RDM Ideas, brainstorming and general dicussion

[Eloah]

The concept you presented isn't a bad one, but the idea isn't as fleshed out as others have indicated. Traits are missing, which is a big part of what grants each job its individuality, or homogenization, lol? But also, at what level would you expect to get each ability, so that a new player is able to play both efficiently and learn about the job as it grows. Another thing, is there resources are mapped out, which is usually done with the traits, how many aethercharges can they hold on to, and do they expire like the aethertrails of summoner or remain like the aetherflow stacks of arcanist. Also, some of your skills seem to have descriptions that make it seem like you can spam them, when you said they have a 10 second CD, which makes them unspamable, and as someone mentioned before having abilities that cost MP and a "stack" doesn't make a lot of sense. I think if you organized the abilities into a leveling format, it might help you decide how you'd use each skill. While most jobs have that one skill that most everyone never uses, you want to try and make sure that each skill is viable in some way. Also don't be afraid to mix and match several of the already existing "systems" the other jobs have to create a brand new one, you're already doing something similar with the aethercharges: Mudras from Ninja, Aetherflow/trails from SCH/SMN, Stacks for Warrior, Dual buffs for DRK, "casting" buff for MCH/BRD, Flow Cycle for BLM, freefrom style/buffs of Monk. What I would recommend is using a combination of the BLM and Monks styles, the abilities are all free form and cycle into one another, Physical moves depend on your stance (like a fencing stance) and magical moves depend on the next element in the cycle, though it may not look like it each element connects to two others one aligned to their form, Astral or Umbral, and one of the opposite form. Spells going the same direction can have a potency increase, but spells going the opposite can cause an effect, like a bind, or heavy. Then what could be done is having the player swap between physical and magical by building up stacks to increase their damage and then expending those stacks on some of the abilities you've mentioned, but you'd have to add physical abilities as well. this way the RDM is always focused on magical and physical offense. I can give you an example after I review what you've written more thoroughly.

Update: I made a mistake when I said that each element connects to 2 others, one astral one umbral, they all cycle together, but there are also 2 triangles that connect certain elements to one another. as depicted in this picture. that's the connection I meant.