Done with FFXIV until RDM comes along...

[Kuwagami]

you know RDM isn't exactly a support to begin with ? right ?
Having access to all the non-overpowered abilities of BLM/WHM doesn't make you a support. I don't know what they did in FFXI, but in other FFs, you'd want to check green/blue mage for support (blue has a nice set of attacks too), geomancer for dps/debuff, dancer for debuffs and *cough*bard*cough* for buffs.

Attacking strawmen doesn't really help you much either.

You're basically asking for fights to be tuned around having to bring a support job. Because if players aren't forced to have one, they won't bring one. We've seen plenty of strategies built around dropping one role or an unnecessary job to speed up fights.

Posters on these forums seem to believe in a bizzaro MMO world where players won't take the path of least resistance when developing a strategy to deal with an encounter, despite having evidence of players choosing to do that shown repeatedly.

when used correctly, a buffer/debuffer is way more valuable than an extra dps, even for fights when it's not necessary to bring a support. That said, for 4 men content supports would be utterly useless (not enough mechanics/long fights to justify their use), and in the current state every buff/debuff is spread in the different classes anyway