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Discussing and designing the Summoner.

Hello everyone, so I'd like to brainstorm with everyone on how summoner will work as the main class, sub class, and as double specced.

So I've been thinking and over the years there have been a limited amount of summoner types: the follower creator (animator and conjurer), the reanimator and dominator, the temporary evoker, and the channeler.

There is the simple conjurer type which summons a physical follower/companion. These usually come in two flavors, temporary or permanent. You'll see the permanent ones in games like Final Fantasy 14 (ffxiv) and World of Warcraft (WoW). They are summoned to add flavor to your combat toolset and either won't despawn or last an hour or so. Then there are the temporary ones in games like The Elder Scrolls (TES) series. They are usually on a short duration, sometimes modified by your prowess with the class. You can usually summon more powerful creatures for longer durations the higher you skill. The animator can bring life to the inanimate such as golems.

Secondly, there are the reanimators and dominators. They are typically the necromancer type or the puppeteers. Unlike the conjurers, they require something to control. This is usually a corpse, a weak-minded enemy, or a tamable animal. These types are usually competent solo but become more powerful with a partner. You'll see reanimators like in TES with the raise skills; dominators will enthrall the weak-minded, forcing them to fight for you; and finally, the tamer type. Tamers will soothe an animal so that it will fight for its master until it dies or is dismissed (seen in wow with the hunter).

Thirdly, the evoker. This type of summoner calls upon the mystic to fight briefly for them. An example would be the summoner in final fantasy tactics. They call upon fabled gods to deliver staggering attacks. Whether it is calling upon the god of the suns to roast nearby enemies, the god of war to slam down a mighty weapon, or the god of life to renew and revive. These summoners do not require anything physical and don't even have to create something to deliver their attack. Their summon is the attack. The summon appears, attacks, and vanishes.

Forth and Final, the channeler. These summoners are very similar to the evoker. The only difference is the channeler becomes the conduit of power. These could be like the blue mage in final fantasy. Instead of calling on others to deliver your punishment, you do. You don't need that beast with the sharp talons or venomous fangs. You swipe and bite and deliver the attacks. You breathe the wyvern fire that burns the enemies. Some channelers need to learn from the beasts they fight, others study from books and masters.

Alright, now that we have explored many types of summoners we need to figure out how best to implement them into this game. But with a game with both the ability to focus on one class or to combine it with another, how do we do this? I propose a combination of the aforementioned types of summoners. We need to add the distinct flavor of a summoner but reward the player for focusing or maining it.

So to start off with the weakest aspect, the sub class. What should a fighter or a rogue gain from choosing a summoner as their flavor class? How about gaining the ability to summon a familiar? Allow a choice of types: healer, tank, melee, ranged, or caster. This will open up many fun ways to add flavor or cash shop options to the game. A bard summoning a harp to heal, a gong to tank, a harp for ranged, etc. A fighter could summon physical weapons to assist. A rogue could summon clones of itself with different weapons or items such as healing potions. A ranger could summon animals. A mage could summon golems or elementals. Or you could have plain old humanoids to follow you.

So how about a player maining summoner? Well they could have familiars PLUS gain evoker abilities. Their attacks could be like a small dragon's head that shoots a fireball, a snake that bites and envenoms/poisons the enemy, a fairy that radiates healing powers. A frost giant that does a freezing slam.

So now that we've covered them as sub and main... how do we reward those that double down and go main and sub summoner? More powerful abilities! Instead of lesser familiars we go with greater familiars and instead of a young dragon we go with an adult dragon that does a large cone fire attack. Channel the power of the gods to deal greater damage.

There is a lot of potential for making summoner a fun class. Whether it be main, sub, or both, there is a lot of room for fun. And adding unique appearances for summoner pets can add a good selection for cash shop. I would like to hear what you guys think.

Comments

  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    edited July 2017
    wow, thats alot to read.. The game is in pre alpha you should not be stressing out about this just yet
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    edited July 2017
    Flatline said:
    wow, thats alot to read.. The game is in pre alpha you should not be stressing out about this just yet
    I'm not stressing out. Just having some fun brainstorming on what they could do. xD I'm just having fun.

  • That is one hell of a brainstorming that you did there.
  • Irobot said:
    That is one hell of a brainstorming that you did there.
    Thanks. Was hoping this would stimulate more conversation though xD
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    edited July 2017
    Irobot said:
    " That is one hell of a brainstorming that you did there."
    From my POV .... i think its fine   :p

    https://forums.ashesofcreation.com/discussion/33995/how-do-you-imagine-the-summoner#latest )
  • Loyheta said: 
    "  How about gaining the ability to summon a familiar? Allow a choice of types: healer, tank, melee, ranged, or caster. This will open up many fun ways to add flavor or cash shop options to the game

     ...

    ... appearances for summoner pets can add a good selection for cash shop. I would like to hear what you guys think."
     ...  Was going to +1 until i seen this Dreaded Word ....Cash Shop ?!?  
    Are you nuts ?!?  Nothing should be in the Cash Shop for a particular class - if i'm forced to go to the Cash Shop just to play the Class ...i think it'll be doomed from the start ? 

    a P2W Class ?!?

    Unless you're referring to appearence, then this is my overall opinion of any Cash Shop ...

    " Anything that's in the Cash Shop, could potentially be put into the Game itself "
    That's how i see the Cash Shop. Please defer from having the Cash involved in this 
  • ArchivedUserArchivedUser Guest
    edited July 2017
    Other than that, really like the ideas ^~^.  I do like how you're using many other MMOs references where others might understand what you're trying to convey better.

    I on the other hand ... lols, i never played an MMO with a Summoner-Class
     ( or anything related to it )
  • Eragale said:
    Loyheta said: 
    "  How about gaining the ability to summon a familiar? Allow a choice of types: healer, tank, melee, ranged, or caster. This will open up many fun ways to add flavor or cash shop options to the game

     ...

    ... appearances for summoner pets can add a good selection for cash shop. I would like to hear what you guys think."
     ...  Was going to +1 until i seen this Dreaded Word ....Cash Shop ?!?  
    Are you nuts ?!?  Nothing should be in the Cash Shop for a particular class - if i'm forced to go to the Cash Shop just to play the Class ...i think it'll be doomed from the start ? 

    a P2W Class ?!?

    Unless you're referring to appearence, then this is my overall opinion of any Cash Shop ...

    " Anything that's in the Cash Shop, could potentially be put into the Game itself "
    That's how i see the Cash Shop. Please defer from having the Cash involved in this 
    Yeah I hate cash shops too. I was talking of purely cosmetic since I imagine a summon of a certain role (tank, heals, caster, range, melee) will use generic attacks using the same cooldown, damage, and range. I don't want any one class to be more cash shop prone than the other. Also, tbh, I think cash shop is coming into my mind because I've been lurking the Dauntless forums a lot and now I've crossed the games.

    The way I feel about cash shops: a sub game shouldn't have them xD. If they do then everything should have a similar model obtainable in game.

    A fix to this is by being able to summon creatures from the game by getting a random drop off of a mob. Kill enough fire or ice imps and you are bound to get a fire or ice imp summon skin. Then if there HAS to be a cash shop... put pyro or frost imp.

    As much as I hate cash shops on top of a sub I know it will happen. Now I'm just trying to provide fun or cool options instead of bad ideas being implemented.
  • im pretty sure they said that summoning permanent pets is exclusive to the summoner main class
  • Awz said:
    im pretty sure they said that summoning permanent pets is exclusive to the summoner main class
    I really need to start digging through all the info they've released. Maybe helping with the wiki. This is good to know. I wonder how a sub-class summoner would work. Probably temporary summon attacks
  • Loyheta said:
    " ... being able to summon creatures from the game by getting a random drop off of a mob. Kill enough fire or ice imps and you are bound to get a fire or ice imp summon skin. ... "
    This is very interesting (: 3)  . But i can already foresee, other Players Camping Certain Areas.
     ( unless the Respawn-Places are randomly-generated >~> )
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