On Red Mage melee...

[Karbuncle]

RDM Melee does suffer a significant amount. You even pointed out exactly why, Casting lowers your DPS potential, and if you're not casting, You're not really a Red Mage, You're a Weak Warrior. So it is a conundrum.

Even with a Mandau and Exenterator (<3), RDM Melee is still difficult for me. I'm sure Chant would probably be better... I Just made Mandau for my THF. Need to work more on my WS gear too on RDM. my TP Set is a bit behind but still competitive.

You can do RDM Melee well on fodder content, For instance, in Dynamis you'd not be half bad if you gear right, But it just falls to the problem again, like in past Final Fantasy Titles, RDM can do a lot, just master none. You can cure, But not as good as WHM, you can nuke, not as good as BLM, you can melee, but not as good as WAR. RDM has always been a combination of jobs that favors adaptions over mastery.

Unfortunately in FFXI, SE has made them too mediocre, and they suffer greatly for it. Boosting their sword to an A- and actually giving them a few JT/JA on the side of Melee would be nice. I wish they'd make up their mind (Composure having +10 Accuracy comes ot mind....)

They have Enspells, Which could be so much more than they are now. one of the biggest (in my opinion, Non-complaints..) about Enspell is the removal of possible Haste Samba. My opinion is, RDM Should get a Job Trait, say level 30, That increases their Attack speed with Enspells on. Give it tiers to not be too powerful early on (Even though hasso.... grumblegrumble)

Level 30/50/70/90 - : Adds 3% Attack Speed Bonus with Enspell Active.
*Each Additional Tier +2, +3, +2 (Total of +10 Haste with Enspell, Same as Haste Samba, and Hasso, Counts as JA Haste).

Alternatively, Make it a Job Ability. Able to be kept up like hasso, but offer a small negative effect in return. Also would be nice to have equipment more designed toward Enspell/Enspell II, Like High Haste RDM-set with Enhancing magic skill. (If I'm not mistaken, Enspell II damage goes up based on your enhancing skill when you land the hit, Not the initial Cast, right? Or did that change...)

Theres a lot of potential with the job that would not overpower it. SE is so afraid of RDM returning to the days of Solo'ing everything, They've removed any light of what made it unique. Its an issue that needs to be addressed, but falls on deaf ears because its not their "Vision".

Mark of a bad game designer is ignoring any advice given and continuing down their path regardless of feedback. Having a "Vision" is nice, But games, even if just between Devs, are a collaborative journey. Between Devs, or Player Feedback. Not everyone can agree on RDM Melee, but every RDM in this forum would agree the job desperately needs something.

[Llana_Virren]

Just brainstorming... but with the manner in which players wish RDM could have meleed better, perhaps a JA or JT for Enspells would have been more appropriate than just the spells alone with/without Composure.

None of these are honest "suggestions" to revamping the FFXI incarnation of RDM, however, for the sake of argument, let's assume the FFXI environment for these suggestions:

====If Job Ability====
RDM.40
Instant, 5min Recast
Manablade (Allows you to target yourself with the following spells, granting an "additional effect" to your mainhand weapon:
(Additional effect chance and potency based on Enhancing Magic, despite Spell's native group)

Fire (creates Enfire, and random chance of "Additional Effect: STR down")
Water (creates Enwater, and random chance of "Additional Effect: MND down")
Thunder (creates Enthunder, and random chance of "Additional Effect: DEX down")
Stone (creates Enstone, and random chance of "Additional Effect: VIT down")
Aero (creates Enaero, and random chance of "Additional Effect: AGI down")
Blizzard (creates Enblizzard, and random chance of "Additional Effect: INT down")
Dia (creates Enlight, and random chance of "Additional Effect: Defense Down")*
Bio (creates Endark, and random chance of "Additional Effect: Attack Down")*

*Effect will stack with native spells Dia and Bio

==Merit Category (put current Tier II enfeebles on scrolls and replace with the following): Max per category 30:

=Appel (cost: 15 merit points ):
"Additional Effect: Fire Resistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: STR Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Water Resistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: MND Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Thunder Resistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: DEX Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Earth Reistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: VIT Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Wind Resistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: AGI Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Ice Resistence Down" added to "Additional Effect: INT Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Magic Defense Down" added to "Additional Effect: Defense Down" bonus
"Additional Effect: Magic Attack Down" added to "Additional Effect: Attack Down" bonus

=Riposte: cost: 15 merit points
Increases Parry rate, and grants additional effects to a parry, as if the parrying player had struck the target

=Insistence: cost: 15 merit points
If your attack is parried or blocked, immediately follow up with a second attack.

=Fleche: cost: 15 merit points
Sacrifice remaining enspell effect duration to boost the next attack. Chance of critical hit is increases with TP.z
(must wait 1 minute after using this ability before reapplying an enspell effect)

=Noblesse Oblige: cost: 15 merit points
Instant, 5min cooldown
When used before Manablade, allows the Enspell effect to be cast on another party member for full effect.

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or, if we didn't change the -way- Enspells worked, we could add:

====Job Trait====
Lv.45 Enspell Bonus I (Increases accuracy and attack speed while Enspell is in effect)
Lv.65 Enspell Bonus II
Lv.85 Enspell Bonus III

[Doombringer]

If I'm not mistaken, Enspell II damage goes up based on your enhancing skill when you land the hit, Not the initial Cast, right? Or did that change...

that is correct, and it is utter nonsense... why reward someone for NOT tping in melee gear? the spell is flawed at the very foundation... after that it's all suck-gravy.

i don't immediately take 80 dmg to my stoneskin as soon as i take off my buff gear? the fuck should my enspell drop 10 points?

the ability to swap gear is like... key to just about everything any job does in ffxi.. why take that away for one spell? sometimes i consider submitting a bug report about it..

like seriously you guys... the fuck?!