Quote Originally Posted by Archwizard View Post
The problem with that is that Displacement isn't DRG's Elusive Jump. It's an instant damage CD, which shares a charge with a damage CD -- and maximum damage from instant CDs will come from using them as soon as they become active, unless they have A) charges so you have an entire CD's leeway on timing or B) mechanics that increase their potency for holding them for an ideal circumstance (which due to them both being physical damage, we don't get from any other abilities). The current disparity between Displacement and Engagement is an ill-fated attempt to induce scenario B.

If Engagement did equal damage to Displacement (or at least near enough as to be inconsequential) and no other changes were made, the only time you would pop Displacement is if it came off cooldown at the EXACT SECOND the boss dropped an AoE marker in the melee -- otherwise, it will never even be available because you'll be using Engagement on CD, especially with your suggestion to make auto-attacks stronger for RDM since you will want to actively avoid jumping backward for the whole 10 sec to greed out maximum damage.
(And bear in mind, the theoretical scenario you suggest where Displacement remains objectively better has to exist in the same realm where current melee jobs are not at a significant disadvantage for lacking similar escape tools. Which only DRG has.)

There would be no "use Displacement when you need to," or at least not with enough frequency to justify it being a separate ability. Displacement may as well be taken off the bar in such a case.
So delete displacement, or turn it into a simple movement skill with no damage.

I make no hiding that I think it was only an okay skill at best when it was implemented, but causes more trouble than it's worth too often. I've had it launch me off platforms that are too narrow to actually use it more than once, and in open world content, I've had it launch me into enemies in Eureka causing my death when they all get agroed onto me. The game's developers have failed to take this skill into account when designing arenas, and rather than address this, they gave us Engagement, and then made it have less potency. This means that Red Mages have been nerfed for fights where Displacement isn't a viable skill to use, and that's not okay by me.

No other job I can think of gets a damage penalty because of the shape of the platform you're fighting on, so why should Red Mage? If you prefer to be at range, nothing is stopping you from using Displacement to go away if their damage is nearer equal.