SMN Genuine Feedback

SUM looks amazing. I love the changes, gameplay & graphics! Now those are some real summons.

But the job feels way too simple. Please give us some off-gcd where you actually need to time something properly (dynamic).

I'm not asking to make it as complicated as it was. But there is nearly no complexity to it right now.

This is why I'd like the dots back. Gives us tri-disaster, & bane. Maybe bake the casted dots into a single cast. Reset tri-disaster on Pheonix / Bahamut? Make Ruin IV do more damage to a target with a dot?

Also that damage is far too low, I can't see myself playing it in that state. Sure it has resurrect, but Red Mage does it way better, since swiftcast is a damage increase for Summoner.

Damage for mobility isn't a fair enough exchange (except for BLM).
Please increase the complexity with something dynamic (doesn't need dots, I would just like that). That should then justify a damage increase.

I'll take some ocgds, dots can stay gone thanks. One of the stated goals of the rework was to wash Summoner clean of the "poison mage" stigma it picked up over the years. A revert back to that isn't happening, though it does open the door for a true dot caster to be added in 7.0. More summons are always welcome.

I feel like they should keep DoTs out of summoner. I do think more ogcds could help. For example, perhaps have aethercharges recharge every time you summon G/I/T and change the name of fester depening on the element you are attumed to. It would add another ogcd to weave in making Garuda a single weave phase and Titan a double weave phase. This is just an idea on the spot.

Hopefully when they add more summons later down the line, they could interact in unique ways making each phase feel more different. ie if they add a Shiva phase she could play more like red mages melee combo phase where you jump in melee a couple time and go back and insta cast some strong damage. It been a while since I did her fight, but iirc she did have a sword skill and a bow skill so perhaps using that as inspiration?

I like their approach to less buttons, but I think the buttons should feel more different when they change instead of functionally being the same thing. (which I wouldn't mind so much if they add my idea to changing fester as it would make Garuda phase and Titan phase different enough by altering the pacing between single and double weave)

I kinda agree.
SMN looks amazing and the new summons look really cool.
But the gameplay doesn't feel very engaging. There's not much thought behind the rotation other than do not go Ifrit when you can't stand still to cast.
But there's no depth to the rotation or gameplay. It doesn't have to b e super confusing or in depth but just something more to think about. Something to build towards instead of giving us all these summons for free without having to do something for them.

Dots aren't necessary imo but if any maybe give the Carbuncle a dot ability on a cooldown instead of the shield it has right now.
Either way, the job needs something more to make it feel complete.

And yeah definitely the mobility tax is way too high in the game. I also think MCH is suffering way too hard from mobility tax just as SMN is right now (well not sure if it's intended or the class just ended up much weaker than expected.)

Honestly they gotta do something to give summoner some complexity. And I hope they don’t wait until 7.0 to do it. People played it because it was complex and now it’s so simple it’s painful. Maybe give a stack each time you use a gem and the more stacks you have when you summon bahamut/Phoenix the better they are. Like when you have 3 stacks you get extra deathflares during bahamut or Phoenix granting a buff that has a chance to auto rez party members. I’d also like some interaction with aetherflow. It’s the most tacked on feeling thing in the game at this point. Something like landing crimson cyclone/strike when an enemy is in garuda’s slipstream grants an aetherflow. I’d take literally anything. Yes, even a dot.

You have a DoT in form of Slipstream (old school summoners will remember Shadowflare)

Not only SMN is too simple and while it has been restricted in what you could do on your rotation, now it's straight up impossible to deviate from Baha > I/G/T > Phoe > I/G/T

I'd personally realsly like an oGCD that provides us the gems instead of Baha/Phoe the one to give them to us. 2 charges, 60s recast that is affected by spell speed or not. It feels really wrong that my second GCD is Summon Bahamut.

Personally, just Potency Buffs would fix the job but wouldnt fix the gameplay. I find it too simple and restrictive :(

Well, Yoshida said the dev does read the forums so hopefully they see how many SMN threads there are.

I feel like Garuda needs something that makes her feel unique. Ifrit feels different due to the gap closer and long cast times. Titan is instant casts and mobility, but Garuda, outside of slipstream… what exactly is the benefit of having 4 charges of a spell with a shorter recast when we have nothing to weave or do in between? It just feels like something I have to get rid of and totally pointless, like they didn’t know exactly what to do with her.

I. feel like Emerald Rite/Catastrophe need to somehow interact with Slipstream, maybe make it so that the more stacks of rite you are holding on to, the longer slipstream takes to cast and the more damage it deals, and have it consume the stacks. That way you can choose between lesser damage if mobility is needed or more damage when you can stand still. I feel it would make Garuda feel a bit different and there is more decision making, which the job could use of more right now.

Personally i dont think re-adding in Dots and bane are the answer, it was the conflict between Dots and pet focus that caused the issues with the previous summoner. What i thnk they need to do, is add something to track to achieve something within the rotation and deviate each summons GCD rotation so they ultimately feel different. Some small adjustments could give a lot of engagement and that is the bottom line issue, while as a foundation the rework is great, there are some things that need a little adjustment to give a sense of accomplishment and optimisation alongside a sense of complexity without it being as complex as the previous design.

The only thing I really want from new SMN is more interaction between the gemshine and astral flow abilities for Garuda and Ifrit phase.

I wouldn't mind if they gave us DoTs back, but if they do I'd want them to be something that makes sense flavor-wise. Like maybe you summon Leviathan, who places a whirlpool on the target that deals damage over time.

More oGCDs would be nice but without any other changes they wouldn't really add any complexity...just another button or two to weave in whenever you want like ED/fester.