On Red Mage melee...

[Hyrist]

You really don't like reading long posts, do ya cid?

[cidbahamut]

Being verbose when brevity would be better irritates me, yes. What was your point?

[Hyrist]

Seems more like you don't like reading reasons backing up claims, I had more than one.

1. Taking you at your personal experiences isn't any better then citing mules.

2. Regardless of it being mules, chain-casting isn't a constant (cited a non-mule example) as sated previously.

3. Conversations in the thread need to tone down to contain less hyperbole.

4. (New topic: ) Multiple Red Mages during an event tends to noticeably cut down on time Spent casting for all RDM's participating.

5. There does not seem to be enough utility for RDM's to take the front lines on Voidwatch mobs.

[Greatguardian]

Chain casting is not a constant.

































.... But it should be. Suboptimal Red Mages will always exist. If you want to use the lowest common denominator as an example, go ahead. Do they have the time to melee? Sure. Should they be using that time to cast? Yes. Will they? Probably not.

I chain-cast at all times on Red Mage. If I'm not casting, I'm repositioning and then casting. Or I'm pulling then casting. Or I'm kiting then casting. Or I'm AFK, then casting. But mainly I'm just casting. If have time to idle, you have time to find more things to cast.

.... Oh god, Pchan was right.

[SpankWustler]

Note: Neither of these RDMs are mules, nor are they chaincasting the entire fight.

Why do people who record this kind of thing always have the same taste in music as a seventeen year-old, middle-class, white girl?

I've found casting load to be either boom or bust on any job that I've ever played in a support role. Even within one fight, things can change if stuff goes from "smooth" to "just past awful". I just consider the huge variance as something that comes along with the support role, and although this is entirely personal taste, I like the changes of pace that occur.

[SpankWustler]

Or I'm AFK, then casting.

My equipment set for leaving my character in a safe spot while I wander into my kitchen to make an over-easy egg and arugula sandwich on toast is suspect, I think. What do you currently use?

Also, P-chan is never right! You can use an idle set while pulling or repositioning or kiting, right?! I must hold out hope in my heart that P-chan is never right, because holy ducks, he has an awful attitude about everything and everyone and everywhere forever.

[Greatguardian]

Depends on what I'm fighting and how much I care. Generally I'll just sit in PDT, since it's highly unlikely I'd be fighting trash while on Red Mage anyways. If I'm fighting something magic-heavy, I'll put on MDT. If I somehow end up on Red Mage for trash mobs, I'll just idle in full Refresh/MP and burn off the excess in free low potency spells when I get back. I can make ffxiah sets if you want specific examples.

I still have Idle sets, I just use them more for running between places and AFK'ing than actual combat. And yeah, I'll idle during kiting and repositioning.

[cidbahamut]

4. (New topic: ) Multiple Red Mages during an event tends to noticeably cut down on time Spent casting for all RDM's participating.

I had at least two other Red Mages in the alliance by the end of the night and my casting load didn't really change, it just meant I wasn't solely responsible for keeping every enfeeble up.

Shit's situational, as usual.

[SpankWustler]

Depends on what I'm fighting and how much I care. Generally I'll just sit in PDT, since it's highly unlikely I'd be fighting trash while on Red Mage anyways. If I'm fighting something magic-heavy, I'll put on MDT. If I somehow end up on Red Mage for trash mobs, I'll just idle in full Refresh/MP and burn off the excess in free low potency spells when I get back. I can make ffxiah sets if you want specific examples.

I still have Idle sets, I just use them more for running between places and AFK'ing than actual combat. And yeah, I'll idle during kiting and repositioning.

No need to go to that much trouble, but thanks for the offer. I was really just joking about ideal equipment to wear while AFK and the horrifying concept of P-chan being right.

I had at least two other Red Mages in the alliance by the end of the night and my casting load didn't really change, it just meant I wasn't solely responsible for keeping every enfeeble up.

You did, however, draw the shortest straw amongst the Red Mages and end up with one depressing merit in Blind II in case that was a proc. Oh, Voidwatch...

[Hyrist]

Chain casting is not a constant.

.... But it should be.

I really disagree.

This isn't your typical MMO in which the best thing you can do is spam your cooldowns every time their up. Timing is, and possibly should be even more important than it is currently.

As I said before, being available to stun is a good reason to have idle time, and not to mention what idling in idle gear. Waiting for specific combinations to align on your cooldowns, skillchaining, bursting, procing. They all make being able to gauge your timing more worthwhile, to various degrees. That kinda got lost in the Zerg Mentality of ToAU but it at least seems to be making a comeback, and rightfully so as they were fun mechanics to be had (so long as they didn't horrendously limit job viability.)

I really do hope that SE makes coordinating with your team better as the game progresses, as it seems to become more and more of a lost art in MMOs.