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

[Viridiana]

I can't think of any instance where other methods killed things faster over using summons.

Seymour Flux.

Also, Martial Arts + Ninja.

Also, CT5 Holy.

I'm sure I can think of more. . .

[Ardan]

Seymour Flux.

Also, Martial Arts + Ninja.

Also, CT5 Holy.

I'm sure I can think of more. . .

FF7: Mime + Support counter with LBs, 4x Cut

FF8: Aura + LBs for days

FF9: Anything over summons

FF10: Tidus, Wakka, Rikku

FF11: Anything over Summoners

FF12: Any ultimate weapon + haste, bravery etc.

Hell, some of the games punished you for using summons like Viridiana said: Seymour Flux, Ultimecia etc.

[Akiza]

Well how much more different do you want the job to be from the class? Isn't paladin just gladiator with shield oath and hallowed ground? Isn't white mage just conjurer with a few extra abilities? If summoner was a tank class instead of damage would that be enough of a difference? Scholar is a dps>healer conversion so of course it's going to be different. You asked what summoner is. I said what I think it and arcanist is. Right now, bar the "interview" with Yoshi that's floating around, we have no "official" word that SE is doing anything regarding summoner. Players have been calling for redesigns of abilities to the whole class. I have been asking for some tweaks that are simple and fast to make so we wouldn't have to wait for an expansion with new abilities that might just be band aids to the summoner issue.

As for tri-disaster, does damage from our dots break it? Are adds in boss fights immune to it? 20 second bind could help keep an add off a healer till a tank can pick it up. I've thought about swift casting it in a few SCoB turn 2 runs when the OT isn't on top of the first three adds. If it was instant cast instead it could be a very good crowd control utility for summoner.

Here is the problem with the gladiator and conjure analogy. The Gladiator is an initiate of the Paladin and the Conjuror is an initiate of the White Mage. The Evoker is the initiate of the Summoner not the Arcanist. The Arcanist is the initiate of the Saboteur.

[Skeith-Adeline]

"I can't think of a single Final Fantasy game where players only controlled one character either."

Lightning Returns... if you count it as a FF.

[Romsca]

Here is the problem with the gladiator and conjure analogy. The Gladiator is an initiate of the Paladin and the Conjuror is an initiate of the White Mage. The Evoker is the initiate of the Summoner not the Arcanist. The Arcanist is the initiate of the Saboteur.

What game are you talking about? I don't remember Evoker and Saboteur being in FF14; ARR. And frankly, the previous post mine was too was about how summoner is just arcanist with fester yet scholar is very different. In which I was saying that no other job beyond scholar had as drastic of changes as scholar from arcanist, and that came from the fact scholar is a heal class and arcanist is damage.

I said it earlier, Akiza, you, like many others, have this vision of what the class should be. Sadly Square Enix did not hire you or the others to design the class. Now we can continue talking about cool, and often overpowered, abilities and changes to the class but most likely Square Enix is not going to make those. The original post of this thread was why, in detail, is summoner considered the worst dps class? So far, all I have seen is that we have mana management issues, poor gear itemization, utility skills that are shared cross other classes thus lessen their uniqueness when used by summoner, pets lack a unique feel and play style within our class and seem more glorious dot, and not many burst/nuke type attacks.

[Natsuno]

Here is the problem with the gladiator and conjure analogy. The Gladiator is an initiate of the Paladin and the Conjuror is an initiate of the White Mage. The Evoker is the initiate of the Summoner not the Arcanist. The Arcanist is the initiate of the Saboteur.

And BLM is the initiate of RAV, SCH is the initiate of SYN, PLD is the initiate of SEN, WHM is the initiate of MED... wait a sec! We're playing FFXIII-4 and I didn't even know it! :O

Although I'm still confused as to why Evoker & SMN are there.... best scrap them both. ;p

Could you stop trying to twist other peoples words to fit your own adjenda please.

On topic: As Romsa said above. Gear itemisation, mana issues... tbh, it's been beaten to death in this tread already.

[Sanguisio]

please close this thread before I say something that gets me banned ^^

[Akiza]

Most Final Fantasy summons change the dynamic of the battle they usually save the day when players are on the verge of defeat.

[Sanguisio]

Most Final Fantasy summons change the dynamic of the battle they usually save the day when players are on the verge of defeat.

Unfortunately the way FF is designed SMNs can be beaten by other methods throughout the series.
FF7 KOTR and Phoenix are pretty OP but other than that they dont bring a great deal other than some nice sparkly effects.


Can you please give an example ?

[Leonus]

Akiza sounds likes s/he wants smn to be the best dps by far.....