So what's wrong with Summoner?

[ItMe]

I'm lvl59 and it seems the same way too. I think the issue is that the leveling process for SMN is really crappy since the job is so focused on a huge several-minute-long rotation that requires a plethora of trances and summons and whatnot, so the rotations have to be changed now and then as you learn new summons. I'm no expert tho so I might very likely be completely wrong.

No, you're pretty spot on.
You're missing huge aspects of SMNs rotation until the last few levels, and it doesn't prepare you for how it ultimately WILL play at 80, and that makes it feel even clunkier than it already is.

[Baklavah]

To be perfectly honest, SMN feels more like a grind to play than it should, what with its immense rotation and lack of actual "summoner" gameplay. At least in my opinion.

To fix this, I have devised a rather simple solution.

Step 1) Add more summons to the mix for every Primal defeated.

Step 2) Remove shared CD from the skills for each summon and instead put them on "summon specific" CDs.

Step 3) Allow for a cycling mechanic. As an example, I summon Ifrit-egi, use his specials, one after the other. After his abilities are used, he unsummons automatically (and becomes unable to be resummoned until such time as Bahamut or Phoenix are used), allowing you to summon the next Primal-egi. Once that happens, use the abilities as per the previous example. Rinse and repeat. Upon summoning Phoenix or Bahamut, reset the summons to the "useable" state and begin anew. (in order to facilitate this, pet taunts and and increased threat generation will need to be removed and replaced with something else to make Titan useable without destroying party threat by "taunting" enemies).

Step 4) Make it so that using all of a summon's abilities contribute to the SMN meter to summon Bahamut (1st cycle). After using Bahamut, you will have a timer. If the timer runs out before you refill the meter, it will reset back down to Bahamut. Otherwise, summon Phoenix once the meter is refilled by using the skill (2nd cycle). Timer will depend on how long it takes to cycle each summon. If you're very slow and prefer to use your spells over your egi's abilities, you will most likely never summon Phoenix.

Using the above method would not only make you actually feel like a Summoner, but it would be far more entertaining to both use and watch unfold. As it stands right now, SMN is basically a BLM without a focus on the elements. It's boring and feels uninspired.

What do you guys think? I've had this idea for a while.

[Soge01]

Snip

I like the idea but could eah big primal like Bahamut and Phoenix be attached to a different egi? Like Ifrit transitions into Bahamut, Garuda into Phoenix and Titan into Odin(?). Thought this way it'd be more interesting and make the player think about switching their egi depending on what summon they want to come out