The moment you realize SMN's PVP rotation is entirely based on Phoenix and Bahamut...

[Gallus]

Why can't we have that in PVE SE...

[loreleidiangelo]

Tbh it would be kind of neat if they removed the last of the ACN junk (DoTs and Fester in 2k19, puke) and made the class revolve around simply cycling through trances instead, with actual real decent-looking summons instead of Egis. Add a rotational skill component to trance cycling so the job isn't completely faceroll and you'd have a solid framework for a caster that "feels" like a summoner from traditional FF games but with a kit that works for an MMO.

Man, we can dream, eh?

[Taranok]

What I want to see is the trance system made the default, but you start with Carbuncles as Arcanists, so your trance is summoning cute glowing skunk-things.

Then when you get summoner, you summon Demi-Ifrit, Demi-Titan, and Demi-Garuda, the demis being added on as you level up. Possibly in random order. These wouldn't be the egi-models, but more like their actual model, but demi-fied, just kept a bit small, roughly Demi-Phoenix in size at best.

When you get Enkindle, it lets you summon a demi-primal randomly. The demi-primal it summons is chosen based off of the models used but outmoded. So if the devs want a 2-trance system, then you start with ifrit and titan as trances, which then get replaced with titan and garuda, with ifrit being the enkindle. Eventually titan is replaced by bahamut, and garuda by phoenix. So when you enkindle, it brings up one of these primals at random to act as a DoT. An upgraded version could summon several "weaker" primals to attack.

Make it so demi-bahamut is given at level 60 with DWT (alter when DWT is given, possibly drop ruin 4 down to 58), remove deathflare, merge DB with DWT and make it summon every DWT.

Egi-Assault is removed because there won't be egis anymore, but keep the poison mage stuff and spin the story as aetherflow being how you connect to primal spirit shenanigans. Tie Ruin 4 procs into Aetherflow either on acquisition of charges or spending them, and boom, class done.

Oh, right, devotion. Devotion summons your carbuncle out because it's too cute and precious so it gives the party a morale (damage) boosting aura for gracing the battlefield with its presence while it's up. Damage optional from the pet itself, usable at any time.

The point is to focus the class away from the terrible pet system which, admittedly, was improved quite considerably in ShB, and instead focus the class around resting between periods of burst, and keep the DoT rotation and aetherflow stuff because that adds things to do between trances.

It won't be a pet class like a WoW hunter, but instead would be a FF summoner who summons only when necessary and "chooses the right summon for the job." Which is just flavor text to say they pull multiple summons instead of those silly pets. Just my thoughts.