Combining White Mages and Summoners…

Is it just me, or does this combination (which is becoming increasingly more common in Final Fantasy games) completely undermine the idea of the White Mages? I mean, the disadvantage of using a white mage was that it didn’t really have any effective attacks (save Holy, which is learned right at the end), and yet now, by giving them summon magic, they seem to have been provided with the best of both worlds. This becomes an even greater problem when you compare them to black mages, who seem to have spells that are about as damaging as summons, even though they lack the healing powers of white mages.

Just thinking about this recently when I was asking myself why I never used Vivi in FF9. Basically, I didn’t have to, because I had Garnet and Eiko, who had heavy damage summons that hit all enemies, as well as great white spells. It’s the same with Lulu in FFX, who was not only undermined by Yuna’s summons, but was also eventually outclassed at her own job due to black magic spheres and Yuna’s high magic stat…

Do you view this as a problem that will become increasingly telling in the future, or do you think that it isn’t that much of an issue?

Lulu can use white magic too with the sphere grid system. Her overdrives did manage to cover the flaw that she can't summon to cause major damage.

Vivi is also needed to team up with Stenier for the magic sword effect. Also, he can focus to raise his magic powers while the two white mage can't although we can't deny the fact that they needn't waste a turn to just raise their magic powers.

Also, in the past there is this job called Paladin which combine a warrior with a white mage. Although unable to wield powerful white magic, but the magic avaliable is good enough to support the party and his HP and str is much better.

But there are people which prefer system like FF VI, F VII, F VIII which everyone can be a white mage + summoner + warrior + black mage...etc.

i think theifs should have a back up ability.. coz lets face it there useless at everything except stealing..maybe theifs should be able to summon!!

Summoners are overated, imho. Sure, summons are cool, and strong in the beginning, but later on, you can usualy hit for as much damage as a summon does. FFX is the only FF in which I actualy needed them, and thats mostly as meatshields anyways. Besides, the animations use to be so long that they tend to get boring pretty fast.

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Originally Posted by PrincessYuna

i think theifs should have a back up ability.. coz lets face it there useless at everything except stealing..maybe theifs should be able to summon!!

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What the hell are you talking about? I've had Bartz as a Thief in FF5 practically the whole game, and he's never useless.

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Originally Posted by GLR

Summoners are overated, imho. Sure, summons are cool, and strong in the beginning, but later on, you can usualy hit for as much damage as a summon does. FFX is the only FF in which I actualy needed them, and thats mostly as meatshields anyways. Besides, the animations use to be so long that they tend to get boring pretty fast.

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GFs in FF8 make good meatshields too.

I love Summons...i hate pure white mages. Black Mages, I love for their Magic and hate them for their lack of fist power :/

Jepp, I'm one of that sort, that wants to decide the jobs or abilities themselves ;>
Every Jobs lacks a Ability and I hate to be addicted to just one Chara who's able to heal. If he dies, it's always a problem...but huff I'm getting carried away...

I think that Square gave the Summons to the White Mages because they've been rejcted a lot in the past. You need them to heal, yet they're taking a place for someone who could beat up the enemy...made me furios myself.

But why in hell should this new way be dangerous? XD
Vivi was always in my team...Lulu was also one of the Charas that I didn't want to miss.
Summons are often expensive or withdrawing the chance of gaining experience for the other Characters.

I also think that the great wonderful Square wouldn't be so blind to go in a direction that would lead to a very bad balance in a game.

Also, I don't think Square will go in that direction for long...thier always changing Systems, etc.

Besides, summons suit white mages well ^-^

I'm almost certain I used vivi a lot more than eiko. Although I liked garnet so I kept her in a lot too xD

Black mages are for elementals and statuses:O
white mages are for healing and reversal of statuses:O

However, summoners have almost never been a singular class. I've never played ff3, so I dunno about it, but ff4-- rydia is a black mage also, ff5-- you can set any secondary abilities you want to your summoner, ff6-- you give anyone you want the summons, and they can use other abilities also, ff7-- you give anyone you want the summons, and they can use other abilities also, ff8-- you give anyone you want the summons, and they can use other abilities also, ff9-- garnet and eiko are both summoner white mages, except that one of them seems to specialize in summoning and the other in white magic:O (I dont' remember which xD), ffx-- yuna is a summoner and starts off with white magic, but can use other abilities

From the looks of it, in ffxii, either ashe will be a summoner princess, or they'll be freely available for all to use. Or rather, the one main character that you're controlling that isn't under the control of a gambit or whatever:O

Typically the summoners were given magic because they needed a high magic stat to control their monsters. Of course, that doesn't mean much for yuna, since you can control aeon's stats separate from her (except of course, in the beginning)

Let us imagine now a summoner thief. If you ran out of mp summoning the big beasties, you could use 'Steal Mana' and get some mp back xD

Or perhaps a summoner dragoon. Leap up and summon in midair, and the aerial beast you called keeps you out of the battle even longer for a super powered jump xD

Let's keep going. A summoner knight who is koed by his elfin summon because he is equipped with an iron sword xD

Summoner monk who absorbs the damage done as hp and mp xD (a la chakra)

(never mind, this is getting boring xD)