Red Mage idea

[Dawiichan]

Actually, I've never played FFXI. My point is, if it's a hybrid, it can't be a "carry", as you've so put it, otherwise why bring pure DD classes that bring none of the so-called Utility you speak of? RDM would be something similar to Paladin in WoW. The slightest changes/nerfs/buffs to the class itself can manifest in horrendous overpowered/underpowered performance in a hybrid class. In order for RDM to be viable, yes they will have their rapiers and their magic, but they're not going to, and honestly shouldn't be able to, out DD a DRG/MNK/BLM, and they shouldn't be able to outheal a WHM.

So, what does that leave? The utility. And, like I've said previously, if their utility in the forms of buffs/debuffs with damage/healing don't make it worth bringing a RDM over another DRG/MNK/BLM/WHM, then they'll never be a viable class. Don't get me wrong, I want to see a RDM in this game. The aesthetic of the class is just way too awesome. The difficulty comes in how they are implemented. Honestly? My idea of a RDM would be take the Fencer class from Tactics Advance, and the RDM abilities would be Saboteur/Synergist abilities from FFXIII with, of course, Double Cast as it's something of a staple of the job now.

Ok, I guess I'm going to have to go more into depth for you to understand. You don't have to carry someone to become useful. You're thinking about it too one sided. Have you don't the BLM faction leve? While it's purely magical based, making it carry one aspect, it still kind of depicts what the capabilities of the job can do. Three flans at the start, one can only be hurt by fire, one by ice and one by lightning. In this one fight, you need 3 different aspects to complete the first section. Then after those 3, you fight the princess which changes into those 3 aspects.

For the purpose of this example, lets say BLM can only deal lightning damage, a MNK can deal fire and a DRG can deal ice damage. However Red Mage can deal both lightning, fire, and ice, yet not at the full power which BLM, MNK and DRG can. So when the fight of the 3 flans come in, the DRG, BLM, and MNK class obviously excel at it than the Red Mage. But when the princess appears, who will be the most useful? BLM can't do anything until the princess goes into her lightning-weak form. MNK can't do anything until she's in her fire-weak form. However RDM can deal damage at all times.

See what I mean? The game doesn't have to have a linear system as it does now. Take Garuda for Relic as another example. When the sisters appear, you need both physical and magical damage. However they increase the amount of damage to three-fold. In Garuda for relic, you can't have anybody die, this sudden increase in damage can become detrimental. This brings the importance of a flexible class that can not only deal both forms of damage, yet also support/heal. Yes, flexibility is a form of utility.

EDIT: BTW, I'm using carry as it's literal sense. Not like it is used in Moba games.