SMN endgame how is it

[Truen]

Keep in mind that when Endwalker drops Sumoner, for better or worse, is going to under some changes.

Lest we forget. I imagine they'll remove pets entirely and make them some kind of temporary summon instead of something glorious like what we used to have BEFORE 5.0.
I really miss being able to tank through my Earth pet and rotate between ranged and melee dps depending on what's happening.

It seems like most of the job changes they make anymore reduce what we've already got for no reason. Instead of making things better they actually make things less fun to play.
Don't even get me started on the Scholar... what a damn disaster. Very few thing 5.0 is better than 4.0 or earlier. Sure, it's a functional healer--but it's boring as heck to play!

[SweetPete]

Well according to the benchmark trailer, we are going to re-learn summoner, since it seems they are moving in the direction of an Invoker; like SMN using Ifrits Fire Dash as gap closer.

Doesn’t mean it’s becoming an invoker. We saw one skill. Doesn’t mean one thing. Plus it was probably a very old build. Allot could of changed. So we know nothing. The devs are keeping summoner changes highly secret. They didn’t show much at all.

[Anvaire]

SMN is very divisive among the community this expansion. Some think it's great, others feel like it's been ruined. Typically job changes don't normally elicit such a wide range of receptions from my experience.

Its been like that since heavensward though, the issue as i see it is you have 2 camps. 1 that kinda like the itinteration of summoner in XIV and others who just want a traditional FF summoner. I think because of this over the years the adjustments have made summoner into a convergence of multiple systems and ideas that alone are pretty good, but matched togther is a stack of cards that can function, allbeit while being slightly clunkly. I kinda think what SMN needs is a realignment of some of those systems, and removal of others while re-affirming the class identity into a singular focus. This has been happening over the years, as dots become less and less relevant and every attempt at making them so, ends up being undone. I think its close to the point of whatever they do, not everyone will like it, so they should just chose a direction and stick with it (evoker > trance to demi seems to do this they just need to adjust it from 3 systems into 1) But then ive mained it since ARR Beta. Its always been fun and rewarding to me.

[domovoi]

I really miss being able to tank through my Earth pet

i genuinely don't understand why so many people bring this up. you would rip hate off of titan if you did so much as crit a dot tick. like topaz was decent when you were just an arcanist i guess but if you were remotely competent as a SMN you were already destroying titan's enmity generation within just a few levels of even unlocking it, let alone as a geared lv70 player.

[wereotter]

Well according to the benchmark trailer, we are going to re-learn summoner, since it seems they are moving in the direction of an Invoker; like SMN using Ifrits Fire Dash as gap closer.

I am very curious about that move to be sure. I can't think of much of a reason that as a summoner I would actively WANT to dash into melee range, except maybe just to be there for stack mechanics? But if they attach damage to the dash, then you're going to end up with a caster that just wants to always sit in melee range since you don't want the animation lock for doing the dash nor would you want to deal with moving back while trying to cast (assuming egi assault and ruin 4 also get changed)

[Tulzscha]

i genuinely don't understand why so many people bring this up. you would rip hate off of titan if you did so much as crit a dot tick. like topaz was decent when you were just an arcanist i guess but if you were remotely competent as a SMN you were already destroying titan's enmity generation within just a few levels of even unlocking it, let alone as a geared lv70 player.

It was nice for holding extra mobs, that's about it. I like the shield much better, it has a lot more applications and works when Bahamut or Phoenix are out. I've never been a fan of pets though, some people like the fantasy of pets that can hold their own.

I am very curious about that move to be sure. I can't think of much of a reason that as a summoner I would actively WANT to dash into melee range, except maybe just to be there for stack mechanics? But if they attach damage to the dash, then you're going to end up with a caster that just wants to always sit in melee range since you don't want the animation lock for doing the dash nor would you want to deal with moving back while trying to cast (assuming egi assault and ruin 4 also get changed)

Other than stack mechanics there are donut aoes, getting in range for heals, moving out of aoe circles, or as an assist in moving across a room. If it deals dmg it'd have to deal more than alternative options or be ogcd to justify using on cd which imo would be silly though RDM has to deal with that (which is still silly) so maybe. If SMN keeps its instant casts it'll have no problem moving around, I'm more worried about how it'd clash with mechanics.

[NoxLumina]

You want do deal with brain-dead pets and ghosting your group damage buff?
Welcome to SMN

[DBriggs304]

I was trying to keep the theme with my "Rydia" toon and do SMN/SCH, but it was so boring to me (especially SCH) that I switched to AST the second 8 could play the class.

[KitKatnip]

I wondered why my supposedly tanking yellow pet never actually held aggro with anything. Now it makes sense.

[wereotter]

Other than stack mechanics there are donut aoes, getting in range for heals, moving out of aoe circles, or as an assist in moving across a room. If it deals dmg it'd have to deal more than alternative options or be ogcd to justify using on cd which imo would be silly though RDM has to deal with that (which is still silly) so maybe. If SMN keeps its instant casts it'll have no problem moving around, I'm more worried about how it'd clash with mechanics.

Typically I'm not so far out of rang that I miss heals, unless a white mage wants us all holding hands so they can use Cure 3, which basically follows the same as a stack mechanic. But sure for the donut shaped AOE attacks. Either way, I just hope that it's a movement still ONLY and not something they attach damage to. If they make it something that is in the same vein of shoulder tackle/spineshatter dive/plunge/corps-a-corps.... it will end up something you must use on cooldown else you're losing DPS, and it looses some of its viability as a movement skill.