Red Mage is Range Combat? (Discussion)

[Reynhart]

We've already got a sword/shield job, and i don't think RDM has ever used a shield in any incarnation.

It has...several times.

[AshlikeSnow]

We've already got a sword/shield job, and i don't think RDM has ever used a shield in any incarnation. They've always been fencer type sword fighters, not knight type sword fighters.

Oh I though I remembered that's how RDM was in FFXI

[Mhaeric]

Here's my hope slash take on possible gameplay:

Disclaimer: Pure speculation with a dash of wish list.

Red Mage will have a buff effect that is either called Chainspell or is initiated by an ability called Chainspell. It will essentially be a haste buff. Refreshing it and maintaining it will be done via positional changes abilities, and the different positions will have different purposes. An example of a typical rotation that I could see would be to cast normal ranged spells while chainspell is up, jump into melee to refresh chainspell, perform a melee attack that provides a burst ammunition stack, jump back out to ranged which provides another burst ammunition stack, and then use those burst stacks for high damage spell attacks. Rinse and repeat. There'd be cooldowns to provide additionl burst stacks or instantly gain chainspell effect, etc.. E.g. Sort of a combo of monk and sunmoner.

[Mhaeric]

One other way I could see it happening is simpler where each ability having a baseline damage potency that is increased if farther than 15 yalms away for spells and less than 5 yalms for melee. This way would only require maintaining a chainspell and the positional attacks might combo together like a melee, but with spell-melee-spell instead, and the positional moves are used to make sure you get the max potency for each skill in the convo with less down time then manually running in and out, or just simply as part of the combo itself.

Regardless, Im super excited for red mage!

[Blueyes]

In a general sense I imagine that spell casting will see the most use when AoE damage is necessary while swordplay will be the primary method of dealing single target damage, although it would be nice to see some interesting interactions between the two. In FFXI there was a Magic Burst mechanic which involved casting a spell for high damage after a successful weaponskill combo was executed. Obviously it wouldn't have the same level of team interaction, but a similar mechanic could be self-contained within Red Mage.

[Thunda_Cat_SMASH]

In a general sense I imagine that spell casting will see the most use when AoE damage is necessary while swordplay will be the primary method of dealing single target damage.

This is what I'm hoping it turns out to be honestly, an emphasis on sword play for single target and magic for AoE, but I'm fairly certain it's going to completely revolve around magic for both combat types.

[Yeol]

Melee/Ranged hybrid.
Damage would be both magical and physical.

The fact that the sword can turn into a staff might be a stance that you activate.

[BubblyBoar]

Well, it is a Red MAGE. The video and slide after explained all that needed to be explained for now really. We saw a spell chain and the result with some oGCDs tossed in for positioning. Buff for chainspell, a cast, oGCD gap closer, melee skill, oGCD backdash, then a burst skill using the chainspell stacks or however the measure it. It's not just a casting Job with 1 melee skill because you saw 2 spells and 1 weapon skill. It was just an example of the job's system.

[YakushiHinata]

I never played RDM before in any game but I do find it a interesting job in the sense it can do "everything", dps, heal and range of support spells in earlier games, even act as a solo tank class in XI.

I am really curious about the way they mention Chainspell and spell combo being a thing in its XIV version.
Yes I can see in the short movie its casting spell as BLM then jumps in DRG style, stabstabstab, Elusive Jump back out, but I belive RDM holds much more than what has been shown to us.

My theory on this is that RDM spells works as melee skills, that you press 1 and 2 highlights then 3 highlights into a combo and each next skill brings added effect and damage up.

The way this could work with spells is that the spell combination could branch out into different end spells which then adds stun, silence, knockback, bind, a virus type debuff, etc, depending on the situation that is needed and still keeping it in the "jack of all traits, masters or none" style that RDM is, and it's enfeeblement type of spells.
Combine that with it's flurry of fast melee skills which then could add different effects again like refresh, haste, slow etc.

Of course with this a normal dps rotation of spells is still a thing since its being labeled as a caster dps from what they told us. Looking at the video and how fast the RDM cast its spells makes me think it's going to be a fast-cast dps mage that refills it's MP pool with flurry of melee skills.
Then again we could all be wrong and they surprise us with a different playstyle.

[Empress]

Ramza from the new Dissidia Arcade is probably a good example as to what Thunder Cat is trying to say. If you look on youtube theres a good example of it. I wouldn't say theres not enough because we havent seen the full roster of abilities, but I would say that i was expecting more of a reboot of the class like how AST is a combination of classes. Fencer melee attacks mixed with magic like a Spellblade. Imbune magic onto your blade and do aoe or melee attacks that are with your sword. Probably would of been a cooler aspect as it would of been a better hybrid of both melee and ranged instead of just more range and one or 2 melee abilities but well see since I cant say until full abilities list is released.