Pros and Cons of playing a Blackmage

[Negorath]

What are the pros and cons of playing a Blackmage?

My original intention was to create a small FAQ for the newcomers to sort out some of the more general questions they might have, but I gave that up after getting a lof of hate posts, but I hope what information that is posted here can be of help to people in the end.
Anyways, feel free to post what you think are the pros and cons of playing this job

Negorath.

[Negorath]

Come on! Doesn't anyone have any info they wanna share? Any info at all helps.

[Slythe]

Well, I can't say much about all the way through lvl 30, because I just hit 12. But I can say that early on, the biggest cons are low HP, and earning enough money to buy your spells as well as weapon/armor. Biggest pros (for me anyhow) is I can deal MAJOR damage compared to even the strongest tanks at my level. I was fighting Poison Funguars in La Theine with a group the other day. Our WAR was hitting them for 8-15 hp, while my aero spell was dealing 40+hp damage. I love my BLM!

[jasmill]

Why are you writing a FAQ when you obviously don't have a clue? This is the reason you see so much misinformation floating around today.

[Negorath]

Why the hell do you think I'm asking you guys then?
Geez...

[jasmill]

Why the hell are you asking us to write your FAQ for you? How about this... Now this is a revolutionary idea so pay attention...




PLAY THE FREAKING GAME BEFORE GIVING ADVICE TO PEOPLE WHO MIGHT ASSUME INCORRECTLY THAT YOU KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!

[Methos1226]

both of you are crazy

First off, he's right, until you have enough exp with the game and jobs to make informed opinions, you shouldn't create a post like this

But at the same time, he wasn't trying to give out facts, he was asking for info and thoughts from more experienced players. So chill out and give him advice instead of blasting him for wanting to be involved in the community.

[Negorath]

Bah! Fine! Whatever!

Only kind words I've heard since I tried to get this thing going was from Methos1226, and my original idea was to god damn educate myself while sharing the knowledge I would obtain, and even if I did put up the FAQ, it would not be composed of my! words, but the words of the community!, so what in the nine hells would my personal experience have to do with the result? Who even said I would take credit for it!? I'm just trying to do an effort! But I guess people like yourself jasmill just can't seem to appreciate that..

[jasmill]

I appreciate all of the help I have recieved here and a handful of other sites. People like Caramelmania, Icemage, Calianeri, and a few others have been wonderful. One thing they have in common is that they have played the BLM class for a long time. They do not regurgitate the same old crap that is seen on every other site out there. They speak from experience and I can trust what they say to at the very least be something that they believe in, not what they have heard. Sorry if what I said was harsh, but I just feel that putting out a FAQ for other beginners to read is an extremely bad idea if you haven't put in the time playing the game yourself.

[Negorath]

Yes yes, I understand, but my FAQ wasen't suppoced to be very in-debt either, it was just suppoced to be a basic layout of what people would get themself into if they choosed to followed a specific path, and I do realise you'd have to speak of experience to go real indebt, but heck, I don't even own the game myself yet, won't arrive for another few days still anyways, and personally have no idea whatsoever what job to play as every class/job has aspects I could enjoy, but then some aspects makes it a turn off, and that is what made me come up with the idea anyways, as I figured others *shrugs* might have the same problem, atleast when it comes to advanced jobs.

[Seance]

I do appreciate that you are trying to actively help people in becoming more involved by making a guide, but what Jasmine said about you having to play the game is the truth. There are a lot of things I've read and heard on this forum and many other websites but reading it on paper and experiencing it can be two completely different things and will be extremely helpful to you in creating a truly great FAQ that you will be respected for.

You can read one thing about a job, think you understand it, and think nothing of it, until you experience it. And then you're like WHOa. You can also read something, get really excited about it, experience it and be like bleh meh hEaH.

So try it out. It's a great game. Really! :spin:

[Xeross]

Originally posted by Negorath
Yes yes, I understand, but my FAQ wasen't suppoced to be very in-debt either, it was just suppoced to be a basic layout of what people would get themself into if they choosed to followed a specific path, and I do realise you'd have to speak of experience to go real indebt, but heck, I don't even own the game myself yet, won't arrive for another few days still anyways, and personally have no idea whatsoever what job to play as every class/job has aspects I could enjoy, but then some aspects makes it a turn off, and that is what made me come up with the idea anyways, as I figured others *shrugs* might have the same problem, atleast when it comes to advanced jobs.

thats what is great about this game, you can test out a job, and if you don't like it, you can just switch jobs at the mog house. You aren't stuck to the job you pick.

[Negorath]

Mmm, yeah, I guess, but some jobs could be horrible to begin with, but turn out trully amazing in the end, while others start off as great fun, and later turn into something you might not enjoy as much.

[Xeross]

Originally posted by Negorath
Mmm, yeah, I guess, but some jobs could be horrible to begin with, but turn out trully amazing in the end, while others start off as great fun, and later turn into something you might not enjoy as much.

You are right... they COULD be bad. I mean as of now we know that SAM isn't a good main after 60, DRK isn't that good untill 60, DRG gets awesome at 49 w/ pentathrust. Yadda yadda yadda.

BUT

Taking all the time and energy to write a FAQ NOW would be a horrible idea. Here's why

1- The level cap is raising soon. Meaning new armour, weapons, and ws's will be added, which could change things A LOT
2- PvP will be added eventually, thus adding an entire new section to FAQ's, and could also make those HORRIBLE combinations great choices when you wouldn't expect it.
3- MMORPGS change all the time, and how would you like to make a FAQ that people use to make their decisions, and then a patch comes out completely ruining that combination?
4- Goto www.gamefaqs.com look up final fantasy XI. Look at the FAQ's. I don't think you are going to manage to add too much more information beyond what they have said.
5- You haven't even played the game yet. How are you to take what other people say, and put your own words into it, when you know nothing about the game. Also how can you decifer what people have said is fact and not opinion w/o any game experience? It's impossible.

[Negorath]

*sigh* I give up, you guys all think I'm going to make some flashy knowitall FAQ with every bit of information you need to know to play the class.
Just enough to know how the class functions is more than enough for the FAQ, and heck, I ain't even aiming to put it on GameFAQs, but *cough* like only 3 classes are covered in detail there anyways.
My intention what to post it in this forum to help new ones on their way. And when/if I did finally managed to get around all this critisicm and actually put something up, it would take a minimal of effort to change errors that other people comment on, and it oughta be a mighty patch to change the general layout of a class, to change something like that would make even the most experienced player reconsider his/her job, but even if they did, it would yet again take a minimal of effort to change it to fit the new profile.