Red Mage

My first job to 75 was red mage. These days I rarely use it, and when I do, it's only to solo with. I have using it in parties or for events. So why'd I level it?

Short answer: It was my first job and I didn't know any better.

Long answer: The instruction book describes a red mage as being able to cast both white and black magic, as well as having some fighting ability. The truth is, all it is is a battery.

Somehow I managed to make it to level 56 with only a nin sub before realizing that rdm wasn't supposed to fight. Back then, the game was new and nobody knew any better, although at that point they were starting to find out.

But the job back then was pretty much the same as it is now: Refresh everyone and cure. The only difference is that there was usually a whm main healer (or a gimp blm/whm or smn/whm), instead of expecting the rdm to handle it on his own.

It was boring. Hell, it's still boring.

For a while in the late 60s, I felt like quitting. I did take long breaks, and when I did log in I'd get constant party invites, turning them down because I just didn't feel like going.

I did level whm instead for a while, but guess what? That was even worse. I got through 60 because I wanted the AF, then kept going telling myself it'd get better, but it didn't. To this day, I still haven't finished it. I'm scared that if I do, people will start expecting me to actually use it.

But I managed to push though on rdm. I beat Maat on the first try (which, back in 2003 on rdm, was considered pretty damn awesome) and eventually slogged up the slope to 75.

Then I decided to level monk, and discovered something startling: The game didn't get boring, it was just that job. Healers suck.

Except smn, oddly. I really did like leveling smn, even though it was mostly a gimp healer. Dunno why.

Anyhow, things got better from there.