Can someone give me an in-depth explanation why Summoner is arguably the worst DPS?

[Nexus_Limitless]

What they really should do is integrate the summoner feature with the companion feature. Allow you to summon more companions than just the Chocobo. If everyone can summon Primals, it would be more like the FFVII and after system, which is the system I've come to love. As a class summoners could still exist as specialists at it, who can buff their summons more and have a few active.

[Lilyarel]

As I am aware of bandwagon and how it works, associating a class balance with a "Pity buff" is extremely naive.

They've gotten pity buffs in the past. Remember Ifrit-Egi?

[Lavieh]

They've gotten pity buffs in the past. Remember Ifrit-Egi?

That is called balancing and QoL, I don't think you understand what the word "Pity" means.

[Shizuna]

They've gotten pity buffs in the past. Remember Ifrit-Egi?

Oh geez that 5 potency is really a pity buff. LOL!

I just went through all the patch notes and this is what I accumulated for "pity buff" and other changes.

Patch 2.1:
Thunder - Can now only be used by thaumaturge and black mage.
Virus - When the effect of Virus expires, enemies will now be granted the effect Antibody, making them immune to the effects of Virus for 60 seconds.
Bane - The range of effect has been increased from 5y to 8y. Also, when a target's Bio, Bio II, and Miasma are spread to nearby enemies, their durations will not be reset if longer than the original effect duration.
Sustain will now consume MP sintead of HP

Patch 2.3:
Bio II - MP cost has been reduced.
Aerial Slash - Casting time has been reduced from 3 to 0 seconds, making the cast instant.
Flaming Crush - Potency has been increased from 105 to 110.
Crimson Cyclone - Potency has been increased from 105 to 110.

Haha, really?

[Sen_Terrechant]

There's no point in discussing this topic like this, since people obvious are on different grounds.

This is what smn who have cleared T13 or close to it feels about blm:
You just have to work so hard to achieve the same level of dps as a blm. Personally the effort in playing smn to achieve the same level of dps as a blm or a good brd is just ridiculous. I've been playing smn since 2.0, and I have to say I am proud of my dps for almost hitting 480ish on T13, but compared to my static's blm who just started playing like a month ago (switched back to blm) and doing 450dps, I feel mistreated. And I have a good idea of where other T13 clear smn's dps is around......

So to the casual:
You guys can argue what utilities smn have, for the small portion of us who are HC progression, we all know what smn can do. What's smn utility? Is it edible? lulz. I don't think I can argue this point with anyone who haven't cleared T12 yet, our worlds are just too different.

/end of rant

Pretty much this. Pulling 455 unmerged, 480ish merged DPS on T13 while tryharding your pants off and knowing that the BLM can easily pull 10-20 DPS more then you is frusterating. Even moreso when you realise that most of that DPS is coming simply from the add phase boosting your numbers through AoE which the BLM can abuse far better then you can. Not to mention to really pull good DPS we have to be in melee range, unlike the BLM. Yes, book whacks add a good 20 DPS guys.

Couple that with the fact our utility isnt really that great (not any more then a BLM. Remember kids: They have a virus and E4E too, along with Apocostasis which is godly for progression, and Manawall/Manaward/Aetherial Minipulation which are all godly for progression as a caster class) and its just ugh.

The issue people have with summoner isnt at the lower or mid level of play, it simply comes about at the very high levels of play with people that are min/maxing. Most people will never encounter a SMN feeling subpar, but for those of us playing at that very high level of play its frusterating. We have to micromanage our mana, our pets, and be in melee for book whacks all while managing the normal DPS stuff like DoTs and cooldowns- all for subpar DPS. We really only BEAT a BRD, and thats only because they sing songs (we would be about equal with a bard if they didnt, and we have half the utility)

Yes SMN can clear content, Yes SMN can pull okay DPS. Yet for 95% of content BLM does it better.

[ViviAnimus]

snip.

Amen, brother. A-men

[Akiza]

DoT DPS are impossible to balance at very high levels of play with people min/maxing because they either have to be OP or the lowest DPS no MMORPG developer has balanced a DoT DPS not even Blizzard. WoW Warlock went extinct after Cataclysm because it couldn't keep up with high level play and end game. Summoner will go extinct in 3.0 unless SE either give it party wide utilities and buffs or overhaul it and make it Pet Based Job with the ability to equip a Sub Job. Seeing as Machinist will be support like Bard SE will have to overhaul it and seperate it from the Arcanist to make them revelant. It's a shame the most iconic job in Final Fantasy history has been reduced to a poor man's Black Mage and the last ranked DPS.

[Ronove]

Yes SMN can clear content, Yes SMN can pull okay DPS. Yet for 95% of content BLM does it better.

^ all this

[Lilyarel]

snip

This guy gets it.

[Dyvid]

This guy gets it.

This guy is also on FCoB where SMN are having issue where as you and I are not. At the tier I play and content I do, I have never felt subpar to my BLM except in certain boss fights that I would love burst damage (Tam-Tara HM). I mainly do Crystal Tower, Dungeons, PvP, and Hunts. I really need to try Primals and Coil more but haven't found the time to devote to it.

I also think SMN on FCoB are in the best position to say what is actually needed for SMN like better solution for MP than just adding support abilities to make SMN feel useful.