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Just now I've been brainstorming a whole bunch of different ideas for how the game could be improved, and this is one of them (I will post each of these ideas in separate topics so they may be discussed individually; it is up to the administrators whether or not they should be lumped together as one question when the time comes, if in fact any of them get asked.):
All jobs that use MP to cast magic (except for PLD and DRK) should use the Blue Mage's "set spells" system; allowing spells to be learned before they can be cast, limiting the number of spells available for casting at any specific moment, and adding buffs to various stats depending on which spells are set (possibly new job traits as well).
New equipment and updates to some (not all) old equipment that add either new spells slots, more set points, or both.
More robust skill system that takes into account the different schools of magic within the same type. I'll go through each of these in turn.
Elemental Magic Skill
This will still do the same thing it does now, however at a lessened effect. It will be complimented by the following new skills, which can be increased by setting certain spells or by equipping certain items (in addition to simply using them):
* Fire Magic Skill
* Ice Magic Skill
* Water Magic Skill
* Earth Magic Skill
* Wind Magic Skill
* Lightning Magic Skill
Increasing these skills by equipping tiered elemental "nukes" should be a bottom-heavy system, whereby lower tier spells contribute a bigger skill bonus than higher tier spells, forcing a player to waste slots equipping spells they might not intend use in order to get better results out of high-power spells.
New traits could also be created which enhance these skills, and unlocking each trait would involve setting a certain number of the linked spells, providing even more incentive to specialize instead of trying to do everything at once.
Enhancing Magic Skill and Enfeebling Magic Skill
These would continue to do the same things they currently do, but again at lessened effect. Their effect will be complimented both by the above listed elemental skills as well as by the following new skills meant to help recategorize them:
* Time Magic Skill
Spells such as "Slow" and "Haste" would fall into this skill (this is primarily to help pave the way for a Time Mage job that isn't stepping on anybody's toes)
* Gravity Magic Skill
Currently the only spells in existence that fit this skill are Gravity, Gravity II, and Graviga. However the addition of a Time Mage job would bring with it a host of new gravity magic spells that would most certainly benefit from having their own skill (and even without a time mage other job could also get their own new gravity magic spells).
* Space Magic Skill
Spells like Warp, Tractor, Escape, Teleport-somewhere, and Meteor would fit into this category. Once again this is related to laying the ground work for a Time Mage that does not step on anybody's toes and is truly a job of their own and not simply a clumping together of other jobs with some cool new spells thrown in.
Divine Magic Skill, Dark Magic Skill, and Healing Magic Skill can be left alone, they are perfectly fine the way they are.
Blue Magic Skill should be split into "Physical Blue Magic Skill" and "Magical Blue Magic Skill", and blue mages should be given (if rated low) skills conducive to the various types of magic they can use (healing, enfeebling, elemental, enhancing, etc).
A consequence of this system is requiring nearly every spell in the game to be linked to 2 or more skills, however I have the utmost confidence SE is more than capable of doing this because they have already done it with the crafting system.
I could go far more in-depth to the specifics of this system but for now I'd like to get feedback on the premise. I can post more specific details if requested however.
Thoughts?
EDIT: An addendum based on something said below, fix the spell set system so that set spells are remembered when changing jobs.
All jobs that use MP to cast magic (except for PLD and DRK) should use the Blue Mage's "set spells" system; allowing spells to be learned before they can be cast, limiting the number of spells available for casting at any specific moment, and adding buffs to various stats depending on which spells are set (possibly new job traits as well).
New equipment and updates to some (not all) old equipment that add either new spells slots, more set points, or both.
More robust skill system that takes into account the different schools of magic within the same type. I'll go through each of these in turn.
Elemental Magic Skill
This will still do the same thing it does now, however at a lessened effect. It will be complimented by the following new skills, which can be increased by setting certain spells or by equipping certain items (in addition to simply using them):
* Fire Magic Skill
* Ice Magic Skill
* Water Magic Skill
* Earth Magic Skill
* Wind Magic Skill
* Lightning Magic Skill
Increasing these skills by equipping tiered elemental "nukes" should be a bottom-heavy system, whereby lower tier spells contribute a bigger skill bonus than higher tier spells, forcing a player to waste slots equipping spells they might not intend use in order to get better results out of high-power spells.
New traits could also be created which enhance these skills, and unlocking each trait would involve setting a certain number of the linked spells, providing even more incentive to specialize instead of trying to do everything at once.
Enhancing Magic Skill and Enfeebling Magic Skill
These would continue to do the same things they currently do, but again at lessened effect. Their effect will be complimented both by the above listed elemental skills as well as by the following new skills meant to help recategorize them:
* Time Magic Skill
Spells such as "Slow" and "Haste" would fall into this skill (this is primarily to help pave the way for a Time Mage job that isn't stepping on anybody's toes)
* Gravity Magic Skill
Currently the only spells in existence that fit this skill are Gravity, Gravity II, and Graviga. However the addition of a Time Mage job would bring with it a host of new gravity magic spells that would most certainly benefit from having their own skill (and even without a time mage other job could also get their own new gravity magic spells).
* Space Magic Skill
Spells like Warp, Tractor, Escape, Teleport-somewhere, and Meteor would fit into this category. Once again this is related to laying the ground work for a Time Mage that does not step on anybody's toes and is truly a job of their own and not simply a clumping together of other jobs with some cool new spells thrown in.
Divine Magic Skill, Dark Magic Skill, and Healing Magic Skill can be left alone, they are perfectly fine the way they are.
Blue Magic Skill should be split into "Physical Blue Magic Skill" and "Magical Blue Magic Skill", and blue mages should be given (if rated low) skills conducive to the various types of magic they can use (healing, enfeebling, elemental, enhancing, etc).
A consequence of this system is requiring nearly every spell in the game to be linked to 2 or more skills, however I have the utmost confidence SE is more than capable of doing this because they have already done it with the crafting system.
I could go far more in-depth to the specifics of this system but for now I'd like to get feedback on the premise. I can post more specific details if requested however.
Thoughts?
EDIT: An addendum based on something said below, fix the spell set system so that set spells are remembered when changing jobs.
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