SE, Temper Activation Rate

[cidbahamut]

Dangit Cid, I was on a roll! lol

I can't provide the numbers on exactly how many RDM's wanted melee boosts, but considering the absolute lethargy the dev team has had involving anything RDM related since before even Abyssea, the fact that they have taken the time to do something should show there was at least enough demand to grab their attention. Even the JP playerbase has been clamoring for it from what I hear(can't quote it, I can't read japanese). So, it's sort of just saying the existence of a sizable boost says how much of a demand there is. Getting new self-only spells that are specifically for melee(Temp, Gain-STR, DEX, etc) should tell you that there is indeed a sizable demand. Far more than some of the mage-only enthusiasts would lead you to believe.

See, it's that lethargy that has me worried, since I don't trust SE to hand out a balanced set of updates that appeal to everyone. The fear is that they'll shift their focus to finally enhancing melee and the mage side (and subsequently Red Mage as a whole) will suffer for it. If not through active nerfs then certainly through the same kind of neglect they showed melee for years.

Temper is the only thing so far that's clearly designed as a melee update. Gain STR and DEX are simply the continuation of an already existing line of buffs. We knew they were coming and their arrival does not signify anything more than that.

Lastly, demand is only an indicator of popularity, not of something's worth. Earth Staff/turtle Paladins were popular for a while but that didn't make them good. Make the case for the usefulness of your playstyle, but don't confuse popularity for merit, especially when most of FFXI's population wears their pants on their head.

And yes, nuking can provide a sizeable amount of damage, but how many nukes are you getting off while cycling through spells? And this just brings us back to the question of why even have a RDM in the party; if I want someone standing in the back nuking, I can think of a job I'd rather have, that can still provide cures and buffs /whm(BLM, anyone?).

Depends. Shit's situational.

It's situational; some mobs, magic damage from nuking is ineffective. Some mobs are weak to weapons(qutrubs, for example), so weapon damage would be more ideal I would think. Also, consider melee doesn't carry the casting time and mp cost that nuking does; I can still cure, buff, and enfeeble, with melee attacks slipping through in between(and during) the spells being cast.

Melee carries no mp cost or casting time, but what it does carry is a prohibitive TP:damage ratio. We're still going to end up back at the time old mantra of "Shit's situational", that will never change.

Nitpicking: melee attacks don't actually occur during casting, it's just how the animation plays out.

Melee 100% of the time is not optimal, and isn't even what a lot of us are asking for.

And again, SE is already working on new and fixing old enfeebles. So again, nobody is taking your staff away from you.

I'm happy to add Temper to my arsenal for when I go Dark Ring farming, but I don't really consider it to be a major addition to our job. It's a fun little toy to help out on mauling fodder mobs, but we could already pull that off fairly well.

SE said they would fix enfeebles, but they also said they're pretty ok with how things have been in regards to damn near every NM having a ton of immunities to said enfeebles, so I am understandably concerned in that regard. I'd also like to point out again that lack of active removal of functionality does not preclude the possibility of neglect(as evidenced by Red Mage's melee situation for the last eight years).