Main Topic: How and Why do Summon(er)s fit into Eorzea?

There is a great chance that if you have ever played another Final Fantasy game then you know what a Summoner is. You know it is usually a "sacred" magic used by various characters to call forth Dieties in some form or another. These Dieties have varying strengths and weakness based on their elemental composition.

Pretty straight forward stuff right? Final Fantasy has Summons and Summoners. Final Fantasy 2-13 had summons.

Now look at Final Fantasy XIV (14). If you scour the "official" forums you will be hardpressed to find any confirmation from the Devs about the subject of Summoner as a playable Job in FFXIV. The majority of threads regarding Summoners which have Dev post presence are usually beyond none informative to the point that it seems the Devs are literally avoiding the subject all together. They (the devs) either change the subject or give the nonsensically common "We don\\'t know but we will ask.". Yet still no results; Still no answers.

Maybe SE is waiting on us to do their homework for them: So let\\'s get together and in a non trolling manner Creat FFXIV\\'s Summoner Job.

The Requirements:
- SMN will be a Pet Job (Elemental Gods will be Summoned and controlled by the Summoner)
- Summons will look epic
- There will be quests to obtain each Summon individually. The majority of these should be moderately difficult to complete. A few Summons should be very difficult to obtain.
- There will be a relationship/affinity between the SMN and the Summon. This relationship dictates the affinity or bond between the SMN and his Summon. It will effect such things as: Summon spell execution speed; Summon ability execution speed; Summon stat strength; Summon spell failure rate; Summon ability failure rate.
- There will be Pet specific Tags and Macros:

Tags
<mark> (allows a subtarget like cursor for setting a waypoint over traversable land)
<pethp>(pet\\'s own hp)
<petmp>(pet\\'s own mp)
<petst>(subtarget selection for pet)
<petct>(pet\\'s current target; displays the current mob pet is attacking)
<petlastst>(the last sub target of the pet)

Macros
/pattack /patk (tells pet to attack the <tag>)
/pdefend /pdef (tells pet to stop attacking and assume a defensive stature)
/preturn /pret (tells pet to return to master\\'s <pos>. Incurrs enmity on master when used within close range of mobs which have enmity on pet)
/pac Ability Name (tells pet to perform the specified action)
/pemote /pem Sit/Dance/etc. (tells pet to perform the specified emote)
/pmove (tells pet to move to a targetted point; targetting will require a subtarget like marker which can only be placed on traversible ground. This will follow the same physicla restraints as PCs)
/pstay (tells a pet to stay at its current location)

- There will be gear in various tiers to enhance particular aspects of SMN: Spell cast time down; Summon DMG mods; Summon Stat mods STR-PIE; SMN attack speed; etc.

Summon mechanics
- Each Summon is a seperate spell with its own recast timer: 15 minutes cooldown
- Summons will follow the Summoner\\'s pathing and match their walking/running animation state at a rate of speed realistic to the Summons size and character: Titan would be a tad slower walking and running than the Summoner
- Each Summon will gain individual experience points when an enemy is defeated and the summon is "out".
- Each Summon will level up independently at half the required experience points per level as PCs
- Summons will gain their own unique abilities as the level up. The abilities will be seperated as Offensive and Defensive abilities. Some abilities will be AoE others will be single target.
- Summons can gain and loose enmity
- Summons can aggro mobs via all the same triggers as players
- Summons will utilize a new UI widget for Pet Options (can be mapped in keymapping config window):
^-- This UI widget would appear also when your current Job is a pet Job and you select a mob. Selecting a mob would make the UI Widget popup directly to the right or left of the mob.
Attack * * * *(Commands pet to attack the selected mob)
Abilities * *(Displays submenu of available/learned abilities to use on the selected mob)
Spells * * * *(Displays a submenu of available/learned spells to use on the selected mob)
Move * * * *(Commands mob to move to the selected mob)
Stay * * * *(Commands mob to stop all actions near the selected mob)
Stats * * * *(Stats menu would show the Summon\\'s stats as well as information on the number of mobs killed)
- Summons will remain "out" based on the difference between the SMN and the Summon\\'s Level or until the Summon is defeated i.e. its HP reaches 0.

Summon Time = Max SMN LVL - Current SMN LVL / Max Cooldown x 60 Seconds + Max Summon LVL - Current Summon LVL / Max Cooldown x 60 Seconds

LVL 50 SMN w/ LVL 50 Summon: 50 - 50 / 15 x 60 = 900 + 50 - 50 / 15 x 60 = 1800 Seconds (30 Minutes)
LVL 50 SMN w/ LVL 20 Summon: 50 - 50 / 15 x 60 = 900 + 50 - 20 / 15 x 60 = 930 Seconds (15 Minutes 30 Seconds)
(NOTE: 5 Minutes is the lowest threshold for how long a Summon can be out.)

SMN Mechanics
- Summoner should have "Bond" and "Immolation" abilities:

Bond Abilities
- HP Bond * *(real time HP drain from Summon to SMN/<t>/<st>: HP/tick for xx seconds)
- MP Bond * *(real time MP drain from Summon to SMN/<t>/<st>: MP/tick for xx seconds)
- TP Bond * *(real time TP drain from Summon to SMN/<t>/<st>: TP/tick for xx seconds)
- Enmity Bond * *(real time Enmity transfer from Summon to SMN/<t>/<st>: enmity/tick for xx seconds)

Immolation Abilities
- HP Immolate * * * *(real time HP drain from SMN to Summon: HP/tick for xx seconds)
- MP Immolate * * * *(real time MP drain from SMN to Summon: MP/tick for xx seconds)
- TP Immolate * * * *(real time TP drain from SMN to Summon: TP/tick for xx seconds)
- Enmity Immolate * *(real time Enmity transfer from SMN to Summon: enmity/tick for xx seconds)

Gameplay Examples:
You begin casting Ifrit\\'s Calling.
[Once spell completes Ifrit falls to the ground nearest you like a burning meteor. Ifrit stands from a hunched crouch and looks about his new surroundings. Ifrit sees you and paces nearby with a menacing scowl.]
In this instance let\\'s say that Ifrit is LVL 32.
Playing around with a few options you could use the pet commands to manipulate your Summon:

/pmove <me> * * * *(Ifrit moves towards you stopping at about .5 of his character model radius so as to avoid collision. Works as a follow type command.)
/pstay * * * * * *(Instead of following you, now Ifrit will stay put even if you run/walk away.)
/pmove <mark> * * * *(A subtarget cursor appears over the ground before you. You move the cursor to its max range, mage casting range, then you click the confirm button. Ifrit begans to make his way to the marker point you designated.)
/pmove Player Name * *(Same concept as the <me> tag. This will allow the SMN to set a Summon on a sort of Gaurd type status for the player the Summon is following.)
/pret <me> * * * *(Would prompt Ifrit to return to the psecified tag or name.)
/pret Player Name

Some slightly advanced stuff:

Let\\'s say you wanted to have Ifrit pull aggro for your grind party.
/pattack <st> * *(You select a mob nearby and command Ifrit to go attack it.)
[Ifrit stomps over to the mob and bashes it with his physical + fire magic based damage.]
/pret <me>/<mark> (Commands the pet to return to the specified tag target; thus pulling the mob with it.)
/pdef (Commands the pet to assume a defense stance.)
/ac Enmity Bond <st>/The Tank (This would allow the SMN to select a tank to throw the Summon\\'s acquired hate to.)

(W)ork (I)n (P)rogress