

I have a feeling Blue Mage may be just as disappointing.

[Xavier]

Remember that interview SE had with BG where the rep basically said "Huh?" when they mentioned non-100% drop rates on pop nms? Maybe it was just a mistake, idk wishful thinking I guess lol

He wasn't very informed. I'm sure if the question had been "Are you aware you work at Square?" would've gotten a nice "Huh?" too.

Also, along the lines of unlocking the other jobs, I don't think the quests are going to be hard at all. Square wants low-mid level content, its who they're catering to. They aren't going to release jobs that only people in HNM linkshells can get.