SMN question regarding pets.

Can SMN be a viable DPS role if your pet is on auto-pilot? I'd love to give one a shot, the DoT melting and pet playstyle is appealing to me. The problem is that I play on a PS4, with a controller. I have enough issues controlling my own character, I've only been playing for 9 days so I still make mistakes and I'm learning. That being said, I won't be able to multi task between controlling my self, using moves, and controlling my pet. But I know part of being a great SMN is telling your pet what to do, and when to do it. If you can't, then are SMN's not viable as end-game DPS?

Micro managing your pet is not required to be a credit to your team in end game. It doesn't really add that much dps to control your pet's every move.

You will have to learn pet placement, however, and when to force your pet to attack adds and such. Garuda Ex, for example, requires you to tow your pet around to avoid damage, and to force Garuda-Egi to attack the sisters. Failure to pay attention to this usually results in a dead spiney plume (I know you don't know what this is. Just trust me when I say its a wipe).

I play from pc with a controller. And of course i never use my Egis in Free Stance (exept while i'm in solo). What you really need in your hotbar are the following commands:
Obey (i have a macro with Ruin 2+obey and fester +obey)
Place
Guard/heel: i have a macro for these so sometimes i use it to tell my pet not to attack and to stay next to me.
Contagion if you use Garuda
Endkidle for the signature attack

I haven't problems doing this way and always do a good dps. In end game contents u will use garuda Egi (or however is what most SMN do) and she needs a very little management that u will have to include in your rotation. But honestly i Can tell u that using a pad is not a problem for SMN. You just need to get used to play SMN and you'll be fine.

It's pretty easy to micromanage the pet on PC, but you can still buff your pets when required easily on PS4. Hell even on PS4 just slapping Obey to a key to make garuda hit whatever you change targets to if you want is simple enough.

Feel free to keep Ifrit and Titan on autopilot, but Garuda NEEDS to be on manual control. If she decides to blow Contagion too early, then you've got debuffs that won't have their timers boosted, which would be a hindrance if you decided to use Raging Strikes and you only managed to apply Bio 2 on the mob (when you have to reaply your other DoTs, they won't be enhanced by RS, leaving Bio 2 the only DoT that's enhanced by RS when the extended duration is over)

What I would suggest is leaving your pet on auto for most of the game and when you're totally comfortable just doing your own thing to try and add your pet in. The DPS increase from controlling your pet is worth it, but not game-breaking, so don't feel bad if you don't have a hang on it yet.

Also honestly, this really only applies to Garuda, to manually use Contagion. Neither of the other pets really need to be manually controlled. Sometimes someone will request you put Ifrit on obey or switch pets to avoid Ifrit building up enemy stun resistance, but this is not very often.