What's the best way to keep your MP up as a spellcaster?

[kikix12]

this is something i really don't like about red mage that this is all the class brings a rez/cure and the be BLM/SMN if you want to DPS

If you don't like it about Red Mage then don't play it. That's what I love about Red Mage and I'm glad I have that option.

I don't like the way the songs work on bard. Should they adapt bard to me, or should I adapt to bard or simply not play it?! Obviously I should be the one adapting or avoiding the class because even though the songs are a pain to deal with without either better memory than I have or more experience in it than I'm willing to put, they are perfectly fine from a design point.

so picking red mage doesn't make you a DPS? just some insurance for healers or a excuse for healers to slack off and just go "what ever red mage can pick them up".

Red Mage is a support DPS. It have much higher DPS than tanks and healers in general, but at the same time, it is expected to support the party. In case of bard that support comes from increasing damage dealt or allowing people to go all out with less worry for MP/TP. In case of Red Mage that support comes in the form of preventing a hold-back by death instead. But both are paying with their own personal DPS for the sake of making the run easier and faster. Yes, faster, because a Red Mage covering for a healers mistake (or another DPS's mistake that overburdens healers, really) can save a life which prevents a severe DPS loss. But the cost of that is that their own personal DPS falls noticeably behind the non-support DPS.

As for some healers not liking Vercure and Clemency...I don't care about that when I play a Red Mage or Paladin. I never use them because I want to. I use them because the healer is behind on doing their job. Whether their own fault, fault of DPS/tanks/co-healer that likes standing in the red during a damage-heavy phase or other things beyond their control doesn't matter. Choosing between saving the party from a potential wipe or not using what was given to me to suck up to an ignorant healer is an easy choice. No reasonable healer will complain about a Red Mage raising or providing pinch-heals. They're not used out of spite for healers or out of thinking the healers are incompetent. They are used because they are needed for whatever reason.

[Duskane]

If you don't like it about Red Mage then don't play it. That's what I love about Red Mage and I'm glad I have that option.


Red Mage is a support DPS. It have much higher DPS than tanks and healers in general, but at the same time, it is expected to support the party.

now i would barley call it a "support class" when about every other DPS job besides SAM and BLM have just as much support as RDM does nor does the job even revolve around using its support tool like Bard
vercure and verraise don't even increase the job gauge so really doesn't mean much to me if i use them or not because the game play of RDM is still there and not effect at all if i use them or not (unless its to proc quick cast with vercure while boss is gone),
maybe next expansion when the jobs more fleshed out but right now its just a simple DPS with a Cure,a rez and a terrible party buff(which doesn't even helps healers and other casters).

if im expected to help out someone with RDM i will but i also expect to DPS with the job since that's its role.