Done with FFXIV until RDM comes along...

[Kuwagami]

If they increase damage done by a greater number then the dps role that they filling, they are mandatory.
If they reduce damage taken by a great amount then a healer can heal, they are mandatory.
If they can do both, they are mandatory.

you're thinking too much in binary mode.

buffers can also do equal job than a dps (buff the other dps enough to make up the loss of a dps player, or add other abilities to compensate the loss, like bard have right now to compensate their sub-par dps).

A support giving a +15% dps per player (you're losing around 40% dps by bringing him over a dps, or 5% dps overall) but having a few useful abilities to make up the loss could work. Not OP so not mandatory. Sub par overall dps so skipable. Usefulness improved so that the dps loss isn't that much of a trouble.


That's just a bad example made on the spot

[Duelle]

buffers can also do equal job than a dps (buff the other dps enough to make up the loss of a dps player, or add other abilities to compensate the loss, like bard have right now to compensate their sub-par dps).

A support giving a +15% dps per player (you're losing around 40% dps by bringing him over a dps, or 5% dps overall) but having a few useful abilities to make up the loss could work. Not OP so not mandatory. Sub par overall dps so skipable. Usefulness improved so that the dps loss isn't that much of a trouble.

Except then they're worthless in party content and either worthless or mandatory in raids. It has been tried before and has failed.

That said, bard is a DPS with cooldowns and utility, not really "support".