Perhaps the simplest way fro them to get around adding a plethera of skills, tweaks and such to each class is to tie perks to the active class/job and/or have Jobs change or replace perks. They'd likely have to go back on the current jobs and do some changes aswell but it may facilitate atleast a heakthier system of options.

I think one of the issues that arised from GLD -> RDM is armor class aswell. Even if you were to change add etc perks to help fit the RDM you would run into the issue of Plated Red mages or 2 extreamly restrictive choices of gear and the added issues of adding lvl 30-50 choices for RDM that are totally different from whats out there, or tagging existing stuff with RDM on it just to get by.

Despite the perk changing thought being helpful short term, i think long term the best route is the previous view of adding additional total roles to classes. Thats not to say a LNC with some tanks stills would stand tow to toe tanking with a GLD, nor should it. But if it has a list of defencive skills where it could perhaps Off tank some adds for a few moment, saving a WHM, or helping out on a xp party etc.

The versatility becomes the "Stuff" a Class can bring in any enviorment, and also opens up a more varied branch of Jobs. Not to mention some fun gearing descisions. Move towards DPS on GLD or Tanking gear wise etc

I agree Bard has been a good test case for support, i think when you move to offencive support like debuffs the water gets murky, and thats kinda what worries me about RDM, if after some time SE just can't see a good way to toss out Debuffs that have an impact while still Melee damaging, they might just settle for a "nuker who stabs things".

And a tear wearing a red hat with a feather will then drop from my eye if that happens.