How Would You Design Red Mage!?

[Duelle]

The problem with RDM being a competent DPS job in addition to debuffing and potentially buffing as well is balance. If RDM parses any where near MNK or even DRG in addition to being able to lock down enemies with potent debuffs (silence, paralyze, etc)

Absolutes should not be part of this equation. And by that I mean Silence, Paralyze, Amnesia and any other debuff that shuts down an aspect of a target. Weakening stats, slowing attacks, slowing casting times, weakening all damage, weakening defenses, weakening resistance to critical hits are fine and fit enfeebling. And can't be used as an excuse for notably lower damage.

then wtf is the point of MNK and DRG?

A guy that hits things with his fists and a guy with a lance that jumps. Neither is RDM, and RDM is like neither. Maybe the player doesn't want to wear a pimp hat and instead likes hitting things with his fists. You're treading awfully close to the hybrid apocalypse nonsense.

That aside, I don't want my favorite job to become the target for idiotic changes after the fact like RDM was during the revamp when it was given A+ enfeebling skill and Refresh to try to justify its place in a party. I don't want it to become a backline-only job. I don't want the sword to collect dust and be looked down upon. As I've said long ago, I did my time as debuff/buff/refresh-bot. Let our job move on to something better, please.

PS: The reason I am so adamant about RDM haviing comparable damage is because it's going to get benched otherwise. FFXI readily proved this, and was aggravated by the fact that people were desperate for heals. Debuffs/buffs/"utility" never make up for lacking damage, and never will. That being said, I agree that better to have no Red Mage at all than to have the mistakes from FFXI repeated here.

Hexa Blade (Ws Six-fold attack, Combo Dual Slash, Lowers defense to Enfeebling Magic )

Fixed. >.>

[Jinko]

PS: The reason I am so adamant about RDM haviing comparable damage is because it's going to get benched otherwise. FFXI readily proved this, and was aggravated by the fact that people were desperate for heals. Debuffs/buffs/"utility" never make up for lacking damage, and never will. That being said, I agree that better to have no Red Mage at all than to have the mistakes from FFXI repeated here.

I agree with this, if you make the class melee you have to make it comparable to other melee it terms of either damage or usefulness otherwise it will just get benched.

We already have situations were X class stacked by 5 plus 2 healers and a tank are occurring, so yea make it matter or don't bother at all.

On the other hand we don't want to see a situation where 5 rdm's go in shock/silence/paralyze the boss to oblivion either lol.