Why are summoners so neglected?

[Settiesama]

I swear I must be one of the only people who plays summoner right now that likes how they have designed it as well as thinking it is an improvement to XI's summoner. Yes having lots of summons was fun. Being told to go whm or blm instead and almost never playing summoner unless I was solo wasn't.

Don't forget after Alexander was released to us "Oh, come Summon for Astral Flow only, don't TP feed"

Edit: Forgot about "Summon Garuda/Ramuh and use Pred Claws/Stun then release until timer is back"

[NaesakiAshwell]

I swear I must be one of the only people who plays summoner right now that likes how they have designed it as well as thinking it is an improvement to XI's summoner. Yes having lots of summons was fun. Being told to go whm or blm instead and almost never playing summoner unless I was solo wasn't.

I really enjoy how Summoner is right now as well. So you aren't alone Naria.


Also, if you have to reach end game to be the summoner you're meant to be then thats not good design and I did absolutely adore the XI Summoner but unless I was solo or at end game, I couldn't really be it.

[Jerbob]

I really enjoy how Summoner is right now as well. So you aren't alone Naria.


*waits for a certain person on these boards to rush in again to tell everyone how XI Summoner at endgame was no longer the healing battery.* >.> <.< if you have to reach end game to be the summoner you're meant to be then thats not good design. And I absolutely adore the XI Summoner but unless I was solo or at end game, I couldn't really be it.

XI Summoner is currently not a healing battery at any point in the game, levelling up or otherwise. Someone at SE actually gives us gear with pet stats now!

Nothing about XI's Summoner mechanically made it suited to healing. Nothing about it mechanically made it weak offensively. Bad balancing and a complete lack of equipment did that. No one is asking for bad balancing and a lack of gear to be imported into XIV.

[NaesakiAshwell]

XI Summoner is currently not a healing battery at any point in the game, levelling up or otherwise. Someone at SE actually gives us gear with pet stats now!

Nothing about XI's Summoner mechanically made it suited to healing. Nothing about it mechanically made it weak offensively. Bad balancing and a complete lack of equipment did that. No one is asking for bad balancing and a lack of gear to be imported into XIV.

I did stop playing about half way after Aht Ughan and throughout my whole levelling process I was made to be the parties white mage, so if they changed them that much that makes me happy but even then the way the XI summoner works wouldn't translate as well as everyone is thinking it will into this without a serious overhaul and remake of the job itself which I don't think SE will ever do and I'm well beyond the point were I have accepted this fact. Which is why the fact the vocal minority is still being so loud about such a futile endeavour is so mind numbingly irritating.

[Silverquick]

Nothing about it mechanically made it weak offensively. Bad balancing and a complete lack of equipment did that. No one is asking for bad balancing and a lack of gear to be imported into XIV.

That is incorrect... what made it incredibly weak was the fact that JUST having your pet out drained your MP... and the damage was so low that it would suck you dry before it ever killed anything.

The only one you could have out for any period of time was Corbunkle... and he was so weak the mobs just crushed him.

And you had NO OTHER SPELLS other than what was on your Sub job... so the base class itself was sooo linked to the pets that it was gimped and useless to bother with. You could Sub WHM if you wanted to get a group... but that was about it.

I remember it very clearly my friend... it was the mechanic itself that was the problem in the first place. If you COULD have summoned your pets and kept them out to fight for you it may have been different... bit it wasn't... so all you could do was sub whm and beg for groups if you wanted to play one because there was a shortage of healers in the game.. that relegated it to second rate white mage at best.

That thing stunk on ice, and gear isn't going to fix the problem when the base mechanic itself was that broken.

[Jerbob]

If you COULD have summoned your pets and kept them out to fight for you it may have been different

That's exactly what I was doing literally 25 minutes ago. Perpetuation cost is mitigated by gear. SMN has changed. Potencies have improved. The frequency with which you can use your pet abilities has been greatly increased.

You keep telling me about your problems with SMN years ago, and I sympathise, I really do - because I was in that situation. But things have changed since then and XI's SMN doesn't have those problems anymore. Your pet is still 95% of your job, and it works fine because the people at SE who didn't understand the job they created now understand it... somewhat better.

You keep telling me that things can't be fixed but I'm literally sitting here playing the fixed result!

[Zhamkyong]

I swear I must be one of the only people who plays summoner right now that likes how they have designed it as well as thinking it is an improvement to XI's summoner. Yes having lots of summons was fun. Being told to go whm or blm instead and almost never playing summoner unless I was solo wasn't.

No, i also think Summoner it's in a good position right now and has a good set of abilities, the only thing i am concerned about is of the future of the Job itself and its identity: A Pet class or a better understanding of the Trance power we unlocked in HW. I love the Summoner in the FF series and the interaction it had in each game with the Avatars... And that is what, for me, it feels empty of the class right now. Sure, i know the Lore of the game about the Primals and i am not asking it to be changed, that doesnt mean i dont have my own opinion about how the class could be/feel in regard of the Summoner aesthetic of the series.

[xxvaynxx]

I swear I must be one of the only people who plays summoner right now that likes how they have designed it as well as thinking it is an improvement to XI's summoner. Yes having lots of summons was fun. Being told to go whm or blm instead and almost never playing summoner unless I was solo wasn't.

I too enjoy SMN the way it is right now, its why I main it, I really like the Job plays.
I just hope they do something so we're not locked into using only garuda in almost all important things, I wanna use iffy-kun too~.

[Zigabar]

I swear I must be one of the only people who plays summoner right now that likes how they have designed it as well as thinking it is an improvement to XI's summoner. Yes having lots of summons was fun. Being told to go whm or blm instead and almost never playing summoner unless I was solo wasn't.

I also like the way SMN plays at 60. But then again, I don't have this weird notion that iconic jobs must play exactly as game x or y did it. I don't mind it's individuality.

[Naria]

Don't forget after Alexander was released to us "Oh, come Summon for Astral Flow only, don't TP feed"

Ah yes I had forgotten that. Ugh. Although I wonder if a lot of the people with summoner nostalgia quit before Abyssea.