[dev1024] Job adjustments - RDM

[Swords]

They may expand on the current ToM weapons, so who knows that may just happen.

[Economizer]

A level 99 sword with the same elemental affinities as a set of HQ staffs would be nice. Blue Mage, Red Mage, and even Corsair could all see some benefit from such an item.

It might come to pass, but I've been thinking about this for ages. I think a shield with affinity would be better. This could either be "elemental shields" like the staffs, or, a shield with multiple affinities, such as a "Shield of Light" that would have Light, Fire, Thunder, Wind as all being optimized, preferably with no downside (since Shields are more combat oriented and swapping out sucks).

[Sarick]

RDM isn't meant to be a melee mage DD hybrid, bluemage is. Redmage is a backline support/debuffer job.

Notice how your ideas want to add COMPLETELY insane things that are new and not easily added? There's a reason for that - you're trying to change the job completely. That is not SE's intention.

How is making it so RDM defaults to a sword over a staff changing the job? RDMs have no skill in staff, they do have B+ in dagger and sword coincidence? In all the FF games that I've played RDM we could choose staff, dagger or sword to fight with. In fact they did rather well as melees in several versions. MY point isn't asking to make RDM a master DD but place the sword and dagger there over a staff without all the penlites associated with choosing that setup. I don't think a silly special sword is the way to go either, no gear isn't the answer. This should be something special that the job benefits from front line, back line or where ever provided a dagger or sword equipped in the main hand. This isn't game breaking or "COMPLETELY insane."

Back before shield mastery and other shield changes a lot of paladins used an earth staff as a main weapon. The reason was for the damage reduction. Soon after these shield changes they became better at helping the job. Players started shifting toward new setups reminiscent of holy knights. The result was players started equipping sword and board setups for the job. I know when I first started RDM way back I didn't find a staff in my inventory I found a dagger. I believe we was given a melee weapon because by design it's what was intended for the job. Unfortunately, the benefits of a staff forced the job to gear outside it's fantasy concept.

I can see the same thing happening here if finesse trait was given to RDM. It wouldn't mean RDM's would suddenly be front line DD's, just that we could do all the stuff you mentioned above without swapping a staff that we don't even have F skill in. In the case of paladin they at least had acceptable staff skill.

As for the combine, or multicast. Red mage cure 4 is too limited but they don't want us to have cure 5 so, why allow us to multicast cure 3 and cure 4 together. Insane, maybe but it's something unique that the devs haven't used yet to my knowledge. It wouldn't be giving away to much either or stealing from another job. After all, Fastcast isn't what it used to be. Now it's so common in gear or other buffs that even standard mages have it. At least RDM is getting quickcast.

Why not try and fix whats wrong. If anything the ideas I posted would make the job better at both back line and front line without sacrificing either.

[Seriha]

The actual item class doesn't matter if you're going to be swapping it around, but staff is kind of convenient for the anti-melee since we lack skill in it. All depends on the stats the items themselves bring. Overall, I wouldn't mind some kind of tiered "Magic Fencer" trait (oh lord, I went there...) that could add +1 Affinity per level up to maybe +5 when wielding a sword or dagger. If they don't have a universal affinity trait hiding in the game somewhere already, I doubt it'd be impossible to add. From there, which weapon you opt to use would depend on the situation, like an INT/MATK sword for a bit more oomph, PDT for defense, and maybe we should petition for a Cure Potency sword path. PLDs could benefit from that, too. Just wouldn't look forward to more Light weather hell. x.x

[Economizer]

The actual item class doesn't matter if you're going to be swapping it around, but staff is kind of convenient for the anti-melee since we lack skill in it.

I'm semi opposed to giving Red Mage Staff skill since I'd much rather see them use a Sword/Dagger, although it does kinda suck, especially since not having Staff skill makes you miss out on Spirit Taker.

Enspells definitely do reward lower delay single handed weapons though, or at least the tier ones did.

All depends on the stats the items themselves bring.

A high level shield with magic affinity in either half (alligned with skillchains) or all magic that is about equivelant to the NQ/HQ staffs (with its NQ/HQ), or even better, just a tiny step above, would be a wonderful item, for melee based magic users, and crafters alike.

Red Mages, Blue Mages, Corsairs, Bards, and to a lesser extent Paladins and White Mages would all greatly benefit from an item like this.

Overall, I wouldn't mind some kind of tiered "Magic Fencer" trait (oh lord, I went there...) that could add +1 Affinity per level up to maybe +5 when wielding a sword or dagger.

No. SE doesn't give Black Mage affinity, and they said no to White Mage getting Cure Potency even as a merit. Having a native trait that boosts damage in the way affinity does is bad. There are much better ways to do this.

One way in particular, aside from gear, would be for enspells to debuff mobs resistance to magic in a very large way, since this would fit the job quite well.

Another would be to give a low grade (like +1 or +2 like the elemental staves have) affinity for whatever element enspell you have casted on yourself when you have a one handed weapon equipped. But just giving this natively without a spell buffing yourself first, and to all elements seems a bit overpowered, and more importantly, against the feel of not only Red Mage, but all magic using jobs.

maybe we should petition for a Cure Potency sword path. PLDs could benefit from that, too.

Right after White Mage gets a Cure Potency club path. Considering the Tefnut Wand, I doubt it will ever happen.

[Seriha]

No. SE doesn't give Black Mage affinity, and they said no to White Mage getting Cure Potency even as a merit. Having a native trait that boosts damage in the way affinity does is bad. There are much better ways to do this.

In the event the staves continue to evolve, in the end they'd still be greater than the trait for those willing to chase them. Personally, I'm not for the staff equivalent of swords, daggers, or shields as they'll just introduce yet more inventory clutter until SE lets us store weapons. +5 is ambitious, and oftentimes I propose an idea in an "overpowered" state if for any reason to get people talking and thinking about it, for or against. +3 might be more appropriate, but a girl can dream. Ultimately, I'd like to strive for more universal fixes than ones found through gear. For those who don't have said gear, they're SOL.

[Economizer]

Ultimately, I'd like to strive for more universal fixes than ones found through gear. For those who don't have said gear, they're SOL.

Some White Mages asked for Cure Potency without having to resort to gear. SE told them very clearly in the White Mage Q&A, the very polite equivalent of "Deal with it." I'm not suggestion something unreasonable like "everyone should have either a Relic, Mythic, or Empyrean weapon" but instead that we have a solution with much easier to get gear.

Spells are another way this can be done, but in the end, unless they are merited, spells are just like gear... if you don't have them, you are SOL. This is part of the game...

[Seriha]

Well, as I recently argued on Alla, gear should be a supplement, not a source for something. Relics and Empyreans break this rule, with Mythics sliding around it by giving WS access through a quest. It's not a feature I'm particularly fond of, but you'll also see people argue for the existence of such as rewards or trophies. To this day, I still can't say it's reasonable to expect a person to have an Empyrean despite the relative ease of acquisition compared to its counterparts. Jobs should be better distinguished by their features, such as JAs, traits, and spells with, again, our gear building on top of that. And if we're veering back toward highly randomized loot pools like with Voidwatch, some folks will have a hard enough time killing a given mob once let alone the 10+ to maybe not even see what they're after. If people start to discriminate or ridicule for lack of said item, then it's a problem.

[Duelle]

Overall, I wouldn't mind some kind of tiered "Magic Fencer" trait (oh lord, I went there...) that could add +1 Affinity per level up to maybe +5 when wielding a sword or dagger.

やっと目を覚ましたみたいタル。>.>;

Only real issue with Magic Fencer being tiered is whether we're worried about other jobs getting access to it by subbing RDM.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

How is making it so RDM defaults to a sword over a staff changing the job? RDMs have no skill in staff, they do have B+ in dagger and sword coincidence? In all the FF games that I've played RDM we could choose staff, dagger or sword to fight with. In fact they did rather well as melees in several versions. MY point isn't asking to make RDM a master DD but place the sword and dagger there over a staff without all the penlites associated with choosing that setup. I don't think a silly special sword is the way to go either, no gear isn't the answer. This should be something special that the job benefits from front line, back line or where ever provided a dagger or sword equipped in the main hand. This isn't game breaking or "COMPLETELY insane."

Back before shield mastery and other shield changes a lot of paladins used an earth staff as a main weapon. The reason was for the damage reduction. Soon after these shield changes they became better at helping the job. Players started shifting toward new setups reminiscent of holy knights. The result was players started equipping sword and board setups for the job. I know when I first started RDM way back I didn't find a staff in my inventory I found a dagger. I believe we was given a melee weapon because by design it's what was intended for the job. Unfortunately, the benefits of a staff forced the job to gear outside it's fantasy concept.

I can see the same thing happening here if finesse trait was given to RDM. It wouldn't mean RDM's would suddenly be front line DD's, just that we could do all the stuff you mentioned above without swapping a staff that we don't even have F skill in. In the case of paladin they at least had acceptable staff skill.

As for the combine, or multicast. Red mage cure 4 is too limited but they don't want us to have cure 5 so, why allow us to multicast cure 3 and cure 4 together. Insane, maybe but it's something unique that the devs haven't used yet to my knowledge. It wouldn't be giving away to much either or stealing from another job. After all, Fastcast isn't what it used to be. Now it's so common in gear or other buffs that even standard mages have it. At least RDM is getting quickcast.

Why not try and fix whats wrong. If anything the ideas I posted would make the job better at both back line and front line without sacrificing either.

I wouldn't waste your time with that one... It's basically 100% troll 0% anything else.