The future of SMN "egi glam"?

[OvernightSiren]

So with the SMN rework that really leaves the future of "egi glam" a mystery. At this point I'm more than content to just use the carbuncle egi and have the other summons show up for the start of their rotations...but I would still like to eventually be able to summon Leviathan, Ramuh and Shiva (the classics) in some form.

Do we think SE is going to add reskins for the Titan, Garuda, Ifrit attacks (where the actual eidolon shows up for a second) or do we think the 7.0 rotation will feature attacks from Leviathan/Ramuh/Shiva.

I know it's too early to speculate on 7.0 really, but I just wish SE would be a little more transparent about this. The whole reason I ever wanted to play SMN was because Leviathan has always been my favorite FF summon and (pre-HW) I was expecting to be able to summon him in 3.0 and obviously that didn't happen so I just feel like I've been waiting for 8 years now with only breadcrumbs of news.

[Bacent]

Honestly they made Alphy a sage so they wouldn't have to worry about it to let it finally die off, in my opinion.

[GrizzlyTank]

Screw Leviathan, where is my god damn carbuncle!

[Raikai]

I think the 7.0 rotation will put in different primals after the phoenix phase. Plus that side of the SMN rotation needs a dps buff anyways, the ideal is that both sides Bahamut and Phoenix could be equalized in the amount of dps. I would be curious on how the Gemshine and Astral Flow would be for these new primals, though... Maybe it could be the opposite, like 2 heavy cast timers and 1 more instant casts?

However for the actual egi glams... They really should let us glam Alphi's old carbuncles, but... to be completely honest, I wish they would make the base Summon Carbuncle just a cosmetic spell. It adds nothing to the caster's gameplay:
- The carbuncle won't do anything. It won't even look at the enemy and pretend it does something, it just idles there...
- It hinders SMN's personal shield usage and to some extent Searing Light's usage as well.

Just detach those spells from the carbuncle. Heck, use Alphi's old carbys for their cast animations, if you must.

Truth be told, the carbuncle hanging on your shoulder with the Carbuncle armor, even though is not moving, feels much more endearing than the one we currently have.

[MsQi]

I would like to be able to glamour the big guys as egi forms. It would be nice to have obsidian and moonstone carbuncles as well as a green one.

I'm fine with the buffs being connected to Caruncle, that's what he traditionally does.

[Raikai]

I'm fine with the buffs being connected to Caruncle, that's what he traditionally does.

If you look to the game's lore... indeed that's is the Carby's role. But when it comes to gameplay it's defnitely flawed both mechanically (locks you out when you most need them) and aesthetically (the carby just... stands there idling).

They can keep it still being a "Carbuncle thing" by having the animation of Searing Light and Radiant Aegis summon the Diamond and Obsidian carbuncles to cast it, much like it happens with other summons, thus leaving the basic Summon Carbuncle just an optional, cosmetic, feature.

[Shougun]

I'd still like to see, as priority at least (exclusivity not needed), that they make the other egi as actual content. It would be pretty cool to gain gameplay level for other classic FF primal summons (like Ramuh, Levi, and Shiva).

Generally I'm having fun with SMN (though it is a bit simple, but that doesn't bother me personally), yet in the thread that was giving SMN feedback one person suggested having the Demi phase alternate your egi set. So you'd have 3 Egi under Bahamut and 3 other Egi under PhePhe. That could be fun.

There are other ways of course, perhaps you get a 'fourth' egi that alternates based on your previous cast egi (Ifrit -> Shiva, Titan -> Ramuh, Garuda -> Levi). That fourth egi you might even be able to double summon, such that you bring out Garuda and then Levi in sheer moments of each other.. Which could add a lot of things to do lol. Like if the special fourth egi took over your ruins, or aether tokens, such that you had a short period of double weaving. Of course it could be it's own fourth phase, but that does have implications to the rest of the cadence... messing with that could be unfortunate. One moment that it might be alright though is when you're at the end (after demi) so you're waiting till your next demi is available, rather than do nothing you can pick 1 of 3 'special' intermediary egi. So then you've something more to do while waiting, and in this case picking 1 of three might add an extra layer of strategy choice... it's difficult to make them all valuable in different ways but I'm sure SE could do it.

Doesn't bother me to 'also' let all of them be glamour-abe, just I hope that SMN gets them as features too. Also it would be appreciated if it was a UI rather than text commands lol . Semi-related but adding the ability to choose the size and transparency of your own and other player's (separately) would be nice. I don't want them to shrink by force of player complaints, and we already have a solution for other "over the top" effects, that I actively use, in allowing players to lower special effects for self, party, and everyone- such a system on summoner would be most welcome and allow SE to continue to be 'over the top' while also allowing players battle field clarity in their choosing.


Depending on how the UI is made could also add a bit of content to the concept. LIke 10 primal tokens unlocks the glamour, or allows you to tweak your egi/demi, and or their effects, in some way. Sort of akin to how in WoW you can change your summons's looks as Warlock or your transformation visuals as Druid. Another idea of similar vein was the sphere, merit, board like concept suggested before- therein you can purchase special tweaks to your job (visual and or doesn't impact instanced group content), obviously egi glamours for summoner as one idea, perhaps primal mounts as another, example for another job might be dragoon and gaining passive boost to jump height when the button is held (and you've flying in zone unlocked), or no fall damage, etc.

Though I want to put a wedge somewhere in ideas for the transformation based job I'm still crooning for lol (some sort of druid, shadow heart's harmonixer, FFXVII inspired, terra bradford thing- with the focus on transformation itself not as the side gimmick).

[aveyond-dreams]

I would like to see the following classic summons whether they are added as unique gem summons/demis or pure cosmetic options:

Ramuh
Leviathan
Shiva
Odin
Alexander

At this point I do not care for nearly decade-old lore saying that we could only bathe in the aether of 3 primals or whatever excuse they gave back in those days, when choosing between fun and "lore" fun comes first in this scenario. While I am thankful for getting Bahamut and Phoenix (which are unavailable in FFXI) Summoner's pantheon is still woefully incomplete when compared to its predecessors in other games.

[MsQi]

If you look to the game's lore... indeed that's is the Carby's role. But when it comes to gameplay it's defnitely flawed both mechanically (locks you out when you most need them) and aesthetically (the carby just... stands there idling).

They can keep it still being a "Carbuncle thing" by having the animation of Searing Light and Radiant Aegis summon the Diamond and Obsidian carbuncles to cast it, much like it happens with other summons, thus leaving the basic Summon Carbuncle just an optional, cosmetic, feature.

Building gameplay on lore is part of making a good RPG. Works fine, he's only gone briefly. You're right though, he shouldn't just sit there, they should make him do more.

[Imoen]

I'm going to be honest, I've never liked the idea of glamoring spells/abilities. I do understand the appeal, I simply don't agree with it. If we were talking glamoring alternative looks to specific summons (Titan A, Titan B for example) I might be, maybe, okish with it.

I believe in quick reads, when I see something used, I want to know what it is immediately. If it's just client side and I can see them all as what they really are, then sure why not. I don't really care what you see on your screen, only what I see on mine. lol

I'd much prefer anything getting added in regards to summons be functional though. Having Levi or Ramuh being a glamor would just be insulting, it would annoy me that they weren't actually there. That's obviously my opinion, and I'm not going to crap on other people wanting glamor, because I do get it. I'm simply tossing my opinion in the hat.