Quote Originally Posted by Karbuncle View Post
This is where our opinions differ then. If your support team can do the job without you just fine, like they should, using "More support !" as an excuse isn't good enough my friend.

You could technically throw out a Hastega, But what good group puts a SMN in the Melee party? rhetorical question none do nor should. SMN is best served in a BLM or Tank party. BLM party for Diabolos Whoring, Perhaps the Occasional Shiva-Favor or Diabolos' MAB Ward, and Tank party for Earthern Armor for higher teir VNMs (Its very helpful).

But again i say, Those fall under Bloodpacts. Outside of that If you're /WHM, You get Na's, and a few cures, and haste. thats all the uses from sub job WHM, on /SCH you get the same minus Haste.

So i'm not quite sure what you're trying to say at this point so I'll wait for another response and go from there. I still believe you can't do anything on SMN inbetween BP's that a Mage in your party should already be handling.

Sure, you could help, but realistically they don't need it. Obviously as I said if something huge happens like multiple people getting hit by an AoE due to bad luck, You help cure/na, But that shouldn't happen very often.

There are exceptions to the above, But they happen rarely or only as you said (and as we dont want to bring up) happen in groups where your mages are sub-par and cannot handle their tasks adequately.
My point is that when on SMN I am that mage that you claim should be handling it. I've been in melee parties and buffed them well, with no complaints. If I'm on SMN there's at most a WHM in the party so my support helps alot more than you think.

SMN support is only superflous if support is already covered, but the same is true of any support role. I wouldnt put a SMN in a group with a WHM + another support mage as that would be overkill, but SMN contributes just fine if it's SMN + WHM or RDM or SCH as the support in a party.