Summoner Revamp Ideas

[Duelle]

this would allow the summoner to be more than just a DoT class, and be switching pets as the battle requires

The long cast times for Summon are a balancing factor because it limits what you bring to the fight barring emergencies (also in part to punish you for letting your pet die). To allow rapid pets swaps would require nerfing the strength of the pets in terms of offense AND utility (to FFXI avatar levels if not weaker). Which would in effect go against your wish to have more focus on the pets instead of working for it. There's a reason FFXIV's SMN is designed the way it is, and from a design perspective is much more solid than XI's.

The only real change SMN needs is Contagion/Shining Emerald being moved to the Summoner themselves and giving Garuda something else. This would end the "Garuda iz b3zt" nonsense. Buffing Ifrit's damage resistance and fixing/improving his pathing wouldn't hurt.