Summoner is so bad, I question why it was even added in this state.

[Yama]

So, I just got done with the 9.9.9 content, killed all the bosses multiple times and the map is fully explored. I played all of it as summoner and I have some feedback.

First of all, what in the world were you thinking giving the minions a lifetime? Almost every fight, where my pure mage, fighter or archer could dive right in, my summoner gets to stand behind a corner for 10 seconds taking a little casting break, pooping out bat after bat, even waiting for mana to refill to the point where I can summon the last of them because the sets give mana regen instead of max mana for some reason. All that is the opposite of fun.

Then, when you finally have all your minions and you go and attack something it takes what feels like a leap year for them to join the fight because they only attack what you are already in combat with and the summoning book has a melee primary attack? Ok, if you are making me open the fight with another ranged weapon then I might as well just use that and save myself the time sitting around summoning. Give the summoner book an attack command for left click!

Best of all, if you play with say a fireball staff of bazooka as secondary, chances are you are gonna one-shot the first target and that makes the bats instantly leave combat again.. did nobody test this?

The only way to play summoner that's even remotely fun is to summon the bats as you are running in, trying to avoid enemies like a headless chicken while poking and prodding everything around just to make sure the bats stay in combat. It's dumb.

Finally, there is the lack of summons variety. I don't think it's asking too much to have maybe 1 or 2 more summon weapons before the wall comes down. I looked everywhere and killed every boss multiple times. If there is one, I couldn't find it. If you pick summoner you have no choice but to hold on to your starting weapon.. the bats.

Wanna improve the bats? Get one of two armor sets and a jewelry off-hand combo and go grind summoning skill. And oh boy does it take a long time to grind summoning skill.. No chance of finding an upgrade in the field. No crafting one at the workbench. Progression isn't fun.

Summoner feels like it wasn't just added last minute, it feels like it was designed last minute too. This class needs to go back to the drawing board. Cheers!

[Hallucinogenus]

To make it easier and to avoid being told ‘just do it better’, here is my recommendation:
1: infinite duration of the minions. Aslong you gut the summoning item in your hand
2: Left click with the summoner item: Direct attack on the target
3: Less is more, rather one monster that gradually improves and gradually looks more dangerous than 10 beasts to lose the overview.
4: passive/defensive/aggressive mode <- THIS is not rocket science

[Sophie]

Originally posted by Hallucinogenus:

To make it easier and to avoid being told ‘just do it better’, here is my recommendation:
1: infinite duration of the minions. Aslong you gut the summoning item in your hand
2: Left click with the summoner item: Direct attack on the target
3: Less is more, rather one monster that gradually improves and gradually looks more dangerous than 10 beasts to lose the overview.
4: passive/defensive/aggressive mode <- THIS is not rocket science

you want a lower count, permanent minions, then use pets and the wildwarden set. (hell even passive/aggressive/defensive is a *pet* mechanic in games like WoW)
also what are you talking about "no interesting mechanic"?? 15 - 75 magic shield per minion summoned is pretty cool. and the damage is totally fine. even without me having capped the summon skill, i can farm the shaman easy and fast with the witch doctor hat, chieftan chest and pants, both +%30 duration rings, the necklace form that boss, and a meal made from daggerfish.

the complaints everyone has and suggestions people are making lead me to believe yall really just want something else entirely, not a summoner. and some of the things yall are asking for already exist (pets). you have to actively be playing the game as suboptimally as possible to claim the damage is low and the ai is slow. not to mention this is literally only 1 thenth of the game (which makes your nod to terraria even more ironic since summoner is a little feeble in the first 30% of that game, but grows into one of the highest damage classes late game). get a grip and grow a brain

[Sophie]

you guys really just dont know what youre talking about and i hope they dont even touch the class

[Hallucinogenus]

Jesus... Thanks for the tip Stupid-Filled. May me and my friends will grow something... damn maybe even good taste in games! (which is probably why we're concentrating on another game until the 1.1 version (and the insult is just a small thank you for your assumption of no brains)) And good that you mentioned WoW, the success and longevity with millions of players seems to give some measure of right. even the warlock who is by definition what? oh i can't think of the word.... well, somehow he can call servants or something and has exactly this mechanic.

Just to clarify something here: It's their game, so it's their decision. If they think that's how it should be, then that's how it is. *I* don't like it that way, so much so that i don't play the game. i play a PET-based class whenever and wherever i can because i'm a lazy ragdoll. so i've gained a LOT of experience and impressions.

[Sophie]

Originally posted by Hallucinogenus:

Jesus... Thanks for the tip Stupid-Filled. May me and my friends will grow something... damn maybe even good taste in games! (which is probably why we're concentrating on another game until the 1.1 version (and the insult is just a small thank you for your assumption of no brains)) And good that you mentioned WoW, the success and longevity with millions of players seems to give some measure of right. even the warlock who is by definition what? oh i can't think of the word.... well, somehow he can call servants or something and has exactly this mechanic.

Just to clarify something here: It's their game, so it's their decision. If they think that's how it should be, then that's how it is. *I* don't like it that way, so much so that i don't play the game. i play a PET-based class whenever and wherever i can because i'm a lazy ragdoll. so i've gained a LOT of experience and impressions.

hey so funny story demonology warlock (the summoning spec) in WoW has timed minions. hope this helps.

(also notice the complete lack of acknowledging the fact that nobody considered the idea of future gear, food, and potions potentially helping with mana costs and maximums. no you really just shouldnt voice this opinion if its not going to be well formed. they will do what they decide is best but they really shouldnt listen to you)

[Sophie]

Just saw this message in Discord and thought to let anyone here know that they are increasing pet lifespan to 1 minute, and decreasing the mana cost

[boxinabox]

Originally posted by Sophie-Pilled:

Just saw this message in Discord and thought to let anyone here know that they are increasing pet lifespan to 1 minute, and decreasing the mana cost

These are some responsive devs!

[Yama]

Originally posted by Sophie-Pilled:

Just saw this message in Discord and thought to let anyone here know that they are increasing pet lifespan to 1 minute, and decreasing the mana cost

Thank you for letting us know.

This will make it so you don't have to constantly resummon them during a boss fight at least. It's still gonna be a bit obnoxious to have to take a resummon break before almost every fight when exploring, but at least with the mana cost reduction it won't take quite as long.

Hopefully they can address the AI in the future so they minions feel less hamstrung by the combat mechanic. I still think the summoning book should be able to change their state to aggressive or passive as well as command them to attack.

Cheers!

[Ishimuro]

they just wanted to stop the insults here at the discussions :P

i still think it was fine before, now the minions get degraded even more to sidekicks while i use my bow or axe

and cause someone wrote "if you like to run around like a chicken" ... well i do that already with my bow, so well, yeah thats not that different from playing summoner

still the minions need to get their own hp, because otherwise they will never attack on their own as they cant aggro enemys, enemys will always aggro you, until that happens, minions are just a dps buff you have to maintain

[Seikarius]

Minions need to be permanent summon, full stop. Having to stop and respawn them is super annoying.
They also need to START attacking faster.

[Citizen Snips]

Summon durations are fine, but summons are not worth their cost/your time in their current state. Just do mage until they figure out summoner.

[akoyash]

summon duration is a no go, just do terraria

[twitch.tv/GFYE]

Summoner suffers from balancing and item drought. There aren't enough items to justify it existing, not to say anything against the devs . . . . I love summoner, I've beaten Terraria 4 times across the years as it including a 2 separate calamity runs. The skill trees seem a bit incomplete too, we really could just do with MORE and that takes time.

Overall the game is fun and it slightly differentiates itself from the pack, but it really needs MORE of everything, from craftable base cosmetics to actual gear.

Summons need a lot of stats, specific items, and have their AI problems, this is so in all games that have it. I'm sure once 1.0 drops completely and the devs can begin adding/balancing things it should be fine.

[Cipher Stormwolf]

Each summon could just take some of your max mana away like in Grim Dawn and then with the rest you could still use magic, except you use the best setbonus for max summons. Then you would be a pure summoner build with permanent summons. Timed summons should be very strong and have a cooldown imo or be stationary.

They also dont take aggro at all and enemies will just hunt you which also does not help with the limited time summons as you lack the time to summon in a lengthy / crowded fight.

Hope the planned changes for 1.0 to the class will make it more fun. Lower manacost + upgrades may be the deal. Also food to raise max-mana? Did they say anything like that or only potions?

[Ishimuro]

there is already food for that, i have a +62 max mana for 13min food ;D