But it's a sword.

[Isala]

Having played RDM is pretty much every single Final Fantasy... This is definitely one of the better ways they could have done RDM. People keep throwing around the "Not proficient in melee in FFXIV." Take a look at I, III, and V. RDM there could stab a guy. He could do it fairly well. But his magical nukes were still more powerful, especially if you exploited the elemental weaknesses. Here, no elements. Ergo, no weakness. So, yeah, we have more of a focus on magic, to build up to said melee. That's not to say you still can't stab a guy. It's not optimal, no. But neither was spamming the Fight command during any of the older FFs outside of trash anyway. As soon as a boss appeared, you started slinging spells. Why is that suddenly an issue that RDM here is doing what RDMs have been doing for 30 years? We even have a bloody heal spell that can be dualcasted, and it doesn't completely suck. And, we can spam it so much more than a PLD can use Clemency. How, I ask, are any of these things a "terrible affront to all things Red Mage"?

[Duelle]

People keep throwing around the "Not proficient in melee in FFXIV." Take a look at I, III, and V. RDM there could stab a guy. He could do it fairly well. But his magical nukes were still more powerful, especially if you exploited the elemental weaknesses. Here, no elements. Ergo, no weakness. So, yeah, we have more of a focus on magic, to build up to said melee. That's not to say you still can't stab a guy. It's not optimal, no. But neither was spamming the Fight command during any of the older FFs outside of trash anyway. As soon as a boss appeared, you started slinging spells. Why is that suddenly an issue that RDM here is doing what RDMs have been doing for 30 years?

Limitations of turn-based combat. The rules change when you go into any form of live combat, because turn-based combat has no way to mechanically tie melee and magic (which is why in the console FFs RDM was mediocre, since the lack of hybrid mechanics left spells and sword segregated from one another). Using Fight one turn did not do anything for your spells the next turn. Likewise, using spells didn't have any effects on the Fight command. Overall, there's mechanics that come into play in live combat that turn-based combat do not have.

To help illustrate this, here's some examples:

- Melee skills reduce or negate cast times
- Melee skills allow the next spell to deal higher damage
- Melee skills alter the effect/behavior of the next spell cast
- Stacking effect/buff from melee attacks that reduces the amount of MP spent by the next spell cast
- Attack spells weakening the target to melee strikes
- Attack spells placing lingering buffs that enhance melee strikes for a set duration

All of these are sword & spell hybrid mechanics, but none can be used in a game like FFI, III or V, as turn-based combat does not support them. Which is why you got the most bang for your buck by having the RDM cast spells in those games. The console FFs and MMOs are two completely different animals and cannot be approached the same way.

As a side note, what makes this that much more grating to witness is that FFXIV has a built-in combo system that was ripe for any of the above-mentioned mechanics.

[Yorumi]

I'm starting think a lot of people have a fantasy in their head of what rdm is that isn't true to FF games. In what FF game has rdm not been weighted toward casting? Hell they gave the class double cast in other FF games, not double slash. They even made another class early on, the sorcerer, that focuses more on melee than spells. Every FF game from 1 to 11 to 14 has balanced rdm more as a mage with some melee here and there. If you're disappointed in the rdm build you only have yourself to blame for creating a false image of rdm.

Limitations of turn-based combat.

I can't honestly believe you're still on this. I answered you weeks ago about how none of things you claim are limitations actually are and you just ignored it and keep spouting this.