I Love 4.0 Summoner. A lot.

[Ariomi]

For me, there doesn't have to be any payoff. If I had to work really hard to be equal at the top level to a black or red mage, i would be happy to do that. Playing Summoner would be a choice to play a more complex playstyle while still being balanced at the top. We are currently undertuned compared to them, but in my mind that's agnostic to the difficulty of the class. In my opinion, you shouldn't get to do more DPS at the 95+percentiles because your class is harder to master; that complexity and depth should be a choice you get to make because you enjoy playing like that. A simpler yet stronger Summoner would be disgusting. That's what red mage is; boring, yet strong without even trying. For me, I derive fulfillment from a challenging and balanced class.

I see things completely opposite then you. Summoner already has been simplified. Out of the four dots summoner had, they have been reduced to two dots and an Ogcd that's instant. Dot's used to take 10 seconds to cast (Shadowflare Bio 2 Miasma Bio) and the new to dots that take 2.5 seconds to cast and can be insta cast with Tri-Disaster. Pet's as you said can be set to "Sic" which is also simplified. Pet's don't need any more interaction with that past that point -simpler. Dreadwyrm trance has been streamlined so that it automatically resets Tri-Disaster and locks you into using ruin 3 exclusively. Aetherflow stacks can no longer fall off, and can no longer be lost even if you fester/bane a target with no dots. Fester and Painflare had their cooldowns cut in half, making it easier to fit into abilities like trick attack or litany. Ruin 1 + 3 automatically change to Ruin 4 when it procs and requires no additional input to use. Objectively speaking Summoner couldnt get any easier unless Smn automatically deathflares, or bahamut automatically uses his attacks. It's been extremely simplified. Did you play it in heavensward? It was much more complicated using aetherflow in dreadwyrm trance and squeezing out as much damage as possible compared to how it is now. Summoner got three new buttons for stormblood. Devotion, Summon Bahamut, and Ahk morn. Everything else just dumbed down or changed into something else. It was made to be as easy as possible. Not a single thing could be done to make it easier unless the class starts playing itself. The most difficult part of the class is trying to Ahk morn twice in contagion's duration.

Red Mage is the polar opposite to Summoner. If you say you find it boring, I would ask you if you have ever played Red Mage, let alone level it to 70. Or are you just listening to what other people say instead of playing it for yourself? (Your profile suggests that your only level 70 class is arcanist, and your next highest class is a level 60 machinist.) Red Mage requires much more thought then Summoner, balancing three different procs and trying to constantly keep uptime on the boss. Red Mage doesn't have a single dot, and I often find myself trying new ways of sneaking in dps. Any time a Red Mage isn't busy casting, backflipping or melee-ing they are doing 0 damage. In comparison, Summoner's pet and their dots make doing damage easy. Your pet will auto attack anything once in combat and Dots do damage as long as they last. Summoner is much easier to do damage, (Albeit less damage.) In O3s I found out that I can lunge towards Apanda, unleash my melee combo on it, and backflip back into my square and verholy it for extra damage, instead of staying in my square and losing damage. If I mess up that jump in anyway, somebody is going to die. Something Summoner never has to worry about.

Your entitled to your opinion, but classes need to be rewarding. If the hardest class in the game offers no reward and is utterly useless, nobody is going to want to play or use that class. I don't see level 70 Archers, or gladiators, or Marauders running around. Those are probably the hardest classes to play at level 70. Yet I don't see anyone playing them. I suspect it's cause those classes aren't rewarding to play and struggle to stay viable. Summoner to me is simpler and weaker which is infinitely more disgusting to me then it being Simpler and strong. There already are classes that are relatively simple and strong, and there are classes are that complicated. If you think Summoner is complex, you should switch to dragoon. That class is far more complicated, requires several positional attacks, and has a long history of people dying trying to squeeze in more dps.

The most challenging fight for summoner in my opinion, was a11s back in heavensward. When Aetherflow had numerous opportunities to fall off. Something that's impossible to happen now.