summoner should get a do-over

[SenorPatty]

SMN's problems feels like it's rooted into the mistake that is arcanist. What the lore says is one thing, what is actually happening is a whole other. I know SE loves its scorched earth cannon so they should aim it at ACN and it's lore and gameplay and nuke them both, then slap a A Retcon Reborn paint all over that and start fresh. Then, they should extract a common suggestion point from all our smn complaints then go full throttle with it. Give half the dots back to SCH and the other half to a new job like chemist.

And then--this one being personal wish list--rebrand smn as invoker. Let it channel/trance primal attacks, like smaller scale judgement bolt or diamond. Once you build meter/gauge with the attacks, actually summon the primal (replacing you temporarily) and be a nuke for like, 10 secs, then revert back to yourself.

[Lacan]

I think the best thing for them to do would be to split summoner off from arcanist and scholar entirely. Make arcanist scholar's base class and make summoner a job you unlock on it's own with just a job crystal. They'd have to retool the story a bit probably, but it'd be a lot cleaner going forward.

[DPZ2]

It's kinda like you're all asking for Huge Powerful Spell Effect, and going to get Itty Bitty Damage as a result. Can't make it too powerful, or else it becomes mandatory for end game.

I don't know about you, but I dimly remember it taking 'forever' for the ramp up to Summon Powerful Beings ... during which you didn't actually do anything worthwhile. So, great burst damage and lots of AoE dancing (hoping you don't die before the power-up occurs) for the win, I guess?

[Enkidoh]

I think the best thing for them to do would be to split summoner off from arcanist and scholar entirely. Make arcanist scholar's base class and make summoner a job you unlock on it's own with just a job crystal. They'd have to retool the story a bit probably, but it'd be a lot cleaner going forward.

Actually I think the reverse is true: it's SMN that is more associated with ACN not SCH (SMN grimories are usually listed as 'ACN/SMN' where as SCH grimoires are usually for SCH only). Selecting ACN at character creation as your starting class also shows SMN AF as it's 'Job' appearence, and shortly after, choosing ACN as your starting class has the character appear in SMN AF during the dream where they evoke the Blade of Light. And SCH is also listed independent of ACN/SMN in the list of classes and Jobs in the Edit Player Search comment screen.

So really SCH is the anomaly when it comes to ACN, SMN is the Job more associated with that class not SCH. So I would not be surprised if SE are planning to remove SCH completely from ACN/SMN, as the whole 'multiple Jobs off one class' experiment sadly was a failure.

[Dyvid]

but that's the thing, everyone has flocked from summoner to black mage because of how buttcheeks the job is in comparison to black mage

Those aren't Summoners, they are just fair weather fans that follow the flavor of the month with has the highest numbers.

[SieyaM]

I think if they turned SMN more towards the demi forms and removed the egis, it would be a better feel and aesthetic for players. The demis are also already in the game so we know they can have them and lore obviously supports them, so instead of an egi just give them demi ifrit garuda and titan, and work a kit around that.

[AnimaAnimus]

I'm assuming most people just want SMN to be like FFXI's because of the large summons.

I want XIV smn to be more like XI's because in XI your summons were your primary means of dps and boons to your party. I like sitting back and controlling my summon as well as being able to melee whenever I was able. I like my summons being able to cast buffs on my party and even when there was downtime, I was able to participate in some manner. Having Diabolos out, for instance, generating mp for the mages or using shiva to give blm a dmg spike during heavy cast phases.

I liked XI smn because it felt like summoner. Your pets were not only pretty, but they actually did something and were a crucial part of the job, correction, the main part. In xiv egi are just afterthoughts. Smn is primarily a dot mage, the only thing that makes if feel like smn are the bahamut and phoenix phases and then it only feels that way when you are actually able to call them forth instead of just using their trances. Egi are ugly, yes that part is true, that is bad design that can be easily change. But if they changed the looks but didn't change the function we would still be in the same boat. However if they functioned more like actual summons, like they did in xi, it wouldn't be such an issue.

[grinkdaboy]

apparently the solution i had shamelessly stolen from golden sun for summoner was close to what's in xi

basically give summoner black and white magic which gives elemental ether which you could then use your egi to channel that summon

ie pure wind would = garuda and pure water = leviathan but if you have the right mixture of water and wind you get bismarck

[Jade3173]

apparently the solution i had shamelessly stolen from golden sun for summoner was close to what's in xi

basically give summoner black and white magic which gives elemental ether which you could then use your egi to channel that summon

ie pure wind would = garuda and pure water = leviathan but if you have the right mixture of water and wind you get bismarck

3 jupiter, 2 mercury for that summon? xD

[Moonlite]

Why not go back to just carbuncle, and then have rework and add more demis. The demis give enough of the same feel as 11. They already exist for the "you can't do it because lore trumps all game play" people. It becomes sort of a reskin blm with no real pet, just differently animated spells. Making it easier for SE to balance. You could keep the dots aspect or go so far as remove it and put it on a new job going forward.