Red Mage could use some help.

[Kacho_Nacho]

Sort of makes me think of what I originally thought RDM would be doing: using the melee combo as a generator and the spells as spenders. I think a big cause of RDM's current depth is the fact we have one spender, and everything else is a generator.

To tell you the truth, that's what I thought the job was going to be when it was first announced. I wonder in a 'what if' fashion if red mages would fit in the rankings better if that were the case? Would the job's damage output increase if red mages were overhauled to use melee combo generators and spell spenders?

Another idea: Leave red mages alone but nerf summoner output in response to its greater utility. The reason this idea would be good is it does not affect the game play of the red mages. I greatly enjoy the simplicity of the job and appreciate there is an understanding by S.E. that not all of their players want complicated classes.

[Singularity]

To tell you the truth, that's what I thought the job was going to be when it was first announced. I wonder in a 'what if' fashion if red mages would fit in the rankings better if that were the case? Would the job's damage output increase if red mages were overhauled to use melee combo generators and spell spenders?

Damage output is an entirely separate thing from gameplay. SE could double the potency of Veraero and Verthunder for example and the damage output would skyrocket without changing the gameplay at all.

nerf summoner output in response to its greater utility.

I think this needs to happen regardless of changes to RDM, for BLM's sake if nothing else. Right now SMN has more damage, more (indeed, some, as BLM has none) group damage, more freedom of movement and better utility than BLM does, making it pretty much strictly better.

[TraeSnow]

Snip

But it has been said that a class' DPS is also based on how punished they are upon death. Which, to my understanding as well as popular consensus, SMN is one of the most punished jobs upon a death. Sure, all DPS are punished on death, but some more severely than others. BLM are not severely punished upon death. I feel like people just completely forget this part when they complain about "xxx job is less dps than xxx job" especially since they are not taking into consideration the entirety of what justifies their damage. BLM does not have to wait for MP upon revival, so their dps is not hindered that extensively. I mean, a SMN might as well not even accept res until Lucid or Aether is at least up. AND with the nerf to Aetherflow, SMN has to use Energy to regain MP if they die.

Now, in a perfect situation, no one is supposed to die. However, that does not change the fact that the dps of a class reflects how punished a job is upon death.