Fixing Avatar's Favor

[Underpanties]

Right now, Avatar's Favor is a mess of JA. It encourages passive play for the SMN and gives underwhelming bonuses that disappear every time the smn does anything. I think its easy to see what the dev's were trying to do with it way back when, but it needs some adjusting.

Here's what I think should be done to keep it in line with today's ffxi:

Popping Avatar's Favor should :

-Significantly increase aura potency of all avatars, except Diablolos' Refresh.
-No longer reset aura potency on use of BP:Ward
-Decrease recast time of BP:Wards by 50%, increase recast time of BP: Rage by 100%
-Increase potency on all wards, while increasing the flat bonuses significantly (Ecliptic Howl giving up to +30 max stats during good moon phase, Noctoshield giving -40 dmg taken per hit, -enspells and frost/shock armor granting significantly increased dmg per hit)
-Increase TP Bonus for healing BP's significantly, allowing Carby to heal up to ~1500 per aoe heal with 300% tp. Obviously this is to encourage use of Mana Cede, another underused SMN JA, and will make the two abilities work hand in hand.
-Increase intelligence of Light Spirit, making it able to cast much faster and react quicker.

This gives a reason to actually use the ability outside of extremely niche situations, and can make smn a competent support and healer class, able to compete with SCH or RDM, but not quite at BRD/COR levels, given their versatile nature. They won't be replacing white mages, nor will they be stepping on toes of other dedicated supports, but it will definitely make them a lot more viable in end game party situations where they really struggle right now.

[Zeargi]

-No longer reset aura potency on use of BP:Ward
-Decrease recast time of BP:Wards by 50%, increase recast time of BP: Rage by 100%
-Increase potency on all wards, while increasing the flat bonuses significantly (Ecliptic Howl giving up to +30 max stats during good moon phase, Noctoshield giving -40 dmg taken per hit, -enspells and frost/shock armor granting significantly increased dmg per hit)
-Increase TP Bonus for healing BP's significantly, allowing Carby to heal up to ~1500 per aoe heal with 300% tp. Obviously this is to encourage use of Mana Cede, another underused SMN JA, and will make the two abilities work hand in hand.

This gives a reason to actually use the ability outside of extremely niche situations, and can make smn a competent support and healer class, able to compete with SCH or RDM, but not quite at BRD/COR levels, given their versatile nature. They won't be replacing white mages, nor will they be stepping on toes of other dedicated supports, but it will definitely make them a lot more viable in end game party situations where they really struggle right now.

While I agree that the effects should be bolstered, I don't agree with increasing the timer on BP: Rages, nor should the effects be reset with the use of ANY Bloodpacts. If SMN had a 'Stay" command, then these wards might actually be useful in other areas, but the other problem is that some of the Auras just need to be re-worked: Ifrit, Leviathan, Fenrir and maybe Ramuh. Double Attack in Most cases is useless, and more so with so many armor pieces already having it, Magic Acc. is also the same, and magic evasion? Seriously?!?! The Avatars spend most of there time around melee fighters anyway... Perhaps the aura could be the equivalent of the Bar-spells/carols as well.
Ifrit: Crit Att. Bonus; Barfira and Barparalyze
Shiva: MAB; Barblizzara and Barsilence.
Garuda: Eva. Bonus; Baraera and Barpetrify.
Titan: Def. Bonus; Barstonra and Barvirus.
Ramuh: Ranged/Melee Acc. Bonus; Barthundra and Barpoison.
Leviathan: Cure Potency+; Barwatra and Baramnesia
Fenrir: Regain; Bardarkra and Barsleep (Dark)
Diablos: Refresh; Bardarkra and Barterror
Carbuncle: Regen; Barlightra and Barblind
Cait Sith: MDB; Barlightra and Barsleep (Light)

We are just as much a support class as we are a healer and DD. Summoner is the second Jack-of-all, next to RDM. Of course RDM falls short in the Melee department. the Favor's not the only problem, our wards need just as much fixing. Earthen Ward isn't nearly as strong as what is should be at lvl 99+. Earthen Armor doesn't seem to work as it should vs. the damage mitigating. (I'm not talking like the NIN's spell, but at least on par with Bard's Song) Ecliptic Howl, the ACC/EVA. Bonuses. Noctoshield's Phalanx. The Enaspir/Endrain from Heavenward Howl. Just to name a few.

[Underpanties]

If Favor had zero drawbacks, there'd never be a reason to not use it. It was intended as a support-type stance. Favor should be used when buffing the party, and when the party isn't reliant on smn's damage contribution. Bear in mind it reduces BP Ward recast by half, which is a lot for Carby/Ramuh/Cait's supportive abilities.

In today's ffxi, its penalties to stats mean nothing when you can stack near +175 pet mATK.

A better solution, though, would be to add a mirroring JA built for rage pacts, so give the smn two stances to swap between. It could give the avatar their respective -enspell and increase auto attack / bp damage, while reducing BP Rage recast by half, and doubling BP Ward recast.

Keeping both respective JA recasts at 5 min makes the smn have to decide which role to focus on, but still have the ability to switch on the fly if need be.

[Zeargi]

But why should their be penalization, period? COR and BRD both can use their supports without having to sacrifice anything. COR can continue to use Phantom Roll and swap dice as long as they don't bust, and even that can be circumvented. Plus they don't have to cut their offensive Attack by anything, unlike the favor's effect on our avatars. BRD can use up to 4 songs with the right equipment. SMN's favor is done with the current avatar only and as long as the person is within the area of effect, mean that SMN has to either: stand close by if asked not to melee versus a target or send the avatar in and hope it isn't destroyed by crazy AoE. Even GEO can do 2 Effective buffs at once. Also, I'd never want to increase my Ward timer or my Rage. My goal is to have the lowest possible recast as I can.

Again, without a 'Stay' command the favors for the most part are kind of messed up anyway. I'd gladly give up the -prep cost for the ability to see it changed to something that could be worthwhile.

[Byrth]

I also like the idea of this JA and hate the implementation. Here were my ideas from an older thread:

Okay, Avatar's Favor. This job ability is one of the most complex and unique of any in the game. It's incredibly cool and intricate, but is unfortunately pretty fatally flawed. There are some very potent benefits that can be obtained from it, but its design makes them unreasonable to maintain. Currently it works like this:
* When you use Avatar's Favor, you gain Avatar Perpetuation Cost -2~4 and your Avatar starts emitting an avatar-specific Aura in exchange for an unquantified (probably substantial) Attack penalty, Acc-10, Avatar MAB-20, and potentially other debuffs like Magic Accuracy.
* The potency of the Avatar's Aura starts quite bad, but increases over time (every 10 seconds it increases 1 tier -- 12 tiers or 2 minutes to max it at the moment).
* This Aura potency caps out at a point proportional to your currently Summoning skill. Every 65 skill seems to be a new tier.
* When you use a Blood Pact: Ward, you drop 2 Tiers (20 seconds charge time).
* When you use a Blood Pact: Rage, you drop 5 Tiers (50 seconds charge time).
* If your Avatar dies or is Released, Aura potency is fully reset when you resummon it.
* The Avatar does not gain the benefit of its own Aura.

This system creates a few problems:
1) Summoners cannot use BP: Rage more than every 50 seconds and accumulate Aura potency at all. -- This (and the damage nerfs from Favor) essentially restricts Blood Pact: Rages when the ability is in effect.
2) Avatars frequently die in current content fights due to AoE damage. -- This means that the offensive buffs provided by Ifrit, Ramuh, etc. from Avatar's Favor are not useful in endgame. They do not have time to build an appreciable potency before the avatar is killed.
3) Avatars are frequently unsummoned in current content fights to apply different BP Wards. -- This, combined with the Ward potency reduction of Favor, means that you do not build appreciable potency in a situation where you're swapping between Avatars to buff the party. For instance, if you were maintaining Hastega, Earthen Armor, Inferno Howl, and Crimson Howl, Ifrit would be the only Avatar that got substantial time out, and it is penalized 40 seconds due to its BP: Wards.
4) Avatars are frequently fighting alone in solo content and, because they do not gain the benefits of their own favor, there is no reason to use this ability. -- This kills another potential use of Avatar's Favor in endgame at the moment.


I would:
- Remove the Damage penalties and Avatar Perpetuation Cost reduction from Avatar's Favor.
- Remove the BP: Ward/Rage penalties
- Keep the wind-up mechanism, but allow Avatar's Favor potency to carry over between summons.
- Allow Auras to affect the Aura user. Stop being so god damned lazy, SE. Just create a second type of Aura already.

These changes would make SMN much more versatile and allow the job and this job ability to play a useful role in current content.

[Underpanties]

Byrth your suggestions are good for the JA itself, but smn has a lot of problems with bp wards' potency as it is - what good are 500 aoe heals, 295 stoneskin, or a 19-dmg phalanx?

They should make the favor ability bolster these and make them actually worth using in parties.

[Byrth]

I agree that some of the buff BPs are crap, but 23% Double Attack or +21% critical hit rate combined with permanent Warcry (+11.3% attack) and 45 damage/hit Enfire would be pretty great.

The potency of maxxed Avatar's Favor or BP Wards isn't so much of an issue. The problem is that BP wards alone don't really merit a party slot, and Avatar's favor isn't viable in most endgame situations. I don't see any reason to address BP ward potency using Avatar's Favor. They should be fixed regardless whether or not Avatar's Favor is up.

[Maxious]

Can't seem to understand why you'd want something like this. I've only been playing for a few months after a 7 year departure. Ever since I came back all I saw AF was deplition reduction.

Back 7 years ago I always saw SMN as a DD. Guess from my understanding there needs to ba another JA that halfs BP:R recast time and increase 0% pettp dmg to the 300% or that come out with 300% tp. This is kinda a troll and maybe I should just give up on smn. Cause I never thought of them and support or healing class.

(If this is a Troll, it's an Ernest Troll.)

[Alhanelem]

I agree that effects of favor shouldn't be reset on ability use; however, that's all I think needs to be done. Dont mess with recast timers, lowering pet's stats is more than enough as it is.

[Camate]

Greetings, summoners!

The development team agrees and also feels that the buffs granted from Avatar’s Favor feel somewhat weaker ever since the implementation of item levels.

The team is currently exploring some ideas that they have and I’m happy to share a bit about it, but please keep in mind that this is only in the idea phase and nothing has been officially decided as of yet.

One example of what they would like to do is increase the buffs granted through Avatar's Favor and eliminate the negative effects applied to avatars while it is active. The idea being that it is a fully positive effect, and in exchange for this the perpetuation cost would be increased.

The team feels that removing the penalty and shifting it into a slightly higher MP cost can be offset by boosting your maximum MP as well as using equipment that reduces the perpetuation cost, making Avatar's Favor to have a lot more value.

Once there are further details, we’ll be sure to update you!