Proposed changes for underperforming jobs

[Mithron]

Honestly since EW, I hated RDM until I got it to 90 because it felt soooo slow with resource management after its rework. But 90 really changes the job entirely because Resolution makes your damage skyrocket (especially in dungeons) as well as giving 4 mana back makes it flow so, so much better. Get it to 90, do a few 90 extreme trials so you get actually proficient at it, and you might find it's a job you absolutely love. You do get a lot of mobility with much more frequent and longer melee combos. It's not nearly as immobile as BLM was in the past, even just the last two expansions they were the "mobile caster" due to Dualcast.

RPR is fine. Don't let the stress of "they're the lowest melee right now" bother you. 1. Balance changes here often, 2. They're still very good, 3. They can clear all content week 1 prog no problem.

Only way to get better at healer is to play it! I love WHM and SGE. I tolerate AST but I miss its old cards from HW/SB, making me enjoy it less now by proxy.

[SaberMaxwell]

You're pretty spot on with both observations.

SAM is generally considered one of the easiest jobs to play in the game and has been since SB. However, there are still some nuances to it for optimization at high-end play, but unfortunately removing Kaiten only made it that much easier.

RDM does feel very off at levels below 90 now because they redesigned it for Resolution (level 90 skill) in mind. Before Endwalker, RDM would do melee combo at 80 mana, and you generated mana MUCH faster than you do now. Which means you were meleeing a lot more often than you are right now because Resolution gives another 4 mana. If you're doing sub-80, then you're noticing it even more without Scorch which gives an additional 4 mana. So after every combo at 90, you get 8 mana back on top of the Verflare/holy mana. This lets you do 2-3 melee combos at once during your 2 minute Embolden or at the very least helps speed up the next melee combo again. And yes, RDM is now currently the least mobile of the casters. You'll get a "a little" more mobility at 90 since Scorch and Resolution are both instant cast, but they don't really compare to BLM's 60s double Triplecast, Aetherial Manipulation and Leylines teleport.

I'm gonna disagree with this assessment and say RDM is now more mobile than ever. Your mana gen to melee combo ratio is ROUGHLY the same--you gen less but it costs less, so roughly speaking its still ~40s to generate a melee combo. What this also means is you can bank your melee combo for longer than ever before. In StB / ShB, you had 2 to 4 gcds after becoming melee combo ready where you would begin overcapping, so it wasa very small window of being able to decide when to start the combo.

Also a typical mistake I see in new rdms these days is burning every melee combo you've got in the 2 minute. The 2 minute burst is over by the time you finish your second combo--even your own embo--so no point in burning that final melee so quick, might as well hold for when mobility is needed.

Sure they destroyed E. Reprise for some reason but they made Accel into the best thing I never knew I wanted.

All this to say: I don't want RDM to get even more mobility than it has. It's good as is--it's FUN as is. Resource management on rdm is better than its ever been and its honestly super enjoyable even in tiers like Abyssos that make me wanna scream due to mechanics like Purgation.

I just wanna feel like I'm not griefing my party by playing a job I have fun with.

[Mithron]

I'm gonna disagree with this assessment and say RDM is now more mobile than ever.

Oh, it is more mobile than ever, even if Enchanted Reprise is nerfed. Two Accelerations, too. But it's still the least mobile mage now thanks to BLM and SMN changes. I feel more mobile on BLM for Barb ex than RDM.

[Travel]

Yeah, RPR is actually my favorite melee; cleared the entirety of Shb with it, and I'm having a fun time prepping for the Nier raids. I just don't know whether or not it's going to be my main job for everything; certainly for much of the near-future raids and such, given the versatility and entertainment value.

I admit, I haven't quite done much content with the healers in general; I haven't been able to touch Scholar yet, I got Conjuror unlocked but wasn't really able to get into it - though I am considering doing more with it - completed the introduction missions for Astrologian but found the card mechanics a bit confusing - again, going to be taking another look - and Sage... let's just say it didn't go well. I will be dipping into healing a bit more in the future, just not quite yet.

Actually, I've been thinking about giving some of the Ranged options a try; more specifically, Bard and Dancer. Dancer in particular looks like a fun one, as it seems quite simple at higher levels, but capable of still providing good buffs to allies. Slightly nervous about Bard, admittedly; just about everyone I talked to on here makes it sound like the most complicated job in the game, relying heavily on RNG and constantly keeping your songs playing non-stop for your allies. I do want to give it a shot, nonetheless.

[SaberMaxwell]

Oh, it is more mobile than ever, even if Enchanted Reprise is nerfed. Two Accelerations, too. But it's still the least mobile mage now thanks to BLM and SMN changes. I feel more mobile on BLM for Barb ex than RDM.

Yeah for sure, it's been harshly outpaced by its peers (SMN in particular).

I'm just out here stuck between RDM needing a buff and not wanting SE to come near RDM with a 10 foot pole after seeing them butcher SAM and SMN.

[Mithron]

DNC is very easy to pick up and play, and honestly I find it pretty satisfying at 90 with Starfall Dance, very similar to RDM Resolution. It's beginner friendly, and no one's ever gonna' complain about getting Standard Step. You can even be snarky and give it to healers!

BRD I do find to be the second hardest job in the game to play currently. I've always struggled with BRD personally, but know many that love it and are amazing with it. It's just one of those jobs that doesn't click for me. It's great, brings a lot of constant party raid buffs (Crit, Direct Hit and raw damage increases) with additional buffs with Battle Voice and Radiant Finale. They can do some pretty good personal damage too when procs are happening frequently, and using Blast Arrow properly is satisfying. I just hate Mage's Ballad and my eyes constantly shifting from mechanics, dots, job UI, positioning and cooldowns. It's just not the play style I like.

Try every job, level them all to 90, and see what works best for you! That's one of the best things about XIV: you only need one character for every job, and you can switch as often and whenever you feel like it. I rarely stick to one or even two jobs. I main PLD/DRK, and spend a lot of time with them in Savage raids, but I play WAR, GNB, WHM, BLM, NIN, RDM and MCH all very frequently too. I play the rest of the jobs fairly often, and rarely play RPR, BRD or SCH because those jobs just don't click for me, but I have them all at 90 and am fairly proficient with them all.

[Arguscbf]

I'm gonna disagree with this assessment and say RDM is now more mobile than ever.

RDM is not more mobile than ever. RDM does more melee combos than they used to but that's not mean it's more mobile. Melee combo limits their mobility having to get near boss while doing mechs while being ranged. I know we have Accelleration but it's not as good as Triplecast, it's cd is pretty high imo(45s should be good enough) and sometimes we use it to get a proc for some extra 20 potency spells(Verfire/Verstone). Enchanted Reprise is not good at all imo due to loss of black/white mana, it's not even in my castbar. BLM and SMN have a better mobility toolkit. BLM having triplecast, aetherial manipulation, leylines, return to leylines and SMN, TONS of insta casts. I'm progging P8S and it's a nightmare for RDM!

[SaberMaxwell]

RDM is not more mobile than ever. RDM does more melee combos than they used to but that's not mean it's more mobile. Melee combo limits their mobility having to get near boss while doing mechs while being ranged. I know we have Accelleration but it's not as good as Triplecast, it's cd is pretty high imo(45s should be good enough) and sometimes we use it to get a proc for some extra 20 potency spells(Verfire/Verstone). Enchanted Reprise is not good at all imo due to loss of black/white mana, it's not even in my castbar. BLM and SMN have a better mobility toolkit. BLM having triplecast, aetherial manipulation, leylines, return to leylines and SMN, TONS of insta casts. I'm progging P8S and it's a nightmare for RDM!

I agree, it is a nightmare on Red Mage. For reference, so you know I'm not speaking out of turn when I make my statement, I have quite a bit of experience in that fight on Red Mage.

You are preaching to the choir about Red Mage's mobility, trust me. But what you do need to understand is that yes, Red Mage is more mobile compared to its Shadowbringers and Stormblood implementation. Where I think you're trying to get at, and a point I agree with you on and I believe I even stated it myself in this thread, its mobility is either outpaced by or matched by its competition.

Red Mage does not generate combos quicker, you're right and I even stated that. The ability to bank a combo is worth so very much when it comes to moving at will however; in Stormblood and Shadowbringers, once you hit the threshold to start your combo, you had the breathing room of 2 to 4 GCDs before you had to spend that combo or you'd be overcapped. In Endwalker, Red Mage can and frequently does hold that mana for a much longer period of time--at the very most, another 40 seconds. Don't get me wrong, that is very good; it adds a layer of depth to the job because now you need to decide when, where, and how to do that melee combo outside of the buff window. You are still gated in for the 2 minute burst, just as always, and some mechanics make being in melee when the dev's pre-decided 4 melee slots are all closed up for uptime, though.

Acceleration is a great second swiftcast and acts alongside actual swift as a great way to course correct when weave windows have been misaligned or some short term movement is needed. That you have two charges of it means you can hold a charge for a while too; again, a layer of choice for when a tool is needed that wasn't there before. E. Reprise was, of course, butchered and that's always sad to see however.

So my statement, "Red Mage is more mobile than ever before" stands true. It is; it has a lot of great tools that can be used to handle situations when thought is put in. Its peers being as or more mobile than it does not affect that statement in the slightest, and the purpose of my original comment was to argue the idea that

Before Endwalker, RDM would do melee combo at 80 mana, and you generated mana MUCH faster than you do now. Which means you were meleeing a lot more often than you are right now

because that is patently untrue.

An addendum, I don't want RDM to be given any more mobility than it has. I don't want a "rework to address its mobility" or even a rework at all. As far as the actual gameplay loop, the job is perfectly fine, give it and SMN some potency buffs so they can be in the same zip code as BLM.

[MagiusNecros]

Red Mage is more mobile but their mobility is still underwhelming in comparison to freeroam SMN and Ultra Instinct BLM.

[Mithron]

Red Mage is more mobile but their mobility is still underwhelming in comparison to freeroam SMN and Ultra Instinct BLM.

And I have to agree with SaberMaxwell here that I don't really want RDM to have more mobility outside generating mana a little faster because I hate seeing Jolt only give 2 mana. And as someone who plays BLM as my main DPS, I don't really want BLM to have two charges of 60s Triple Cast, either. I want to be less mobile on BLM. As for SMN, I think Titan should have hard casts. I think SMN overall needs a few more hard cast spells for job identity overall. Casters should inherently be less mobile as a whole, and I think RDM having the most mobility is part of their identity as a caster who needs to melee sometimes.