What do the devs want from SMN?

[TripPsyc]

I am curious what SE/Devs want from the smn job? While being a range caster are we to fill the slots with bard/mch while having lower dps but offering utility? Are we suppose to be aoe specialization casters? Dot Mages? I just find atm its almost like I am suffering an identity crisis playing the job. Are the job/game developers even aware of its current state?

[HolyGlassofWater]

I think their main focus was to transition Summoner from a sustained DPS playstyle to a more burst heavy class. However, a lot of it was kinda half-assed because you can't just delete the pets or the Dots (well, not all of them at least lol). It's also a bit undertuned atm, but once they fix the numbers that'll be the general idea. I always jump to the top of the dps list once I get bahamut out, but then fall back whenever he goes away.

Also, Garuda applies a magical resistance debuff on the enemy, and ifrit a physical resistance debuff. There's also devotion, which I also think is clunky and undertuned atm, but they still clearly want this to be a pet class, which sorta runs contrary to the newer burst style they are trying to go for. Maybe they're trying out some sort of hybrid and seeing where that goes. I don't like the playstyle, but I don't hate it either. I still play it though because I love bahamut.

[Ametrine]

I feel like the general idea is that it's meant to be a tricky class that builds up to huge numbers if the player is on their game, IE, keep Bahamut-egi out as much as possible. That's a fun style on paper, but right now SMN's numbers don't really reflect how otherwise punishing the job is.

I think the current difficulty curve verses other DPS is hurting the job, as well, and being linked to SCH has borked some early skills. Also, the inability to really heal the pet is a joke. Fix that SE.

[Starkbeaumont]

I think with SB SE kinda tried to give the players what they were asking for:

"players: give us bigger egis" > "devs: here take Bahamut himself" > "players: I can't see mechanics, make it smaller" > "Devs: ..."
"players: smn is not a dot class" > "devs: here you are down to 2 dots which are super easy to keep up" > "players: where are my dots?" > "devs: ..."
"players: let's have the egi buff the party" > "devs: devotion, contagion, radiant shield" > "players: not like this" > "devs: ..."

I guess at this point they don't really know anymore what to do with SMN. I'm not surprised the job doesn't work well

[Valinis]

There's been a million of these threads, use the search function and stop making more.

[Ash_]

*snip*

You summed it up. Community feedback resulted in a confusion of differing ideas on what to do with the class. Particularly on the stark difference before and after SB on egi sizes.

There are really only 2 things I want from the Devs for SMN:
1) Bring sustain back. This feedback is at least clear cut and overwhelming.
2) Figure out the jobs identity, create and share a plan with the community on how it will be achieved, and stick bloody to it.

[Sylvina]

Bahamut is the one redeeming quality of SMN. Never make it smaller. Just add an option for other people to make it not show for them.

[Singularity]

I think with SB SE kinda tried to give the players what they were asking for:

"players: give us bigger egis" > "devs: here take Bahamut himself" > "players: I can't see mechanics, make it smaller" > "Devs: ..."
"players: smn is not a dot class" > "devs: here you are down to 2 dots which are super easy to keep up" > "players: where are my dots?" > "devs: ..."
"players: let's have the egi buff the party" > "devs: devotion, contagion, radiant shield" > "players: not like this" > "devs: ..."

I guess at this point they don't really know anymore what to do with SMN. I'm not surprised the job doesn't work well

Alternate version, the way I see it:

"players: give us bigger egis" > "devs: here take Bahamut himself" > "players: Great, but why is he glued to my shoulder when he has a 100y range?" > "devs: ..."
"players: smn is not a dot class" > "devs: here you are down to 2 dots which are super easy to keep up" > "players: Great, what do I do with all this spare time between trances now?" > "devs: ..."
"players: let's have the egi buff the party" > "devs: devotion, contagion, radiant shield" > "players: That's a good idea, but it doesn't work unless the pet actually does what I tell it to do when I tell it to do it, this cannot work without a fix for pet responsiveness, oh and the targeting system on Devotion is asinine" > "devs: ..."

[Silkerin]

I think with SB SE kinda tried to give the players what they were asking for:

"players: give us bigger egis" > "devs: here take Bahamut himself" > "players: I can't see mechanics, make it smaller" > "Devs: ..."
"players: smn is not a dot class" > "devs: here you are down to 2 dots which are super easy to keep up" > "players: where are my dots?" > "devs: ..."
"players: let's have the egi buff the party" > "devs: devotion, contagion, radiant shield" > "players: not like this" > "devs: ..."

I guess at this point they don't really know anymore what to do with SMN. I'm not surprised the job doesn't work well

It's like when you go to, say... a pizza place and say you want a pizza, they bring the pizza dough half baked and with only tomato sauce on top, technically it is a pizza.
But then you complain that it wasn't as it was advertised, so they take your pizza and put very few bits of the topping you said you wanted on top.
Then you complain that your pizza, that you are paying the full price, the same price as everyone else in the same establishment payed, does not really meet up to the price asked, meanwhile the pizza the other tables ordered are much better.
So they take your pizza, and put a giant as piece of the topping you wanted on top of it, but the dough is still half cooked and they removed all other toppings they had added before.

Anyway, if there is something I learned working in a marketing agency is, the customer always knows what they want, but they dont know how they want it.

They should indeed give better and cooler egis to smns, but they should also foresee the visibility issues, BUT, to be fair... after a while I never had any issues with mechanics because of it, nor the other people in the party, actually, they had a much bigger issue with drg's tether than bahamut.... *on v3s*
While moving away smns from being a dot class for the majority of its damage, they didnt actually move any of that damage they should be doing to anywhere, so, while they have less dots, the damage is also less because that damage from the dots is nowhere to be found.
The buffs added/changed while somewhat a step in the right direction, it was the step a drunk old man after hours of nothing but drinking trying to walk in a straight line, but a step nonetheless. contagion being stuck in an unresponsive pet with its duration being so limited and precise, radiant shield that still doesnt make it worth picking ifrit in most situations *nor its damage*. and devotion that picks someone by proximity for some reason while the schs can target their pets tether.

in short, while they should listen to the players, they should also think of ways of actually doing it the right way. And if they are having a hard time,a testing server would help on it... or at the very least, just making a thread on the forums, and asking for input. If someone is there just to troll, just ban the person.

[Celef]

What do the devs want from SMN?

That they quit
On a more serious note, doesn't he bring a debuff that lower magic resistant of 10% with Garuda ? No bad when you have casters in your group