--Increasing the level cap took the uniqueness of Refresh and Convert away from RDM. SCH took away the usefulness of RDM capped Enhancing. while also blocking Refresh and Haste from working with Accession. Despite all of these, players continued to hope that with upcoming enhancements to the Merit Categories and spell effects that RDM might get a saving grace. /cut/.
Good or bad, effective or useless, prior to the level-cap increase, RDM was viable for, amongst other things, Enfeebliing (Dia III, Dispel), Enhancing (Refresh, anyone?) and Endurance (Refresh+Convert). This
somewhat gave RDM relevance despite not having the higher tier magic spells of either White or Black schools of Magic.
--The melee aspect of RDM was already hindered due to the undeserved fear that everyone would become Avesta, and has been untouched since the dawn of time.
--The level cap, and subsequent enhancements made for WHM and BLM increased the gap between the "pure mages" and hybrid class, and by making Convert and Refresh sub-able reduced RDM to a "I wear it for looks" Chapeau class.