Debating between RDM or BRD. Need opinions of hardcore mages

[Lawliet]

So basically I've been a melee whore my entire FFXI careerlol and I'm getting really sick of it. I narrowed it down to either RDM or BRD for my next 75 job. Let's say that I'll have no problems getting the best non-rare/ex items available to each job, which would be a better choice for someone who's never touched a mage/support job?

For anyone that has both RDM and BRD or any hardcore mage players:
1.Which job do you enjoy more?
2.Which one is more useful to an end-game linkshell?
3.Which job is able to become the bigger epeen?

[thestalkmore]

1. RDM
2. Tie
3. RDM

[Demosthenes11]

Do you want to be a bitch or a pimp?

[Zosi]

Do you want to be a bitch or a pimp?

QFT. If you ever want to play your precious melee job again, level RDM. It's possible to have too many RDMs for an event, thus requiring someone to switch, but having too many BRDs is practically impossible.

Also, RDM AF hats. Fuck yeah.

[Meat]

Never level a job more useful than your favorite; Rdm.

[Loren]

1. RDM
2. BRD
3. Both. RDM = solo ego, BRD = mass adoration

I would say:
mostly group playtime: BRD
mostly solo/duo playtime: RDM

Big events go smoothly when Elegy and Minuet are plentiful.
Solo/duo NM and battlefields go smoothly with skilled RDM

[Zosi]

3. Both. RDM = solo ego, BRD = mass adoration

That's what I did. I started as BRD, and while being camped for merit parties the second you unanon is fun, I got really tired of wet paper bags beating the shit out of me, so I did RDM for a job that's a little more durable.

[Lawliet]

Well, I already have NIN leveled for the duo/solo junk. My ls makes me raid PLD 100% of the time and it's pretty boring. The melee jobs I have leveled aren't really HNM-able/perferred by my linkshell. My THF MNK NIN basically rots in Bhaflau Thickets until the next Harry Potter movie comes out and all of our other THFs aren't online, then I get the green flag to go poke shit for 3 damage during the last 10 seconds of the fight.

[Tsukasaz]

1. RDM
2. Both
3. RDM

Just some tidbits of information (how I feel):
RDM has the potential to make you hate it after a few months of playing in dynamis and boring crap.
However, I love it and am willing to go to every event RDM and if I'm able to pick my own job to go to dynamis or anything, I pick RDM hands down.
Oh, I have BRD on a second character but am leveling it on my main as well within the month (August).. so I've been BRD+RDM to the same dynamis sometimes, both of them are fun.
I find BRD to be bad sometimes because I'm usually in BLM parties and they love to run away from each other so I kill myself trying to ballad everyone (I pay more attention to my main in dynamis so when I look over it's hard to find out who's where and who's not in range for ballad).

[BRP]

2. Both

Wellll... they are a ton of RDMs and there never seems to be enough BRDs.

[Hellfury]

Go RDM. <3 RDM.

(if you level bard, you'll never get to do anything else >.>)

1, RDM! Nothing comes close
2, Both, but chances are you'll be made to come BRD unless you're lucky :/
3, RDM most likely.


People do enjoy different things. RDM has (for the about 3 years I've been playing) been my one and only true love, and I regret the day I leveled BRD... And nobody can deny, duelist gear looks bloody pimp :D
(except legs look retarded on Elvaan :/ but that's what nashira is for!)

[Vigilia]

1.RDM at events, BRD in meritpos for me. It's funner to pull than spam Cure III/haste for hours on end.

2.Both, slightly depending on LS. Depending on event you can have too many BRDs but rarely too many RDMs. My LS atm has an abundance of both since practically everyone with 75WAR has gone and leveled BRD as well so we even have to tell BRDs to GTFO and swap job. BRD without a party is just a Cure bish but a RDM can always at least cure/haste/status cure etc. from outside alliance to keep themselves busy. Plus your survivability in crowd control situations on RDM is just so much better. If you want to keep busy at events I would suggest you check your LS memberlist and what jobs others are leveling at the moment in case there's a dire need/surplus for either.
And yeah to the comment "do you want to be a bitch or a pimp", on BRD you will rarely or never receive any thanks for the work you do. You're the bitch to everyone else and it's not you that adds to damage, they melees are obviously uber in themselves already. You will only get spoken to if the songs aren't on. As a RDM you have a lot more control over the course of events and generally get to do your own thing.

3.Both, but RDM gear looks tons better and the overall utility value is better (crimson legs <3 alone make it worth it). As a BRD you will always look like a hobo but on the other hand on BRD you can piss off gimp melees who don't know about your other jobs by wearing haidate/hecatomb etc.

[Panella]

RDM gets my vote since it's a little more versatile than brd. Brd uses what, nin and whm subs? Rdm uses whm, blm, drk, nin, etc. depending on what you're doing. Little variety is always nice in the long run. Not to mention there are a number of things you can do with chainspell in solo/duo type situations that your nin can't. Well, can.. just not as well or as quickly I suppose. Soul voice doesn't really have the same utility value.

Although, I may be slightly biased since everytime I bring my other character only his brd seems to exist in people's minds... /sigh

[Tricen]

1)RDM
2) Shit is situational
3) Hmmm... BRDM. Bwahahaha.

Although lvling BRD on a diff char was not the smartest thing to do, I find myself going to events as BRD more than RDM. Although since all the good equip for RDM is r/e and sucks ass to get... BRD can be fairly good on AHable gear. (Dalmatica, AF2hat, sea cape, vring, etc, opposed to sheikh and whiteboxes.) BRD is easier to merit then RDM though... So you'd prolly end up being a better merited BRD then a RDM. (But that doesn't stop you from sucking at your job..)

[Fng]

Do you ever want to merit as a melee again? = RDM


If you level BRD forget ever coming melee to a merit party.

[Sendra]

Do you ever want to merit as a melee again? = RDM


If you level BRD forget ever coming melee to a merit party.

qft, seriously. =/ I don't remember the last time I was in a hardcore merit party on my NIN.

[solsovly]

You could try leveling RDM first as it's a useful sub for many things. Then try bard... but if you are even the slight bit hesitant on whether you will like bard or not, for the love of god stop before 55.

This is the normal reaction in my shell when someone who has bard leveled asks what is going on.

InsertMeleeJob/BRD/BLM >> Hey Guys, can I come along? what job?
LS >> InsertMeleeJob if you want
InsertMeleeJob/BRD/BLM >> Screw you guys, I don't appreciate your sarcasm, I'll come bard, I hate you all.

Seriously, whenever they get asked to come a non bard job (me included), paranoia and doubt sets in. I've been asked to come bard to a trio with... a monk and bard. Even if you are the worlds most horrible bard like I am, people don't care, you're coming bard. I'll sing gavotte on the melees, sirvente on the blms and they'd still prefer that to another job If only march and minuet could get resisted.

[Isiolia]

I have a bit of a skewed perspective. I entered the game as a RDM years ago, been 75 for a while -my BRD hit 70 last night. So...yeah, bit more of a career RDM atm.

1.Which job do you enjoy more?
2.Which one is more useful to an end-game linkshell?
3.Which job is able to become the bigger epeen?

1. I like RDM in general more still because of the reasons I've always liked RDM. Self-sufficiency and versatility. BRD is enjoyable in its own way, and I'd say I enjoy pulling/buffing more than refresh/haste/cure spamming in a fast-paced party. But if it was up to picking one or the other, RDM, no question.

2. Depends on what your shell lacks. Generally, more people have RDM than have BRD. What you tend to find with either job is that people are tired of always coming on that, and want to play their tank/DD for a change.

3. RDM I'd say, but not usually for party play. Both jobs are usually in a party/alliance are there to help others do their jobs better. RDM has more tricks up its sleeve though that can make you stand out, but generally both are thankless bitch jobs.

Really just depends on what you want out of it. RDM is best if you're wanting to put a lot into it and really get the most out of the job. If you're just looking to make the mage version of an Axe, /NIN-only WAR...then go with BRD. It'll be more effective for less effort.

[Sylphet]

1: I enjoy RDM more than BRD.

2: Both are required end game.

3: RDM has the bigger epeen factor hands down until you get a relic horn. At that point BRD wins out.

As far as which you should level, that really depends on what you want to get out of it. If you want to be the ultimate princess then by all means level BRD. XP is super fast and everyone wants you. You can also get free merits out of this for the rest of your time in FF. If you are more into party micromanagement and healing (for leveling up) then go RDM. Personally I find RDM to be more rewarding because of the diversity of things you can do with it end game. It's important to remember that RDM at 75 is far different than leveling up. BRD is completely dependant on others to do anything end game. RDM on the other hand, can do a temendous amount of things solo or small man. Now, ask me why I got a relic horn, solidifying my role as perma-BRD to 99% of all linkshell events.

[ashke]

I prefer RDM to BRD, and stopped BRD at 40 for level cap content, and it's staying there. I love my BLM too much to never play it again.

That being said...

... if you LIKE bard >>more than you're other jobs<<, you're pretty essential to just about any endeavour your LS would contemplate attempting.

RDM is a great solo/assault/salvage option to have available as well. I favor it for a few things, even though I'm a BLM through and through.