I thought people might be exaggerating about SMN

[Tanis_Ebonhart]

Because there is more to a job then aesthetics. Gameplay is more important

And to many the Summoner changes are welcomed hence why it's being played far more than it ever has been in a very long time. You may disagree on the why but that's how it is. That should tell you that it's doing something right that old Summoner clearly wasn't.

Because it had engaging gameplay, and bahamut/FBT felt like nice, giant burst phases we earned. Instead of doing the same thing every 15 seconds.

DoT stacking and maintaining wasn't engaging for most players hence why Summoner was played far less before the changes and many complained that Summoner didn't feel like being an actual Summoner. Now it does.

Because there is more to a job then aesthetics. Gameplay is more important

Your interpretation of gameplay is purely opinion based and a minority in this instance due to far more playing Summoner now than they did in Shadowbringers. If they didn't enjoy it then they wouldn't be queueing as Summoner still. The newness coat of paint has worn off already yet they stay as Summoner.

Because there were things to think about, keep track of, line up, manage, timings to consider, abilities played/interacted with each other (ruin stacks, resetting of tri disaster), Interesting little tactical things you could do in situations and most of all there was room for personal growth. You still summoned too, idk why people think you didn't? Like you still had Bahamut and Pheonix in the last xpac, they just turned Bahamut into a Pheonix this xpac and made it so you spam one button instead of two during them (ST or AOE) and gave them a single astral flow click.

Titan, Garuda and Ifrit don't have any real things to consider other than movement with Ifrit, they are all roughly 4gcd with a bit of potency difference none of which is soo important that you need to really think about what order beyond movement, since you generally get to all 3 anyway unless a specific fight messes with it.

Visuals =/= fun. The visuals should enhance the experience not be the experience. I think they are headed in the right direction thematically... game play, it needs more, this is the only job in the game that makes me blatantly aware I'm clicking hardware buttons to play because there is so few things to think about or consider. I guess the upside of that is I'm 100% focused on the fights because lord knows there's nothing to pay attention to in the kit besides searing light.

It was a unique experience that no other jobs in XIV delivers on, now it's gone. No other job comes close to it's feel, I've played all of them (not all to 90 mind you) I'm all for the new visuals, and changes, but it needs more. The old one scratched a certain itch for me that is just gone though with no other job filling that void.

These other people talking about mobility , I feel like they never played summoner in the past, as it's always been mobile, to my memory. There was never a point in time where it wasn't able to move that I recall. I'm so confused by those comments.

I mean it's w/e I'm still playing it, I'll live. But ya, yikes in my opinion. Frankly the job is making me lazy as hell in fights when I try to play other jobs. This is all my opinion obviously and I'm not bashing anyone that likes it. It is what it is.

It was a bad experience. Players wanted Summoner - not DoT Mage. They got it and Summoner is much better off as it is now than how it was. The changes also open up a ton of expansion opportunities that the old Summoner kit wouldn't have allowed.