If you were part of the DEV team what adjustment will you make to Summoner?

[Typhoria]

Remove static pet. The goal for summoner should be to call forth your summon similar to how they do for Bahamut. So have it where the abilities are sequenced, and the final ability of the sequence determines what was summoned. It could be similar to ninja Mudra system in that regard, but it will always summon something and it's part of the cast rotation, not oGCD. Each summon has different effects and lasts for a short time.

For example Garuda could be the summon for AoE damage, so the final part of the sequence would use a wind spell. Ifrit could be for ST requiring a fire spell. This could even allow for a support type role too if they wanted to allow for short buffs or resource Regen from another summon.

[Ayer2015]

I would redesign it and have the job start at 30, no longer being linked to Arcanist.
Personally I like the idea of a base skill rotation for personal dps, then abilities with fair CDs which would summon temporary primals. When summoned you would have access to primal themed attacks, which the summon would cast, not yourself.
Basically a spike damage job.

[Nirokun]

I like having a static pet, personally. If it were just limited to Carbuncle, that would be fine, he would be your constant companion. My oddball idea for summoner would be based around using Carbuncle defensively, like in other games.

You would be the "failed mage" with no talent for white or black magic and only be able to call Carbuncle to your side, from a spell you find in an old tome (finally something that makes books relevant, and I generally hate books as weapons). Along with the tome is a ruby, Carbuncle's Ruby (oho FFXI fans, we're back!), this ends up being your job stone. Carbuncle then becomes your teacher and your protector as you get stronger, commanding more powerful summoning spells.

The flavor of arcane geometry can still be used, with magic circles and all that jazz (get out BLM!) used for summoning. The summoning circles and the varying crystalline structures of different gemstones (hello FFIX!) yield different summons. Job quests entail collection of these gemstones and battles with their associated summon/primal. A win grants your their favor, a fragment of their power stored within their associated gemstone (Diamond = Shiva, Aquamarine = Leviathan, etc). Given that you've only received a fragment of their power, they cannot be completely summoned to roam the field, but can appear and do their thing, then poof. That's what a lot of people ask for.

Carbuncle assists you in summoning, allowing you to concentrate on forming the summoning circle and drawing out the Summon's power from their gemstone. In my mind, you would have to stay still, and Carbuncle would shield you from incoming attacks. On a controller, the summoning "mudra" system and the defensive controls from Carbuncle would be separate, one on the D-Pad and one on your buttons. You would have varying levels of success with summonings, a longer cast would yield more damage (and a bigger summon) and a shorter or broken cast would yield an Egi. The better you got at the fight and controlling your Carbuncle, the stronger you would be.

I guess the gameplay mechanic could change, but I like the idea of Carbuncle shielding you while you cast your big spells.

[Limecat]

I'd like to see a mechanic for extending Bahamut's time once he's out, or possibly something sort of like 3.x Enochian that lets you upgrade a standard egi to an enhanced Bahamut-style version for as long as you can maintain the buff. Also make their auto-attacks be just that, and in place of those as abilities give them each an especially strong attack that costs some of your MP to initiate. I've also been thinking that they should split SMN and SCH, giving ACN entirely to SCH and making SMN operate like the HW jobs. Instead of aetherflow, your bread and butter attack spells generate summon orbs(the typical greenish energy orb with a flame inside used by a lot of the games) that you can see floating around your character, with a higher cap on how many you can have at one time but are functionally the same as AF charges(though in splitting from ACN these would probably end up going more towards powering stronger egi attacks or extending super mode durations).

There are some basic functional things that need to be addressed, like making egi abilities fire off immediately with no delay when you hit the button. Be it moving or attacking, they stop anything they're doing to use what you told them to. Bahamut egi also needs to receive all the enmity the normal summon you were using had accrued(and be capable of tanking without any grief), then transfer it back after time is up.

And of course on the side, finish the damn egi glamour system and let us use Shiva, Leviathan, and Ramuh. Ideally we'd have a menu with the caster/melee/tank slots and you choose from whatever egis you've unlocked in each one. If they're melee or tank they get up close and do a smack animation, if they're casters they throw a fireball/rock/water blast/etc instead. Hell, there are plenty of existing particle effects and animations that could be recycled to do it already.

[Fail]

I don't really play SMN, so I can't say what they need at higher levels, but one change I'd make for certain is to have their heal have x5 the potency on self and pet. At least.

[OmegaStrongtan]

1. Carbuncle will be your permanent and immortal pet, it comes out the moment you change to the job (and have unlocked the skill of course)
Depending on stance it will be your "Auto attack" "MP regen" or "meat shield" also have a skill to temporarily strengthen the active pet skill.
2. Rework your spells into a fluid rotation which will grant Aetherflow stacks at certain points.
3. Depending on the number of Stacks used another Primae will come out to do a heavy hitting move. Said moves include single target, Aoe, Dot and Vuln up so the summoner has to chose while when to use stacks.
4. once level 50 and have used up enough stacks you can transform your carbuncle into Bahamut which can do everything Carbuncle and low tier Primae can do but better. But you have to use stacks all the time or he will transform back.
5. from 51-70 you will get some unique Nukes for Bahamut and yourself.

[Trufrost]

1. Carbuncle will be your permanent and immortal pet, it comes out the moment you change to the job (and have unlocked the skill of course)
Depending on stance it will be your "Auto attack" "MP regen" or "meat shield" also have a skill to temporarily strengthen the active pet skill.
2. Rework your spells into a fluid rotation which will grant Aetherflow stacks at certain points.
3. Depending on the number of Stacks used another Primae will come out to do a heavy hitting move. Said moves include single target, Aoe, Dot and Vuln up so the summoner has to chose while when to use stacks.
4. once level 50 and have used up enough stacks you can transform your carbuncle into Bahamut which can do everything Carbuncle and low tier Primae can do but better. But you have to use stacks all the time or he will transform back.
5. from 51-70 you will get some unique Nukes for Bahamut and yourself.

I like this idea

[Xeronia]

First of all the need to pick what SMN should be. Is it a pet class, a DoT class, or a burst class using Bahamut. Once they elect that the need to add in an alternative for the players that lose a playstyle.

Thankfully there are already a lot of otehr Burst classes available so that leaves us with the classic DoT vs Pet management style. I have a pretty decent answer for both from an interview before Stormblood no less. Whichever Summoner isn't, add Onmyouji to cover the one lost.

We were also thinking of a ranged caster as well. It’s a very Japanese sort of… they call it “onmyouji,” but that was something that was debated also. I wish knew the best equivalent in English…

http://twinfinite.net/2017/03/ffxiv-stormblood-interview-pax-east/

For those unaware what an Onmyouji is let me grab a definition form Wikipedia real quick. "Onmyōji were specialists in magic and divination. Their court responsibilities ranged from tasks such as keeping track of the calendar, to mystical duties such as divination and protection of the capital from evil spirits. They could divine auspicious or harmful influences in the earth, and were instrumental in the moving of capitals. It is said that an onmyōji could also summon and control shikigami."

So I would like to see SMN move a more a burst class Bahamut and Onmyoji be added as the DoT pet class. Those that like 4.0 SMN keep what they have and those who like 2.0/3.0 SMN have an option.

[Age_of_Oblivion]

If they're trying to live up to class fantasies, then SMN should be given massive AoE burst and BLM should become more DoT heavy. The pet class aspect of SMN, as it exists now, is sadly just nonsense. I like pet classes, but both SMN and SCH are a far cry from a decent pet class. If that can't be fixed due to network limitations, then let's stop pretending and put more power into its big summons.

[CecMiller]

I would increase both dots potency by 10 and call it a day. Oh wait. LMAO

That said, I'm hoping for better changes for 4.1. The current potency changes to the dots, given that they make up for about 20% of our dps and were increased in potency by 25%, results in a 5% dps increase which will help all summoners. Sure, it's not what we're looking for, but hopefully 4.1 brings something better. I'm just as disappointed as everyone else and I will be legit pissed if nothing good comes of 4.1. I don't wanna be like this for an entire expansion.

What is concerning (not discounting all the other SMN problems) is that we're the class with the lowest clear rate for O3S and onwards behind both Machinists and Black Mages. For me, that stat was a little unbelievable, but it's true. See for yourself:

Click on "Parses" at the bottom to order the list by parses uploaded.

https://www.fflogs.com/statistics/17#boss=44
https://www.fflogs.com/statistics/17#boss=45
https://www.fflogs.com/statistics/17#boss=46

http://rankings.cactpot.xyz/ (for graphical representation of how many of each class has cleared a fight)