Was BLM not enough?

[Raikai]

or for SE to stop designing mechanics to be so inflexible in their resolution

That's the crux of the issue. The structure that RDM is inserted in won't allow you to 'be creative/skillful' about melee uptime, as it would require that ranged player to be in a ranged spot at a certain time to check past a specific mechanic. I didn't do last Savage / EXs to know if this wall appears so much that becomes prohibitive for a player to achieve a RDM's maximum potential.

BLM was a different example as the skill revolved around possibilities for the role.

I had this in mind, that CBU3 kind of cornered themselves with the "new and improved" fight design of Dawntrail. They'll have to keep dumbing down job skill expression because the structure just won't allow it.