Red Mage is Range Combat? (Discussion)

[GMERC]

Then the question becomes this:

Why not just stay in melee range at all times then?

Probably because they're not a melee job and because their Repelling Shot also Does Damage.

[Khalithar]

Probably because they're not a melee job and because their Repelling Shot also Does Damage.

You could still use their "repelling shot" attack and then immediately use that gap closer move in the video and stay in melee range so you can immediately go back to spells/melee attacks.

Probably for the same reasons you see SMN's and BLM's stay at range even though they can autoattack in melee for more DPS.

Except by the looks of it RDM is being specifically designed with the intention that you have to use melee attacks to achieve maximum damage and not using those melee attacks would be akin to a SMN not using their DoT's or a BLM not casting fire spells.

Edit: That could be entertaining to see (and not in a good way), Red Mages that refuse to use sword attacks because "mage."

[GMERC]

Except by the looks of it RDM is being specifically designed with the intention that you have to use melee attacks to achieve maximum damage and not using those melee attacks would be akin to a SMN not using their DoT's or a BLM not casting fire spells.

Edit: That could be entertaining to see (and not in a good way), Red Mages that refuse to use sword attacks because "mage."

You're much more likely to see would-be Red Mages whining on the forums that the job is primarily a caster and not a Sword DPS.

[Vaer]

You could still use their "repelling shot" attack and then immediately use that gap closer move in the video and stay in melee range so you can immediately go back to spells/melee attacks.

They could put a 8y minimum range (like shoulder tackle in 2.0, unable to be used in melee range) on all spells so if you stood in melee all the time you wouldn't be able to cast spells or make the TP cost/cooldowns on the melee attacks really high so if you stay in melee range you only end up auto attacking. On the other hand they could also force melee attacks by putting some kind of sustain mechanic on it, like a more gimmicky umbral ice where the melee attacks give you MP back so if you just stood in the back casting spells you would run out of MP and be unable to do anything.

8y min range on spells would make leveling a pain so perhaps a potency bonus at 8y+ would work better.

Won't know the design for another couple months but there are ways they could force movement, just depends how strict they want to be with it really.

[dragonseth07]

Then the question becomes this:

Why not just stay in melee range at all times then?

Probably for the same reasons you see SMN's and BLM's stay at range even though they can autoattack in melee for more DPS.

[BubblyBoar]

Then the question becomes this:

Why not just stay in melee range at all times then?

RDM will probably have far/close positionals. Yoshi mentioned that it's a high speed positioning job.

[Renik]

Then the question becomes this:

Why not just stay in melee range at all times then?

I'm sure they will have magic potency reduced when in melee range, RDM will be constantly moving in and out using charge and back flip ogcd skills, to build stacks, that's how I see it.

And to GMERC, if you're expecting a ranged mage, you're not getting what you wanted, I know it's not a 50/50 (for now) but more like 60/40 or 70/30 as Gumbercules said. SE used the tag ranged DPS but during the keynote it was described as ranged/melee hybrid.

[Omegakiyohime]

I'm sure they will have magic potency reduced when in melee range, RDM will be constantly moving in and out using charge and back flip ogdc skills, to build stacks, that's how I see it.

Tbh I'm not so sure about the reduced potency in melee range. Seems like that would kill Rdm dps during a lot of fight mechanics that require one to stack or avoid something on the field. Especially since there really isn't anything outside of avoiding AoEs and movement while casting that is keeping Blm/Smn from being played in Melee range.

I could see SE forcing a min requirement on the positional skills though and having those combo into weaponskills/more magic i.e. Rdm can't use the big nuke until pulling off a melee combo that ends with a back flip move usable only at a certain distance. I could see the same with weaponskill combos and chaining magic. This way you have an incentive to pay attention to positioning, but aren't completely screwed during periods when those positions can't be reached.

[Valenth]

From what little was revealed in that short clip, I'd say there's going to be some sort of combo system to it (this is guess work). But from the video and what was said, I think they'll use melee to build up their spell chains, jump out to become ranged and then unleash their main-stay damage, then when needed jump back in and repeat.

As said at the presentation it's the other way around. Chain spells building a melee attack or two, then flip back for finish spell, hence their "ranged dps" identifier. Their focus is staying out of melee range and I expect them to spend 75'ish % of their time there.

[Isala]

Why are we debating what a RDM is? Every RDM is different. Every player uses a RDM differently, based on their own strats, even within the same game. Some use it as a primary healer, others, their primary magic DPS. Some use it for the melee attacks, and backup spells. There are two things that make a RDM a RDM.

1. It can use both magic and swordplay. Whether those are of equal power is of no importance, so long as it CAN do both.
2. It looks fancy while doing it.

Everything else is secondary. Every game brings their own flavor to the RDM. Whether it's the NES FFI version that had so few uses of magic you spent 90% of your time in melee, or the GBA FFI RDM that could spam spells all day. Whether it's the FFIII version that dual wielded everything, and went to town on mobs, or the dual casting version of FFV. They were all RDM. Even the FFXI Refresh spamming RDM was still a RDM. Even the Tactics RDM. STILL a RDM. So our incarnation might be a little spell heavy. So? What's wrong with that, even if it does happen? It can still melee. We've seen that. And it obviously casts spells. And that gear set is sexy as hell. I'd say that pretty much makes it a RDM, right there. Swords? Check. Spells? Check. Sexy? Double check.