I myself am currently pretty split between (Elf) Shaman & Summoner as my first main. So I'm curious to know what you guys are excited about with the Summoner class as it stands, and what made you plan on rolling a Summoner when this game finally launches (or rather, when Alpha comes if you've made a Pledge).
If I do go Summoner, my main reasons will be basically be:
1. I've always kind of liked "elemental" classes, and I enjoyed the Conjurer from EQ2 - but it seems like Pantheon's Summoner class will be so much more involved & fun to play with things like special weapons & armor for your pets, augmentations, and so forth.
2. In a similar sense, it also seems like it could very well become the "Hunter" of Pantheon - easy enough to play, but very challenging to master. I wouldn't be surprised to see things like knowing which Arcamental to use in a wide variety of situations, which abilities to equip, and balancing Meditating for mana with managing your pet all being key elements of learning how to play a Summoner well. I can see this as one of those classes that has a huge gap between the good and bad players - and I for one welcome the challenge!
3. They will probably be fairly sought after in groups because although they can conjure all sorts of supplies from food/water to ladders, you can't count on one being in your group at all times (unless you roll one yourself of course).
4. I predict they will have better soloability than most classes. I'm not saying I plan to solo my way to max level - if I wanted to do that, I'd be playing Classic WoW - but a big part of me would kind of like to be able to do some "limited" exploring, gathering & crafting, etc. all by myself at off-peak times or on those days when I just can't seem to get a group together.
If the pets are anything like EQ2 summons I would be less likely to play. I hated seeing everyone running around with the same pet, because that was all they had available. In EQ1 you had the option of 4 pets each tier.
Where the Summoner will shine is what they can summon outside of pets. Basically your 3rd point.
A utility class that works well, able to solo, able to group, have effective pets long term, enjoyable class everyone tends to enjoy.
Hack and slash classes are ok but the mage to me feels normal.
I really enjoyed EQ mage with my 20 yrs in EQ. A mage was a rounded character that made it interesting to split areas solo, and tag mobs for the rest of the group.
Can wipe, can succeed with a mage for sure.
Making it like WOW? naw boring.
The class interests me because it looks like they can do almost anything only in a weaker form. The group only has say a monk to tank? Maybe use the earth elemental. Healer struggling on mana? Go for a water elemental. Need ranged spells attacks for dps? Fire elemental. Maybe this fight favors melee more. Air elemental. I know this has not worked out this way in other games but maybe pantheon will do it right.
Crazzie said:A utility class that works well, able to solo, able to group, have effective pets long term, enjoyable class everyone tends to enjoy.
Hack and slash classes are ok but the mage to me feels normal.
Pretty much this... I miss my mage and I had a lot of fun while playing one....there is so many things you can try if you have a mage in the party... I like the strategy of playing a mage... sure miost people probably just thing all you do is send your pet in whats so hard about that... but the way VR is doing it I think there will be small nuances that really seperate mages to make them not so good to wow, how did he pull that off.
I'd rather command things than cast the same spell over and over again. I played a lot of Command & Conquer back then.
Other classes feel powerless when naked as well. Summoners can summon everything anyone needs when the naked begin to rise from their graves. This is a big deal...so many a hatred is vomited during those naked hours.
They can summon avalanches. Jobober and Loner are the product of the most powerful spells in the game.
People can verify by their eyes alone just how powerful a Summoner is, since they won't burn your's in order to show it off unless you accidently ran into the Fury when turning a corner.
They can summon small tables.
They have a spell that simplifies suicide and proves to others how much of a douche Enchanters can be.
I assume their portals can port whole groups to random places like Hell or the bottom of a wet pit full of disembodied screaming and bathroom appliances. I can only imagine when people confuse you for a Wizard and assume you know where they'll be ported, but they find out you can only port to places such as Randomized Hellscape Land with Small Oasis #535, because that's where summoned level 45 ladders come from.
The Wizard's Flaming Balls of Electric Power are nice, but sometimes you just need a Summoned Large Spoon to defeat the Great Evil, since it's very weak to...pie?
Summoners are just practical...and weird. We know nothing about them for a reason...they're likely the most complex class in the game. There's also a reason why Earth is not a popular element in games...it needs 3D animated models rather than special effects! I got tired of throwing fire and long for telekinetic weapons and an actual Rain of Swords.
Pets! Pets pets pets!!
Okay, I know Shaman will also get pets, and Druids... sort of. But I've always loved the Mage in EQ. I'm slightly less about the whole elementalist thing, but I'm okay with it. I'm really looking forward to those few and far inbetween moments where the group just happens to need a ladder, and who's there to rescue? SUMMONER! I want to equip my pets, have two pets at once, send them in to attack, draw them back, use their abilities in ideal situations, know every in and out, counter spells, provide portals... hnnnngggg Summoner is just my JAM. I'm full steam ahead, 100% Summoner main. I can't wait until we can see one on a stream or I get to experience one first-hand in game.
I'm so stoked for Summoner.
Proto said:
If I remember correctly. I think VR said pets will do 80% of the summoners dmg. Summoners will not have as many direct dmg spells as a wizard, but as long has you have your pet(s) up you'll be able to do good dps also.
So they are not going to be water down in the dps department. Just heavily dependant on pets for dps. I like that personally. Because that is the best way to balance out the class with all the utilities they get IMHO.
I'm still undecided what class I'll be but my main in early EQ was a mage. I enjoyed the solo ability and some of the utility but to be honest, during raids I felt like a second class citizen compared to the wizard. Out of combat we were useful for CotH and mod rods but that doesn't have quite the same feeling of usefullness as doing better damage to the raid mob itself imho.
I'm interested in seeing how Pantheon's summoner ends up. Some of the abilities sound really cool. I'm hoping the reveal sways me because I have a special place in my heart for the EQ mage.
Either way, I plan on participating in the progeny system so there is always the options to switch classes later.
Edit: I also like that the summoner is one of the few classes that doesnt have a class resource they have to manage. I've found classes that are required to "ramp up" their abilities are not as fun to play. I spend more time looking at the "bar" that has to be ramped up than the actual fight. The only 3 classes that won't have that are enchanter/druid and summoner.
philo said:Either way, I plan on participating in the progeny system so there is always the options to switch classes later.
Edit: I also like that the summoner is one of the few classes that doesnt have a class resource they have to manage. I've found classes that are required to "ramp up" their abilities are not as fun to play. I spend more time looking at the "bar" that has to be ramped up than the actual fight. The only 3 classes that won't have that are enchanter/druid and summoner.
Do you have some info about progeny that I don't have? Lol, I don't know if that's actually going to be part of it.
But I totally agree about the fact that Summoner doesn't have some additional resource that they have to balance. Just good ol' mana. I love it.
erekai said:philo said:Either way, I plan on participating in the progeny system so there is always the options to switch classes later.
Edit: I also like that the summoner is one of the few classes that doesnt have a class resource they have to manage. I've found classes that are required to "ramp up" their abilities are not as fun to play. I spend more time looking at the "bar" that has to be ramped up than the actual fight. The only 3 classes that won't have that are enchanter/druid and summoner.
Do you have some info about progeny that I don't have? Lol, I don't know if that's actually going to be part of it.
But I totally agree about the fact that Summoner doesn't have some additional resource that they have to balance. Just good ol' mana. I love it.
I know this is an old quote but I didn't see it until just now.
The info we know about progeny is limited.
We know that progeny is still planned and hasn't gotten scrapped like some of the other systems. CP has mentioned it fairly recently.
We know that there will be a limit to the amount of bonuses you can earn through the progeny system. It won't just be an endless loop.
CP mentioned that he liked the idea of being able to unlock alternate race/class options through the use of progeny (don't read that as if that will necessarily happen but it has been mentioned as a possibility.)
That's all I can think of off the top of my head as far as dev statements on progeny. Maybe I'm forgetting something?
OP here again. After another year of debating, I think I am leaning Summoner over Shaman. The reasons I listed in my OP still apply, but another deciding factor was this: Oh look, in EQ1 the only races that could be Shamans were some of the races my Elf character would be most ideologically opposed to if this were Norrath. Yeah, Shaman is totally the right choice.
Obviously there's just as many differences between EQ's lore & Pantheon's lore, and I suspect that when Alpha/Beta comes I will also test drive a Shaman, as well as a Monk & Druid, to see how I like them & if maybe any of them could be potential alts of a different race.
But I do think my first main is going to be an Elf Summoner bar, you know, some unforseen issue I have with either the Summoner-specific Perception quests or the Arcamental lore or whatever it might be, or some major changes to the class between now & release that make me not nearly as excited to play it. We'll see, but as of right now it's probably the class that I'm most excited about in terms of abilities & mechanics, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we finally see some footage of it once PA5 hits.
So. Summoner classes were my first MMO Classes.
Followed by Warrior then Shaman.
One of the things I like hearing in one of there recent videos I saw is that you will be able to gear your pet. In EQ we could hand our pets summonable items.
Now knowing more about the system Im eagerly awaiting the release of the summoner so they can answer some questions about how determintial will this information play into the game. They did announce that even melee classes will need to look at having different types of damages - slashing, piericing, blunt etc. Does that mean we need to ensure our pets have these various weapons. Will we be able to summon them (like in eq). Will zone enviromentals empower our pets or weaken our pets?
So many questions i have the more videos I see.
But most importantly.. Im sitting here waiting for the video release for the summoner.
Sekkong (EQ1Summoner / EQ2 Magician)
Baej (EQ2 Shaman)
Demitius (EQ1 Warrior / EQ2 Warrior)
I tend to main healer, but I think Summoner will by my off-class/alt. I tend not to have alts, so it'll probably be the only one.
My reasoning is a combination of:
1) I like Pantheon Gnomes, and they can't be healers.
2) Not a lot of people are polling as wanting to play SMN, and there's something cool about being the unicorn.
3) Like Monk, I think SMN is going to end up being a "sleeper class" (something that ahs a lot of value/utility, but few people play, so they're in demand.)
4) I think it's going to be solo-friendly with their "party in a box" (tank, heals, and dps on one character), whcih is good for an alt for me since I'll be playing it mainly when my guild/friends aren't on and don't need a healer.
5) We don't know a lot YET, but I could see their utility in being able to summon food and drink, ladders, barricades, and who knows, maybe even party members. This overall utility is probably going to be pretty high, and with few Summoners, pretty in demand when you're able to do it.
I still want to see more video on it, but I could see it being a fun class with a lot of utility and more solo-friendly than many, which makes it perfect all around as an alt for me.