[RDM] Please do not buff redmage's melee combo, buff verstone/fire/aero/thunder.

[VivianInfinity]

First off, redmage is fun. The core loop is fun, triple melee combo is fun, dealing with polarity and the implications of saving movement tools versus potentially sliding your oGCDs is fun, and the utility is fantastic. But it's abundantly clear that it is lacking in damage.

However, so much of redmage's damage is tied to Fletch and its melee combo that your ability to contribute meaningfully to a fight becomes tied to whether or not you critical hit and direct hit these abilities. Buffing the potency of these abilities further increases the variance in the class, making optimal play feel substantially more like luck than skill.

Meanwhile, redmage's filler duocast combo has damage that amounts to being nearly insubstantial. This makes them ideal candidates for buffs, as it wouldn't notably increase the variance between lucky runs and unlucky runs, since you spend a notable amount of time casting these spells. Additionally, the mere 20 potency difference between Jolt 2 and Verstone/Verfire makes overwriting procs almost negligible in opportunity cost, reducing the live decision making I feel like is core to the class.

Alternatively, melee combo components could be guaranteed critical direct hits, but at that point, it feels as though we should be talking about sweeping changes regarding how this game handles critical hits.

Please let me know what you think.

[RylaBee]

Please, no more "guaranteed" anything. It's already ruining game as it is.

But I very much agree on buffing standard filler abilities, rather than making everything just hang on burst combo.
Over-importance of stone-set burst windows is basically the other half of the problem ruining the game balance.

[SaberMaxwell]

I can agree there to a point. Buff e. Reprise along with them to make it a (minor, but significantly less than the melee combo) gain over cast-dual, drop its cost to 2/2 and breathe some life back to the ability.

Just remember rdm rides a weird line where the higher pot its bnb has, the lower relative theoretical potency each mana point has since those are based on the difference in pps between melee finisher combo and bnb spell loop. A general buff with focus on bnb spells would be welcome.

Lock verraise to a 1 minute cooldown but make it oGCD. Verraise then keeps superiority over raise, finally and truly being instant, but also much easier of a utility to balance against / around.

No reworks, no guaranteed crits. Please God. Spare Red Mage an execution.

[VivianInfinity]

With respect to the guaranteed crits, given that they're giving them to so many classes, it's starting to feel like they might just remove critical hit entirely. Honestly, I'm for it; the variance inherent in crit and direct hit is just... not fun? And it sort of seems like the developers are inching towards replacing it entirely.

[momokami]

YES please buff the filler abilities i agree with everything you said

[Atmaweapon510]

They could buff the potency of every RDM spell and weaponskill by 20 and they'd still be behind BLM in damage, and BLM also needs a buff to compensate for the melee crit changes.

That's right, all of those tiny 20 potencies to weaponskill combos you see on patchnotes? You do that for every single GCD RDM action and they'd still be behind melee and BLM despite Maim and Mend II making each point of potency worth more than on a melee.

[VivianInfinity]

They could buff the potency of every RDM spell and weaponskill by 20 and they'd still be behind BLM in damage, and BLM also needs a buff to compensate for the melee crit changes.

That's right, all of those tiny 20 potencies to weaponskill combos you see on patchnotes? You do that for every single GCD RDM action and they'd still be behind melee and BLM despite Maim and Mend II making each point of potency worth more than on a melee.

I'm fine with that; redmage provides party utility that blackmage doesn't, and incredibly well-optimized AI rotation blackmage is undeniably more difficult.

[Ivtrix]

Buffing filler spells is the right path but not in the way you think.

If you overload the melee combo it suddenly becomes “well if the big hitters didn’t crit then my damage is just shit”

[VivianInfinity]

I mean... yeah, that was what I wrote in the original post.

[GraumSenpai]

I'm fine with that; redmage provides party utility that blackmage doesn't, and incredibly well-optimized AI rotation blackmage is undeniably more difficult.

Utility should not equal damage loss. Why?

You. Don't. Need. It.

Why should you lose damage for the existance of a redundant ability that isn't necessary to the clear.

Raise? Nice I guess but you already lose your mana, you lose the potency in that GCD, you lose the proc opportunity.

Magic Barrier? Nice I guess but its not needed and that 5% healing potency is laughably useless. Signed: A Healer main who overheals in regens cuz we have so many now

RDM doesn't need taxes because they can do things BLM cannot. Just play what you like. If your choice in class to play is built around meta that's your choice, then play RDM I guess. But if you enjoy BLM then play that? No matter what a DNC is going to partner you over RDM even if rDPS is made the same. Your still going to be top of your EXCEL spreadsheet linked to your damage log. I don't understand why people think taxes need to exist in this game because of role and situational and fluffy supports that no one needs. Uptime is a thing of the past for melees and phys ranged don't offer any better support than melees realistically. Casters struggle on movement, why should anyone be higher than others? Balance everyone to as close to same as possible and everyone is happy imo.