FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Will Red Mage be just like astrologian? A fusion between SMN & Blm.

[Terribad]

Is there a reason why it couldn't be an all around class? And when it's time to queue up we'd have to pick a role like with WoW.

[CGMidlander]

Is there a reason why it couldn't be an all around class? And when it's time to queue up we'd have to pick a role like with WoW.

Then why bother leveling anything else up?

[Reinha]

Red Mage could be a jack of all dps: caster, support dps and melee. Just have a stance for each and require the player to be out of combat to change stances just like AST. Give the class some base abilities and some abilities that change based on the currently chosen stance. Support stance would offer a long duration resource refresh and lower dps, melee stance would offer high single target dps and caster stance would offer high aoe. To further enhance their hybrid properties the Red Mage could have a 5 minute cooldown, 15-20 second duration ability which allows them to temporarily swap stances to cover a different aspect of the dps role. This could be the flavour / defining ability of a RDM while other dps jobs bring something else to the table like physical debuffs (MNK, NIN, DRG), a party crit buff (DRG), threat transfer (NIN), resurrection (SMN) or magic resistance debuff (BRD).

Then why bother leveling anything else up?

Because it's fun? Everything except class/job quest lines in this game can be done as one job anyway so that's all it boils down to.

[CGMidlander]

Because it's fun? Everything except class/job quest lines in this game can be done as one job anyway so that's all it boils down to.

Why bother getting gear for a tank, a healer, and a DPS if RDM can do it all with one set?

How would it be fair if getting a relic for RDM essentially means getting a relic for all 3 roles?

If RDM it at all any good at the three party roles, there would be resource allocation efficiency implications.

[hagare]

Then why bother leveling anything else up?

gameplay differences? Different uses?
Why do you play one class over the other?
Why aren't people only playing DRG/MNK/NIN?
Why are there people playing PLD and DRK when we all know that WAR is BEST! TANK!
Why do people still play WHM and SCH when AST can fill both roles?

[Ashkendor]

Is there a reason why it couldn't be an all around class? And when it's time to queue up we'd have to pick a role like with WoW.

Because that would quite possibly require completely overhauling the Duty Finder. At the very least, it would require some changes as currently your role is 100% locked to the class you queue on. Not to mention "jack of all trades" classes can certainly do a lot, but they typically can't do any of it as well as classes that specialize in a single role. Their skill base is broad but shallow. If built that way, RDM wouldn't be as good at tanking as a "real tank" or as good at healing as a "real healer" and probably not even as good at dps as a "real dps." With the way people tend to play in endgame (i.e. minmaxing) this would mean RDM would be subpar in every category and wouldn't be wanted at all for raids, so the only place you'd see them at all is casual content. You'd probably even see instances of people kicking them from dungeons simply for their choice of class (it happened with PLD and AST before their buffs, albeit infrequently). On the other hand, if they were built to be as good at those multiple roles as specialist classes you'd see not only a lot of rage from the community (and rightfully so, as no single class should be as good at three different roles as classes that specialize in one of those roles) but a lot of people bandwagoning to the class.

[silentwindfr]

FFXI is the worst exemple at take in matter of balance and jobs...
that said, maybe they will go in the road of a caster melee dps... simpler and yoshida did hint that he was wanting this.

[Shinun]

I could see it working as a melee DPS that has stances (Enspells) that like brd lowers their dps and drains their mp but gives their attacks different debuffs. Like Paralyze

Same goes for if they were to get any buffs. I could see them taking part of FFXI Geomancer where the buff is an aura. it can also drain their MP and lower their dps in return for some type of support buff.

This way RDM is considered a support DPS just like BRD and MCH and gets "White and Black" type magic

[Felis]

If I think about RDM, i imagine a hybrid of mage and melee, not a mage with a pet

[silentwindfr]

all the people hoping for a jobs that will be able to be tank, dps and healer can stop immediatly it will never happend. this talk did happend while the beta and already at this time, they have said it will never happend.
it's not wow here, we are in FF14, the fact to give the power to one jobs to be good in 3 different role is not good. the balance will be broken. and until now, we can say that the balance in the game is kinda good.

anyway, the red mage will be a dps, and i guess the only heal he will get will be a bit like the self heal of the monk.... a self heal with CD.