omg someone else that's also not impressed with the direction SMN is heading :O

I felt the same. I never minded the pet delay, in fact it makes sense that your pet, a separate entity would have its own pacing. I can see why that would be a problem with ghosting, but that would be something a SMN should manage.. or better yet, improve the pet AI. Id rather that then to have it reduced to casting primal-themed spells... the rework now.. It makes no difference what so ever if Ifrit/Titan/Garuda shows up for their glorious 2 whole seconds or not, before you proceed to cast spells or primal-themed spells yourself.. Its got nothing to do with summoning... more like channeling a primal mode rather than summoning.. At its core.. it boils down to SMNs getting 3 smaller modes/phases (with some minor differences) for them to cast spells... just fancy flavorful spells, that wouldnt matter if its associated with a primal or not..

I just don't think losing all that makes SMN unique (pets and DoTs) is worth it, since I doubt it would hold up against, say, a BLM in DPS even after being shoved into a more traditional caster mold. To think that they also contemplated removing combat raise for SMNs too... Gives me shivers just thinking about it..

Still, as im new to FFXIV.. Have to try it to see..

Then there's SCH's combat peloton. . . sigh