Sustain on SMN

[ChazNatlo]

So uh... just to check, not to argue: I use a controller to play. It just feels more organic to me, and I tend to get lost with a full keyboard of keys. Since this admittedly means I can't point and click, it means I have a bit more difficulty placing my pet. Since the argument seems to have swayed into "Keep your Pet alive" should I take the bit of extra time adjusting my Pet's positioning in movement heavy fights like Midgarsormer or just keep heel and attack on the go? Obviously this is above and beyond it catching AOE heals and trying to keep it sustained, without hurting my MP too much.

[Houston009]

Pets are the owner's responsibility, no one else's.

I don't care if MCHs can bring their turrets back on [a] whim, they're getting healed too.

lol.

[Velox]

I'm just curious, but based on responses I'm seeing in this thread, just how much damage are your pets taking in a single fight?

I've run countless raids and I have NEVER seen pets get so low to the point where they risk dying from natural causes. Pets are immune to like 95% of the damage of AoE attacks. The only real threat to pets are direct hits (if it's tanking) or cleaves (if it gets clipped). The former should only be happening if it's Titan-egi and only under unique circumstances. The latter just means you really need to get better at placement or the tank needs to stop spinning the enemy.


Seriously though, if a pet just happens to take a wack to the face (because it happens), they are going to lose 25-30% HP at the MOST. Sustain is more than enough. Hell, it exists specifically for that reason, as a patch-job. If you're pet is taking that much damage to a point where Sustain can't even keep up, you're doing something grossly wrong (and probably should just change jobs to something that lacks pet-management).

[Neophyte]

The only contents where e.g. Garuda eats a lot of damage is Keeper of the Lake and Shiva Ex, if it gets hit by many AoEs.

But I let it rather die one time and resummon it with Swiftcast, than using like 3-5 GCDs for Sustain in a fight.
At least when I'm synched to lvl 50... with lvl 60 i'd rather waste my MP with additional Ruin3s.

[Saggo]

I'm just curious, but based on responses I'm seeing in this thread, just how much damage are your pets taking in a single fight?

The root of the argument is not "my pet is dying", the root argument is healers keep people functional. The simplest example is a healer is expected to clear a WAR's Pacification when that has nothing to do with getting to the end alive.

People treat the responsibility like it's binary, like it can only be either or between two players. So you get stuff like it's the owner's responsibility anda no one else's, when the logical extension of healers keep people functional is the complete opposite.

Sustain being enough for upkeep just means the healer doesn't have to worry, not the right to outright refuse. Same for healing other players, being in cleric stance, and not seeing HP bars in party list. The fact that pets are durable just means it's an easy responsibility.

But I let it rather die one time and resummon it with Swiftcast, than using like 3-5 GCDs for Sustain in a fight.
At least when I'm synched to lvl 50... with lvl 60 i'd rather waste my MP with additional Ruin3s.

Biggest issue with that is Swiftcast should be used at a bare minimum with Shadow Flare, and using it in a Dreadwyrm Trance rotation is not out of the question. That means Swiftcast is usually on cooldown when you need it for a Resummon, or even Ressurection.

should I take the bit of extra time adjusting my Pet's positioning in movement heavy fights like Midgarsormer or just keep heel and attack on the go?

Heel is almost always enough because you're usually trying to be where the damage is not.

[shadowrell_d-_-b]

Lmao like how this thread went from a buff to sustain (which I actually agree with) to a clearly bad SMN whine about how heals should now not only heal the tank and party members aswell as dps to help kill things faster but also heal egis because "git gud" is now a thing you say to sound cool whilst you play your class like crap.

Last I checked as a sch (that actually manages their pet) I have to place, obey and heel my fairy numerous times in a fight all while also healing dpsng dodging the same mechanics you are, so why are you not good enough to know when to heel your pet so they don't take unneeded damage? You have one job (do damage) You have to do this whilst also dodging avoidable damage so keeping you pet out of danger should be nothing I never lose my pet to damage, as a SMN you have the same tools I have to keep your egi alive stop being lazy and use them, also sustain should be used before your pet is close to dying not to save its life from death because you were not paying attention to it the whole fight.

[Saggo]

If you could have actually bothered to add something worthwhile without stooping to insulting people, you might have "clearly" understood what was being said because not once did I say that this was an excuse for a pet user to not manage their pets. Clearly. My hat is off to you.

[keyburz]

Or, Big OR here, healers get good.

Do you have any idea how hard it is sometimes to click something on the field instead of in a party list? If the pet was in the party list I'd care more. Ifrit goes straight to the boss, in exactly the same spot that melee dps hang out, and on top of that he is small. Usually I end up clicking either the dps, the tank, or the boss. I dont have time screwing around with trying to click objects on the field. If it was that easy, then I would be healing by clicking on the field instead of the party list

[keyburz]

How about this: I'm a human, ill heal humans. Eos/Selene is a summon, make it so they can heal the pets, problem solved. Sorry whm. Least you get medica 2...

[Nyghtmarerobu]

Summoner could definetly benefit from a tweak to sustain. I don't want to see the potency go up, but rather, would like to see the cost get changed.

NOW, this doesn't mean that the healers should slack on trying to keep up pets. No matter how you slice it, it is a -DPS LOSS- to lose a pet, wether it be egi or turret, as well, it is a -DPS LOSS- to use sustain whenever its available. You can say its a fast cast or w/e you want, but it costs you one global. It adds up if your using it during any form of uptime in a 10-13 minute encounter. So if you think you're being cool by not healing pets, you're being foolish. It's a shared responsibility between healers and pet owner, which is why I think sustain should be changed.