Splitting SMN in Two

[dezzmont]

Yeah, you don't need to make a new DOT class. Just prune some of SMNs DOTs and replace them with summon or summon related skills.

Don't even need to do that really. SMN just badly needs a 'visual overhaul.' The Egi is a pretty big part of your DPS and has high potency, its just that visuals matter way more than actual potency for job feel (Which can be quite useful: barrage is a big DPS boost for bard but isn't an important part of its identity or optimization compared to using its songs correctly, so despite barrage granting you an extra 230 potency over a fully charged pitched perfect, pitch perfect is visually way more impressive in order to make it clear that is what bard is 'about') and most of the egi's animations are very low key 'basic attacks' that are almost invisible in a fight.

Egi assault just needs to turn your egi into a demi to shoot an ability out for ya (with no change in functionality otherwise, besides being made more responsive obviously) to 'fix summoner.' The problems with SMN that make it a 'pain point' job are ones of job fantasy failing to be delivered, not through mechanics. In fact, I would say mechanically the cycle of building up trances to get 'super spells' is probably the best way to implement a FF style summoner in an MMO because summons are often actually just fancy limit breaks, so the job having a 'private LB gauge' it is fighting to fill while its doing a lot of its DPS via dots fits quite well. Its just that SMN as a job visually undersells the SMN aspects so hard that is a problem.

[Seraphor]

Don't even need to do that really. SMN just badly needs a 'visual overhaul.' The Egi is a pretty big part of your DPS and has high potency, its just that visuals matter way more than actual potency for job feel (Which can be quite useful: barrage is a big DPS boost for bard but isn't an important part of its identity or optimization compared to using its songs correctly, so despite barrage granting you an extra 230 potency over a fully charged pitched perfect, pitch perfect is visually way more impressive in order to make it clear that is what bard is 'about') and most of the egi's animations are very low key 'basic attacks' that are almost invisible in a fight.

Egi assault just needs to turn your egi into a demi to shoot an ability out for ya (with no change in functionality otherwise, besides being made more responsive obviously) to 'fix summoner.' The problems with SMN that make it a 'pain point' job are ones of job fantasy failing to be delivered, not through mechanics. In fact, I would say mechanically the cycle of building up trances to get 'super spells' is probably the best way to implement a FF style summoner in an MMO because summons are often actually just fancy limit breaks, so the job having a 'private LB gauge' it is fighting to fill while its doing a lot of its DPS via dots fits quite well. Its just that SMN as a job visually undersells the SMN aspects so hard that is a problem.

SMN has always had an identity problem with DOTs.
The problem with having so many DOTs as your main form of damage is that they all have to be ridiculously weak individually so you're not completely OP.
SMN has TWO DOTs, plus Egis, which are another more elaborate DOT.
Just axe one of the regular DOT spells already so that summons can actually be somewhat impactful.