RDM and the Utility Tax

[wereotter]

I feel that the real reason they gimp RDM dps this much is to maintain the BLM population. There's no denying that many players choose their main based primarily on the dps potential. If RDM is even within 10% of the BLM potential, then it's mobility, simple rotation and utility will probably win over too many BLM players. At the top end you will still have skilled BLM players, but the rest will be pulled towards RDM too strongly.

So it isn't just a utility tax, but also a population control tax, which is sad.

I haven't had a chance to level my BLM to 80, but perhaps the only solution is to continue to make QoL improvements and simplifying or streamlining the BLM rotation so that a significant dps advantage is no longer needed for people to keep playing BLM. I for one was one of those who gave up the BLM for RDM due to the much better gameplay, when the RDM was released.

Perhaps the devs laid down the rule that BLM must significantly outperform the RDM due to the early days of the RDM, and didn't revisit this rule when making improvements to the BLM, resulting in a artificial dps gap that could no longer be justified.

Actually.... with all the instant casting BLM has in addition to Aetherial Manipulation and Between the Lines, black mage is nearly as mobile as any other caster, at least when it comes to required movement. Red mage is still the most consistently mobile job with summoner being the most mobile during dreadwyrm trance. Red mage has lower damage, not because of it's simplicity (black mage has a really simple rotation too) or its mobility, but because of its utility.

Square, I think, is over valuing the utility of verraise, vercure, and embolden, but these are the tools in our kit that have made Square decide that red mage should have the lowest personal DPS, ignoring that summoners have basically all these same skills with everlasting flight, resurrection, and devotion, while being nearly as mobile as red mages...

[Zfz]

The earth isn't flat.

I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to say with that response. If you think I've said something ridiculously retarded, please point it out.

Actually.... with all the instant casting BLM has in addition to Aetherial Manipulation and Between the Lines, black mage is nearly as mobile as any other caster, at least when it comes to required movement.

Yes, I'm referring to the possibility that back then when BLM had extremely low mobility they designed the RDM with that kind of BLM in mind, and that design premise just stayed with us even after BLM mobility and QoL has improved vastly.

IIRC in Heavensward there were fewer BLMs? It's so long ago, but Enochian and Ley Lines turned the simplistic proc-based Lv 50 BLM up-side down and made it very clunky to play.

But I also agree with the utility argument. Utility causing lower dps is already something they've said since 2.0. I'm just saying perhaps the relative ease of gameplay back then was a factor (which they should not consider anymore, with the improved BLM gameplay).

[Kabooa]

I'm not sure what exactly you're trying to say with that response. If you think I've said something ridiculously retarded, please point it out..

Do I really have to explain the absurdity of an illuminati conspiracy against -Red mages-?