How's BLM looking?

[CecMiller]

You will largely see a lot of summoners posting because the truth is:

BLM is 100% completely fine. Summoner changes are not. I've mained both classed for savage raiding tier and Summoner more-so (to a high level) but I have cleared all the creator savage fights with BLM. BLM does 100% have superior single target. The advantage of summoner was largely its instant AOE deletion as it didn't have to wind up like a BLM does with cast times. Further still, downtimes in the savage fights meant summoners got mana refresh after spamming Ruin 3 and got their Aetherflow back meaning their single target was admittedly, very high as a result (god bless you if you died just after using aetherflow however). Most of the AOE was instant damage and to be honest, that's what I loved about summoner.

With the current changes we've seen at E3, I'll probably just be maining BLM as they look to do both AOE and Single Target better than summoner, but the main reason is that SMN looks completely boring to play! Not sure how RDM will pair up.

The argument that somehow Summoner should do less damage in both areas due to their utility is downright stupid however. Looking at the changes for Stormblood, as a BLM player, I'm content with the changes and have no reason to complain. Summoner changes are completely retarded for more reasons that one. The main one for me being the class becomes downright boring with the current changes. The AOE damage changes are whatever but I'm pretty sure BLM has summoner beat in that scenario in an extended multiple adds fight with the flare buff, AOE thunder and Foul being way more accessible and more frequent than Bahamut's Flare.

[IllyriaKnotfred]

Snip.

So I gotta ask. If RDM turns out to be even marginally stronger than BLM or SMN. Is that the deciding factor to you? Do you switch mains without a second thought?

[Silverquick]

You gained

Super virus version of magic down

Devotion dps increase and damage down

Foes from garuda

Battle raise

Mana transfer

Apocostasis from blm

Etc.

Yeah but BLM has half of that too... So that's not limited to Summoner both get a lot of that.

....and Devotion is single target, I take it you've never used this pet interface before...

And the movement is no longer a problem for BLM... remember Enochian is always on, and now we can teleport instantly back to the Ley Lines... so even that doesn't hold true anymore.

Used to be that any kind of movement or heavy mechanics .... hosed up Enochian thus killilng any Fire IVs until your 60 second recast timer on Enochain reset.... not so anymore.

[CecMiller]

So I gotta ask. If RDM turns out to be even marginally stronger than BLM or SMN. Is that the deciding factor to you? Do you switch mains without a second thought?

The deciding factor will almost always be how fun the class is to play. For BLM for me it was the big numbers. Nothing beats the explosions! I've loved BLM and love min-maxing savage fights so doing it with minimal movement via playing BLM will always be fun.

For RDM, to be honest, I haven't really looked into the class as much. What I do know is that their AOE is subpar (I think?) compared to BLM or SMN and they do drain mana. I haven't played RDM and so would only decide what I would prefer to play over how RDM plays. I know the feel of BLM and SMN from the savage tier so I kinda know gist of how they will play out in combat. RDM is a different beast but it should be fun learning a new class!

And in terms of if RDM was marginaly stronger than both BLM or SMN, I would say no. The class would have to be fun to play in savage fights for me to decide first and foremost. With summoner, I absolutely loved deleting the add phase of any fight. If the difference in strength between the casters is small, then I'd always play the one that I enjoyed in a particular fight the most!

[IllyriaKnotfred]

Gotcha. Well as I've said before- if Summoner does turn out to be under performing by a large margin it won't take long for them to buff them. Look at their track record.
2.0 - WAR underperforming ---> buffed ---> been ridiculous strong since.
3.0 - MCH/AST underperforming---> buffed ----> AST best healer in game, MCH highest dps in game.

So being lower at the start may not be a bad thing sooner rather than later.

In the case of AST it was something fundamentally wrong with their kit, so that took a long time to fix. But with SMN the only thing (I believe) may be a lack of proper potency on some abilities. Something incredibly easily fixed since it doesn't change how the actual job plays.

[CecMiller]

Snip.

Oh I don't doubt that they'd be buffed if they under performed. The main issue with me and my buddies is the fact that the changes to the class have made the class completely boring to play. My other friends who haven't even played summoner said how could I possibly know without playing it in 4.0 and whilst I get their point, I've played summoner enough in savage fights that I never wanna cast Ruin 1 : d That spell sucks visually and is boring. People argue we have more GCD's to cast Ruin and I cant help but facepalm at the change. I'd much rather have a new mechanic introduced that makes us more "summon" oriented (like what casual summoners want or I'm lead to believe they want) or more dots to manage with varied uptime instead of a static 30s for all. If the cost of doing increased dps means we spam Ruin more, then I don't want that dps increase D:

I 100% understand that summoner may have been difficult for a new player or that the damage difference between a top summoner and the average summoner was too large, but I just think whilst they've achieved these changes, the play style ends up becoming completely flat.

[IllyriaKnotfred]

See that's a whole other story. Being concerned on how the job plays is a valid concern (SE can't please everyone though). The problem is that the vast majority of SMN's right now are just screaming about their lack of potency on abilities and how they are re-rolling because of it. Which to me personally, is absurdly premature and completely ridiculous.

[Psycofang]

e.

But blm doesnt have its own foes, no devotion nor a battle raise. The ability to weave these items are by and far smoother on smn as well.

Devotion being single target has nothing to do with the interface and full on to do with it giving a dps increasing buff to whatever your teams favorite is. Blm cant do that and gets super clunky even when giving mana judging by the revised rotation.

Movement isnt a problem for blm every 60-90s for 1.9-2.4 to 3 full gcds, raids have quite a few movement required mechanics more frequent than 60 to 90s.

It was eased but will still remain blms biggest weakness.
Between the lines only has use every 120s for 20s and most good players will make sure it never lines with mechanics as much as possible.

Movement penalty has not been neutralized.

[Psycofang]

Movement rarely ever punished enochian beyond losing a GCD to 4 which will happen regardless especially if the times ratio of mechanics within a 60s gap are frequent which they will be.

Enoch being pernanent is a boon but this was never about blm its about your utility, mobility and thr fact you want -NEAR BLM LEVEL DAMAGE - and gdlk aoe without paying for it.

Mobile needs an edit button.

[Silverquick]

But blm doesnt have its own foes, no devotion nor a battle raise. The ability to weave these items are by and far smoother on smn as well.

Devotion being single target has nothing to do with the interface and full on to do with it giving a dps increasing buff to whatever your teams favorite is. Blm cant do that and gets super clunky even when giving mana judging by the revised rotation..

Yeah try using Devotion first... and fight the interface while giving pets commands... then tell me that...

And.... No one ever invited me or com'd me for my Utility as a Summoner... nor are they likely to for a measley 10%

Nor are they going to take me over a Bard who has much better ability to do all of that. And much more utility than that in every way shape and form....

They Com'd me for my AoEs destroying Mobs all the time.

Yet when I've raised half an alliance multiple times, no one even noticed or gave a damn.