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WARNING: Long read. If you don't like reading, too freakin' bad.
I remember myself once saying (along with a host of others) that BRD and RDM need nothing in the way of job adjustments and are fine as is. I didn't see the problem in that position when I levelled RDM in between both BRD and COR, but now that COR gave me a refresher (pardon the pun) in some of my qualms with BRD, I do see a common problem for all three jobs.
Any of these three jobs loathe one common thing: The the jobs that use MP on the front line of battle. Even with things like Sanction Refresh, Vermillion/Black Cloak, Parade Gorget and Auto-Refresh Traits, jobs like BLU, PLD and DRK can still be annoying to deal with. Then there's other possible jobs like DRG/WHM and PUP/WHM that could also present a problem.
But in the case of any job involved here, to work around this, people are forced to give up something that might help them play more efficently. For example, I'm pretty sure most PLD, DRK, and BLUs would love to get the sanction Food buff instead of Refresh, BLU might want to set other spells so they don't have to set up for Auto-Refresh.
And BRDs and CORs don't want to drop a four buff cycle down to two or three just for the sake of hitting everyone with Ballad or Evoker's roll because it decreases how fast a PT may kill. And in the case of RDM, no RDM wants to deal with refreshing more than three other people on their own.
So let's start with a solution for RDM. I think the best solution lies in a trait they're know for - Fast Cast. I've always been left with the impression Fast Cast was the online take of the main series ability, Double Cast. Sometimes Double Cast let the second cast follow the first in succession with no MP cost, but in FFX I think it drew the MP cost both times.
So for the sake of argument, we'll Say Double Cast comes at level 35, has a 2 minute timer and that the second and same spell comes at no cost after the first. So RDM could eek out two Refreshes in a short span of time and then hit a third no too long after. I place this ability at sub level just due to the sheer usefulness it could offer other jobs. The applications for BLU, WHM, and BLU, and SMN should be obvious, but it would also allow NIN do get out an addition elemental spell or attempt to land again after a resist and for BRD, it would allow the to catch any straggler that miss a buff earlier. Just imagine what it could do for a job like PLD in some situations, two big cure IVs could draw some serious hate.
But lets ante up and give RDM an exclusive in Triple Cast. Four minute timer, first spell at usual cost, second at half and third totally free. This would not only make refreshing multiple members quickly and more easily, but be less of a burden on a Haste cycle as well, or even main healing. And lets not overlook what either ability could do for soloists
Moving on to BRD. I propose an ability to briefly shift to a state of single target buffing and back to the AOE buffs. We'll call the single target ability "Serenade" and the revert to the AoE state "Chorus." Both abilities would be at level 20 and only apply to songs. I place it at sub level just due to the fact most people use /BRD and I think that's a short-sighted crutch application for a subjob, /BRD could do more and be more viable with such an ability and the /BRD user would be able to boost melee out put without . In addition, it could make many jobs an attractive, if light, refresher.
But you couldn't do that for those jobs without giving COR something as well and this could sound a bit complicated. So I propse a series of single target buffs under a one minute ability we'll call "Slight". This would be another gambling ability except its a simple 1-6 roll with no Double ups or Busts, but but since it is a single target buff and have the same duration as a Phantom roll, it will come at the cost of a combination of specific elemental cards and some gil. .
A series of four support abilitys would come from Slight:
Providence
Single target Refresh
Cost: one Light Card, two Water Cards, 500 gil.
Refresh Values: 1-3 = 1 MP, 4-5 = 2 MP a tick, 6 = 3 MP a tick.
Hurricane
Single target Haste
Cost: one Water Card, two Wind Cards, 200 gil.
Haste Values - 1-3 = 3% Haste, 4-5 = 4%, 6 = 5% Haste
Lightning Strike
Single Target Accuracy buff
Cost: one earth card, two lightning cards, 300 gil.
Accuracy Values - 1-3 = +3% Accuracy, 4-5 = +4% Accuracy, 6 = +5% accuracy.
Berzerker
Single Target Attack buff
Cost: one Dark Card, two Fire Cards, 400 gil.
Attack values - 1-3 = +3% Attack, 4-5 = +4% Attack, 6 = +5% Attack
Slight would overwrite a Phantom Roll on the Target, but would not stack with Hunter's, Chaos or Evoker's, their respective single targets could nly overwrite them purely for the sake of this not being overpowered. Slight would also be an umbrella ability just like Phantom Roll and Quick Draw, they could choose one of these buffs per minute.
We'll put Slight of Hand at 35. And here's are my reasons for the way I've detailed it.
First off, these abilities could be fairly potent for subjob use, and giving just any job a chance at a 3 MP a tick refresh for low cost would indeed take away from RDM, BRD and COR so Providence should come at a degree of expense, even with the varied results.
As it stands, there is no job requirement for elemental Cards, yet COR is really the only one that can put them to use in battle. There are also some cards that see less play with Quick Draw than others, which is why I've paired them up with other elemental cards at the cost of 2. Fire, Water, Lightning and Wind don't see much action versus Light, Dark, Ice and Earth Shot, so with this ability, they'd see liberal use.
Since the buffs last five minutes, the one minute recast would indeed accomodate multiple MP frontliners pretty fairly, so if wouldn't have to be a sucessive ability like
COR also lacks a haste ability, so if we can't get a AoE version and we can get a single target version, it should cost us since we are, after all, gamblers.
Anyway, long topic from me, but I think if these abilities were added it would make jobs like DRK, BLU and PLD more attractive for BRD, COR and RDM to work with more often. The nature of subjobs, positioning and melee classes that use MP make it hard for the BRD, RDM and COR to deal with them.
And I think such a change would also allow for other jobs to use a greater range of subjobs. It would help things like DRG/Mage work better in a PT without being a needy refresh annoyance to support classes.
I do see how some might think it would push these support classes further into a pure support function and make a job like COR busier than it already is (I still regard BRD and RDM to be a little busier, so tough luck), but that would still vary with PT setup. Things like Serenade and Slight would tie jobs down too much if only one MP user was on the front line.
Such a change could also give a job like RDM a better justification for being a frontline fighter. Part of the reason I want one on the backline as COR or BRD is the frontline needs melee buffs and they kinda screw with that by going to the frontline.
I remember myself once saying (along with a host of others) that BRD and RDM need nothing in the way of job adjustments and are fine as is. I didn't see the problem in that position when I levelled RDM in between both BRD and COR, but now that COR gave me a refresher (pardon the pun) in some of my qualms with BRD, I do see a common problem for all three jobs.
Any of these three jobs loathe one common thing: The the jobs that use MP on the front line of battle. Even with things like Sanction Refresh, Vermillion/Black Cloak, Parade Gorget and Auto-Refresh Traits, jobs like BLU, PLD and DRK can still be annoying to deal with. Then there's other possible jobs like DRG/WHM and PUP/WHM that could also present a problem.
But in the case of any job involved here, to work around this, people are forced to give up something that might help them play more efficently. For example, I'm pretty sure most PLD, DRK, and BLUs would love to get the sanction Food buff instead of Refresh, BLU might want to set other spells so they don't have to set up for Auto-Refresh.
And BRDs and CORs don't want to drop a four buff cycle down to two or three just for the sake of hitting everyone with Ballad or Evoker's roll because it decreases how fast a PT may kill. And in the case of RDM, no RDM wants to deal with refreshing more than three other people on their own.
So let's start with a solution for RDM. I think the best solution lies in a trait they're know for - Fast Cast. I've always been left with the impression Fast Cast was the online take of the main series ability, Double Cast. Sometimes Double Cast let the second cast follow the first in succession with no MP cost, but in FFX I think it drew the MP cost both times.
So for the sake of argument, we'll Say Double Cast comes at level 35, has a 2 minute timer and that the second and same spell comes at no cost after the first. So RDM could eek out two Refreshes in a short span of time and then hit a third no too long after. I place this ability at sub level just due to the sheer usefulness it could offer other jobs. The applications for BLU, WHM, and BLU, and SMN should be obvious, but it would also allow NIN do get out an addition elemental spell or attempt to land again after a resist and for BRD, it would allow the to catch any straggler that miss a buff earlier. Just imagine what it could do for a job like PLD in some situations, two big cure IVs could draw some serious hate.
But lets ante up and give RDM an exclusive in Triple Cast. Four minute timer, first spell at usual cost, second at half and third totally free. This would not only make refreshing multiple members quickly and more easily, but be less of a burden on a Haste cycle as well, or even main healing. And lets not overlook what either ability could do for soloists
Moving on to BRD. I propose an ability to briefly shift to a state of single target buffing and back to the AOE buffs. We'll call the single target ability "Serenade" and the revert to the AoE state "Chorus." Both abilities would be at level 20 and only apply to songs. I place it at sub level just due to the fact most people use /BRD and I think that's a short-sighted crutch application for a subjob, /BRD could do more and be more viable with such an ability and the /BRD user would be able to boost melee out put without . In addition, it could make many jobs an attractive, if light, refresher.
But you couldn't do that for those jobs without giving COR something as well and this could sound a bit complicated. So I propse a series of single target buffs under a one minute ability we'll call "Slight". This would be another gambling ability except its a simple 1-6 roll with no Double ups or Busts, but but since it is a single target buff and have the same duration as a Phantom roll, it will come at the cost of a combination of specific elemental cards and some gil. .
A series of four support abilitys would come from Slight:
Providence
Single target Refresh
Cost: one Light Card, two Water Cards, 500 gil.
Refresh Values: 1-3 = 1 MP, 4-5 = 2 MP a tick, 6 = 3 MP a tick.
Hurricane
Single target Haste
Cost: one Water Card, two Wind Cards, 200 gil.
Haste Values - 1-3 = 3% Haste, 4-5 = 4%, 6 = 5% Haste
Lightning Strike
Single Target Accuracy buff
Cost: one earth card, two lightning cards, 300 gil.
Accuracy Values - 1-3 = +3% Accuracy, 4-5 = +4% Accuracy, 6 = +5% accuracy.
Berzerker
Single Target Attack buff
Cost: one Dark Card, two Fire Cards, 400 gil.
Attack values - 1-3 = +3% Attack, 4-5 = +4% Attack, 6 = +5% Attack
Slight would overwrite a Phantom Roll on the Target, but would not stack with Hunter's, Chaos or Evoker's, their respective single targets could nly overwrite them purely for the sake of this not being overpowered. Slight would also be an umbrella ability just like Phantom Roll and Quick Draw, they could choose one of these buffs per minute.
We'll put Slight of Hand at 35. And here's are my reasons for the way I've detailed it.
First off, these abilities could be fairly potent for subjob use, and giving just any job a chance at a 3 MP a tick refresh for low cost would indeed take away from RDM, BRD and COR so Providence should come at a degree of expense, even with the varied results.
As it stands, there is no job requirement for elemental Cards, yet COR is really the only one that can put them to use in battle. There are also some cards that see less play with Quick Draw than others, which is why I've paired them up with other elemental cards at the cost of 2. Fire, Water, Lightning and Wind don't see much action versus Light, Dark, Ice and Earth Shot, so with this ability, they'd see liberal use.
Since the buffs last five minutes, the one minute recast would indeed accomodate multiple MP frontliners pretty fairly, so if wouldn't have to be a sucessive ability like
COR also lacks a haste ability, so if we can't get a AoE version and we can get a single target version, it should cost us since we are, after all, gamblers.
Anyway, long topic from me, but I think if these abilities were added it would make jobs like DRK, BLU and PLD more attractive for BRD, COR and RDM to work with more often. The nature of subjobs, positioning and melee classes that use MP make it hard for the BRD, RDM and COR to deal with them.
And I think such a change would also allow for other jobs to use a greater range of subjobs. It would help things like DRG/Mage work better in a PT without being a needy refresh annoyance to support classes.
I do see how some might think it would push these support classes further into a pure support function and make a job like COR busier than it already is (I still regard BRD and RDM to be a little busier, so tough luck), but that would still vary with PT setup. Things like Serenade and Slight would tie jobs down too much if only one MP user was on the front line.
Such a change could also give a job like RDM a better justification for being a frontline fighter. Part of the reason I want one on the backline as COR or BRD is the frontline needs melee buffs and they kinda screw with that by going to the frontline.
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