The Problem with Red Mage . . .

[Daniel_Hatcher]

RDM can't get more unique buffs due to the limits on simultanious magic effects on a character, but that is being addressed by the devs currently.
When that is done though, I could see RDM getting a host of new unique self-only buffs like Temper to mirror those traits of BLU. We might not get a Dual Wield trait, but we could get a Composure-like ability (lasting 2 hours) that gives it or a buff that increases existing Dual Wield (if subbed from NIN or DNC).
Perhaps I'm optimistic here, but maybe that's what Encomium's purpose will be: turn RDM melee in overdrive through the buffs.

I've never heard this as a reason.

I've heard of:

Limited spell slots, much more important to add rubbish such as Gravity II and a million BLU spells that will never get used because SE either break them or put them on 10 second duration timers (exaggeration)

Limited (5~10?) Recast timers on abilities.

[saevel]

Encomium was RDM's last best hope for fame. It failed.
But in the year of Adoulin's release, it became something greater.
Our last best hope.. for mediocrity!

Absolutely love that show btw.

Would definitely put RDM as the Narns.

[saevel]

RDM can't get more unique buffs due to the limits on simultanious magic effects on a character, but that is being addressed by the devs currently.
When that is done though, I could see RDM getting a host of new unique self-only buffs like Temper to mirror those traits of BLU. We might not get a Dual Wield trait, but we could get a Composure-like ability (lasting 2 hours) that gives it or a buff that increases existing Dual Wield (if subbed from NIN or DNC).
Perhaps I'm optimistic here, but maybe that's what Encomium's purpose will be: turn RDM melee in overdrive through the buffs.

Hmm I think you read SE's announcements wrong. There is no known limit to the simultaneous buffs on a player. Inside voidwatch I've filled all four bars and had buffs that kept being applied just not displayed. Two rolls + six songs + bravers + stalwarts + ascetics + usually stuff + Bergressor / LR / SE / fanatics / regain and RR. Tack on all your screens and your easily past the four line limit yet you can still get more of them on.

SE was talking about a finite amount of spell ID's. Basically every spell in the game has a unique ID number, its a small array in memory. Due to the PS2's dramatics memory limits there are hard caps on how big these arrays can get, this is what is responsible for your inventory limits, spell limits and the reason the auto-translate doesn't have anything new. They need to move beyond making everything compatible with the PS2's system memory in order for this game to go anywhere now.

[tyrantsyn]

My point is we don't need to be BLU to be good. We can be RDM and be good and the gear issue isn't really an issue so long as they keep putting out gear that we can actually use.

This game isn't fair, but that's not a reason to believe you deserve something just because someone else gets it. You deserve it because it makes sense and makes your job actually better. A Thaumus Coat is cool and all, but I would rather get something that is actually tailored to RDM rather than any DD in the game.

I'd rather see a Haste body that increases Enspell damage or adds Affinity, which by association would increase enspell damage. How about an affect that makes Double Attacks increase Enspell damage significantly? How about Enpsells Augmenting Attack and Accuracy by the amount of damage your enspells are doing.

RDM doesn't need to steal BLU's thunder, it needs it's own thunder.

Just to be clear on my end I never said anything about wanting RDM to be like BLU on the front line. Also I very happy with what SE has been doing with adding RDM to gear lately. Brego and Duck set are really nice, and the body off Morta is sweet as well. If anything I would just like to say don't stop adding them to new gear in the future. And yes tailor made gear for RDM would be nice.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Just to be clear on my end I never said anything about wanting RDM to be like BLU on the front line. Also I very happy with what SE has been doing with adding RDM to gear lately. Brego and Duck set are really nice, and the body off Morta is sweet as well. If anything I would just like to say don't stop adding them to new gear in the future. And yes tailor made gear for RDM would be nice.

I would love a special piece for all jobs, like the BlackBelt is for MNK, Aegis/Ochain is for PLD and Gjallarhorn/Daurdabla is for BRD.

[ManaKing]

Just to be clear on my end I never said anything about wanting RDM to be like BLU on the front line. Also I very happy with what SE has been doing with adding RDM to gear lately. Brego and Duck set are really nice, and the body off Morta is sweet as well. If anything I would just like to say don't stop adding them to new gear in the future. And yes tailor made gear for RDM would be nice.

Pip pip and cheerios. Agreed.

[Demon6324236]

I would love a special piece for all jobs, like the BlackBelt is for MNK, Aegis/Ochain is for PLD and Gjallarhorn/Daurdabla is for BRD.

Honestly I think all jobs should have a "Black Belt" not meaning as in the piece of gear itself, but their own version of it. A highly powerful piece of JSE that makes it stand out. I have always seen the Black Belt as something very awesome about MNK, and thought of it as kinda unfair that it is the only job in the game with a piece of gear like that.

[ManaKing]

It's a double edged sword though. Example DRG. Ryunohige or GTF Home. If you make something that good, it should be hard to get. If you make it too hard, you antiquate a job. While DRG's problems stem from Piercing being horrible against a couple of key enemy types, such as Undead, it's still disgustingly powerful when geared to the teeth and played by someone who understands the job. IMHO DRG is awesome and fun, but it lacks that alliance appeal that WAR, DRK, and MNK do. It's still probably the most destructive job in the game, but it has enough draw backs that people prefer a less specialized job.

I think JS gear is a really good idea, because it can easily be balanced....because it's only for 1 job. But it requires the Dev team to accurately capture the important elements of the job and highlight them. The lvl 89 JS weapons are a very good example of this kind of work. Most people are aware of several of these weapons, because they were so dynamic-ly powerful that they were the go-to weapon for people that didn't have empys or relics. The biggest draw back is that when you have to move past these kinds of equipment, if you do (obviously BB has gone nowhere....), then you create a lull which makes progress deceptively hard to evaluate.

My preferred idea for how to overcome that kind of lull, is to allow players to keep their unique toys, even if they move past them. Clearly a Widow Maker is not the best G. Axe, but who wouldn't want to keep the unique affect of increasing their double attack damage permanently? Even though you have to give up your toy, you'll be able to pick it up later and enjoy it's job specific goodness.

There are 2 simple ways to accomplish this. The first is to make those kinds of effects from JS equipment such as the lvl 89 weapons into quested job traits. The second would be to include it as an upgrade to Mythic weapons. Both solutions are potentially very punishing, because you can make the requirements very extreme. In the case of having to acquire a Mythic to begin with is an extremely large task, but considering the current state of Mythics, it wouldn't hurt to give them a boost.

I mentioned Mythics because once again they are Job Specific and every job only has 1. Most Empy and Relics have shared custody by jobs and very few people would be willing to create another of the same prestige weapon just because they wanted to get the most out of it for 2 different jobs. In fact the point of those weapons is that you can use them on multiple jobs and they are still very useful.

[Demon6324236]

In my opinion, Ryunohige is as good of an example as it is bad, all jobs have Mythics, its just one that truly makes a job stand out, the same can be said for a Kenkonken PUP, because with a KKK a PUP is a force to be reckoned with. However Black Belt is just a quested piece of JSE, so I would expect other jobs to get the same kind of thing, with the same kind of difficulty. No 1 Mythic is easier than another, so really I don't think the difficulty with these should be different. Another thing on why this should be done is MNK is getting another more powerful Black Belt with SoA, which means even more powerful of a piece of JSE. But I will agree, SE would have to make them have stats for what the job needs, and thats not always what SE seems to get so well.

[ManaKing]

I think BB is appropriate in the amount of work and reward you get for it. If they would make more of that level items, people would probably appreciate it.

Also, hows that additional affect: wrecks face treating you, because it's awesome.