I'd like more sword play from RDM in the future, melee and ranged

[Duelle]

Given how broad the current playstyle is (the only driving factor of the primary rotation is "hardcast into dualcast", that's literally it), there's lots of room for new additions if the devs are imaginative with mechanics like timers, procs, or multi-type Mana builders - you're just trying to avoid "complicating" it while asking for a shift to a completely different playstyle. It's only "airtight" from the perspective of asking for "more melee"; the only part that's static is the melee combo itself, because RDM isn't a core melee job and only hits the combo every 40 sec anyway.

Considering this thread is asking for more sword use, we are on topic.

I'm not a fan of timers, and RDM's current gameplay wouldn't really support it unless you create a window of time that doubles mana generated or causes a Verspell to generate both types of mana (which might work if the ability in question is oGCD). Procs run the risk of clashing with Dualcast and slowing down the spellspam rotation. Even if the procs are free enchanted weaponskills, the trick will be in ensure a) there's incentive to use them and b) it isn't counted as a weaponskill to cancel Dualcast. Well, unless you intend for the proc to activate automatically without any player input.

Under the current model, more mana-spender skills just means more time casting to build them, so the ratio of casting to melee would be relatively unchanged (or possibly shift in the opposite direction).

The OP was asking for sword use and melee uptime. That doesn't translate to more mana-spending skills.

HOWEVER, the more melee uptime we have also means less time spent casting and more time where you're required to be in the melee, giving up the ranged advantage of the job and a chunk of the job's impressive mobility.

If you hypothetically increase melee uptime while keeping the rest of the current design, you're either going to get DPS contributions shuffled around or adjustments to how mana is generated to compensate for the loss of GCDs spent casting spells. At least that's how I'd do it if you plopped the design in front of me and told me to make it happen.

If you want to play a melee-caster hybrid job, ask for a Spellblade.

I think we should focus on getting RDM when it needs to be first, then worry about designing a Spellblade.