Job Adjustments for the Next Version Update

[Kojo]

Only thing that I don't like is that Camate didn't capitalize "Rune Fencer". Geomancer got capitalized. The RUNs of Vana'diel demand an apology or we're gonna complain for 750 pages. =(

[Duelle]

That's a very very bad idea.
You can't force jobs to equip certain items to receive marginal boosts to their pets. What if Dragoons what to use another better Polearm? What if SMNs want to use another different grip?
What if BSTs want to use another pet and boost that instead of using one of the new ones?

Guess this doesn't apply to PUP since Animator is an unique equipment that they're forced to equip anyway.


In my opinion the only possible way to have a fair and balanced improvement of pets conditions is to have what we could call SCALING. Which is exactely the same as pet jobs are handled in 99% of the other MMOs.
You can't have the scaling be too big in a game like FFXI of course, it should be small, a small additional bonus that is calculated according to the master stats.
This way the stronger the stats of the master, the stronger the bonus the pets will receive.

This.

I was hoping pet job changes could come along the lines of scaling rather than even more gear with "Pet: Stat".

[Alhanelem]

dear SE, to put it blunt and simple: you can not solve the pet jobs' current problems with gear. You have to fix fundamental technical issues with pets.

[Chimerawizard]

@Theytak of course was long. You spelled out exactly what is wrong with PUP and gave your opinion of what would fix it. (I happen to agree with you)

SMN has a few issues that need reviewed. Bloodpacts being at the forefront of the job and the issues. Spirits are just an issue.

I am not nearly as good at listing my points and solutions so I'll keep it brief and let the mountains of threads in the smn subforum do the rest.

Bloodpacts:
45sec floor on recast when that is the only thing a smn can do that isn't something from our subjob.
Rage does really well when they are first available but scale horribly as level increases.
Ward only affect 5 other players (except during certain events)
Effect is almost always lower than what another job can output, except enfire.

Spirits:
Have been useless since the job was introduced.
Abysmal magic accuracy and magic atk.
Absolutely impossible to control actions.
AI, is there even one for this pet?
Were given a reason to purchase but only to gain more BP before running out of MP.

Aside from that are a few other issues:
Abysmal melee damage from all pets.
Inability to make light or dark skillchain with pets (no tier 2 element BPs)
Incapable of making full use of Avatars Favor since that makes a pet far weaker on melee & to maintain a good bonus, one cannot use BPs.

A more permanent fix would include

Removing BP timers in general or making them charges similar to SCH.
Make all avatar AoE true so any player/pet within range gains the benefits unless under certain effects preventing outside help.
Increase weapon DMG rating on all pets to variable level based on SMN skill when summoned.
Add BPs with dual element skillchain properties, one per avatar would be fine.
Allow players to control spirits casts, giving the spirit a set general recast regardless of spell based on smn skill when summoned in addition to individual recast timers. (no general recast floor)
Give spirits m.acc equal to smn skill when summoned & MAB on some raio of same.
Avatar's favor starts out at 90% max and does not reset until avatar dies.
Avatar's favor does not incur negative effects. (aside from pet feeding TP in order to be close to DDs)
Adjust rage formulas to make DMG rating a major factor in BP dmg. (thus smoothing rage dmg as pet gets stronger)

Still came out kinda long and I didn't even cover everything.

[Leonardus]

I wish they would just try and have a go with the pet scaling idea. Forcing every bst to use the same 1-2 new jugpets while the rest fall behind is a really boring, cheap idea. Let's not even go into what kinda items will be needed to synth them. And whatever they make, I pray to Altana it will last 2 hours and not 30/60/90 minutes (which is highly annoying).

Fingers crossed.

[Hawklaser]

Giving Dragoons new lances to improve their wyverns is not going to work well, unless the lances are going to be very competitive with current end-game lances. Or that option is going to have to end up being on a vast majority of lances to end up being used.

Really, the best options with current systems in the game would either be opening up something like a Puppetmaster's attachment inventory system, or adding a new merit category just to enhance the pets that does not share with other merit categories.

[Xerius]

Summoner
Addition of grips that have stats to increase the parameters of avatars.

Can hardly wait for my "Avatar: Attack +10 M. Attack +10" grip. Should be ground-shattering. >_>

[sweetidealism]

Giving Dragoons new lances to improve their wyverns is not going to work well, unless the lances are going to be very competitive with current end-game lances. Or that option is going to have to end up being on a vast majority of lances to end up being used.

Really, the best options with current systems in the game would either be opening up something like a Puppetmaster's attachment inventory system, or adding a new merit category just to enhance the pets that does not share with other merit categories.

Oooh! I like that idea. Something like~

Merit Category: Pets (individual 5/max 10)
Jug pets X/5
Avatars X/5
Wyverns X/5
Automatons X/5

and maybe Luopans X/5?

[Theytak]

Oooh! I like that idea. Something like~

Merit Category: Pets (individual 5/max 10)
Jug pets X/5
Avatars X/5
Wyverns X/5
Automatons X/5

and maybe Luopans X/5?

I would honestly be interested in seeing a concept like that fleshed out, though I'd say it would definitely need to be a bit more well thought out than just one blanket buff per job, because drg aside, I don't think smns, bsts, or pups could have one single merit that would be able to functionally improve their pets across the board.

I would suggest something more along the lines of a category that would coincide with the weapon skill and magic skill categories. A pet skill category, if you will. Thus, the merits could look something like this:
Pet: Physical Damage x/8 - Either (R)atk/(R)acc, or straight up base damage increase
Pet: Magical Damage x/8 - Either MAB/Macc, or just plain magical affinity (ie: Magian staves, but for all elements)
Pet: Endurance x/8 - Either defense/MDB or DT-
Pet: Vigor x/8 - Improved HP/MP
Pet: Physical Potency x/4 - Crit Hit Rate/Damage
Pet: Magical Potency x/4 - Magic Crit Hit Rate/Damage
The category cap would be either /20 or /24. This is just a spitball, though.

[Teraniku]

As a SMN, this really sucks. Oh yay! I got me a new grip that enhances avatar Physical attack by +30! SMN is saved! NOT!

-Look if you all would just base avatar attack / Blood pact power on summoning skill and allow us to do Skill break quests (Quests that allow us to raise our skill cap every once in a while so we can keep up with the new gear tiers you keep adding) then I might think you were on to something.