new smn ability ideas

[azjazo]

Gonna copy here what I suggested in other topic (that was off topic actually cuz I didnt saw this thread)
edited a bit so it wont be a shameless copypasta.

A "casting" stance
Super Magical Avatar Stance of Happyness (name subject to change everyone names their suggested abilities to sound cool)
- Fuses the avatar with the elemental spirit of their corresponent element, giving the avatar the capacity to cast and behave like the elemental spirits while retaining the ability to command them and normal bloodpacts.
- Perp cost increases and the effect gets stronger as time passes till a cap like favor stance.
- As the effect gets stronger the avatar gets bonus in damage, reduces recast time on the elemental magic, AI and gives the avatar a "elemental seal" like bonus in accuracy of their bloodpacts.
- It will be required to posses the corresponding elemental spirit magic to activate said ability


a "melee" stance
Super Martial Avatar Stance of Joy
- Fuses the avatar with the player (not literally tho it would be cool)
- Perp cost increases and the effect gets stronger as time passes till a cap like favor stance.
- As the effect gets stronger the avatar gets bonus in their stats while draining the SMN stats, like attack, defense, str, acc, dex etc, diferent avatars would "drain" certain stats more than others
- It will give the avatar a special bonus like double attack, reduce delay, increase damage etc. depending on avatar.

just a couple of ideas, tunning would be the key.

[Soundwave]

always thought smn was getting a manawall JA

[Sasaraixx]

Gonna copy here what I suggested in other topic (that was off topic actually cuz I didnt saw this thread)
edited a bit so it wont be a shameless copypasta.

A "casting" stance
Super Magical Avatar Stance of Happyness (name subject to change everyone names their suggested abilities to sound cool)
- Fuses the avatar with the elemental spirit of their corresponent element, giving the avatar the capacity to cast and behave like the elemental spirits while retaining the ability to command them and normal bloodpacts.
- Perp cost increases and the effect gets stronger as time passes till a cap like favor stance.
- As the effect gets stronger the avatar gets bonus in damage, reduces recast time on the elemental magic, AI and gives the avatar a "elemental seal" like bonus in accuracy of their bloodpacts.
- It will be required to posses the corresponding elemental spirit magic to activate said ability


a "melee" stance
Super Martial Avatar Stance of Joy
- Fuses the avatar with the player (not literally tho it would be cool)
- Perp cost increases and the effect gets stronger as time passes till a cap like favor stance.
- As the effect gets stronger the avatar gets bonus in their stats while draining the SMN stats, like attack, defense, str, acc, dex etc, diferent avatars would "drain" certain stats more than others
- It will give the avatar a special bonus like double attack, reduce delay, increase damage etc. depending on avatar.

just a couple of ideas, tunning would be the key.

Azjazo has an idea worth exploring. I think that SMN needs more tweaks to existing traits/JA than it does brand new abilities. However, His/her suggestion does address one of our areas of improvement and that is avatar DOT. . .

The hate free aspect of our damage is great but aside from that uniqueness, our DOT is not great. Now that BLM has Mana Wall and Enmity Douse, i.e. allowing them to nuke more with less hate/danger of dying, I don't think it would be too overpowering to increase our avatars' overall DOT. In the physical stance avatar melee would be improved (and it is sorely lacking) and on the magical side additional nukes will also increase DOT. Also, the nuking stance concept is already in the game. This is how the Shiva VNM behaves in Abyssea. In the nuking stance, I would also have some variety between avatars as well to match the physical stance.

I think our ward side needs work as well. Avatar's favor is also too weak and should be our "enhancing stance." With the gear we have available, the reduction of perp cost isn't even much of a bonus. I would increase the range and potency for all the favors. I think the rate at which the favor is capped should be sped up both initially and after use of a blood pact. (As a side note, I don't think ward pacts should reset the favor. If this is supposed to be our enhancing stance, then we should be able to use ward pacts freely, without any penalty) I would also change some of the favors. (For example, Titan to straight -PDT% instead of +DEF).

As for the ward pacts themselves, aside from Hastega, they all need to have their duration and/or potency increased. You're limited to putting 1 up every 45 seconds and that includes debuffs and buffs. This limiting factor should be compensated for in the effectiveness of the wards. Perhaps some of the favors or wards could retain their current potency, but be able to push players past current caps.

The inclusion of Azjazo's idea would give SMN 3 workable stances - physical damage, magical damage and support. Given that WHM is already such a competent healer, and SCH & RDM are trying to catch up, I don't think our healing side needs a significant boost. The 3 healing pacts should scale a bit better but that's all.


The only things left I would like to see are a reworking of elemental spirits (casting time reduction, significantly increased nuking damage, better AI and more spells for the light spirit), more pet/avatar specific gear that SMN can equip (no more SMN & WHM on the same gear please!) and cleaning up of some issues such as auto-attack. These are additions/corrections I believe the job *needs*.

As far as things I would *like* but aren't at all necessary - a Cover or Collaborator type JA between the SMN and avatar and having each avatar be somewhat unique. I know many will disagree with the latter in particular but I like the idea of each of the avatars being particularly good at something other than resisting their native element. But again, that's just me.

[azjazo]

On the topic on the BP timers...

Mana Pact (stance)
Duration 2~3 min (depending on SMN skill)
Recast 5 min

Increases avatar Perp cost by 20%, bloodpact Cost by 20%
Reduces bloodpact recast timmer by 50%

The recast timmer reduction would stack on the -bp recast timmer gear so it can skip the 45 seconds cap, if you have gear that reduces normally to 45 seconds, then its 50% of those 45 seconds rounded down, 22 seconds bp recast time, with a penalitation of bp costing more, of course, you could cast bp while in the effect and have a bp cost 20% more then remove the stance by the time you are able to recast bp, so you can ditch 2 bp in less than 30 seconds spending 20% more MP on one pb and perp cost.

Not overpowered, has its downsise and adds strategy... if leving out avatar during all the stance, you could ditch in 4 bloodpacts in 2 minutes aprox. Doubliing the damage output but spending your mp pool like crazy, thus making gear that augment the activation rate of that trait forgot its name that reduces bp cost more desirable.

[Momotarotaru]

Well I really would like to see Spirit with better AI ,BP Ward zero timer and BP rage 30 sec.
Poor spirit... I only let them in for 1 sec for Element Siphon and I rarely use it in Abys.

And I would like to see BP ward buff party, Pet and Avatar ... not just PC this way we can cure our Avatar...(well not sure this way will make SMN to be overpowered or not )

Another idea is I would like to see Main duty of Avatar.
Example Titan use for tank ...mean a lot of HP and defend.
Shiva use like BLM ... INT and MAB but weak physical
Garuda .... Best DD in all Avatar.
Leviathan and or Carby for the best Healing avatar.
Fenrir more like Ninja type (in my idea)
Etc ....

So we can use Avatar and Spirit in different situation.
and maybe SMN can make small party by using different avatar to make party ....
Example 1st SMN use Titan for tank
2nd SMN use Shiva for Magic DMG.
3rd SMN use Garuda for physical DD
4th SMN use Leviathan for Curing
Do I dream too much ?

[azjazo]

Another one just cuz Im bored and <3 SMN (if my sig didnt gave you a clue)

This one goes to spirits (lets put some love on Spirits)

Elemental Aura
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Mayor elemental resistance on element of the spirit
- Mayor elemental - on contrary element

Elemental Armor
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Grants "spikes" of the corresponding element

Elemental Weapon
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Grants En-spell of the corresponding element

All these could stack each one costing little MP to cast but adding 1 more to perp cost each.

All bonus are modified by day of the week, weather and SMN skill

[Tasuki]

Another one just cuz Im bored and <3 SMN (if my sig didnt gave you a clue)

This one goes to spirits (lets put some love on Spirits)

Elemental Aura
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Mayor elemental resistance on element of the spirit
- Mayor elemental - on contrary element

Elemental Armor
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Grants "spikes" of the corresponding element

Elemental Weapon
While spirit is out, grants the party:
- Grants En-spell of the corresponding element

All these could stack each one costing little MP to cast but adding 1 more to perp cost each.

All bonus are modified by day of the week, weather and SMN skill

ya i like this idea, I mean we do have Avatar's Favor, I think we should get Spirit's Favor as well for our Elemental spirits, at least help us to keep them out more as well like our Avatars now

[Feliciaa]

Great stuff Azjazo. I love how you are actually trying to change the job for the better and not just be another poster asking for Avatars. Keep up the good work. ^^

[Soundwave]

Great stuff Azjazo. I love how you are actually trying to change the job for the better and not just be another poster asking for Avatars. Keep up the good work. ^^

With this being said and true...everybody who has posted ideas, are not of the same as another.

In the past we asked for things and got them because a large part of the community wanted a change with this and we got everything we have asked for.

I feel that we are tossing ideas around but we have yet to see something everybody has agreed on.....that would be solid for this job.

[Malamasala]

In the past we asked for things and got them because a large part of the community wanted a change with this and we got everything we have asked for.

Lucky you. I never got anything I asked for.

1. 5 min ward duration -> went to COR.
2. "attachments" to customize avatars -> went to PUP.
3. Perpetuation free pet -> went to PUP.
4. Smarter pet casting AI -> went to PUP.
5. Stronger potency on wards -> went to COR.
6. More split BPs -> possibly went to DNC, you never know who stole that result.
7. No reset of casting timer on pet assault -> went to PUP.
8. Shorter recast timer on pets -> went to PUP. (this is spells, not summoning the pet)
9 Larger Ward range -> went to COR, then 2 years later arrived to SMN. So not completely stolen.
10. Haste for pet -> went to BST and PUP. I think we got one piece of gear or two though, so not completely missed.
11. Hybrid pet-melee gear -> went to PUP and BST.
12. Summon a party member JA -> went to 3 expansion purchase reward cloak
13. More Spirit Taker WSes -> Got myrkr which does zero damage and stuck on a high DMG staff... wtf?

You name it, I suggested it. Unless it is trivial or stupid, then I most likely did not suggest it. And people should stop worrying about "overpowered" ideas. I've discussed this for like a decade and there are still people who go "If you could have a free pet, you'd be overpowered" and I go "I have carbuncle" and they go "Yea, but if it did 1 damage more than carbuncle, it would be overpowered" and I usually just face palm and ignore them.

Not overpowered, has its downsise and adds strategy

Since wards cost MP, you could have ZERO recast on wards and it wouldn't be overpowered because you'd end up using up all your MP and becoming useless. Kind of like if a BRD could cast 4 songs in 2 seconds and then just stand and do nothing.

Rages are slightly different. All rages 55+ would do quite a lot of damage when spammed. Below 55 though, you'd have to spam to even match the damage of a SAM or WAR in a party, and if you spammed you'd still have to rest MP and fall behind.

Basically the only thing that needs a BP timer at all, are the 55+ DD pacts, everything else could be separate and still balanced. Assuming you want to call MNK, WAR, SAM balanced. If you want to call them overpowered, I could agree that spamming up to level 55 rage pacts would be overpowered as well. But that just means we have to nerf all DDs and not split our BPs up.