Thoughts on a new dps class

[Teirdalin]

When I think of red mages, I think of this video. They don't have as high damage output as say a black mage, and don't have as high healing as a white mage; considering the classes are forced into roles, I think their convert power, survivability spells, and the fact they can wear heavy armor, shields and swords; would make them a perfect magic-tank class, with actual ranged AoE enmity powers and magical defense. (I'm looking at you ice sprites!) Plus they already have the black mage's umbral ice and astral fire buffs which thematically would work perfectly for the OT and MT buffs if slightly modified; enchanting your armor with umbral ice or your blade with umbral fire, especially considering if there was reliance on Convert (Swaps current HP with MP.)

For the new DPS I would like to see beastmaster, samurai, geomancer, mime, pupper master, gambler or blue mage, although I can't really see it work unless most of their attacks were pretty much flavor effects. (probably in that order)

Beastmaster would be a very fun class to have, and could potentially use a whip weapon; although the main issue I see with it is that square would probably need to make pet types for each animal; with balanced skills and abilities for every one. And that would be quite a bit of work.

Samurai is already covered- everywhere extensively.

Geomancer; AoE damage, AoE DoTs, AoE Buffs, Traps, etc. This can be a very fun class, and the main CC dps.

I can see mime probably having it's basic three attacks be random other classes attacks, or the targets attacks (but just glamour, it'd still deal the normal set damage and everything), with a special ability called Mimic to pay attention to a party member, and copy whatever actions, and movements they preform. (probably a mime would stack near that member.) The way the mime LB could work is to mime someone who is preforming LB, and it would do just a fraction of the damage.

Pupper Master exists in the lore as a non-playable class in Eorzea, and seems rather popular by people; only problem I can think of really is that the puppet master himself is too similar to a puglist in the way he fights. Perhaps if all his attacks were done from the puppet itself; with a way to control the puppets position exactly, it could work.

Gambler would be a totally luck-based class of course, slots obviously would be their primary ability; but I cannot really see that working for the standard combo; so unsure how they can be implemented.

Blue mage; I honestly would like a blue mage, but just about no enemies in this game have all that unique abilities, yes some do, but most abilities just boil down to cone-damage, or single target-damage. Perhaps if you were able to pick and choose the glamour of your spell attacks that could be cool, or to gain only the unique creature abilities, like when those little dragons fire the AoE at you during Svara.

[Xlantaa]

Samurai -> Tank
Blue Mage -> DPS
Red Mage -> Healer

On the anniversary event, they talk about "blue", "red" and "Samurai" I think it was a hint.

[Alexftw]

Yeah and then blue mages, yellow mages, pink mages, violet mages, green mages.

I personally want to reroll gray mage (a mix between blm and whm).

[Meui]

It's been a long while since I last revisited this sorta discussion and I don't really remember too many details from back during the event and some Live Letters. That said, I do remember Yoshi had admitted they were first considering SAM as the new tank for Heavensward but later decided on DRK.

I get the feeling SAM would be our new DPS that'd share a slot in the PT with DRG as well as their "heavy armor" DPS gear. RDM I could easily see filling the "support" role that BRD and MCH do, but with their own obvious RDM spin on it. RDM has always been a supporter/buffer in all FF games that I've played. So, that'd leave BLU as... well, I suppose a tank if we're expecting a new tank job. I can and can't see it. I wasn't expecting to see DRK as a tank, so I don't really know what to expect going forward.

[MagiusNecros]

Make Red Mage a Mage Tank instead. Thanks.

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

Make Red Mage a Mage Tank instead. Thanks.

Yes, please. This is all I'd need to be happy.

[Tanathya]

Make Red Mage a Mage Tank instead. Thanks.

As usual, agreed. RDM can be an insanely fun tank to play as.

[Lemuria]

People who want RDM as a DPS almost always claim that it's because they want a swordmage, which is the strongest identity that BLU can lay claim to.

An interesting argument, but horribly flawed. Red Mages have had the ability to wield swords since the very first Final Fantasy game, while Blue Magic wasn't even introduced until the 5th installment. Strago Magus, the next blue mage in the series, had rather low strength and used wands instead of swords. Quistis Trepe used a Whip. Quina used forks (she's a cook), Kimahri used a spear. Need I go on? I really can, as you must surely realise.

Exactly where did this this idea that Blue Mages are synonymous with swords come from? Where most of these concepts originate is Final Fantasy Tactics. A single game. Granted, it's one of the few that has a class system, but I remind you that in that game also Red Mages used swords. Rapiers, to be precise.

Both RDM and BLU have a fair claim to the DPS throne, so it's up in the air as to which one gets the gold. We can't really use past games as an example after Dark Knight, a long-time DPS class, was turned into a tank.

[Tanathya]

Snip.

Well said, all of it. After seeing what they did to DRK, one can expect anything as long as it doesn't require much effort, which is the only reason why I can see SAM introduced as a tank. Even if it was a DD, it wouldn't change my mind as to what I think of what they're doing and how they're handling things so far.

[nexas506]

Id like to see red mage have an equal amount of magic and weapon skills. But because it can pull from both mp and tp, everything would have a higher than average cost.

I feel like red is gonna be a tank, due to it being a tanking job in final fantasy explorers.

And for blue, it learns weapon skills on its own, and every 5 levels (job quest) you have to go out to study certain monsters to learn their magic. No idea what roll it will be.

And samurai has to be a dps.Yoshi-p already said he wanted a sword using dps.