Physical ranged jobs have the amazing benefit of maximum uptime. Having lower damage output is a given. The devs simply need to up MCH numbers where necessary to compensate for the intended lack of party utility. That especially includes Wildfire, since it can't crit or d-hit. There's also odd jank like Flamethrower but the job isn't fundamentally broken. It has a clear design of big, hard hitting attacks and fast attack windows. It just needs some number turning and/or slight work.


SMN is also nowhere near as flawed as everyone tries to make it out to be. I have played the job since I started in 3.4 and never have I enjoyed it as much as now. Pet AI in this game is simply UTTER GARBAGE and it had to be reworked. Yes, I understand how people are sad about the rework. But there was no way around it. Personally, I miss dot management but what I got instead feels a lot more satisfying visually and thematically. The worst aspect I find about SMN is how tacked on Aetherflow is at this point. I'd rather it was gained by summoning or some other condition. Another "issue" I see a lot being brought up is the button consolidation. And really? Out of everything you can come up with, this is what you complain about? The same type of people that get petty over Ruin and Tri-Disaster not being replaced by their elemental version.
Is SMN too simple at times? Absolutely! But that isn't an issue, it's how the job plays and it's not like a low skill ceilling is problematic. By that definition every job should be reworked with extra conditions on a lot of their tools. If you just add detrimental conditions for the sake of difficulty, you'll drain yourself of enjoyment. You have to find a right balance in all things.
Just like the physical ranged, the high mobility means its damage is lower. That's just a fact everyone can keep crying about until the end of time, it won't change.


While writing this, I wonder why GNBs aren't more vocal about this super tight No Mercy window. As I understand, it's quite stressful to fit in everything during the buff. You'd think they'd ask for some QoL like ~3 seconds more or some part of this combo having a lower recast time... I thought this is precisely why they don't like to MT, if possible.