First of all, I wanna say that I think they shouldn't showcase Summoner until augments are in play. That being said, I would love:
1. Visual variety that thematically seems logical for pets. I don't expect to have same pets as starter summoner vs someone with augments.
2. Variety in mechanics and number of summons available depending on how you build your class. Do you want one powerful pet or a swarm of them and anything in between.
3. Full control over pet abilities with autocast toggle for certain abilities.
4. An option to slot pets ability on your tab.
5.Players with Summoner as primary archetype should have permanent pets, while the ones with secondary should have timed ones.
6. Shaman (Cleric/Summoner) should have variety of stationary totems based on elements.
7. Each school of summoner magic should have its own thematically picked color. As an example, I expect Necromancer spells and pets to be dark green, while Shadowmancer, for example, should be Black/Dark purple.
Note that Summoner primary characters would get all of that flexibility of multiple summons. But asecondary archetype summoner is probably gonna give 1 'pet' type minion with limited control options, generally just atuto attack your current target or the last thing you hit with a specific ability.
Timed pets should be their thing with variety of durations based on their class picks. Imagine Bladecaller with a small chance of spawning 5-10 seconds spirit weapons with each hit. Or something along the lines of Spiritual Weapon from DnD....
Off topic: God, I hate class names based on 1 weapon. What if you are Bladecaller that wields hammer. A bit silly isn't it?
Historically this is what games have the most trouble with making pet classes feel good. Both to play against and to play as.
Ensuring the summons feel meaningful is also done through balancing damage/power between the pet and the master. The difference between a 25/75 or 50/50 split vs 75/25 or more in the masters favor makes the pets feel more just like an additional ability instead of apart of the class.
I'd like them to give the summoner a LOT of control to micro their pet as a form of skill expression.
Off topic: God, I hate class names based on 1 weapon. What if you are Bladecaller that wields hammer. A bit silly isn't it?
I posted about class names recently and tried to think of some improved names, I was not able to come up with anything which sounded better for a summoner who summons magical weapons. If you can come up with something plz post it in the Class names thread.
Hi, here are some of the features I would like to see for the Summoner archetype.
First, let's talk about some of the summoning methods.
Fire and forget summon: this is just an attack ability disguised as a summon. Please don't do this!
Turret: this is a placed object that periodically uses an ability at a target in range until destroyed or it's duration expires.
Timed AI controlled hostile summon: this is a mob that attacks all entities in range until destroyed or unsummoned when it's duration expires.
Timed AI controlled friendly summon: this is a mob that follows the summoner and attacks its enemies until destroyed or unsummoned when it's duration expires.
AI controlled friendly persistent summon: same as above, but it does not expire.
Portal: a type of turret that spawns a timed AI controlled hostile summon periodically until destroyed or it's duration expires.
Channeled summon: while channeling a creature manifests controlled by the summoner. Drains mana while channeling. The summoner is rooted and the player is controlling the manifestation.
Call Player: warp willing player to the summoners location (requires 2 other players participating in the ritual)
Here are some suggestions on how to utilize the above summoning methods.
The summoner should start with the ability to call Timed AI controlled hostile summons.
The number of Timed AI controlled hostile summons called at once should be limited by cooldown only. Talents can augment this by adding charges to the ability (+1/2/3).
Hostile summons can be enslaved and brought under the summoners control. This should be explained and demonstrated in the tutorial.
Summons (friendly or hostile) called by the summoner always share combat experience.
Summoners can forge a pact with friendly summons using a contract item. This places the summon to the contracted summon list. The summoner can have multiple contracted summons on the list (limited by its level and talents only). The summoner should gain its first summon by the end of the tutorial using this method.
Summoning a contracted summon is persistent until the summon is dismissed or killed.
If a contracted summon is killed, they cannot be called again until they recover - the summon goes to cooldown. Note: a different contracted summon can be called instead while our killed guy is on cooldown.
Using talents we can have multiple contracted summons.
Contracted summons can be modified with skins and cosmetics.
AI controlled summons should have AI stances
Aggressive: follows player and seeks out and attacks enemies
Guard: follows and guards summoner and only engages enemies that are in combat with the summoner or its allies
Passive: follows summoner without engaging enemies
Custom: scripted behavior, written by players using a script engine
There should also be a command and control interface that lets you track and issue order to your summons.
The interface should show the summons health/energy/current AI behavior/buffs/debuffs.
Able to track multiple friendly summons (friendly summon: summons that are enslaved or contracted).
There should be an option to set/change AI stance.
Commands (follow target, attack target, stand ground, cancel... etc).
Summon specific abilities: activate summon ability. Each summon has their own unique abilities based on their creature type, role, talent selection and level.
Activate combo. Combos are special abilities that are executed in tandem with the summoner. Each creature has one combo move based on its role and level. The summon has a combo meter that needs to be filled to enable the combo ability.
Activate ultimate. Some summons are powerful enough to have their own ultimate abilities which can be activated from here. Has a long cooldown.
Summon roles with example abilities.
Tank: single target taunt ability (AI will try and control multiple targets if able); defensive cooldowns (reduce incoming damage by 20% for a short time); combo ability: AoE taunt; ultimate: damage shield on allies
Dps: attacks stacks sunders (reducing targets armor by 5% stacks up to 4x); offensive cooldowns (damage or attack speed buff); combo ability: single target execute; ultimate: cleaving AoE attack that also applies bleed
CC: single target sleep/nightmare (slept target takes damage instead); dispel magic; combo ability: AoE stun; ultimate ability: AoE invisibility (useful for bypassing enemies that doesn't have detection abilities)
Support: single target heal; life-link (equalize life); combo ability: AoE heal; ultimate ability: life ward (warded creature gains 1/2 life instead of dying and ward is removed)
To sum it up, I think a summoner needs to focus on summon mechanics, pacts and interacting with summons. It should deal most of its damage using the summons and should have some summon focused CC abilities (disabling, unsummoning, controlling enemy summons). It should also have some counters against this (warding the summons against control or unsummon).
They should be able to do most of the other classes roles but only through their summons, so if they want to be good at it they need an amazing summon fully upgraded and the talents set up so they can handle the role.
Because they are so versatile they should be a great solo focused class if built in that in mind.
They are also the guy who plays a third person RTS in an MMO.
Comments
that's too op
Agreed.
✓ Occasional Roleplayer
✓ Kinda starting to look for a Guild right now. (German)
1. Visual variety that thematically seems logical for pets. I don't expect to have same pets as starter summoner vs someone with augments.
2. Variety in mechanics and number of summons available depending on how you build your class. Do you want one powerful pet or a swarm of them and anything in between.
3. Full control over pet abilities with autocast toggle for certain abilities.
4. An option to slot pets ability on your tab.
5.Players with Summoner as primary archetype should have permanent pets, while the ones with secondary should have timed ones.
6. Shaman (Cleric/Summoner) should have variety of stationary totems based on elements.
7. Each school of summoner magic should have its own thematically picked color. As an example, I expect Necromancer spells and pets to be dark green, while Shadowmancer, for example, should be Black/Dark purple.
Timed pets should be their thing with variety of durations based on their class picks. Imagine Bladecaller with a small chance of spawning 5-10 seconds spirit weapons with each hit. Or something along the lines of Spiritual Weapon from DnD....
Off topic: God, I hate class names based on 1 weapon. What if you are Bladecaller that wields hammer. A bit silly isn't it?
Historically this is what games have the most trouble with making pet classes feel good. Both to play against and to play as.
Ensuring the summons feel meaningful is also done through balancing damage/power between the pet and the master. The difference between a 25/75 or 50/50 split vs 75/25 or more in the masters favor makes the pets feel more just like an additional ability instead of apart of the class.
I'd like them to give the summoner a LOT of control to micro their pet as a form of skill expression.
I posted about class names recently and tried to think of some improved names, I was not able to come up with anything which sounded better for a summoner who summons magical weapons. If you can come up with something plz post it in the Class names thread.
First, let's talk about some of the summoning methods.
Here are some suggestions on how to utilize the above summoning methods.
AI controlled summons should have AI stances
There should also be a command and control interface that lets you track and issue order to your summons.
Summon roles with example abilities.
To sum it up, I think a summoner needs to focus on summon mechanics, pacts and interacting with summons. It should deal most of its damage using the summons and should have some summon focused CC abilities (disabling, unsummoning, controlling enemy summons). It should also have some counters against this (warding the summons against control or unsummon).
They should be able to do most of the other classes roles but only through their summons, so if they want to be good at it they need an amazing summon fully upgraded and the talents set up so they can handle the role.
Because they are so versatile they should be a great solo focused class if built in that in mind.
They are also the guy who plays a third person RTS in an MMO.