I really don't understand why it would have to be Auras instead of Melee enhancing Debuffs. Saboteur Dia III IS Sexy after all. Having some other debuffs would do the same thing we wanted for all melees regardless of distance, bypassing the Sphere issue.

If damage really is an issue then the ability to do more should bypass that, correct? Or is this all an Epeen contest stating that if a RDM doesn't do as well as a mnk that they should never melee?

Adjusting gear and WSes the way Savelle described would close the Melee performance gap nicely. And you'd wind up with a complete, true jack of all trades job with a strong Enfeeblement and Enhancing leaning. (which would be what makes it a jack of all trades, in the end.)

Magic Wise I do believe RDM should lean far more towards damage mitigation than damage recovery. Cure V in that respect is toxic to that approach as it having it AND and ability to mitigate TP attacks could easily be conceived as overpowered (And more than enough to replace a WHM.)

I honestly beleive the real solution to RDM's general performance relies mostly upon the same enhancing and enfeebeling traits that SE listed in the manifesto.

Stronger Offensive and Deffensive Debuffs would solve RDM's Melee and Curing performance problems respectively.

Better buffs would assist RDM's various stats and allow RDM to rotate in buffs that assist whatever role they choose to go into. (though I'd like to see some Mage-leaning buffs for ourselves besides Gain MND/INT and Refresh II)

Then finally a JA that transfers buffs on ourselves to another player, which would flatly fix our buffing game, because we could turn any one player in our party into a god with as many self-buffs we have. (Haste, Phalanx, Stoneskin, Enspell, Aquaveil, Spikes Temper, Regen # Refresh # Barspell, Gainspell all at once would be a tremendous buff.)


It's really not hard. I just think SE's afraid of taking those wide steps.