[Concept] New Red Mage Resource – Astral Shards & Umbral Shards

[Sylvain]

Honestly, I do not think RDM needs a new mechanic at lv 70 (and I have a hard time picturing why you think they'd ever do such a change. Your proposition sounds more like 5.0 new spells for the next expansion). I'm not even sure it makes much of a difference and regarding it's current rotation, it would just make it remotely more engaging, perhaps.


I also don't see why you remove the VerHoly/VerFlare from the melee combo, it's actually fun to execute and add a touch of finishing move to the whole combo. VerHoly/Flare, I assume, is meant to be finisher moves, something you built up for. (Like demi bahamut in a way or Foul).

I really do not see your proposition as something the RDM would benefit from, it just feels like another system where you keep your ressource to unload at a specific time. A bit like PLD with Requiescat and Holy Spirit, probably the most boring addition to any job in the game. Boring and it looks stupid (there you go x5 spam of White Flowers)


Back to the topic,
My main issue isn't the simplicity itself. A simple rotation doesn't mean it has to be easy to execute. In fact most other MMO with faster GCD have actually very simple rotation, the difficulty comes from making very quick decision. In fact, RDM is much more technical than any given job in ARR and some from HW so on this regard it's not that bad

My biggest problem from RDM rotation is that we have a LOT of time to think.
You do A-coup then AoE/Thunder and then you have a whooping 2.4sec to think about your next move. And this is imo the core issue. You have too much time to think about your next move on a job that requires reactiveness on proc. It's not like BLM who needs to plan ahead his whole set-in-stone rotation, RDM is based on proc and has to adapt around that, fine, but they are also given a lot of time to react to which spell to do next.

Imo, until 5.0 there's one change that would make RDM much more pleasant to play:

Reducing the recast time by 1-1.5 sec aftera VerAero/VerThunder. (Potency and such have to be adapted)

Doing this would severely reduce the time you have to reposition and think about your next action would make the job gameplay flow better. (I do not deny it would be a sever nerf on RDM ability to move around).

For instance, think of your melee combo once you've charged, one of the fun part of this is that it's quick. You charge in, unload with a fast recast timer and leap out with a last boom. If they'd remove the reducedcast time the whole melee combo would feel slugish and out of sync.

Finally, I think the core concept of the RDM is perfectly fine as it is and I do not want SE to change any of the current skills. I'd rather have an entirely new set of mechanics at 80 than having (especially those 2 spells) changed. They are fine as it is.