Summoners of the past?

[jeffanddane]

I remember when playing SMN on older Final Fantasy's? They were so power full and god like. What has happened in FFXI? SMN's are way to limited I think maybe more BP- gear. . A lot of time a 1 min wait just isn't cutting it . Maybe all summons should not share a bp timer? I have full afv3+1 and the accessories. But no matter how geared you are the output of damage is minimal because your limited to 1 min 40-45 seconds with bp reduction gear. I don't mean like completely whip the timer. I see SAM, MNK, etc deal out our dmg within seconds. I believe SMN should also be in that area of DD. Like the other day I was in an abyssea party where my friend was almost single shouting mobs and I have MM and 2 MAB atmas on and still cant keep up with 45bp timer. Or maybe blood rages at lvl 70 share diffrent timers then blood rages at 75 that are merited. Like for instance you could do predator claws and then wind scar. Or you it could be like you cant use a lvl 70 bp and a merited bp from the same summon?

[JagerForrester]

1min is not that long. But I do feel that SMN has been restricted. I'm comparing in terms with the BLMs. BLMs are extremely powerful and don't have a pet to cushion them. SMNs are not as powerful because the avatars are the key to their power. They are the damage and the cushion while the master can run away to live another day and summon another avatar.

There's been plenty of times where I take longer than a minute for another BP: Rage due to avatar death or MP Recovery. This goes for Astral Flow too.

[jeffanddane]

Yeah but I still say we are on the low chain of the DD. I don't think it would destroy the game mechanics if the bp time was lessened a little more or have some sorta split timers.

[JagerForrester]

I understand the frustration and wish we could do more damage, but sadly I don't have much to say on how to improve this.

[jeffanddane]

yea very true SMN's can be easily over powered because they suffer no repercussions on the damage they do unless there pet is dead. And even then if your in a party that doesn't matter because the tank will regain hate and you live to see another day. But still since the staff reads the forums I hope this idea gets introduced to them that some SMN's aren't happy with 2nd rate DD.

[Malamasala]

You can't really compare it to old FFs. IN the old FFs SMN was pretty much just AOE damage, while BLM was AOE or single target damage.

Better to compare to FFX, where you actually had a pet fight for you. Which is something I miss in FFXI. X had such wonderful strategies with learning avatars spells to nuke themselves HP back and other fun tactics. In that sense I wish SE would split up pacts. Not so you can do more predator claws for more damage, but be more useful in handing out paralyze, blind, and other debuffs from your low level pacts.

[JagerForrester]

I would love it if avatars actually got healed when hit with their own element instead of getting damage by a very low percentage, even if the HP returned is very low as well. Monsters get all the good stuff...

[jeffanddane]

You are so right Malamasala I mean FFX was amazing for SMN play. But what I am talking about is over all. Most Final Fantasy's make summoner really powerful whether or not it is AOE DD DMG which the same rules dont seem to apply to FFXI. Summoners description is "Mages that have unlocked the secrets of the forbidden magic of Vana'diel". I mean wouldn't forbidden magic mean its forbidden for being to devastating or overwhelming ? And FFXI SMN's are anything but that. I just think that SMN's dmg should be up there with that of BLM, MNK, DRK, SAM so there truly useful. And the only way I can see that without breaking the game is lowering the BP timer.

[Evilvivi]

Firstly, Summoning magic is forbidden not because of its strength but because the Windurstian hero sacrificed himself to summon Fenrir. Secondly, to say that SMN is a lower DD than DRK, esp in abyssea, is like an insult. SMN could keep up with a SAM that doesnt have Masamune easy. I have also outdamaged BLMs as well. They might not be as good as past FF Summoner's, but their avatars can keep up with damage.

[jeffanddane]

First of all Evilvivi I don't believe you can do what you say because for 1 my smn friend has all the best gear you could possibly get for smn along with pandemonium atma and the atma of the ultimate and cant do what your saying. Any other job such as sam and blm as heavily geared as him can easily and i mean EASILY out nuke / dmg him with ws's and added hits for getting tp. Even in the non abyssea world they can out damage smn by far because of the delay on there blood pacts. So you must be a miracle summoner because my friend has everything you could possibly get for smn including his relic. I am pretty even well geared with MAB twords my pet and i hit for 3k-7k per merited bp. But can i do 5k then instantly cast another spell thats going to hit for 5 k within a 20 second span >.> ? No. I see blms nuking for 5-7k in abyssea not sure the non abyssea area but they can do that back to back to back and so on and so fourth. Even Samurai i seen doing 9k then 9k then a light or dark skill chain . . . . . . . I dont see msns doing that . . .
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