Done with FFXIV until RDM comes along...

[Meier]

This game needs a lot more to it before they can put RDM in it. The core of the game and battle system needs to be fixed imho. It is extremely dull atm. No bosses can have any status effects on them, we only have very boring stats, etc.

[Giantbane]

This game needs a lot more to it before they can put RDM in it. The core of the game and battle system needs to be fixed imho. It is extremely dull atm. No bosses can have any status effects on them, we only have very boring stats, etc.

Red mages aren't buffers or debuffers. They are a jack of all trades that have moderate skill in white (defensive), black (offensive) and martial combat. But that sort of class won't work in most MMOs because parties don't need jack of all trades characters, they need specialists that will accel in their role. The only time you can step outside of this is if those classes get some sort of special ability that's not available elsewhere. In FFXI that was refresh, so RDMs just became refresh bots, which is a stupid.

If RDM is put into FFXIV, they will need to specialize, either DPS, Tank or Healer. In doing so, they should at least be able to mix 2 of the 3 disciplines they are known for (white magic, black magic, swordplay) in order to accomplish that role.

There's a number of ways to accomplish that. Support DPS (lower DPS with strong support abilities such as restore TP and MP, like the BRD) is an easy fit. Could also work as a tank that mixes white magic to mitigate and self heal while using melee + black magic to build threat. Even heals could work extremely well to preserve the RDMs 3 core disciplines. As a healer they can rely primarily on white magic, and use cleric stance from CNJ to cast black magic from range. However, RDM would also get a fencer stance. Fencer stance would function similar to cleric stance but would swap STR & MND. This would allow the RDM to use melee abilities that would be stronger than their black magic. The only drawback would be that they would have to be in melee range to attack with these abilities (not always the best place for a healer).