Summoner: Elemental Spirits

[Aree]

I decided to use a spirit in a fight, something was wrong. It wouldn't cast a single spell. Just melee'd.

Tested this with water, earth, light and wind to no avail. None of them cast a single spell like they should.

[bazookatooth]

I believe that their behavior is linked to your level / skill (It's been several years since I capped SMN). They probably don't do much at low levels, if anything at all. They are slightly less useless (beyond feeding you MP) at higher levels, but still not something that you really want to use to fight anything. Even at peak performance. Think of them as a convoluted, weak for of Convert.

[Aree]

I'm level 51.

[Aree]

Thanks for the fix, whatever you did overnight they now work properly.

[Karbuncle]

Casting time for Spirits are linked to your Summoning Magic skills, Day, and weather. Also, Being aggroed by an enemy will cut their current timer in half (I.E if he needs 35 seconds to cast and something aggroed you, it will be 17 seconds instead, this will sometimes cause him to cast instantly if you are aggroed, since the timer counts down even when not engaged).

The reason he won't cast when you sic him, even after a long time waiting, is that sic resets his casting time as well. Its not that complicated though it sounds like it... but here you are

Summoning Magic effects the length of time it will take for spirits to cast spells.

The formula for Spirits' casting time in seconds is:

Casting Time = 48 + (max Summoning Skill - current Summoning Skill) / 3
If Spirit is cast on corresponding day: -3 seconds
If Spirit is cast on weak day: +3 seconds
If Spirit is cast during corresponding weather: -2 seconds
If Spirit is cast during weak weather: +2 seconds
If using Summoner's Spats: -5 seconds
If using Astral Flow: -5 seconds
Light Spirit in healing mode or buffing mode: 1/2 Casting Time

http://ffxiclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Spirit

[crptaculous]

Not trying to be a dbag, but slight correction: if you agro a mob, and the elemental auto-engages, it's not that the timer is cut. In fact is isn't cut at all.

What was mentioned about manually sending the elemental to a target via "Assault" command, that it's spell recast is reset to max, is correct. On the other hand, if it automatically engages due to agro, the recast is not touched, and the remainder of the spell recast timer for the elemental is the time left to cast (not cut)

For example, say you send a 99 earth elemental at a target manually with "Assault" command, after some time, it casts Stone V. Then you walk around for a bit, let's say the amount of time that the spell recast is for you based on your smn skill, day, etc, and then agro a mob, the elemental will immediately cast something.

on the opposite extreme, if your elemental casts Stone V, killing the target, and you immediately agro, or already had hate/agro on another mob, when the elemental automatically engages the next target, it's spell recast will be max (-ish, minus a second or two due to server lag and actual time passed from death of prior target to auto-engage of current target)

I believe "Retreat" also resets the timer, not sure on that.

Again, sorry, just wanted a new summoner to have the correct information! Have a great day and /welcome to the world of the summoner, Aree!

/EDIT: Also did notice that timer counting down during idle was mentioned, but it appeared a little misleading to say it was cut by auto-engage :/

[Aree]

Thanks, didn't see this info when I was trying google.