Puppetmasters! Lend me your LIKES!!!

[Dreamin]

Or just give us more attachments that has more functionalities or features that we can put on/off based on what we want to do instead.

[Theytak]

Or just give us more attachments that has more functionalities or features that we can put on/off based on what we want to do instead.

We've already got so many attachments and less and less room for the situational ones. Against anything that actually matters, most of the puppets' good set ups will only have room for 4 spare attachments to devote to defense. Besides, we've got tons of bizarre or worthless attachments already, I don't trust SE's track record.

- Tactical Processor.
- Heat Capacitor still hasn't been fixed to not consume fire maneuvers like they promised
- Heat Seeker and Pattern Reader have a really wonky design (+1 acc/eva per second up to a cap with the appropriate maneuver active, and staying up only so long as the maneuver stays active. If the maneuver drops, the bonus begins to decay)
- Shock Absorber was buffed, but still isn't really that practical to use
- Reactive Shield and Volt Gun are worthless against anything that matters
- Equalizer uses a really weird formula that sort of reduces its effectiveness, especially compared to the new effects for the armor plates
- Dynamo's boost to crit rate is so pathetically small it's laughable
- Both Coiler and Galvanizer are nice, but both buffs rely heavily on accuracy to function (double attacks that miss are pointless, and counter's proc rate is directly related to hit rate), making it difficult to use them against higher level mobs due to VE's limited thunder slots and SS's pitiful melee damage
- Barrage Turbine is really nice for big numbers, but the way it burns through wind maneuvers both kills your (the master's) DPS and hurts the puppet's due to suddenly losing a huge chunk of haste, and it also forces you to choose between two of turbo charger, scope, and drum magazine, all of which are incredibly important to sharpshot's damage.
- Smokescreen is just stupid.
- Strobe is only useful for procs in dynamis
- Analyzer and Steam Jacket are fairly strong, but they're really weird to get the hang of how to use
- Tactical Processor.

Hell, even some of the really nice ones we have right now were terrible at introduction and it took them how many years to update any attachment? I don't trust SE's track record with attachments at all.

[Annahya]

We've already got so many attachments and less and less room for the situational ones. Against anything that actually matters, most of the puppets' good set ups will only have room for 4 spare attachments to devote to defense. Besides, we've got tons of bizarre or worthless attachments already, I don't trust SE's track record.

(List only removed to save space)

Hell, even some of the really nice ones we have right now were terrible at introduction and it took them how many years to update any attachment? I don't trust SE's track record with attachments at all.

Agreed. I love this job, but you hit the nail on the head with this. I know it is not easy to balance something as goofy as the maneuver system/attachments/etc., so I don't expect miracles or anything from the Devs, but it is saddening that such an interesting job is plagued by these kind of issues.

I don't want PUP to be the most powerful job in the game - I just want it (and a few other jobs, honestly) to be able to participate in events and content. Hell, I don't even want it to be so good it becomes a job that HAS to be in every party (because I also think that trend is kind or annoying). I just want it to be stable, competitive, and to function as intended; and the current attachment mechanics are not really living up to that.

Well said, Jinte/Theytak (I am not sure which you prefer). More attachments? No. Fixed Attachments? {Yes, please.}

[Dawezy]

Extended Deploy range would be awesome, roughly 17.5yalms atm. Need atleast 20~25 simular to spells.

Also Strobe.

[Kristal]

Extended Deploy range would be awesome, roughly 17.5yalms atm. Need atleast 20~25 simular to spells.

Also Strobe.

An ability to bind your maton to one spot so it can stay out of aoe in a party, instead of running into range and spending half the time curing itself. That was pretty annoying when farming animated weapons in dyna-xarc for pops...

[Mirage]

Every pet job should have an ability like that, to be honest.

[Kristal]

Every pet job should have an ability like that, to be honest.

BST has Stay, SMN doesn't go into melee, and DRG pets need to in melee range to be able to use breaths on targets.

PUP's version of Stay doesn't have to work like it, but it would be nice if it would simply be 'alert' without attacking. No more interrupted spells due to mobs dying, or a need to deploy it on mobs to get a Poisona, but it won't attack mobs either while in that mode. So if you want debuffs or nukes, you need to use Deploy again. (And Retrieve to call it back to you.) Maybe in that mode it could also enjoy 25' cast range, versus 17' deployed.

Sentry Mode:
* Valoredge frame gains the ability to Cover, increased shield block rate and damage taken is reduced. Faces and attacks master's target if it comes within melee range.
* Sharpshot frame gains increased range on ranged attacks, ranged attacks double in speed, no melee attacks.
* Stormwaker frame gains increased range on spells (25')
** Soulsoother head does not attack or debuff targets.
** Stormwaker head does not attack or nuke targets, priorites cures and buffs, only debuffs master's target.
** Spiritreaver head only nukes master's target, does not cast Drain, Aspir or Absorb-INT.
*Harlequin does nothing but /dance.

[Theytak]

BST has Stay, SMN doesn't go into melee, and DRG pets need to in melee range to be able to use breaths on targets.

PUP's version of Stay doesn't have to work like it, but it would be nice if it would simply be 'alert' without attacking. No more interrupted spells due to mobs dying, or a need to deploy it on mobs to get a Poisona, but it won't attack mobs either while in that mode. So if you want debuffs or nukes, you need to use Deploy again. (And Retrieve to call it back to you.) Maybe in that mode it could also enjoy 25' cast range, versus 17' deployed.

Sentry Mode:
* Valoredge frame gains the ability to Cover, increased shield block rate and damage taken is reduced. Faces and attacks master's target if it comes within melee range.
* Sharpshot frame gains increased range on ranged attacks, ranged attacks double in speed, no melee attacks.
* Stormwaker frame gains increased range on spells (25')
** Soulsoother head does not attack or debuff targets.
** Stormwaker head does not attack or nuke targets, priorites cures and buffs, only debuffs master's target.
** Spiritreaver head only nukes master's target, does not cast Drain, Aspir or Absorb-INT.
*Harlequin does nothing but /dance.

mmm, while I agree we need an ability to force our puppet to stay in one spot, I don't think what we should be after is something like "don't move after I use deploy" exactly. Instead, I would suggest something like this:

Support
Level 40 pet command
Recast: 0:10
Deploys the automaton, focused on the master.

Essentially, this would cause the following effects:

Harlequin, Valoredge, Sharpshot, and Spiritreaver heads would automatically /assist the player, engaging whatever the player engages without needing to be deployed, or reacting to something attacking the player (essentially acting like an unengaged avatar does)

Stormwaker and Soulsoother would act as though deployed, but would only cast enhancing and healing magic, and be unable to melee or cast enfeebling/elemental magic. If really nice, SE could even remove the light/water maneuver requirements to cast on party members, as well, though only for this ability (ie: you trade offensive ability for less complicated enhancing/healing triggers)

Or, alternatively, a pair of stance abilities (ex: Lead Role and Supporting Role) that modify the puppet's behavior patterns and innate traits to cause them to further specialize towards one half of their role. Lead Role would enhance what the puppet is strongest in, at the cost of everything else, while Supporting Role would enhance the everything else, at the cost of what it's strongest in.

Lead Role:
Level 50 Job Ability
Duration: 5:00 Recast: 3:00
Alters the behavior and performance of the Automaton. Overwrites and is overwritten by Supporting Role.

- Valoredge gains a 5% increase to its natural DT-, a native shield block rate (which would be enhanced further by barrier module), significantly increased enmity generation, an innate regen effect (floor((level+1)/10) hp/tick, so 5hp/tick at 50, up to 10hp/tick at 99) and perhaps a natural "Cover" Aura that applies only to the master (if you stand behind valoredge, it would absorb hits for you), but at the cost of reduced weaponskill damage. This would only apply to Valoredge Head/Frame combined. Mix/matching would not gain any benefit.

- Sharpshot has its ranged attack delay halved (and the benefit of drum magazine reduced by more than half because otherwise it would be stupidly strong; essentially going from 20 (base), 17/14/12 to 10/8/6/5), and gain store TP+10 (enough to boost it's ranged attack TP/hit to the 10.2 of melee attacks), but would be unable to use melee attacks, and would suffer from a 10% damage taken increase.

- Harlequin gains an increase in attack (+5%) and accuracy (+10), access to a new weapon skill (the mage puppet's string shredder/armor shatterer tier ws that they never got; basically harlequin would only have access to it with this ability active and stormwaker wouldn't get it at all) and gain the ability to attack with both hands (or twice per round, whichever), but would sacrifice its ability to cast magic. This would only apply to Harlequin Head/frame combined. Mix/matching would not gain any benefit.

- Soulsoother gains the ability to cast enhancing and healing spells outside of combat, and no longer requires light maneuvers to cast healing spells on party members, nor water maneuvers to cast enhancing or -na spells on them. Additionally, it would gain access to the Stoneskin and Phalanx used by Stormwaker, however those would still be Master-only. However, it would unable to cast enfeebling magic, or use melee attacks, and would suffer from a 10% damage taken increase.

- Spiritreaver gains a small amount of magic attack bonus (+24, the same as the MAB I trait), access to additional spells, increased sensitivity to day/weather effects (ie: native obi effect), and greatly increases the player's control over which spell is cast. However, it no longer stays engaged when the deploy command is used, instead only casting a single spell per deploy and automatically disengaging afterwards. Additionally, it is left unable to use melee attacks, or cast dark and enfeebling magic, and would suffer a 10% damage taken increase
--- Spiritreaver would cast Tier V spells with the corresponding maneuver (ice triggers blizzard V) weighted so that the most recently used maneuver takes priority (essentially allowing you to use 2 ice maneuvers for ice maker, but still trigger any of the T5 Spells); Tier IV spells triggered by 1 dark maneuver and the most recently used maneuver (so Dark-> Fire would trigger Fire IV); Tier III spells triggered by 1 light maneuver and the most recently used maneuver (light -> wind would trigger Aero III); and additionally, would gain access to Holy II (Triggered as a T5, with light maneuvers), Banish III (Triggered as a T4, with light maneuvers), and Comet (treated as the T5, with dark maneuvers) (Or, alternatively, give pup some sort of unique, comet/meteor/impact/meteorite-esque nuke in lieu of giving it comet)

- Stormwaker would be left unaffected.

Supporting Role:
Level 50 Job Ability
Duration: 5:00 Recast: 3:00
Alters the behavior and performance of the Automaton. Overwrites and is overwritten by Lead Role.

- Valoredge gains increased attack speed (delay drop to 320), attack +5%, accuracy +10, and native double attack I and Crit. Atk. Bonus I traits (DA+10% and crit damage +5%), but loses access to shield bash, VE's native DT reduction, and the benefits of hammermill and barrier module (ie: it can't use it's shield)

- Sharpshot gains an increase in melee attack speed (Delay reduction from 400 to 320), melee skill rank (up to B+; or 404) and a 10% decrease in damage taken, but sacrifices the ability to use regular ranged attacks (it would still use ranged WS, and would still be able to use Barrage Turbine, however).

- Harlequin would have its melee attack speed reduced (up to 400 delay), but would gain access to

- Stormwaker gains access to additional spells, and gains the ability to cast on party members in the same manner as Soulsoother, but loses its ability to use melee attacks and cast elemental magic.
--- Stormwaker gains access to the regen spells (up too Regen III), as well as Refresh.

- Soulsoother and Spiritreaver would not be affected by this ability.

[Mirage]

BST has Stay, SMN doesn't go into melee, and DRG pets need to in melee range to be able to use breaths on targets.

If you want your wyvern to just heal you and not die, I'd rather it stayed out of range and more easily survive, rather than dealing damage.

And melee summoners are awesome.

[Mayoyama]

mmm, while I agree we need an ability to force our puppet to stay in one spot, I don't think what we should be after is something like "don't move after I use deploy" exactly. Instead, I would suggest something like this:

Support
Level 40 pet command
Recast: 0:10
Deploys the automaton, focused on the master.

Supporting Role:
Level 50 Job Ability
Duration: 5:00 Recast: 3:00
Alters the behavior and performance of the Automaton. Overwrites and is overwritten by Lead Role.

While on paper most of what you are suggesting sounds good (if not a bit overpowerd)... I have to say from a programming standpoint it would be a LOT of work and woud mean having to re-write parts of the AI itself, which is quite tricky as it would be easy to accidently cause something to not work as it should.