I am just stating my own opinion here but I am guessing the sword skills are mostly magic energy sword skills thus they're still range attacks but mostly sword slash waves of magical energy for the range attacks and the closing in attacks are just range charge attacks that end with the Red Mage Jumping back into position.

I don't think they're going for the whole "force players into melee combat then back to range combat then back to melee then back to range" thing as a mechanic but just sticking with Range combat with skills having animations of the Red Mage getting up close and personal for a moment before returning to position.

Quote Originally Posted by Omegakiyohime View Post
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.
Not to mention the dangerous cliffs of doom parts in certain boss fights where players may accidently jump off to their doom or land on a dangerous spot they must always avoid.