Why complain about balance - recent job changes.

[Alhanelem]

This is the part where the entire FFXI community completely forgot that spirits are THE most essential part of a well played SMN.

Elemental Siphon is pretty essential for a well played SMN outside of abyssea, yes. Spirits are great when you need a pet in a hurry, too. But don't fool anyone into thinking spirits are "good." They have their place, and I'm perfectly happy with their current role. I do not feel spirits should ever overshadow the avatars.

Curing should be seen as an option for summoner, not a necessity- WHM was chosen by most because it was the most functional support job, not because people like curing. Summoner's ability range is wide, but as a result of this it is currently struggling to compete except in a few specific areas.

[Soundwave]

Ugh, if I hear the word spirits again I'm gonna pop!

If people don't voice their opinion then SE won't know whats of the players interest.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Ugh, if I hear the word spirits again I'm gonna pop!

Then what would become of your spirit?

[Soundwave]

Then what would become of your spirit?

lol........

POP!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suai1...eature=related

[Tsukino_Kaji]

Hey now, I said spirit not spirits.

[Malamasala]

Ugh, if I hear the word spirits again I'm gonna pop!

If people don't voice their opinion then SE won't know whats of the players interest.

Well, you are uninterested in spirits because they don't work. You would have been interested in them, if SE fixed them. You are a bit bizarre, in that something has to first be useful before you complain that it is useless.

[Alhanelem]

You would have been interested in them, if SE fixed them.

No, people wouldn't have. People play summoner because they want to see/use the avatars. Spirits will always play second fiddle even if they gain additional uses. I don't think most people realize why they originally existed in the first place.

[Malamasala]

No, people wouldn't have. People play summoner because they want to see/use the avatars. Spirits will always play second fiddle even if they gain additional uses. I don't think most people realize why they originally existed in the first place.

Well, you are partially right. I get the impression 50% of the people play the job to see Fenrir because they think a wolf is awesome. I can't count all the old stories about new people being saved by Fenrirs and getting obsessed by them.

But I don't think even SE knows why they added (all) spirits. For example Light spirit and Dark spirit are from level 55-60 NMs. The only reason these differ from avatars at all, is that they can be bought on AH after someone gets the scrolls.

And if spirits were intended to be used until you got avatars, at either level 20 or 60, why are they useless?

I think the hard faced truth of spirits is that SE just added them without any plans at all except "Give players something shiny until they get avatars". Like their only purpose was to allow skilling up summoning magic... which had no effects on the job.

Any way you look at it, they've always been a failure that SE should have fixed. They can be happy that SMNs managed to work around it with /WHM and cure 3, else the job would have been more extinct than defending ring.

[JackDaniels]

Then what would become of your spirit?

I lol'd xD

No, people wouldn't have. People play summoner because they want to see/use the avatars. Spirits will always play second fiddle even if they gain additional uses. I don't think most people realize why they originally existed in the first place.

Sorry why did they officially exist in the fist place?

[Alhanelem]

But I don't think even SE knows why they added (all) spirits.

They know why they added them.
1) So that people who didn't buy Rise of the Zilart would have more than one summoning magic spell. This is the primary reason. They were (at the time) essentially spell list filler, like half the bard songs in the game.
2) to have pets with a shorter casting time
If spirits didn't get left behind (excepft light spirit, sort of) at 75 and they didn't have ZERO MAB, they'd be slightly viable if you really need the actual magic spells for something instead of the magical BPs. But they have no native MAB, no staff bonus, no nothing, and the amount of MAB that you can give them is very limited, and on top of that, their AI is slightly smarter than an intelligent rock.

Any way you look at it, they've always been a failure that SE should have fixed.

Before elemental siphon, I would have said remove them, not fix them. There's no way to "fix" them without stepping on the toes of the avatars.