Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

[Michiko]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I wouldn't mind seeing more items, similar to how the carby mitts work for other avatars. Quest related of course. It would be nice., Would at least fix our perpetuation costs even with HQ staves they cost alot to keep out ; ;. Only problem I could see with that would be people griping about lack of room to carry everything possibly?

Doubt they'd put them in but that would be the one thing that I know would make me quite happy =)

[Gobo]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I wouldn't mind seeing more items, similar to how the carby mitts work for other avatars. Quest related of course. It would be nice., Would at least fix our perpetuation costs even with HQ staves they cost alot to keep out ; ;. Only problem I could see with that would be people griping about lack of room to carry everything possibly?

Doubt they'd put them in but that would be the one thing that I know would make me quite happy =)

I already gripe about not having enough room lol and thats just with RDM and SMN to 75, with WHM slowly getting there.

I'm all for having Smn skill being tied to damage from melee and power for defensive BPs. One thing I noticed no one mentioning was the delay with Avatar attacks. Its like a sword hitting with a Great Axe's delay. Droppnig the delay in their attacks would be most welcome in my book. Also the damage types from normal melee attacks. All of them are blunt (even Garuda, Leviathan and Fenrir). The only way we can vary it is if we use BPs and even then we dont get any Piercing.

The Unique attacks that the Avatar primes get, I can see those being earned through merits. They did say they were introducing a way for players to earn new spells and JAs through merits no?

[Sabaron]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I think the coolest way to improve SMN is to give a Job Ability to increase perpetuation cost to boost the Avatar's combat abilities, or in the case of Spirits, to increase the rate at which they cast spells.

[framerate]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I'm surprised noone has really commented on my "Odin" idea.. i.e. making ONE avatar more "melee" appropriate? I take it no one is for that idea?

Granted, other things need fixing as well... but making Odin mainly "melee" could make a lot of SMN's happy (maybe?)

[Tirrock]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I just think it'd be a lazy "fix" to the problem at hand.

[Gwynn]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

Well, I'm certainly not against having Odin as an avatar, or having him more melee oriented than the others, but it would be nice if all of our summons would be able to do good melee damage, you know?

[Anaki]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

what about having some summons done in the older ff style. where you dont summon the avatar to fight beside you but instead when summoned they come in and do a special attack then leave. it would basically be a nuke and be for the strongest avatars (odin possibly others) although im guessing this idea is the exact opposite of how they want summoners to work (keep avatars out instead of only using em once per minute for blood pact).

or what if blood pact abilities were heavily dependent on the avatars tp? like a 100 tp spnning dive does way more then a 0 tp spinning dive thus the reason of holding the avatar out so it can gain tp hitting the mob?

[Khidir]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I think lowering perp and uping melee att would easily solve the 1 min bp timer, since we put our avatars away due to large mp drain, if the perp was fixed then no one would really care since your pounding away at the mob for a long time getting tp for the next bp.

Right now we are like a thf who can only SATA and not melee if that makes sense

[Kazuki]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I somehow doubt they'd do this but I always thought this would be a good idea:

Keep avatars on the same BP timer as it is. But, make different abilities reset the timer at different values. For instance you could do Shining Ruby then 15 seconds later do Spinning Dive, then a minute later do another BP. This keeps is balanced and allows us to do more.

[Telera]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I somehow doubt they'd do this but I always thought this would be a good idea:

Keep avatars on the same BP timer as it is. But, make different abilities reset the timer at different values. For instance you could do Shining Ruby then 15 seconds later do Spinning Dive, then a minute later do another BP. This keeps is balanced and allows us to do more.

Now this sounds interesting. And might go along way towards helping us if it were implemented. That way we could do party buffs and still be able to put out some damage within the same minute of time.

[nod]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

The best thing I've read yet is the idea of perpetuation-cost going down with avatar TP-gain.

Another "incentive" to leave avatars out would be to give them "auras". Garuda could have a "regen" aura, etc. There could be refresh auras, acc +, damage +, auras, etc. One for each avatar.

Edit: And please, do something to make spirits more usable! It's like we're not even using 1/2 our arsenal because the mp cost is soooo high.

[Darkhound]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I think that 99% of hte summoners dont use the spirits at all. I havent even summon them in months!!!!

SE said that they dont like the trend to summon, do blooc pact and release, and that they will most likely change that!, I hope it is true!

[Corthaemus]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I use my light spirit when soloing. I wait for it to cast protect. That's about it.

The best idea I've heard so far is the En-spell effect for all the elemental avatars. Except I think it should be 100% like the rdm en-spell. That would make the elemental avatars more effective in battle. Their dmg would be higher, and there would be some strategy involved to use the correct avatar for the elemental weakness for target mob.

[Darkhound]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

The perpetuation cost reduction is the best idea, and why not, a reduction in the blood pact timer. Make it so that the avatar is out the entire fight, and increase their regular melee damage would be nice too!

[Tirrock]

Re: Theory on SE's Upcoming SMN Improvements

I think that 99% of hte summoners dont use the spirits at all. I havent even summon them in months!!!!

I used my elemental spirits last weekend.

First...we were waiting for some people to get in promyvion-mea for an ENM, so I summoned water spirit and he was our ball to play with. The later that day, the COR in our group hit 40 through an ENM, so I summoned some spirits just to drain MP so he'd have a reason to use evoker roll.

See? They have a use other than a decoy!