RDM the unwelcome DPS :(

[Zyneste]

Yep, this is exactly what happened. We are probably the most overlooked job as far as what we got this expansion, our damage, and strife. It's very hard for RDM's to speak up for what we have problems with because the other jobs dangle verraise in our face without truly understanding the value and disparity that RDM has between all other jobs. I promise that nobody can accurately tell you how much dps that Verraise is equivalent to but it's certainly not the 1000+ between RDM and BLM. The job is essentially being swallowed by the radiance of SMN in SB or now the torrent of BLM's raw damage to a point that verraise is the ONLY leg we have to stand on and, playing a job who's entire reward comes from picking up those who've made mistakes. Sadly, no fflogs is going to show this contribution fondly and your teammates are too busy cursing their own folly to extend gratitude. RDM is truly the job that works hard to contribute and it always falls on deaf ears. "Helpless in our cries"

I think a lot of people just plum don't understand Red Mage, which is ironic because so many look at it and dismiss it as nothing more than a builder and spender job. I've heard so many times in so many ways it deserves to be so low because it has verraise and it's easy.

How many understand the nuances of the 110s rotation vs the 120s rotation? How many understand where one is superior, and how best to weave between them? How many can reliably switch to the perfect proc opener on command, versus the 5-8 opener?

Let's go simpler. How many fully grasp the nature of RDM having no DoTs and the implications thereof? When we verraise, our dpsps (damage per second per second) drops to 0. When we vercure while an enemy is out, our dpsps drops to 0. To cast a nondamaging spell costs between 305-422 potency.

To add to this list:

How many people who don't play RDM:

• Understand constantly dividing your window for manafiction cool down against the remaining Displaces/Corps that can fit in that window and using engagement as a time mitigator to get an extra OGCD cast. Shocking that Engagement is actually a DPS gain when you're able to use it right.
• Realize how far ahead a RDM has to project to make up for the GCDs of mana needed for a movement mechanic like E3's Stormy Horizons during a fight with bad proc luck.
• Further on that, we are constantly fighting our bad proc GCDs to "catch up" in a fight. Something we can never actually do.
• Realize that we are chained to the floor every 2.5 seconds, outside of melee combo windows, which chain us to the boss. Where as a BLM might be able to move for 7.5 seconds with just one button push. Not including Xenoglossy, swiftcast, sharpcast procs. Movement on demand vs Movement during set windows. We have different windows of limitations.
• Realize how displacement is constantly on our mind about when we can fit it into a single weave slot with mechanics coming up.
• Realize the OGCD priority in an OGCD heavy class, upcoming mechanics that affect your position and their animations.
• Realize how much of our damage comes from a 10 second pull timer. Its not just the raw damage its the stability in our opener for starting with 11/11 and a proc.
• Realize how we cannot have our opener interrupted or delayed by any mechanic or our Pot won't hit the second Fleche.
• Realize how TIGHT our opener is in terms of OGCD weaving. Every slot is double weaved and even our melee combo has ogcds weaved into it.
• Realize that we are under threat of melee range for 1/5th of all our button presses, we need melee uptime to do our damage. Think how often that affects actual melees.

Like RDM is an intuitive job. Its a great design, but to call it straight simple and the "baby mage" is misinformed. It might be an easier job to reach a large chunk of its potential DPS, compared to people who can't grasp a job as simple as BLM, but optimization and knowing the job keeps you constantly thinking.