My take on fixing Summoner

My main in FFXIV is Summoner. I love the traditional FF Summoner. However, I don't feel that FFXIV captures the essence of the job as played in every other FF game. In an mmo, there are definitely benefits to the dot caster play style. So, I am not saying this is bad.

There are aspects that have to be there (eye for an eye/physick) for the sake of scholar. But, Arcanist is built around being able to level with damage utilizing carbuncle. I have taken an effort in remaking some of the Arcanist/Summoner abilities so that the play style is more traditional while keeping most of the current mechanics. I have not focused on scholar at all, but I believe this new Arcanist ability list would keep Scholar intact (except with an option of utilizing Carbuncle for some dps instead of being forced to use Slyph for healing). In other words, give Summoners and Scholars Carby if they want to use it rather than other summons.

I've removed certain abilities, such as fester and tri disaster (which is a giant disaster) but replaced with pet type abilities that could easily replace while keeping that traditional FF job in place. Also, and this is my biggest gripe about the current SMN, I've removed the enmity from Titan. You shouldn't be punished for using 1 Primal egi over another... they are all powerful. Also, Summoners never get to use Titan-egi. So, fixed...

Lastly, none of the pet abilities auto cast except auto attack. Summoners have to push the buttons to do the damage. So, some numbers may have to be fixed to balance the dps but this will create a more active job where you are actually controlling your summoned pets... ya know, like a Summoner from FF.

Below is my ability list:

Arcanist:
Summon Carbuncle: Level 1
Summon Carbuncle to fight by your side.

Carbuncle: Lvl 1 - Auto attack.

Ruin: Level 2
Perform an attack with a potency of 80.

Bio: Level 4
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 40 for 18s.

Physick: Level 4
Restores target's HP. Cure potency: 400

Aetherflow: Level 6
Restores 20% of maximum MP. Additional Effect: Aetherflow

Carbuncle Lvl8: Poison Bite (melee Carby attack).
Delivered an attack with a potency of 100. Additional Effect: Venom
Potency 35 Duration: 18s

Miasma: Level 10
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 20. Additional effect unaspected damage of 35 for 24 secs. Additional effect: disease for 24 secs. Symptoms: Reduces HP recovered by Cure spell s by 50% and inflicts 40% Heavy.

Sustain: Level 12
Sacrifices 10% of own maximum HP to continuously restore 8% of summon's HP over a period of 10s. Cannont execute if HP is below 10%.

Virus: Level 15
Reduces target's STR and DEX by 15% for 10s.

Resurrection: Level 18
Resurrects target to a weakened state.

Energy Drain: Level 22
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 150. Additional Effect: Absorbs 50% of damage dealt as HP and restores MP. Only available when under the effects of Aetherflow.

Bio II: Level 26
Deals unaspected damage with a potency of 35 over 30s.

Bane: Level 30
Spreads a tarets Bio, Bio II, or Miasma to all nearby enemies. Duration: Time remaining on original effect. If the target is under the effect of Aertherflow, 15% chance that Bio, Bio II, or Miasma duraction resets.

Eye for an Eye: Level 34
Erects a magicked barrier around a single party member or pet for 30s. Barrier effect: 20% chance that when barrier is struck, the striker will deal 10% less damage for 20s.

Carbuncle: Lvl 38 - Ruby Light Blast - Deals light damage with a potency of 80. Additional Effect: Blind for 10sec.

Rouse: Level 42

Increases Cure magic potency and damage dealt by pet by 40%. While roused, pet will be immune to stun, sleep, bind, heavy, paralysis, and disease for 20s.

Carbuncle: Lvl46 - Searing Light - Deals light damage with a potency of 20 to all nearby enemies. Additional Effect: Light damage over time with a potency of 10 for 15s.

Carbuncle: Lvl50 - Emerald Aura - Envelops the area around Carbuncle in emerald light, dealing damage with a potency of 25 to any who enter for 30s. Additional Effect: 5% chance of sustained slow.

Summoner:
Summon Ifrit: Level 30
Summon Ifrit-egi (melee) to fight by your side.
Ifrit: Lvl 30 - Auto attack.
Ifrit: Lvl 30 - Burning Strike - Delivers an attack with a potency of 120.
Ifrit: Lvl 30 - Crimson Cyclone - Delivers an attack with a potency of 105. Additional Effect: Stun. Duration 2s.
Ifrit: Lvl42 - Radiant Shield - Places a fire shield on all nearby party members. Additional Effect: Shield deals 50 physical damage each time physical damage is suffered.
Ifrit: Lvl45 - Flaming Crush - Delivers an attack with a potency of 105 to all surrounding enemies.
Ifrit Enkindle ability: Inferno Level 50 - Ifrit-egi gathers strength and rushes through the target dealing 200 fire damage to all enemies in his path.

Summon Titan: Level 35
Summon Titan-egi (melee) to fight by your side.
Titan: Lvl 35 - Auto Attack
Titan: Lvl 35 - Rock Buster - Delivers an attack with a potency of 120.
Titan: Lvl 35 - Mountain Buster - Deliver an attack with a potency of 105 to all surrounding enemies.
Titan: Lvl 41 - Earthen Ward - Places a stone shield on all nearby party members, reducing damage taken by 20%. Duration: 10s.
Titan: Lvl 46 - Landslide - Delivers an attack with a potency of 105. Additional Effect: Heavy. Duration 5s.
Titan Enkindle ability: Earthen Fury - Titan-egi deals earth damage with a potency of 180 to all targets surrounding Titan-egi. Additional Effect: Razed earth is left behind dealing an additional 20 potency for 15s to all those that enter.

Summoner: Spur Level 40
Increases a pet's physical and magical attack power by 40% for 20s.

Summon Garuda: Level 45
Summon Garuda-egi (ranged) to fight by your side.
Garuda: Lvl 45 - Auto Attack
Garuda: Lvl 45 - Wind Power - Surrounding party members receive a 10% boost to INT and MND for 10s.
Garuda: Lvl 45 - Aerial Slash - Deals wind damage with a potency of 90 to target and all enemies nearby.
Garuda: Lvl 45 - Shockwave - Delivers an attack with a potency of 90. Additional Effect: Slow. Duration 15s.
Garuda: Lvl 48 - Wind Blade - Delivers wind damage with a potency of 100.
Garuda Enkindle ability: Aerial Blast - Garuda-egi deals wind damage with a potency of 250 to a target and all enemies nearby.

Summoner: Enkindle Level 50
Commands pet to use it's signature attack.

Carbuncle Enkindle ability: Meteorite - Carbuncle deals light elemental damage with a potency of 250 damage a target and all enemies nearby.

Leviathan/Ramuh/Shiva/etc. egis - Make them Level 50. Give similar party buffs/attacks/etc. No reason to wait for the level caps if these are in the game. They can be added without being over powered, or ruining the ability level ranges.

Why fix what isn't broken? Also removing Fester? Why am I finding it hard to believe you main smn?

Only thing I would like to see changed is I frit being more useful and Garuda having more worthwhile abilities besides contagion (maybe buff her AoE slightly)

While I think you're silly for thinking they are going to completely redesign the entire class, I came here to post that you can edit your post into something longer than 1000 character, you don't need 5 different posts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NintenPyjak64

Why fix what isn't broken? Also removing Fester? Why am I finding it hard to believe you main smn?

Only thing I would like to see changed is I frit being more useful and Garuda having more worthwhile abilities besides contagion (maybe buff her AoE slightly)

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If you actually read my post, you will see why I am suggesting these changes. Additionally, you should note that I replaced fester with summoned egi abilities. My suggestion is a changing the play style of the pets so that the job plays like a Summoner from traditional FF games. Also, removed contagion because that makes Garuda the egi of choice no matter what when you should have options for play style.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by T0rin

While I think you're silly for thinking they are going to completely redesign the entire class, I came here to post that you can edit your post into something longer than 1000 character, you don't need 5 different posts.

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Thanks! Had no idea.

SMN melt all the faces, we are the leet, the Alpha horn Omega robe of secsi, we were in FFXI, we were in FFVI, we were in FFX and we are in FFXIV there is no other real job, SMN is all SMN4LYF. We have kicked the ultimate of ass in so many shapes and forms from the beginning. Doesn't matter if it is Garnet, Rydia, Yuna or Aphrini FFXI version they were all amazing, they all had their zest to add and they were all Summoners. Enjoy the job for what it is, because it truly is fun, the way of the Horn is a very changing road my friend.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NintenPyjak64

Why fix what isn't broken? Also removing Fester? Why am I finding it hard to believe you main smn?

Only thing I would like to see changed is I frit being more useful and Garuda having more worthwhile abilities besides contagion (maybe buff her AoE slightly)

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It's not a question of it being not broken, it's just... Well for being a summoner it has not a whole lot to do with the summoning aspect of the job and more of what a red mage from XI did: Debuff and dot. You can take a look around and see that most other games that brand a class as "Summoner" have a lot more going on that's focused around summoning and summons than we do here. Kind of a poor choice of name for the job really. Sure, cool I have a pet running around with me that I summoned all of once when I job changed, and even then the pet is not my number 1 priority; my dots and other spells are. The summons end up just being mere fluff to make my already pretty awesome abilities a bit better but not adding much else besides their own mindless punching of whatever mob I'm fighting. There's little to no reason to use any besides Garuda, and absolutely no reason to swap them around on the fly ever. The egi's need something that makes them stand really apart from the summoner, some oomph to their repertoire.

You don't fix the best dps class in the game.

So...many.....cooldowns - I wouldn't change it for the world

I actually like some of your egi stuff (minus getting rid of Garuda's Contagion) but there are some problems:
1. All of your Enkindles rely on them implementing an Elemental Resistance system, which I don't think will happen.
2. No more Topaz to tank for ACN while they solo is kind of bad.
3. Carbuncle wouldn't add anything to SMN. Carbuncle is designed to be weaker because it's for ACN, a class, versus the Egi who were designed for SMN, a job. While your version makes him very similar to XI's, having to switch from supporting and healing with Carbuncle to an actual DPS Egi like Ifrit or Garuda would be deteramental, especially during dodge intensive fights.
4. Titan being a Melee is bad. He is encroaching on Ifrit's turf and SMN now looses their soloing tank.
5. The levels your egis/Carbuncle learn skills would make them useless in situations where the SMN is level 30 or under. In your reworking, Carbuncle is the only usable one and it would only have auto-attack and Poison Bite.