RDM Enhancing magic needs a boost

[Eth]

Red mages are the enhancing magic experts in the game, but their uniqueness and desirability for the specific purpose of enhancing has decreased considerably with recent updates.

Haste, one of the most important enhancing magic spells, has always been shared with WHM who even gets it 8 levels earlier. With the recent increases in the level cap, any /WHM can haste, and soon every /RDM will be able to haste as well. On top of that, SMNs now have a practically useful hastega.

At 75 cap, refresh was another one of the most important enhancing magic spells, but due to the fact that /rdm now gets it, it is no longer a distinguishing characteristic of RDM. Granted, RDM now gets Refresh II, but with so many new refresh pieces for mages, /rdm refresh and convert, Ballad III, Ochain for PLD and siphon for SMNs, red mage refresh just doesn't carry the same weight anymore even outside Abyssea. Inside Abyssea, due to the immense power of refresh atmas and temp items additional refresh effects are almost irrelevant anyway.

PLDs can now Phalanx themselves. With capped enhancing skill at 90, no enhancing merits and enhancing gear, I believe they can get 28 dmg absorbed per hit, which is almost equal to a RDM's Phalanx II with 5 merits.

In terms of bar spells, RDM has always played second fiddle to WHMs who have Cleric's Pantaloons, and the Orison Attire +2 Set has now made WHM elemental bar spells even stronger.

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I have several ideas to make RDM once again into a unique and highly desirable enhancer.

- Haste II. Haste II has X% more haste than normal haste, and magic and total haste caps are ignored when adding X. X could be 5%.

- A job trait that greatly increase the activation rate of bar status spells (including the AoE versions with /whm) so that they are useful enough to cast.

- A 5 minute "enhancing seal" that greatly increases the potency of the next enhancing spell. It could

* increase the potency of Haste and the "X" of Haste II
* add 2 MP for each tick of refresh and refresh II
* add 50 to bar-element spells
* further improve the activation rate of bar-status spells
* remove the stoneskin dmg cap
* give blink 2 additional shadows for a total of 4
* make sneak and invisible effective against true-sound and true-sight NMs
* greatly increase en-spell damage
* greatly increase spike damage and activation rate for stun from shock spikes
* make erase remove 2 effects
* double Phalanx and Phalanx II effect
* double the stat increase from Gain spells
* boost the defense and magic defense from Protect and Shell spells.

- introduce new unique enhancing spells such as:

* two new stealth category spells, one that causes magic not to aggro magic-aggroing monsters, and one that causes low HP not to aggro undead monsters. These would be party target and would not wear off while under attack. This would be very useful to cast on a tank in an NM fight near undead or magic aggro monsters.

* native RDM teleportation. One spell to 'set' an arbitrary location in-game as a return-to point, and a second spell, Return, to warp back to that location. Self-target only.

* Phalanx III: doesn't just nullify a certain amount of damage but absorbs it (i.e. heals the character for that amount). Party target.

* A party-target spell to reduce the remaining duration of the weakness status effect.

* A party-target spell to increase spellcasting range by 50%.

[wildsprite]

the SMN hastega is the same as WHM haste but doesnt last as long unless SMN caps their summoning magic skill

[rog]

Red mages are the enhancing magic experts in the game

When did that happen?

[wildsprite]

enhancing while it is a primary skill for RDM is secondary to enfeebling and I wouldnt exactly call RDM experts at enhancing

[Duelle]

I'd cosign buffing our self-cast enhancing spells and putting more emphasis on self-cast enhancing spells (specially ones that help us in melee) way before I'd want to buff the support-type spells. Buffing enspells, giving us Saber, Double/Triple and finishing the Gain line of spells (and lowering the level req for them, as lv81 makes them seem lackluster) are more in line with what we can do in enhancing.

If you want masters of buffing, you need not look further than Bard and Corsair. Let them have and keep the party buff role.

[Eth]

When did that happen?

It's always been part of the definition of the job. Let me quote

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Red_Mage

"Their real strengths lie in their mastery of enhancing and enfeebling skills when within a party.."

That RDM is meant to be the game's premiere enhancing job is also evident in the fact that it has the highest enhancing magic skill, B+. White Mage only has C+.

[Eth]

If you want masters of buffing, you need not look further than Bard and Corsair. Let them have and keep the party buff role.

You're welcome to your personal opinion, but you have to respect the fact that some people's game revolves around the HNM experience, and that they couldn't care less for RDM melee. These players like myself think of RDM as playing an essential supporting role and we would like to keep it that way.

[rog]

It's always been part of the definition of the job. Let me quote

http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Red_Mage

"Their real strengths lie in their mastery of enhancing and enfeebling skills when within a party.."

That RDM is meant to be the game's premiere enhancing job is also evident in the fact that it has the highest enhancing magic skill, B+. White Mage only has C+.

So...never?


Whm may have a lower skill, but they get all the better spells.

[wildsprite]

You're welcome to your personal opinion, but you have to respect the fact that some people's game revolves around the HNM experience, and that they couldn't care less for RDM melee. These players like myself think of RDM as playing an essential supporting role and we would like to keep it that way.

personally I hate this opinion, I dont play RDM to be a support player, people that try to make me just do support truly make me angry, if I want to be support I'll play WHM or SCH, but not RDM

[Eth]

personally I hate this opinion, I dont play RDM to be a support player, people that try to make me just do support truly make me angry, if I want to be support I'll play WHM or SCH, but not RDM

Yeah I've played with plenty of red mages in parties who thought that support was not their role. Politeness forbids me from telling you what I think about them.