Sum-nom-nom-eners~

[Zantetsuken]

This is getting a little aggressive considering the little information we actually have on this SMN, so I'm just going to sum up the SMNs of old:

EVERY Tactics - Summoner - Offensive/buffs/restorative.
I/II - N/A
III - Evoker>Summoner - All solely attack spells
IV - Rydia - Mostly attacks; Sylphs cure; Asura buffs. Also has BLM access.
V - Summoner - Similar to IV, but more access to buff/restorative spells. No access to BLM.
VI - Accessible to everyone; damage/buffs/cures
VII - Similar to VI
VIII - Similar to VI/VII. No access to any restorative summons
IX - Eiko/Garnet - Damage/restorative/buffs. Both characters had access to, and completely covered, WHM.
X - Yuna - PERMANENT summons. Main/only WHM ('til endgame).
XI - SMN - PERMANENT summons. Usually /WHM for cures/restoratives, but interchangeable.
XII - Everyone - PERMANENT summons. Purely offensive, but could tank.
XIII - Everyone - PERMANENT summons. Purely offensive. Kinda. Weirdly. Ssh.

It's obviously clear that the newer FFs have been in favour of pets that can follow you around, but saying that they're 'necessary' for an FF is completely backwards. If they do it then they do it and I'm not going to kick and scream either way. My definition of a pet class is a class that can attack by ordering other creatures, whether they continue to fight with you or not.

If they don't use permanent pets in ARR then stop moaning and level your chocobo. I'll be happy enjoying a class that's actually capable of damage dealing and debuffing simultaneously, no-one is going to force you to play it.

Don't forget FF Tactics, which has one of the best and most robust job systems in any FF game.

Summoner job in FFT had only summon magic (like FFIII, and FFV), and the summons were all one-shots.

Honestly, I've been hoping for a long time that SMN in ARR would use classic one-shot summons instead of FFXI pet-style summons... (We already know that Arcanist will have Carbuncle pet-style, but SMN looks like it might work differently)

Time will tell..