Test Server- Feedback on SMN

[Korpg]

I have to say, Shock Squall is underachieving at best. While the stun effect does last longer than most forms of stun at earlier levels (Head Butt, Stun, etc) it is still about the same duration of Chaotic Strike, same time to get it ready, and not really that great compared to the other stun moves coming in this update (Thunderbolt and Sudden Lunge from BLU). Unless the duration is improved, I don't see this BP being used at all, even for solo situations (Shock Spikes are still the best for stunning because it procs a lot more often).

Soothing Ruby can't really be tested because of the limited number of effects that can be erased depending on the magic skill. And the test server has the ability set anyway.

In all seriousness, Shock Squall needs to be more powerful in order to justify it being considered at all. Neither nerfing Sudden Lunge nor making the duration determined by skill level will make this worthwhile if the duration is less than 15 seconds on average.

[Alhanelem]

Umm... you know they made a special forum section for test server feedback right?

[Malamasala]

I unblocked your post to read your praise of SE, and what do I see? Complaints! If I didn't know better, I could have thought it was my own post. (Not that I've tested the abilities)

Honestly though, I don't see SE doing anything about this. They don't care about function, they care about appearance. Ramuh reading a giant AOE stun is cool. As with the whole Summoner job it will be up to us to try our best and find a purpose for the ability. (And so far we've guessed that this might help after sleepga to pull hate on ramuh)

SE are welcome to prove my ever negative opinion wrong by fixing it though. I dare them.

[Korpg]

Umm... you know they made a special forum section for test server feedback right?

No, I didn't. Can you please elaborate as to where the appropriate feedback should be posted? Besides SMN forums because that deals with issues for the job as it currently stands, not with testing features which is what this thread is about.

[Korpg]

I unblocked your post to read your praise of SE, and what do I see? Complaints! If I didn't know better, I could have thought it was my own post. (Not that I've tested the abilities)

Well, I have tested the abilities and have noticed that the stun effect is very underwhelming, and if the supposed reason to use this is to gain enmity from BLMs, then we should use Thunderspark on the mobs prior to the mobs being slept instead of this new BP (since Stun is so effective against sleeping mobs).


Honestly though, I don't see SE doing anything about this. They don't care about function, they care about appearance. Ramuh reading a giant AOE stun is cool. As with the whole Summoner job it will be up to us to try our best and find a purpose for the ability. (And so far we've guessed that this might help after sleepga to pull hate on ramuh)

They do care about function, otherwise DRG would have stayed at being a loljob with their 2hr being Call Wyvern, PUPs having a 20 minute recast timer on their automatons, and RNGs not having their own form of haste for Ranged Attacks.


SE are welcome to prove my ever negative opinion wrong by fixing it though. I dare them.

You at least admitted that you have a negative outlook for this job. That is a start towards striving for a more positive thinking of everything, at least.

[Alkar]

I don't think anything can be said about Summoner so far considering both BPs are not working as intended.
The only thing that bugs me is that the animation is the same as Stun.
I'd rather get something unique like the other avatars did considering they bothered to change the name.

[Korpg]

Well, the Japanese name is still technically Stunga, so it is appropriate animation effect as Stun.

[Malamasala]

You at least admitted that you have a negative outlook for this job. That is a start towards striving for a more positive thinking of everything, at least.

I'm more or less positive about 19 of 20 jobs. I think that isn't such a bad ratio of positive to negative. I'm just too lazy to actually post positive things everywhere, instead of negative things in a handful of threads.

If you happen to have a positive bot I can run to spam the forum with happiness, I'd be up for it though.

[Korpg]

I'm more or less positive about 19 of 20 jobs. I think that isn't such a bad ratio of positive to negative. I'm just too lazy to actually post positive things everywhere, instead of negative things in a handful of threads.

If you happen to have a positive bot I can run to spam the forum with happiness, I'd be up for it though.

Out of everything in the post you quoted, you had to bring this out?

Anyway, the only thing I have ever seen you post about that wasn't about SMN was to the other jobs that they should be glad to not have global timers (like SMN has with BPs) and remark about how great they have it vs SMN and the "problems" you think that SMN has....

[Alhanelem]

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/forums/304
I will concede that this is more for problems than for feedback, but often the two go hand in hand.

[Kojo]

I unblocked your post to read your praise of SE, and what do I see? Complaints! If I didn't know better, I could have thought it was my own post. (Not that I've tested the abilities)

Honestly though, I don't see SE doing anything about this. They don't care about function, they care about appearance. Ramuh reading a giant AOE stun is cool. As with the whole Summoner job it will be up to us to try our best and find a purpose for the ability. (And so far we've guessed that this might help after sleepga to pull hate on ramuh)

SE are welcome to prove my ever negative opinion wrong by fixing it though. I dare them.

I swear, I did the same, was expecting the same. We may be soulmates...

[Soundwave]

I think there is a line between bugs and feedback:D Anyways still trying to get on the test server to try this out myself....

[Soundwave]

My feedback for you SE


Test Server MP
Soothing Ruby MP Cost 74
Shocksquall MP Cost 67

Testing with Shocksquall on multiple mobs.

It seemed that every time I got more mobs of the same type one mob would be 1/2 resist to a 2 second stun and the others will get the full effect.

1 mob = 4-5 second stun
2 mob same type = A chance for a 4-5 second stun
2 mob different type = A chance to stun for 2 seconds the other will be 4-5 seconds

So I had 4 Raptors and 4 Beetles...
2 Raptors = 4-5 second stun
Other 2 raptors = 2 second stun
2 Beetles = 4-5 second stun
Other 2 Beetles = 2 second stun

With testing on the same two mobs over and over it looks as if whatever the full stun effect will be the 2nd mob is reduced to half that effect or possible 1/4. Sometimes this is not the case, sometimes they are both stunned for the same exact time.

My final feedback for Shocksquall

-MP Cost is fair amount
-The distance from Avatar to target is good to BP while staying out of harms way.
-The AoE range on the target is terrible It's like 8-10 should be at least 15 like Protectra.

[Lordscyon]

SMN! POWER! @ its finest!

[Tamoa]

You realize SE already said the following about SMN's new BPs:


Summoner

Carbuncle Blood Pact: Soothing Ruby
The number of ailments removed is scheduled to vary according to the character's summoning magic skill, but is currently a set number.

Ramuh Blood Pact: Shock Squall
The amount of time before it takes effect as well as its maximum casting distance, effect duration, and MP cost are scheduled to change.



Here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/13735-Known-Issues-on-the-Test-Server

[Soundwave]

You realize SE already said the following about SMN's new BPs:




Here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/13735-Known-Issues-on-the-Test-Server

Yes I am aware, I quoted it a few times...

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/12096-Job-Manifesto-discussion-RE-Summoner/page49
and
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/12096-Job-Manifesto-discussion-RE-Summoner/page50

[Malamasala]

I'm still surprised nobody has pulled the classic "Summoner is overpowered" line based on being able to perma stun stuff with 18 Summoners. They always pulled it in regards to topics like "Why not remove perpetuation?" or "If our astral flow pacts are so weak, why don't we get them on a 20 min timer like the DRG update did with wyverns?".

I guess it will always be that whatever is in the game (even the test server) is balanced, and all suggestions are overpowered.

[Korpg]

The reason why they won't remove Perpetuation is because they would have to change pretty much everything about SMN, from keeping avatars active all the way down to armor slots and Auto-Refresh.

The reason why they won't move the Astral Flow time from 2 hours to 20 minutes is because then we will be left with 9 new moves to use with the new 2hr. I think that would be a major headache for the devs to deal with.

SMNs can't stunlock anything, even with 18 Ramuhs out, because we won't know when the Stun is off the mob. Since we were technically not the character to actually stun the mob, we don't know when stun will wear off until the mob starts moving again. Can't stunlock with that.

Nobody but you are saying that SMN is overpowered.

[Alhanelem]

changing the 2-hour to be not a 2-hour does not make any sense. Also the real reason is 2-hours are all on a shared timer.

It's not fair for the other jobs for ours to be 20 minutes.

[Soundwave]

At the current time the way Shocksquall works, its not practical to try to stun lock a mob.

[Bayohne]

The number of status ailments cured by "Soothing Ruby" was changed from a fixed number to a varying number based on summoning skill.

Regarding Shock Squall, the time until activation has been shortened to 1 second, and its duration and range have been extended.

[Genoxd]

The number of status ailments cured by "Soothing Ruby" was changed from a fixed number to a varying number based on summoning skill.

Regarding Shock Squall, the time until activation has been shortened to 1 second, and its duration and range have been extended.

Thank you, I've been meaning to make a post about this. I'm not sure if it's been stated but it has been reported on other sites that "Soothing Ruby" does not remove plague.
I would also like to make a suggestion for Hvergelmir or more specifically Myrkr. The staff is great -- though I wish the aftermath included Avatars -- however I find myself stuck every time a monster uses Amnesia. Considering the jobs (SCH BLM SMN) I think it would be great if Myrkr (maybe only at 300% TP?) could remove amnesia. I understand this goes against the nature of this status effect, however it is an Empyrean weapon.

[Dallas]

The number of status ailments cured by "Soothing Ruby" was changed from a fixed number to a varying number based on summoning skill.

Regarding Shock Squall, the time until activation has been shortened to 1 second, and its duration and range have been extended.

Any feedback on the lack of enmity generated by Shock Squall?

[Ophannus]

It's AoE which makes it good for cleaving or exp pts where multiple mobs are being fought.

[Alhanelem]

Considering the jobs (SCH BLM SMN) I think it would be great if Myrkr (maybe only at 300% TP?) could remove amnesia.Using an ability under the effect of a status that prevents you from using abilities makes a lot of sense. :rolleyes:

[Dallas]

Just make it "immune to amnesia/terror/petri" problem solved.

[Malamasala]

The number of status ailments cured by "Soothing Ruby" was changed from a fixed number to a varying number based on summoning skill.

Regarding Shock Squall, the time until activation has been shortened to 1 second, and its duration and range have been extended.

I'm positively surprised. Not only did you listen to feedback, you gave feedback back to us about how you resolved the issue. You know, if this was the norm and not the exception, SE would be the best company in the world.

[KigenAngelios]

The number of status ailments cured by "Soothing Ruby" was changed from a fixed number to a varying number based on summoning skill.

Regarding Shock Squall, the time until activation has been shortened to 1 second, and its duration and range have been extended.

I have to say, that the improvement to Shock Squall is great. I feel like the stun effect is still like 2 or 3 seconds too short but the 1 sec delay for the BP to fire is quite the godsend (at least in solo play). Not sure if the enmity on Shock Squall is bugged or not also but it didnt seem to grab much hate on Ramuh.

Edit: On another note, Shock Squall seems horribly inaccurate on NMs every with my tons and tons of summoning magic+ gear. Unsurprising but slightly disappointing.

On an semi-unrelated note: Please do not make Atmos of Caith Sith a 2hr-only avatar... it was a huge heart crushing disappointment when Odin and Alex were turned in to 2hr onlys ; ;

[Meyi]

On an semi-unrelated note: Please do not make Atmos of Caith Sith a 2hr-only avatar... it was a huge heart crushing disappointment when Odin and Alex were turned in to 2hr onlys ; ;

Cait Sith will be a regular summon, Atomos will be a 2hr summon.

[Malamasala]

I'm still hoping for Atomos to be Cait Siths 2 hour. It would among other things mean I only have to beat one BC :)

[Sargent]

I gotta say, when I first heard about Shock Squall, I disiked it to say the least. But having tried it out for myself, I gotta say it's great. Though not tested Soothing Ruby yet, but SE have told us the full strengths for it.

[Soundwave]

I'm impressed now with Shock squall the effect does seem to differ when stunning multiple mobs, however its a 5-7 sec stun roughly so far.

The casting time for the BP is great, thank you.

In the end its a nice tool for summoner "Another tool in the bag" But not what summoner needs atm.