So, due to the summoning costs change Summon Storm and Astral Aegis aren't very useful.
At level 60, a youkai takes 17 FP to upkeep. Most Grand Summoners will regenerate this every turn, so it's not much of an issue. However, keeping six youkai at once is 102 FP per turn, reduced to 85 with the help of FP regeneration.
Using up 85 FP a turn, the average mage will run out of FP in four or five turns. This gives them three or four turns, as Youkai do not act on the first turn, and considering the cost of Summon Storm itself, reduces the duration to about three overall. From full FP. With the summoner doing nothing that would cost FP.
Now, the cost of maintaining Youkai isn't the issue. You shouldn't be able to maintain a party of six indefinitely, and we all know how unfair Summon Storm antics were before the nerf. However, Summon Storm is an old relic from that time, and needs to be changed to actually be useful. Astral Aegis as well, though it's less of a priority.
But I don't have any ideas for this! So suggest some.
Halve Absorb Ether's effect and lower Youkai upkeep by 5.
"[url=http://www.neus-projects.net/viewtopic.php?p=7648#p7648 Wrote:Soapy ยป Sun Jun 07, 2015 5:32 pm[/url]"]Halve Absorb Ether's effect and lower Youkai upkeep by 5.
I don't think that'd be a good idea for the problem that's presented.
It lowers the FP cost by 5*(Youkai summoned-1) per turn, and additionally solves the problem of non-Summoners subbing it for Install and unlimited FP.
Please do elaborate on why you think that isn't a solution.
Truth be told, no one should be able to maintain six or more max level Youkai for more than three or four turns. That's a fully-committed Blitzkrieg tactic, and gods know what a Tactician/GS can manage to do with those Youkai. (Hint: No escape, SSS for days) That should not be made easier on anyone's FP.
....And no, this will not solve people just going into Summoner/Grand Summoner for Install. That's due to Install being an unstoppable super-buff, which not even Overload or any given anti-Youkai/Install effect can counteract if done right. If anything, Install needs a nerf, not a supplemental partnership.
I was thinking more making Summon Storm and Astral Aegis work differently/do something entirely different. But keep going.
I propose lowering the upkeep cost while instead lowering youkai stats.
Youkai, as they are now, range from pretty good to beyond terrible. Many of them aren't worth the FP cost per turn to have out, and with the change to their skill power/costs, it's not even like they're all worth having just for Sync Mind skill evoking. Stat +Half level, eh? Unaffected by weapon at all? So Stat + 30 at level 60, versus... say... Stat + Tome + Base powers of over 20? (So... assuming 60 will, 90 before res vs at least 110 assuming a Kigal, non mind charged before res.) And did I mention that a lot of them have completely inappropriate stats? (10% Base will growth on Avians, who use will as their scaling stat, hilariously terrible!)
Youkai simply cost way too for what they deliver, and lowered stats in exchange for lower costs isn't unreasonable. Lower their HP since summoners have ways of managing that (Reihou/ healing discharge) and suddenly they're still viable without being OP if you lower the costs; it would allow players to realistically deal with a summoner's youkai without too much trouble, and it would actually be worth paying for the youkai to be out.
I mean, there's a reason a lot of bonders prefer to only have the one bonded youkai: Upkeep costs are brutal. Even if you just have the one out, it adds up fast.
EDIT: To clarify, someone who brings a bunch out deserves to burn FP fast. But you also need to spend FP just to level the damn things up at all, and levelling them is a colossal chore unless you're already level 60 and self sufficient without them, due to that FP scaling. And you'd still burn FP fast with a lot out.
Could just change Summon Storm up.
Make it summon all your youkai for an x number of turns (including the turn they don't do anything), but upkeep is dependent on the old system instead of new one.
And then when it's over, it unsummons all except 2 or 3. Something like that.