Red Mage Re-envisioned.

[Dyvid]

From the get go, RDM has always been a class that uses both black and white magic (aka casts supportive and damaging spells) and uses a sword. The sword has always been the iconic weapon for the RDM. A staff wielding mage who sits in the back in light armor who casts black and white magic is a Scholar and is already represented in the game. A sword wielding mage who wears slightly heavier armor is a Red Mage.

If they got the BRD treatment as a (melee) DPS with supportive abilities (ie Refresh as an MP version of Goad) they'd fit perfectly into the game while still maintaining their iconic look and feel.

FFXI =/= FF series. You can give my version of Red Mage a rapier and still have them be a healer. Also SCH is a book wielding healer who uses fairies and barrier spells in FFXIV.

Don't limit yourselves to what FFXI did but look at the entire series. If the devs did that we would just have FFXI-2 with little hope of seeing Magitek armor, Golden Saucer, or Ultros and Gilgamesh.