How can SE make the Redmage frontline job?

[Protey]

RDM can do Front line as long as they don't "SUCK"

in other words............. Keep PT Alive (HEAL) , ENFEEBLE enemy , Buff PT , Dispell enemy , Nuke Enemy.

Keep all those up + DD

I myself and several other RDM in my LS manage to do that (you won't have a SINGLE Second to Rest , however that is what RDM is all about........ ^^ Have fun)

I disagree with the curing the party part. Assist cure, yes that I would agree with. Main heal? no way, not unless it is designated before hand, and then you aren't going to be meleeing because you're going to have to be in refresh gear and have ballads or some other kind of mp recovery buffs over melee buffs. Obviously if the whm dies, then yes you would take over as main healer, but then you stop meleeing at that point too. It's the same with being backup tank. you stop doing other things to hold the NM while the PLD recovers. This requires that others have a bit of sense though. They need to stop hitting the mob as RDM doesn't have much in the way of hate gaining tools. When in this situation, I would have the WHM stop curing the DDs and the DDs stop hitting. I would cure the DDs until I have hate. Then I turtle up and wait for the PLD to recover.

Also, if you're meleeing, why would you be nuking? I can understand on Laevvid to cast a water nuke every 1000 TP to make it take melee damage, but other than that why would you nuke when meleeing? By definition you can't do them at the same time.

[Demonjustin]

I disagree with the curing the party part.

Also, if you're meleeing, why would you be nuking?

You took the words right outta my mouth. The rest we can cover, but those two are kinda impossible to do while on the front lines, the latter is really more an "either or" rather than an "as well as".

[Dale]

You took the words right outta my mouth. The rest we can cover, but those two are kinda impossible to do while on the front lines, the latter is really more an "either or" rather than an "as well as".

It's not that hard to melee then switch into nuke gear to magic burst off a skill chain for example - which I think is in sync with the job's design. So I don't understand why you don't think Red Mage can nuke while on the front lines. Why can't they?

Even the Red Mage specific sword in Port Jueno has magic damage on it. So I'd say SE intended for the Red Mage to mix it up with melee and elemental magic. Though I'll admit its effectiveness is pretty situational. But most things are.