RDM Changes

[Brandr]

Personally, I have found all the new changes to be good.

I believe there was a bit of a hit to "class identity" that people are struggling with. For example, the three-GCD sword combo becoming ranged while under the two-minute Manafication burst could probably benefit from a different animation; this would better convey that the attacks are now ranged rather than melee. I also believe that Manafication having a damage buff was never ideal because it was often misaligned and didn't fall under Embolden when manarushing. This change to Manafication had deeper mechanics in mind that most people are only viewing at a surface level.

I do not personally believe that the "fun" of Red Mage was stealing a melee player's position during certain content. When they design bosses, they have balanced party compositions in mind. A Red Mage delaying a sword combo during a two-minute burst—just to wait their turn to get three GCDs on the boss—isn't what made this class fun. It was only three GCDs (six for an actual burst if stored up) in a combo that is already far more ranged than melee to begin with.

Only ragging on a job's changes without appreciating the good is how you get them to pull the plug entirely. We know what that looks like because it has happened to other jobs. We need to rinse off some of this negativity and show that we aren't just crybabies. You might hate that it’s ranged now, but you should look at how these changes affect RDM in a gameplay sense, not just how it looks. You are literally being a melee outside of 2 min burst windows for that mobility sword combo, and you still have to use your gap closer, the identity and fun aren't dead. We just need a reinforcement of our identity more in 8.0. RED MAGE IS STILL FUN :0

These changes were good, just please reinforce our class identity in 8.0!

Edit: for spelling and grammar.

Ex/Savage designers once again ruining the game

[SnoFox]

I've been playing with the change since patch and I've ultimately found that I think this is for the negative.

Red Mage was distinctly different from the other casters by needing to manage a lot of movement to sneak in melee combos around mechanics. While this gameplay is still there during downtime, it no longer matters during burst. This lowers the skill ceiling for the class and makes it act nearly identical to the other casters. Take the savage fight against Sugar Riot, as an example. While learning and failing adds phase, I was forced to forego most of my burst while we figured out the fight. Later, my static and I found out how to position everyone so I could sneak in melee attacks during burst - and if I didn't get it, it was my fault. Now, Manafication acts as a "delete positioning/timing mistake" button - the only value it has during burst is a singular (albeit 1200 potency) oGCD attack.

With both Black Mage and Summoner becoming very mobile over the last several patches, Red Mage's sole gameplay difference is balancing mana. While this isn't a great place to be in terms of job identity, I would be willing to accept it as long as all the casters did similar levels of damage at the top of the skill ceiling. It is not thrilling to come to the realization that your favorite caster isn't Black Mage, and therefore is effectively nerfing a team.

Anyway, since the devs are clearly committed to this change, I'd love to see these two follow-up changes:
1. When under the effect of Manafication, spawn an aetherial version of the WoL in melee range doing the attack, because it'd look cool
2. Do more to equalize DPS within a role so we can focus on the playstyle of a job (balancing Black/White Mana, singing songs, draining MP) rather than just bringing whatever has the most DPS for the patch

[Reginald_Cain]

It's hilarious to me that red mage somehow became the least mobile caster and square Enix trying to address that only made people more unhappy somehow. I think the change red mage needed was making enchanted reprise require but NOT SPEND 5 of each mana.

[Carighan]

It's hilarious to me that red mage somehow became the least mobile caster and square Enix trying to address that only made people more unhappy somehow. I think the change red mage needed was making enchanted reprise require but NOT SPEND 5 of each mana.

Oh that's a neat idea in a way, they could have made it so that during Manafication, Enchanted Reprise costs nothing and won't about the combo. Then you could just spam that while being at range before continuing in melee.

[Mesarthim]

It's hilarious to me that red mage somehow became the least mobile caster and square Enix trying to address that only made people more unhappy somehow. I think the change red mage needed was making enchanted reprise require but NOT SPEND 5 of each mana.

I retired RDM (from its release to 7.2) when they lobotomized BLM for their new fight design. I always did find it baffling that they made the mana changes but left enchanted reprise at 5 mana cost... thus making it more expensive to use? It's not like it was a skill you went out of your way to spam unless you had to before.

If anything they just further discouraged its use.

[Reginald_Cain]

Enchanted reprise has always cost too much resources to ever want to use and thats ridiculous when looking at mobility tools present on other caster even back in shadowbringers. Xenoglossy, egi assault, scathe were much better. I know they don't want Enchanted reprise getting over used but 5 mana of each mana deleted per swing is insane.