(09-23-2015, 11:56 PM)Wolfeheart Wrote: Aether Source and Quantity: Â
I'd have to disagree with your statement that each school of magic has different sources of aether.  Aether is aether.  Aether can be found in the world around you, from yourself, or from crystals.  Each has unique advantages and drawbacks. Ambient aether.  Most magic is used from ambient aether.  However, it's not as concentrated or potent. So without special implements (Moenbryda's scepter, Tupsimati, etc.) your spells won't be your average run-of-the-mill adventurer-class spell.
Aether used from yourself is more potent. Â However, using aether drawn from yourself is very risky as it's your lifesource. Â Use all of your aether and you're dead. Â (reference the Conjurer class quests)
Aether from crystals are potent, but limited by how much a crystal can store and the ability to cart around crystals.
School of Magic
Actually, during the initial release of FFXIV, Conjurers could cast damage-dealing spells from the six elements:
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Conju...IV)/Legacy
I see the different schools as more philosophies versus rigid training. Â Conjury is a more spiritual practice, where Arcanima is more scientific. Â Each philosophy trains your mind in a different way on how to practice it's form of magic. Â The magic spell (or manipulation of aether) would be taught as a "prayer" in conjury, a geometric pattern/formula in arcanima, etc. etc.
The reason I think they take different sources is from the class quests: Conjury makes a big deal about "We take the blessing of the elementals and aether from nature to cast spells, and ignoring the elementals and they get angry and deny you their aether. Thaumaturgy makes a big deal about drawing on internal aether reserves, and not having enough means casting big spells can/will kill you. Arcanism is vague in their quests, but I gather it's releasing the aether within other objects (i.e. gemstones for Carbuncles and bacteria(?) for Bio/Virus). Really, I'm fine being wrong about this point, but the quests seemed to make a big deal about it
As for the schools just being different thought processes, that works well too. Again, I felt the quests for each class made points that there are deeper differences behind the schools than just that, but it could just be me over thinking it. I do think as they're presented in 2.0 onward, they have specializations more or less.
