Quote Originally Posted by Kalaam View Post
It is true that the sword for now feels a bit off sometimes. But after all, RDM is a caster first and the sword is kind of a side-weapon, the main one is the catalyst.
Red Mage has been a caster first and melee-er as a side-deal since FF1. You never brought in a RDM to slash things, and its slashes were never, in the history of the franchise, a reason to bring them.

Once FF5 hit, RDM's identity as the machine-gun-caster-of-small-spells was solidified. This is the identity it's had since, and the one they used for FF14.

(Which is why I hope for a job with the opposite balance someday).
Absolutely, they should definitely make a rune fencer/templar/temple knight job.

They don't need to remove decades of identity to make RDM that job.

I kind of wish RDM was a bit more 50/50 between magic and swordplay, but it'd likely make it impossible to work in a lot of trial and raid mechanics where you need to either be melee or ranged to bait mechanics and stuff. It already feels awful when you have your combo ready have *have* to stick to range because of mechanics.
Exactly! RDM is already too tied to melee as it is, and encounter design has to literally be wrapped around it. When you get a fight where it doesn't fit, it feels awful. Making RDM MORE melee would only make those fights awful. Further, RDM doesn't want to be in a position where it's competing for a melee slot, that isn't good for us. Being a caster and being balanced around being that caster slot is a good place for us to be.

Also yeah, APM isn't that good of a measuring tool when 80% of those actions are the exact same 4 you cycle through (VerThunder/Fire/Aero/Stone and Jolt) since you've unlocked the job.
Yarp.