I'll just get to the point with this one, balancing the Black Magic. My current setup for it:
Fire/ Bolt/ Ice 1
Range: 5
Effect Area: 0
Vertical 0
CT 0
MP 4
Default Formula
X = 0
Y = 20
Fire/ Bolt/ Ice 2
Range: 5
Effect Area: 2
Vertical 3
CT 0
MP 8
Default Formula
X = 0
Y = 10
Fire/ Bolt/ Ice 3
Range: 5
Effect Area: 1
Vertical 3
CT 0
MP 12
Default Formula
X = 0
Y = 25
What fixes/what should I do with Fire 2 to make it weak, yet a good range, and with Fire 3, I need a lot of power, yet some range, as you can see. If you get my point by this example... how do I balance the damage for the Area Affect?
Why is CT 0?
Kind of a redmage, quick easy spell to cast like a lot of the skills are. All of the basic magics, as I see, should be given to give all classes a start to learning skills.
There isn't a sure fire fix for balance or it would have already been done and every patch, at least whereas Black Magic is concerned, would be more or less the same since it would have been tested as tried and true.
Change rarely happens in a vacuum. What you're doing with Black Magic is rather dependent on what you're doing with the other types of magic, magic in general, damage in general, magic vs. physical abilities, magic vs. the CT and, arguably of least importance in a lot of patch, the elements in your patch.
That said, I'd say that making everything CT 0 would probably make things more, not less, difficult to balance all things considered.
What are you trying to achieve by "balancing" it? Just not have the higher level spells obviate the lower ones all the time? (Arguably, they are already balanced in that regard because the CTs, even in vanilla, are all different unlike reducing the CT 0. That they all get obviated in use by things like Reflect, Summon Magic and the crazy Speed stat is an entirely different issue of "balance".)
I understand what you are saying regarding the magics. I'll try to explain what I am doing to do all of the magic. vs physical abilities...
White Magic/Healing/Buffing Spells are getting Reflect removed, along with getting nuked. At the current stages, you should only add the upper level spells in the later chapters with higher JP amount, yet having some of the effects reduced. (In THOERY, right now)
Black Magics is still questionable. I'm going to even out the lower level magics to keep up with Area Effect of the higher levels. (Lower levels will get some more damage, while the higher levels get more area effect/range)
If you have any questions regarding what I am doing, or what anything else pointed out regarding my questions, please ask!!! I'll answer them to the best of my ability while you are trying to help.