So BLM as AOE covered, MNK has single target... What does SMN bring?

[Maero]

And contagion, do not forget contagion ....
Summoner dps is still good, those that say otherwise are not playing the class to it's full potential.
Not saying it does more damage then blm but still very much viable
Another reason i also go as smn for ST is if healers are down or occupied i help out to rez players

[Sleigh]

I just tried out my sub drg on some current content and the damage was sick and so easy to play aswell. Is this what you want?

DRG's pretty nicely balanced with MNK and NIN now so ... yes, that is what I want.

[Akiza]

On end game raid content the Summoner doesn't offer anything that other dps jobs excel at.

[Nux]

On end game raid content the Summoner doesn't offer anything that other dps jobs excel at.

The legend has spoken

[HaroldSaxon]

SMN has nothing right now. Battle rez is pointless unless you're in Shiva, the one semi-relevant fight you can have more than 2 deaths in succession and come out victorious. Dying so often in T10-13 is more often than not cause for an immediate wipe.

There are multiple topics on SMN being outclassed already though. Everything's been covered basically.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...N-Class-Issues
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...MN-s-need-help!

Hopefully there are buffs in 2.5 but the devs haven't even acknowledged there are SMN issues, even if their testers who played SMN, during the development/testing of FCoB, should have asked for fixes right at the start of 2.4.

www.letsexaggerateproblems.com

Summoner is generally fine but they have got hit really hard with two things:

1) Poor gear optimisation (Either they need their own gearset, or pet needs to scale off spellspeed)
2) Resource issues

Fix those, and you'll have a strong dps class that doesn't take much of a hit of dps from movement like BLM, doesn't have positional's like Monk/dragoon and is ranged (unlike ninja). They also have raise, and they have fantastic sustained AOE with 4 targets if you can bane (which, honestly, is few and far between in Final coil).

[Numenor1379]

They just need to increase the MP regen of Aetherflow (perhaps boost the initial amount and then give a small regen so long as you've got stacks available or something) and most of SMNs problems would be gone from a mechanics perspective. Gear... yeah, as Harold said either scale pets to SSPD or give them a new set. Though, given the number of sets we've got already adding another to the drop matrix would just suck. =/

[Dyvid]

I would vote to change Enhanced Pet Action from 20% Spell Speed to 10% mp restore over 8s.

[Orrias]

They just need to increase the MP regen of Aetherflow (perhaps boost the initial amount and then give a small regen so long as you've got stacks available or something) and most of SMNs problems would be gone from a mechanics perspective. Gear... yeah, as Harold said either scale pets to SSPD or give them a new set. Though, given the number of sets we've got already adding another to the drop matrix would just suck. =/

Spell/ Skill speed/ Haste, or w/e you want to call it, has generally been a problematic stat in MMO's, as it is either highly sort after because of it's scaling factor, or, in this case, it only scales with a wet noodle ability that helps you go OoM quicker . Adding Sp.Spd to Pets again (?) is bothersome to me, as you already rely on a pet to do ~1/3 of your overall dps. I would much prefer Aetherflow to return more MP regen, as well as have Energy Drain as a viable MP returner/ damage dealing ability, that isn't an out-right dps loss, in comparison to Fester.

www.letsexaggerateproblems.com

Summoner is generally fine but they have got hit really hard with two things:

1) Poor gear optimisation (Either they need their own gearset, or pet needs to scale off spellspeed)
2) Resource issues

Fix those, and you'll have a strong dps class that doesn't take much of a hit of dps from movement like BLM, doesn't have positional's like Monk/dragoon and is ranged (unlike ninja). They also have raise, and they have fantastic sustained AOE with 4 targets if you can bane (which, honestly, is few and far between in Final coil).

-Poor gear optimisation: Yes, but so what. Stats are a 'band aide'.
-Resource issues: Yes, and hopefully something is being done to help ameliorate this, as I don't see fight mechanics being made to cater to all dps Jobs feasable.


The problem is Aetherflow/ Energy Drain, and them being tied to the ACN class.


.

[Blueskyy]

SMN have a extremely high amount of sustained DMG, comparable to MNK. But their problem is MP, in long fights and also fuck SS dots benefit 0 from SS

[Sanguisio]

cant lie, DPS wise SMN has been gimped recently.
But imo it brings
-bit more fun to those play it, I mean the only other caster is BLM which can get quite mundane when played.
-E4AE
-Better virus
-Sustained dps both single and aoe
-I also feel my SMN outdeeps my BLM when I use food and pots, the BLM just doesnt get the same bang for buck with pots due to cast times.

But yup, something needs to be done. It's crap SMNs have to play perfectly to be decent, where as other dps can make a few mistakes and its fine.