We have finally come full circle, SMN's need help!

[Sleigh]

I dont think mana is the main problem for SMN. There must be the reason why we have that energy drain skill in our ability list. It is part of our gameplay control mana and avoid using it too much like BLM should try avoid moving instead and bypass mechanics with their mana wall/ward/aetherial manipulation.

Oh SMN can certainly stay afloat on MP if they so choose. The problem is, 150 potency lost per Energy Drain is a big deal. Using MP pots over X-Pots of INT, a very big deal since SMN gains more out of pots than anyone. Getting Mage's Ballad when it's normally not needed, taking away Foe's or at the least just lowering BRD DPS because you brought a SMN, is a big deal. If SMN maintains his MP the raid DPS suffers for it, either SMN's own DPS or BRD's. You can instead bring a BLM who will do more than SMN regardless of if SMN has infinite MP or not with no compensation, and then you can play Foe's for said BLM and make the gap even higher.

[Sunako]

...

You dont get my point. I mean maybe energy drain is supposed 2 lower our dps. Maybe we are not supposed 2 fester all of the time. Like tp classes that eventually run out from the tp if they do their max potential damage rotation without caring tp. TP classes can use the rotation that cost less tp but that reduce their dps like energy drain as summoner. BLM idea is doing good sustained dps whole 10min fight and other dps classes should do little better dps in the first 3 min than BLM, until the end they will be in the same numbers as blm or bit lower(if the bard do not sing tp/mana).

[Atomnium]

Oh SMN can certainly stay afloat on MP if they so choose. The problem is, 150 potency lost per Energy Drain is a big deal. Using MP pots over X-Pots of INT, a very big deal since SMN gains more out of pots than anyone. Getting Mage's Ballad when it's normally not needed, taking away Foe's or at the least just lowering BRD DPS because you brought a SMN, is a big deal. If SMN maintains his MP the raid DPS suffers for it, either SMN's own DPS or BRD's. You can instead bring a BLM who will do more than SMN regardless of if SMN has infinite MP or not with no compensation, and then you can play Foe's for said BLM and make the gap even higher.

^This is so true.

As a smn you could totally keep your mp pool lasting forever by over-using Energy Drain but the 150 potency lost for not using Fester is an incredible dps waste :x
For new statics wanting to progress quickly into fcob, the choice would be very obvious to make of what to take over blm and smn applicants, they would take a blm for faster progression :/ for the simple reason that the newly smn recruit have an additional con over a blm, the smn will have to perfectly learn a specific mp management pattern for each turns and so meaning more training.

Here is 2 exemples of what a smn mp pool look like when entering into turn13 adds phase (between 500 to 800 mps, the brd will have to do a quick ballad during divebombs to raise them at around 1500~ mps), it's kind of low considering the amount of adds to kill :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfxKbdZSXZw#t=334
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7JBmLNLxtM#t=422