RDM Balance ...

[saevel]

The melee side of RDM is actually pretty easy to fix.

#1 give all sword WS, period no room for discussion (a player shouldn't expect to have CDC just to accepted)
#2 put RDM on all the BLU/DNC/NIN/THF gear (we used to be on all this gear, then suddenly SE stuck us on SMN/WHM/BLM gear that even those jobs didn't really want). SE has a history of making really good melee gear, and absolute sh!t mage gear. I'm just happy they didn't screw our Emp Armor up.

Those top two will fix most of the issues.

#3 Fix enspells, all of them. Either modify their formula so that they scale differently post 300 skill, or create a new tier that does scale well. SE could easily double the damage on enspells and it still wouldn't be close to being broken.

*Poof* melee fixed.

Mage is a tad more difficult, mostly due to people not wiling to accept balance issues and wanting to turn RDM into SCH or WHM-1.

Enfeebling, add stat down enfeebles. Monsters already use them, the effect's already exist. I'm talking the icons for "defense down", "attack down", "magic defense down", "evasion down" and so forth, basically everything the GAXE Break line does in spell form. Make sure HNM's are not resistant to these, their not overpowered and would aid immensely to fights.

Enhancing, adjust accession to work with ALL enhancing magic, period, end of story. This will fix lots of stuff, but still we're lacking. I'd suggest making the "Gain-Stat" spells work just like the "Boost" spells, or make them into an aura effect like the VWNM atmacites work. People would be much happier with you on the front line if you were able to boost everyone's STR or DEX.

Healing magic, here is where everyone sh!ts a brick and throws a tantrum. I'd like to break out of the "spam cure" mentality that's been going around. It's unhealthy for a game to be that way. I personally feel that we would get more mileage out of Regen line due to them being enhancing magic and thus work with composure and our various buffs. Change Regen II to 60, add Regen III / IV to RDM, these need to happen (Regen IV is 600Hp over 60s, slightly over 1K HP with our full Emp set). Then add a special RDM only HoT (heal over time) spell with a base duration of 30s (10 ticks) but a potency of 50 that goes up with more enhancing magic, possibly capping out at 80. This would give the RDM the ability to hand out hate free HP and wouldn't step on the WHM's cure toes. Regen is a HP prevention method more then a HP recovery method, tank gets hit for 200, recovers 30 (regen IV) and so forth.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Ohh to the contrary, I never said to only have one job. SCH should definitely get Cure V under app.white, it fits their motif. RDM should be getting the rest of the Regen's and possible a super HoT.

Ultimately giving RDM "Cure V" is a very short sighted, all it does is turn

Haste
Refresh
Cure IV

into

Haste
Refresh
Cure V

Blizz~~ (Leader: What are you DOING, stop nuking, that's MP you can use for more Cure V, and my haste's been down for 5s put it back up NOW).
Nothing actually changes, RDM plays the same as in 2004. This is something SE is attempting to change right now.

DoT is SCH's thing so as such it is SCH's to have HoT, Hello (earlier than WHM) Regen and Regen II.

RDM needs Cure V, not to take over WHM's job, but because IV doesn't cut it anymore. The day SCH gets a Cure spell earlier, and before RDM who has learned them all several levels before SCH is the day I finally put RDM in this bin.

[ShadowViper]

@ Saevel - Giving us just the WS's wouldnt change a thing w/o giving us better skill rating. DRK has all the WS's yet unless its for a souleater spam with a multihit weapon (ridill usually) would never be allowed to use sword in a normal party. You can argue its because they have better options but really what makes them better options, the skill rating. To truly prove this why is it for endgame events you would never see DRK use AXE or GA, while War who does use those don't use GS or Scythe, again its cause skill level plays that much of a role in it.

Again as for the mage side ya it would really need more of unique spells that would warrant wanting a rdm past refresh. As for the spells you suggested we sorta have that with DIA, BIO and gravity, we are missing a magic defence down though which would be nice, though DIA/BIO does do this it would be nice to have a non dot to do this sorta like how blu got enervation which does both def and mdef. As for the regens I really wouldn't want higher tiers versus AOE versions, with higher tiers we will go from spamming refresh to spamming refresh/regen, neither would be game breaking since other jobs all ready have ways of doing this naturally.

[saevel]

Then you might as well do it now then. SE isn't going to give Cure V anytime before SCH, the recent updates should of shown that.

Plus, it would seriously suck in the long run. Absolute quickest way to be turned back into WHM-1 with your most important piece of equipment being a light staff (or the Magian Staff) is to have Cure V natively. PT leaders see WHM's for

Cure V
Paralyna
Silena
Cursna
Stona
Viruna
Erase
Haste

And that's pretty much it. The only thing out of that list that RDM/WHM doesn't get is Cure V, and you can be 100% guaranteed that should you get it, your job will forever be spamming Cure on people.

It's a simple fact of all MMO's. Nobody wants to be the healer, the healers rarely get recognition for the outstanding job they do (and is the reason I always thank my healers). The job tends to be boring and you do the exact same things over and over again, especially in FFXI where the healing system is so simple and crude. Due to this PT / LS leaders will always have a hard time finding and keeping full time healers, so they'll scrounge and take from whatever they can. Right now their pretty much forced to use WHM's as their main healing source, us being RDM's means they rarely look at us for this duty. Should we get Cure V, PT/LS leaders will then turn to us as an alternative to WHM's for main healers. Now I didn't level RDM to be a WHM-1, that isn't my play style and won't ever be my play style. And I'm fairly positive most of my RDM brethren here feel the same, we don't mind assisting the healers and taking care of things, we we loath being forced into mind numbing cure spamming. PT/LS leaders don't care about this, all they want is healers for their events, thus if you have RDM leveled you ~WILL~ be a main healer, else its /break pearl at worst, at best you'll just get rude comments made and dirty looks from everyone else in your shell and be passed over for loot.

[saevel]

@ Saevel - Giving us just the WS's wouldnt change a thing w/o giving us better skill rating. DRK has all the WS's yet unless its for a souleater spam with a multihit weapon (ridill usually) would never be allowed to use sword in a normal party. You can argue its because they have better options but really what makes them better options, the skill rating. To truly prove this why is it for endgame events you would never see DRK use AXE or GA, while War who does use those don't use GS or Scythe, again its cause skill level plays that much of a role in it.

*Cough*
Wrong, we're exactly 19 skill behind BLU, which turns out to be 19 accuracy and 19 attack, 9.5% hit rate. Skill rate means absolutely nothing now.

And to prove this, on WAR with swords (exact same rank as RDM) I whip out 3K+ vorpals in Abyssea and 1~2K Vorpals outside. As a DRK (less then WAR / RDM) I can do the same, unless I have SE up then it's ridiculously high, but that's just BNS.

Ignore skill, it's useless nowadays. 76+ everyone go the exact same rate of increase's, A+ got the same as A- got the same as B and B-.

Also DRK's don't use Axe/Sword because Desperate Blows doesn't work with 1H weapons and /SAM exists. DB is +25% Haste whenever LR is up, which is now a 3min duration with the same recast options that Berserk has. DRK got stuck in a bad position for Abyssea, inside they ~COULD~ use Vorpal / Rampage but they'd lose out on DB buff. Outside their Scyth does a much better job due to no crazy +crit atma's being present. I could go into some pretty detailed math on this, but would be better to redirect you to the DRK forums on Alla for it.

In short, PLD, the highest ranked sword user does less damage then my WAR's sword, not because of skill or gear but because they lack offensive JA / JT. As RDM's we fit in the same category, our only offensive melee JA is Composure for +15 accuracy, JT is non-existent. This actually brings us to 4 acc (2%) behind BLU, but then both can get Acc Bonus depending.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Well in this stage of the game outside of gearing RDM, I don't play as it, useless job as it stands.

Going on history if they give SCH it they'll give RDM it first.

I will go on that rather than a random who's using the fact they said they didn't plan on giving it to SCH (yet) as reasoning to not give it to RDM.

Will I be wrong? possibly. Time will tell.

[Neisan_Quetz]

You left out no -aga cures (can actually lose 0 mp on these depending on sub/targets hit and healed), no Auspice, no Esuna, no Misery/Solace, no cureskin, (inside only) no VI, no ability to remove multiple enfeebles at once or transfer to self for Misery Esuna, no Divine Benison, no new JA reducing Magic damage for party members, no AoE stat gain spells.

[saevel]

Well in this stage of the game outside of gearing RDM, I don't play as it, useless job as it stands.

Going on history if they give SCH it they'll give RDM it first.

I will go on that rather than a random who's using the fact they said they didn't plan on giving it to SCH (yet) as reasoning to not give it to RDM.

Will I be wrong? possibly. Time will tell.

And this is your problem, you use the job as a healer although you have melee leanings. I've used it as various things since 2003 and plan to continue doing so until the server explodes.

RDM is not useless, the only thing different at 90 from 75 is that we can't be main healers anymore. If all you ever did was main heal, then yes the job will feel useless, but then why didn't you play WHM anyway? I mean your doing the exact same things, but WHM has so much more to offer for healing then what any RDM (even one with Cure V) could possible do. Are you a masochist?

[ShadowViper]

Well part of the reason we got it earlier than pld for the early half of games was because we were the second healer class. When sch came out if they would of given cures for the first half of our lvs to SCH before RDM, until 41 RDM would of found itself having an extemely difficult time finding parties.

Giving SCH CURE 5 while under the effect of add. White wouldn't be game breaking it would allow the game to have a decent second healer and would fit since SCH does have a higher skill rating than us and was designed to be closer to a WHM or BLM alternative. Also with the solo part, yes anything we nuke they can nuke but outside of abys most HNM/endgame NM's RDM doesn't typically nuke kill they melee kill such as genbu back when it really was an achievement to solo. SCH could never do this with their weapon ratings and defence capabilities.

RDM was never intended to be a WHM or BLM alternative, and the biggest reason we got refresh wasn't to be a chain casting mage but was so we could be frontlines w/o the need to rest as frequently. The problem was w/o the AOE version of it and haste we became the chain casters that RDM is best known as now.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

And this is your problem, you use the job as a healer although you have melee leanings. I've used it as various things since 2003 and plan to continue doing so until the server explodes.

RDM is not useless, the only thing different at 90 from 75 is that we can't be main healers anymore. If all you ever did was main heal, then yes the job will feel useless, but then why didn't you play WHM anyway? I mean your doing the exact same things, but WHM has so much more to offer for healing then what any RDM (even one with Cure V) could possible do. Are you a masochist?

Wrong! I never used it as a healer, I specifically changed to my WHM when I was asked to heal.

One of it's main things is Enfeebles which on hNMs was always mostly worthless and even Abyssea has furthered that, with it now turning to voidwatchNMs.

My RDM was and will forever be a backup healer or main healer if a WHM can't be found, if the WHM healed someone and then a DD grabbed hate, I'd heal to help the WHM. Along with splitting the load where Haste was concerned. My issue is and forever will Cure V is not a capable heal anymore, wasn't in Abyssea and it's becoming more obvious it's not in Voidwatch now.

This gives RDM the massive role of... erm!?

My arguement was more with the fact RDM always got cures before SCH, and it shouldn't change not now, not ever.

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People are not giving WHM enough credit now. Giving SCH and RDM Cure V wouldn't take away from them now. Most of their issues are mostly gone and the bonuses are not worth loosing anymore.