That is unfortunately the case. If it's not DPS it's not worth ****. All jobs must be top notch DPS in order to have any place in a party. PLD must parse with MNK, BRD must parse with BLM, WHM must parse with DRG (at all times in all circumstances). If a job is not doing sufficient DPS then the player isn't playing it right and should be immediately kicked from the group. There is no place in this game for slackers who can't keep up their damage. And no whining about things like hate or cures or any other bs like that, you don't need cures if the mob is dead, just zerg it down as fast as possible that's basic tactics.

Therefore RDM also can't be anything but a pure DPS job. It should have all elemental nukes at all tiers in order to keep up with BLM. It should dual wield rapiers and attack at high speed to keep up with MNK, and their en-spells should shoot out fire and lightning from their swords, dealing aoe damage to all nearby enemies to keep up with DRG. RDM should also have all levels of cure and they need to be instant cast to keep from interfering with their meleeing. And they should have a spell like phalanx in XI except more powerful to absorb all the damage they will take from all the enemies they will aggro to keep up with WAR.

You see, it's all about balance, Red Mage just needs to be balanced equally against all other jobs in the game and it will succeed.

Laying it on pretty thick this time since my previous joke fell flat, so I hope someone gets a laugh out of it.