Does Summoner get better?

[VorpalSpork]

I don't have any issue with people that don't like how it plays, or preferred the previous incarnation. I absolutely prefer the current version and would disagree (subjectively) that bane spreading felt better than the current version, but it's subjective. But, too many of the comments amount to simply, "Not enough buttons." If you don't like what the current buttons do, that's very different. And, yeah, I expect there are a fair few who basically lost their job due to the total rework, and that would feel bad.

[Wilford111]

I have mixed opinions on SMN. On one hand, it's totally brain dead so it's perfect for me. On the other, it feels dangerously close to the healer dps rotation and countless people have stated their issues with how boring that can be.

[Myon88]

The other thing that doesn't sit right with me is the disconnect between how flashy your spells are and their actual function. Your spammable gcds look like other jobs' 1 minute cooldowns, your egis which appear every 20 seconds are a spectacle worthy of a 3 minute cooldown, yet you're doing mediocre damage the entire time. It loses the impact when you cycle back to it for the 10th time and the boss still isn't dead.

It's like if every dragoon gcd was a nastrond, or reaper was in enshroud 100% of the time. No matter how amazing a skill looks, it becomes boring if you're given too much of it and it feels like you didn't earn it. When every gcd is amazing, no gcd is amazing, proper pacing is very important.

This goes for the casting tempo too. When so much of it is instacast skills, you lose the feeling of what's actually special about instant cast spells, it just becomes the new normal. You lose the satisfaction of having a well rounded variety of skills and choosing the right spell for the right moment. Like red mage's dualcast, you're given way more mobility than you actually need, and it gives people ammo to justify slapping you with the phys ranged label, it is a trap.

All I'm saying is that the ruin 3 spam and 'downtime' in the old summoner rotation served a purpose. You need the lows in order to better appreciate the highs, when you're constantly popping off it wraps around back to being boring again.

[MagiusNecros]

reaper was in enshroud 100% of the time.

Oh man this forum would crash with all the threads calling for Reaper nerfs on why they are putting out more damage then the boss if this was the case.

[Bonkleberry]

I know I'm only level 67, but this summoner rework isn't really gelling with me.


There doesn't seem to be much strategy to it. Just press what is available; use all three summons when available.


Am I missing something? Does it get better at level cap?

As others have said, the job gets more interesting at 86. The game play is tactical, if you wish to maximize your DPS. However, if you do not care about small DPS losses and just hit whatever comes up, the job is relatively easy to play. As I have said in other threads, SMN is a job that has a lot of choices of spells to use at any given time and the trick to mastering the job is utilizing self-control to not smash everything as it comes up and using forethought when choosing the order you summon your elemental phases.

[CKNovel]

My experience with SMN is simple.
I only leveled SMN through SCH and my only experience was... the role quest.
And oh mama, it felt like I already scrapped the bottom with the role quest alone. I tried it again thinking I missed something.

Usually I enjoy leveling jobs to discover/rediscover what they do through level. Except Ninja and its mudras, I learn them once again every expansions. But I feel like there was nothing to learn on SMN. Once you know the buttons, the job actually just plays itself.
To put it simple, I do agree that it feels like a Reapeer in enshroud or if MCH gameplay was just jumping from one hypercharge to another hypercharge phase.
It's better than previous SMN for sure but how can you play without the lv86 ability? It's as if BRD songs had no effect and would just replace the visual effect on straight shot.
Also the no cast, even than long cast for Garuda phase is calling to be paired with Swiftcast.

Visually, it's satisfying. Each phases is good the problem is that there is nothing beyond these phases except aetherflow that consist of 3 abilities that will be spent in the party buff window.
MCH works because it has the various tools to keep an eye on, SMN just doesn't have that.
It's a good base that needs to be expanded upon but not only it's even less complete than MCH but don't forget they did not expanded on MCH/DRK reworks.

Also, thanks Larryzaur for dismissing the concerns under a rug.

[zcrash970]

As others have said, the job gets more interesting at 86. The game play is tactical, if you wish to maximize your DPS. However, if you do not care about small DPS losses and just hit whatever comes up, the job is relatively easy to play. As I have said in other threads, SMN is a job that has a lot of choices of spells to use at any given time and the trick to mastering the job is utilizing self-control to not smash everything as it comes up and using forethought when choosing the order you summon your elemental phases.

Please do not lie to to her. There are no choices within this job. You use ifrit when you can get into melee range, Garuda when the boss is not moving and titan for burst/movement

[aveyond-dreams]

Please do not lie to to her. There are no choices within this job. You use ifrit when you can get into melee range, Garuda when the boss is not moving and titan for burst/movement

Thank you for describing some of the primary choices that every job in FFXIV has to make in terms of when to use what ability. This brings Summoner in line with the rest of the lineup of jobs in this game as opposed to the weird dot juggling/ruin stacking. Good riddance to all that.

[ssunny2008]

Thank you for describing some of the primary choices that every job in FFXIV has to make in terms of when to use what ability. This brings Summoner in line with the rest of the lineup of jobs in this game as opposed to the weird dot juggling/ruin stacking. Good riddance to all that.

It has nothing to do with choices when the game itself dictates you what to do. Or do you want to use your dash into the next aoe around the boss?

Having the choice is for example:

- Adjusting on MNK in downtimes with SSS, FS, chakra or thunderclap
- Adjusting on BLM via smartcasts, leylines-placement, dashes, when to reset your DoT
- Adjusting SAMs base-rotation
- Adjusting on any class with a bunch of proccs for DPS gains.
- etc...

SMN has become a no-brainer class. It´s whole choice is "i shouldn´t use ifrit, when i can´t get into melee range". And that´s more a law than a choice. The other 2 are locked behind "DPS-priority" anyway. So far SMN doesn´t have to care about anything but some boss-mechanics, where you´re able to preposition yourself easily like BRD / MCH / DNC. Imo even such RDPS classes have to take care about more than SMN. (Procc, Dots, Gauge...)

[zcrash970]

It has nothing to do with choices when the game itself dictates you what to do. Or do you want to use your dash into the next aoe around the boss?

Having the choice is for example:

- Adjusting on MNK in downtimes with SSS, FS, chakra or thunderclap
- Adjusting on BLM via smartcasts, leylines-placement, dashes, when to reset your DoT
- Adjusting SAMs base-rotation
- Adjusting on any class with a bunch of proccs for DPS gains.
- etc...

SMN has become a no-brainer class. It´s whole choice is "i shouldn´t use ifrit, when i can´t get into melee range". And that´s more a law than a choice. The other 2 are locked behind "DPS-priority" anyway. So far SMN doesn´t have to care about anything but some boss-mechanics, where you´re able to preposition yourself easily like BRD / MCH / DNC. Imo even such RDPS classes have to take care about more than SMN. (Procc, Dots, Gauge...)

Don't acknowledge the troll. It isn't clever