Thread: RDM 7.4 changes and job identity

Originally Posted by Milkbeard

mad about the range change on 3 gcds changing while under a buff.

Again, it's not 3 GCDs. It's 'every Enchanted GCD in the 30s duration of Manafication'. Up to 3 'Melee' combos, if you pooled resources. Unless, by '3 GCDs' you mean 'these 3 buttons on the hotbar, which happen to be GCD actions'

Originally Posted by Milkbeard

I need to know what fights you think RDM was designed as having a melee space for so that we can keep this conversation functional. I see your points, I just can't get behind the idea that RDM has ever played like a melee without any truth or evidence. The rapier wasn't removed it was enhanced under a buff.

If the request is 'what older fights had space designed in, such that a RDM and 2 Melees AND both Tanks can all be in melee range of the Boss during the burst window', A: A lot of older fights did not rely so much on 'the party has 4 in and 4 out' so much as things like Protean positions where everybody is equidistant from the boss, or the angle of each player around the boss is more important than the distance from the boss, etc. and B: The timing of players' bursts were staggered in older days, so not everybody was bursting at the same time. Perhaps the issue then, is that since those days, everybody needing to burst at 2min, and the massive potencies on those burst actions/the multiplicative nature of those raidbuffs placing so much more burden on 'burst at the right time or your DPS tanks', means that RDM being 'unable to get into Melee range' is far more punishing now compared to previously?

If the request is 'what implied RDM ever had anything Melee in its design', it was capable of holding its own with Melee combat in previous games. It having a Melee combo is a nod to that versatility.

I am also not sure what you mean by 'I just can't get behind the idea that RDM has ever played like a melee without any truth or evidence', there's no truth or evidence of that statement (in regards to specifically FFXIV's RDM) because it's never played 'like a Melee'. It's played 'like a Ranged/Melee hybrid, using Ranged for its regular gameplay, and a fastpaced Melee combo to deal burst damage'. Where has the idea that RDM has ever 'played like a Melee' come from?



I guess this slide needs to be updated to say 'Ranged attacks with magic (and sometimes Rapier)', and 'Melee attacks with Rapier (but can sometimes strike with Rapier from 25y away)'. 'A Hybrid Ranged/Melee style, achieved using high-speed positioning' only holds true if you actually need to Melee, and with this change, you Melee less. It is, objectively, less 'hybrid' than it was before. I fully expect that there will be calls to make the remaining 'actually Melee' Melee combo also be executable from range come 8.0