On Red Mage melee...

[Seriha]

While I'm not against enspells having additional effects, the problem with those listed is people will basically only pick one (Probably the DEF down), and using anything other than that one would make you a bad RDM.

And old idea I had ages ago involved giving RDM a couple stances whose effectiveness was then tied into enspell use. I had to dig a little on Alla to find it, but here it is. Some of the wordings from the pre-Abyssea/cap increase mindset, so spare me corrections relative to the current game.

First, let's come up with two stances. The first we'll call "Magic Fencer" and we'll loosely call this the Enhancing side. The second we'll call "Runic Knight" and let it emphasize offensive casting. Now, while either of these are active, Enspell damage inflicted will build toward a pool, a bit of a mix between Sublimation and DNC steps. For every 30 Enspell damage inflicted, you will gain 1 level in this pool, up to 3, that you can then apply to a spell via another set of abilities. We'll simply call them "Feedback I, II, and III" for sake of demonstration.

Magic Fencer effects with Feedback:

 
Feedback     I    II   III 
Duration: +30%  +65% +100% 
Phalanx:    +2    +4    +6 
Haste:     +3%   +4%   +5% 
Stoneskin: +15   +30   +45 
Regen:      +3    +4    +5 
Refresh:    +1    +2    +3 
Blink:      +1    +2    +3 
Aquaveil:  +5%  +10%  +15% 
Barspell:  +10   +20   +30 
Spikes:     +1    +2    +3 



Runic Knight effects with Feedback:

 
Feedback     I    II   III 
Duration: +30%  +65% +100% 
MACC:       +5   +10   +15 
MATK:       +5   +10   +15 
CMP:       +10   +20   +30 
Slow:      +3%   +4%   +5% 
Paralyze:   +1    +2    +3 
Blind:     +5%  +10%  +15% 
Poison:     +2    +4    +6 
Bio ATK:   +3%   +4%   +5% 
Dia DEF:   +3%   +4%   +5%

Prior to using any of these boosts, you'd have to pop the appropriate tier of Feedback before casting. It would only work for that spell and then deduct the appropriate amount from your Feedback pool. Feedback I would be first gained at 55, II at 65, III at 75.

For those interested in playing RDM as a tank or a more rounded party buffer (Especially with Accession), they'll probably flock to Magic Fencer. I'm on the fence with this stacking with Composure to allow like 12 minute Hastes and such on the RDM, but the main goal is to reduce your cast load on other people and therefore giving you more time to swing. These also technically eliminate the need for Haste II and Refresh II as spells, or at least allow the former to go to WHMs. Spikes enhancements are a bit more general, but figure Blaze to do more damage while Para and Stun proc more on the others.

Runic Knight should obviously portray itself as the offensive aspect. All enfeeble durations would be upped, making a RDM/BLM ES+Slow II comparable to a BRD's ES/Troub Elegy in duration. Paralyze would gain a minimum number of procs, Blind reduces ACC more, Poison gets more DoT, Bio/Dia's respective status downs also get a boost. The MATK is there if you want to partake in MBs. The presence of Conserve MP is to promote uptime since the costs of T2 debuffs and T3 nukes is rather high.

At present, a RDM with Enhancing Sword, Fencer's Ring latent active, Lycopodium Earring, Hollow Earring, and 300+ Enhancing Skill would get around +33 per strike on T1s if the mob isn't resistant or has Shell/MDB. Technically, a lot of RDMs would probably just use Joyeuse (and off-hand Justice) with Fencer's and settle for +25. This should allow time between recasts to build your pool up for another Feedback if you're going to be using exclusively on one spell. To some degree, it'd also allow hopping between modes if, say, starting a fight in Knight and switching to Fencer after landing your debuffs. Pools would also reset when switching, too.

Conceptually, I know some of this has the pro-backline seething about how it has no benefit to them. I'll just point out that if you're hanging back, you're likely swapping your weapons to up potency, something that isn't possible if you're sticking to a sword or dagger for TP gain. Being at a distance also limits the AoEs you endure while also cutting your enmity gain to spells you cast. Meanwhile, the melee RDM is building up melee enmity on top of what spells they do use. Your advantage is the safety net, and as far as nukes go, more potency.

Otherwise, some of the numbers are conservative. I'd actually want to make Phalanx's buff better, for example, and maybe change the MATK boosts to a universal elemental Affinity like the magian staves. Not as high, of course, but if you could match the old elemental staves for HQ, peachy.

[Supersun]

One big problem with that though is that our melee time could be drastically cut down from spamming Feedback so much. Maybe another solution is that the Feedback JAs are like on/off switches. If you have feedback III on for example it will automatically try and use 3 charges of feedback for any spell you cast and any spell you don't want to use feedback on because you want to save the charges you can turn feedback off.

It'll also allow a programming type method for how we want the game to handle feedback. If you have feedback II on it will always try to use 2 feedback charges if you have them or none at all. If you have lvl 3 on like mentioned before it will only try to use 3 charges or none at all. If you have lvl 2 AND 3 on it will try to use 3 charges and if you don't have 3 then it will try 2 charges and if you don't have that it won't use it at all.

That's just in example though, but making feedback a JA you have to activate for every spell would certainly eat our melee time

[Seriha]

It's an option, yeah. Could also just pop one, then any spell cast in a 10s window could have the appropriate buff. Obviously if you're munching through fodder mobs, you probably won't need to use it every single fight, of which point extending your buff durations for everyone might be more beneficial. I just look at is as something to offer spice without simply being about MOAR DAMAGE.

[HFX7686]

I have no interest for more melee skill on my RDM. I'd like to see more usefulness for Enfeebling Magic before melee skill. I find meleeing dull. While others may like to see this, this kind of enhancement would do nothing for my personal game play style.

[Supersun]

If you ever are using Aeolian Edge, use a Martial Knife. Nothing else even comes remotely close.

[Cryptic]

I think that if we are masters of fencing, then we should be able to dual wield. If red mage had dual wield besides going /nin or /dnc, we could choose other subjobs that could enable us to WS selection.

It would also be cool if RDM had a way of casting -aga version of buffs, in a way similar to sch, then we could be front of the line, and still buff and enfeeble. Boom, I've solve the problem on how to fix RDM.

I have a Khanda+2 OA2-4, and i am working on another at the moment. Outside of Abyssea when i am in yellow hp, i equip the fencers earring [ latent effect: +5 enspell dmg under 100tp] and get atleast +100 additional damage on top of my initial attack as RDM/DNC. When i have too i'll have the potential of doing +200Add.dmg, on top of an initial, lets say, 200-400 dmg for a total of ~600 dmg. No atma, and depending on the mob.

I think Red Mage should get gear that adds damage to en spell, similar to how the fencer earring works, except without the latent effect. Would even be cool to get a trial weapon that added +25Add.dmg to your enspell.

[Supersun]

That's the Fencing Ring that adds +5 enspell damage.

Also, just to stop you before you get any further...The Khanda +2 is rare, you can only have 1.
While your idea does sound nice and all are you really losing that much damage comparatively by replacing one of your weapons with a dagger and actually getting a good weapons skill?

Now if we happened to get an elemental sword WS natively that would be a whole different story on the other hand.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Wow, stupid fingers tonight. >.<

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Just sub nin like a good boy and dual wield the new and old anhancing swords.

[Trangnai]

I Disagree with allowing us to dual wield, we are a jack of all trades, if they give us every thing we need then we would just be a melee job that casts spells :P. Yes, it would allow us other sub job options, but honestly i feel needing the sub job to allow us additional melee support is something that should be. However our own lack of melee support is the issue. We should have a little bit of everything. the issue is most of our abilities are only for magic purposes. Hence why i believe we should get unique melee boosts, our own set of JA/JTs that take advantage of what rdm melee already has going for it.

After looking through Update History. I noticed that rdm had its skill rank in its weapons increased at curtain times as well as curtain skills removed (Marksmanship) assuming these increases were a full rank it seen one dagger skill increase and 2 sword skill increases making it C dagger and D Sword Initially, This explains the lack of Weapon Skills for sword, Due to most initial jobs having the WSes it is missing had B- or higher. It should be noted that only 2 jobs currently do not fit that criteria now, rdm and cor. Its possible SE missed this when increasing skill levels. As they slowly worked there way to making rdm the sword wielder it is now. Its most notable that SE originaly intended them to be a dagger user, hence why we start the game with a dagger.