Blue Mage 101: Monster Correlation & Its Effects

Welcome to Vana'diel University.

This is Professor Eremes' Introduction to Blue Mage class. If you are in the wrong room, kindly make your way to the door. Thanks.

Monster Correlation

As most of you know, there are 6 generally-accepted schools of magic: Elemental, Dark, Divine, Enfeebling, Enhancing, and Healing. There exist also Ninjutsu, Summoning, and the various Bard magics, but since those are of... questionable origins, we shall leave them aside. In my class, we will be learning about Blue Magic, a curious strain only recently developed. As such, much of the extant literature is disturbingly uneven.

Against All Odds

So today, I officially finished Limbus.

I have every piece of AF+1 I want, only lacking a Boxer's Mantle, which can be "purchased," and, as of 8:45 this evening, I have completed the Homam Corazza set (Or at least the pieces that count for me):

Featured Friend: Aydindril & Khellendros

SO, I got tired of waiting around for some pretty headers for this, so I'll just get right to it.

Name: Aydindril
Jobs: DRG, THF, PLD, SMN, BST
Relation: Friend
How We Met: Maybe one or two days after ZNMs were released, I was helping out Mascrapone with his Vulpangue Trigger. After some heartache and fail, Sepharix and Ayd decided to help us out. Ayd(SMN): "Yo, yo! I need mah TPz!" We still wiped, but I laughed pretty hard and told Mas I thought she was cool. I was BLU66 at the time.

If it wasn't for Ayd, I probably never would have finished Divine Might, Nyzul Isle, and MMM.
What Do I Think?: I think Ayd is one of the funniest people I know on Siren, and she's a skilled and dedicated player to boot. She's a bit impetuous and sometimes, inaccessible, but that makes her all the more fun to have around when she's actually free and not exhausted!
Fun Fact: Ayd owns a Gae Assail, Stage 4 of Gungnir relic lance! She's also an Impossible to gauge PLD, missing only maybe an Aegis at this point! :O
Job She Should Play Next: DNC!

OM NOM NOM

Name: Khellendros
Jobs: SCH, BLU, THF, BLM, RDM, WHM, SMN
Relation: Pookie of a Friend
How We Met: I swaggered Ayd into helping me learn Asuran Claws, so Khell came along on his THF to help out. At the time, because Khell's model is a female taru, I though they were "just friends," then I though they were... "Friends" in the way that Sailor Uranus and Neptune are friends, but then I found out he was a guy.

He and Ayd (but mostly him because he passed his to me) also helped me big time to get my Koggelmander, the sword I NEVER take off because it's so freaking epic.
What Do I Think?: Khell is like my nerdy Final Fantasy soul-mate. It's so delightful to talk to someone who knows who "Kain Highwind" is or what "Scourge" does. I don't see Khell online as often anymore, which is a shame, and I'd like to do some more events and junk with him again!
Fun Fact: Khell uses Nashira Seraweels on BLU because he doesn't have Homam Cosciales yet. He's also unrivaled in his encyclopedic knowledge of FFXI-mechanics and has more BLU relic than I do. :(
Job He Should Play Next: Needs more DD. Imma say RNG!

Black Mage Khellendros and Paladin Aydindril join your party!!

Things Blue Mages Should Have Gotten (But Didn't)

Spells

Goblin Punch (Beastmen - Physical)
Damage varies with TP.
STR+1 DEX+1
Lv.12 22MP Blue Magic points 2

Historically, Goblin Punch has been a low damage, blunt physical attack. When used against a monster that is the same level as yourself, its attack power is raised dramatically. A spell that would help BLUs in Fields of Valor or managing agro against Even Match enemies and a Bludgeon +1 for 75BLUs without the TP feed.

Ex Kupost

Ok, maybe I was a little harsh about this expansion. It's not that bad, but it tries way too hard to make up for "shortcomings" with ACP that weren't actually there.

First of all, it's longer than ACP. ACP can be done in 4-6 hours. Moogle Kupo d'Etat took me about 3 days.

Likewise, the tasks are much harder as well. The Quicksand Caves Seed Afterglows aren't that hard, but they're considerably more tedious and time-consuming. And instead of the huge climb up Delkfutt's tower, the last set of "mini-games" are a bunch of puzzles.

The Plot Thickens

I am absolutely spellbound by Wings of the Goddess. True to the development team's ambitions, this storyline continues to be mysterious, engaging, memorable and fun.

Whereas the add-on scenarios are all driven by gear acquisition, Wings of the Goddess' few followers continue to press on with no visible reward simply because the missions themselves, while not necessarily fun, are fascinating.

This time around, we see the cast of characters thicken in some places (and in others, thin), with some interesting new developments. Most of your speculation can be put to rest, but the details still have yet to be fleshed out, and the details are that worth it.

I wouldn't say these missions are particularly hard, but they do seem to be more um... "skill"-based, if you can even call it that. There's also the fact that the poverty of players actually doing these missions makes anything requiring a party a bit tedious.

Square-Enix Likes to Make You Suffer

Wow.

Bravo, Square-Enix. I thought ACP was the winner in terms of half-assing and calling it new content, but this takes the cake. It's quarter-assing, or maybe one-eighth assing, at best. I'm almost impressed at how they've managed to rob me of both my time and my money yet again.

Take everything you and everyone else hated about ACP, multiply it by 2, and add to it a poorly-written, unengaging "plot" and you have FFXI's newest add-on scenario and glorified, gold-plated turd, A Moogle Kupo d'Etat.

Whale Hunting

Omg there is nothing I hate more in the world than Walruses now. I hope BLUs poach them to extinction (which would explain why they don't exist in the present).

At any rate...

Shopping List

One more piece! :D

If anyone feels like making me a present, I'm looking for:

• Triumph Earring x1
• Neptune's Staff
• Pluto's Staff
• A Few PUP Attachments
• 30 or so Ancient Beastcoins
  
• Ethereal Earring
• Diabolos' Earring
• Homam Manapolas :(
  

That's about everything. Anything else is entangled in some sort of quest (like -1 pieces and whatnot).

New Blue Magic tomorrow!!

Cannonball Vs. Heat Breath - An Analysis

I've decided to write this post due to the severe ignorance that plagues FFXI's BLU community regarding endgame builds.

Now, most people are of the opinion that BLU have no place in endgame whatsoever. Nothing could be more untrue, but I will concede that the odds are stacked inordinately against Blue Mages. To be effective at endgame, BLUs are heavily gear and merit-dependent, and are called on to furnish expensive builds that they aren't afforded many opportunities to use. Even so, BLUs who truly love the job and are committed to it will go the extra mile to offer these builds in certain endgame contexts.

Funnies

Pics after the jump.

One of those days...

I wanted to make an angry letter out of this (how fitting), but you know what? I'm not even going to bother.

Think what you all want about me--I welcome your abuse.

If you hadn't heard elsewhere, Hephaestus is dead. 2 people decided to quit, and that news made 2 more people decide to quit, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Blame whoever you want. You all have eyes, ears and a brain. You decide who is responsible. I'm through trying to compensate, compromise, console and amend.

NOUVEAU BLEU MAGIE

Omgosh, I totally thought BLU was finished, but SE doesn't seem to think so.

So the first one looks like a buff, the second one like a new DD spell? I'm willing to bet one of them is learned off of gargoyles in Beaucedine/Xarcabard [S].

Let's just hope either their Skill multiplier is low, or that they're mid 60's spells, otherwise their damage will be shitty à la Asuran Claws. :|

Lol I guess the other updates are nice, especially the skill up update. Otherwise, meh. Where the hell is the promised BST update that makes jug pets level up like Wyverns? :(

Royale Ramble in 3 Minutes

You will need:

• 2 well-geared/merited Blue Mages
• 1 WHM/BLM (With Auspice, Barsleepra)
  
• DD/NINx2 (With Poison Potions)
  
• Babysitter (With Echo Drops)
  

Ninja? What's That?

I so called this.

Yonin (Lv.40 Ability Delay: 5 min. Duration: 5 min.)

Increases enmity and enhances "ninja tool expertise" effect, but impairs accuracy. Grants a bonus to evasion and critical hit rate when in front of target.





Innin (Lv.40 Ability Delay: 5 min. Duration: 5 min.)

Reduces enmity and impairs evasion. Grants a bonus to accuracy, critical hit rate, and ninjutsu damage when striking target from behind.

A Foray Into Datmodding

To the left is the only existing Blue Homam set for hume males. On the right is my version.