Quote Originally Posted by Malamasala View Post
My theory is actually impossible to prove wrong. But there are other theories that work just as well, they are just not as logical.

If you summon a fresh spirit and catch aggro, they'll cast in exactly half time. This means that either you summon spirits in offensive mode at half initial recast, or they are summoned in buff mode with max recast. There is no reason SE would set "create new spirit with half timer" as code, opposed to the likelihood they put it as "create new spirit with max timer". Considering elemental behavior is buff mode or attack mode, all evidence point at similar for spirits.

You can also retreat a non-light spirit, then claim a monster to trigger aggro protection, and see if it takes half or full time to attack. If it resets their only attack recast, it will be full time. If they are in fact in buff mode as I predict, they'd cast in half time. (I believe I tested this, but I forgot so can't claim this as true)

Another option is to wait 10 seconds after your light spirit buffs you, and claim a monster. Light spirit should cast a nuke within the same time span as he would if you had let him stay and buff you. It's timer is the buff timer until it has cast one spell or is told to assault.

Everything about this behavior fits with my theory. But I will admit that you can make up excuses that could also be true. Like pets being summoned with half their casting time (except light spirit which is summoned in buff mode with full? seems like random programming in that case, instead of a logical one)
hence my statement that it is neither correct nor wrong.
we both understand them to work in pretty much the exact same way but choose to express this in different terms.

the one consensus we can come together upon is probably the fact that whether it be your theory or mine, both prove that spirits are outdated in spell repertoire, unreliable by design and can be very random (esp water/wind/dark), making them nigh useless in a SMNs arsenal.

At present, apart from Light Spirit which can be used to crank out a few buffs in the absence of RDM/WHM/SCH, all other spirits serve no real purpose to players other than for Elemental Siphon, and in desperation for 2 spells within the elemental wheel capable of proccing grellow.