Red Mage could use some help.

[Dualgunner]

So this is about wanting more damage afterall? I thougt this was about utility?

Utility:noun
1.
the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial.

Utility: adjective
1.
useful, especially through being able to perform several functions.

The dictionary definition of utility isn't going to work here; we're using it to mean a very different thing. In XIV when we say utility, we're generally referring to things a DPS brings that isn't DPS; this can range from heals to raises to refreshes and restores. Damage utility is then what we use to describe a DPS bringing that affects other players' DPS; ie, Trick Attack.

I don't know what BRD is like past 50 as I stopped playing it in HW because of having to be a caster by not moving, but I can tell you that most DPS jobs make up most of their DPS from auto attacks, BRD being ranged is always decent DPS because it can move and still be attacking, while RDM can auto attack as well they generally aren't putting a lot of damage out on their auto attacks.

This doesn't really mean anything in the greater scheme of things.

Bard provides more utility and damage utility than Red Mage; the way Yoshi has gone on record saying about balance, is the more utility/damage utility a job brings, the less damage they bring. At the moment, in both RDM's and BLM's case, this is not true: BLM brings no unique utility, therefore it should be on or above the same tier of damage as a samurai. As stated before, RDM brings less utility and less damage than bard.

Or, they could give it some depth of mechanics that allow for a meaningful skill ceiling and attract more of the upper end players outside of the most high-casualty or mobility-requiring sections of progression.

Won't be surprised if RDM gets some kind of Vernochian styled mechanic in 5.0. RDM now reminds me a lot of how simple BLM was in 2.x.