[Raigen.Convict]

So, i've been thinking about Summoner again, as a general concept, instead of all these passive stat buffs that are just on, which is part of what makes them so incredibly strong. Instead what if the class was more about once they're called out, the summoner then uses abilities which scale off various elemental attacks that will grant buffs to the youkai on feild, because they scale from different elemental attack stats, the summoner can't just stack faith, Vitality, Defense and Resistance to be a tank with wandering magi-turrets. Instead they have a choice of being that tank with much weaker youkai, or being squishy and easy to take down, with youkai they can beef up so they don't go down easy. (This would mean removing the affinity buffs and all those other little passive stat buffs to replace them with something more interactive.) The idea's a work in progress but I popped this here to get people's oppinion on if it's a good idea. And before you comment on how they're already too strong, most of their power comes also from the fact they have some insane levels of passive stat buffs, certain ones actually affecting Aptitude, which will boost stats FURTHER. You see where this goes.

From my records, the offenders here of passive stat buffs generally on youkai are the Affinity passives, Synchro Summon, and Daisangen. This combination pumps Dragon race youkai stats by about 16, including their elemental attacks and their tanking stats. No player gets a buff that high on all stats from anything they use. Just subtract about 3 for non-dragon race youkai, sure synchro summon is only 3 turns long, but that's long enough when youkai deal INTENSE levels of damage per strike. Bear in mind youkai attacks are scaled on 360% of elemental attack at level 60... Not taking into account for the willpower elemental attack increase, that 16 point buff, is a damage increase of 57.6... That's NOT including the willpower increase to elemental attack. You can see why this is pretty insane.

So instead, why not get rid of the passive buff system, and at least make these actives the summoner has to activate, but have their scaling scale on varied elemental attacks, forcing them to spend points in either multiple elemental attacks, or be good with one thing but have weaker youkai.

[Snake]

I'd like Summoner (The base class) alone getting some offensive skills first, to make it leveling a destiny less of a hassle.

Maybe things like Tactician received? Even if they are one or two skills that damage in an AoE or even all enemies at once.

[Raigen.Convict]

While the offensive skills sounds nice, in the endgame this might bring too much power to the class (more than there already is)

Meanwhile another odd idea I had was for summoner in general. What if there was a cap on how many youkai a summoner could have on field at once? Up to 3 at once across all promos unless something states otherwise... Like say, summon storm. This would give players a reason to concider having it in a pinch. And this helps to slow down at least ONE complaint I've seen from many people.

[Snake]

Or each Youkai on the field reduces their damage by a %, but also increases their durability by %. Like I suggested in one of my posts about destiny-only skills.

[Raigen.Convict]

Actually that's a really good idea Kunai. It encourages pulling out fewer youkai to have a greater damage cap. It'd also reduce the number of fast offense summoned youkai. (but not by enough) if youkai got the skill protect this would be even better.

[Raigen.Convict]

Credit to Kiranis for this idea: OKAY, youkai stats partly scale from certain stats on the summoner. For instance, the youkai's elemental attack is boosted by a portion of the summoners elemental attack for that element. Their defense and resistance is boosted by the summoners stats respectively. It's an idea that with some tweaking could be the balance we've been asking for all this time.

[Raigen.Convict]

Here's one from just before I slept last night.
Install now when used will remain active for 5 rounds, instead of installing a single youkai it works more as installing a bonus based on youkai race. The passive already uses the race name and install for it. Upon installing for a race the summoner and that race gain special interactions with skills and spells from summoner and summoner promotion classes.

Each racial install affects a single stat:
Beast = Strength
Night = Skill
Plant = Willpower
Avian = Celerity
Mystic = Defense
Fairy = Resistance
Dragon = Vitality.

Fast Offense becomes a passive which will only affect youkai of your currently installed race.

Soul Chains will now lock the summoner from summoning youkai of the selected race but soul chains now inflicts interferance for it's duration.

Evoke skills/spells can only be accesed while installed with that youkai race.

Certain passive evokes can be activated once installed with that youkai race while disabling summoning of that youkai (Ex. Drowned Woman Amendum, Sin, and Purpose.)

Using these passive evokes will be considered spells for silence counterplay.

[Raigen.Convict]

Input from the populace would be appreciated.