Concept for Veteran Summoners.

Cookie

As a player, you’ve done it all. There is not much progression out there for you, except to try and fix the game by deleting sampires, Trammel and other such hobbies such as trying to give mages or other underpowered classes a boost.

Inspired by my Treasure Hunter Mystic as I watch him kill the billionth ogre lord, then 75% gets through the next one and vanishes, leaving me to cast another, to just finish off a tiny amount of the next ogre lord. Mystics pretty much rely on their Rising Colossus, they are strong for sure... but could be stronger, and would it hurt if they did get stronger? The mark of a great Mystic, would be the strength of his summoned Rising Colossus.

The same for a Mage, and his Energy Vortexes (or circle 8 summons).

A Spellweaver and his Reaper.

A Necromancer and his Revenant?

The concept could even extend to Tamers, and specific Pets, maybe.

 

How about a Level-up progression path for summons?

It could be quest driven, be infinitely long, suck up infinite resources or gold, it could be used as a massive gold sink. Let summoned RC’s get to lvl 200? What does that mean?

Incremental length of time they stay summoned for, extra health, damage extra. It can be very incremental small amounts, ultimately becoming something quite useful. You would not have to have this, but a loved/main character that is played a lot, a player would want to invest more time, more progression into.  It would give a Veteran player something else to do.

 

Pawain

We have some old school mages that did not covert to taming.

I bet they would love to have the ability to upgrade summons. 

Great idea.

Cookie

Pawain said:

We have some old school mages that did not covert to taming.

I bet they would love to have the ability to upgrade summons. 

Great idea.

I would be one of them.

Arnold7

Summons are useful for distracting higher end targets so a mage can damage them using direct damage spells.  But compared to most developed pets, the summons are no match for them.  Pets are very much overpowered in this game.

loop

I wouldn’t mind more dedicated attention to the summoner play style. Some private servers have done work in this area. I would, however, prefer things to be tied to mechanics and skill synergies such that there is a trade off and a need on the part of the player to specialize.

The trouble with a progression system is that you’d need to recalibrate content as players get more powerful, and players are already too powerful as it is, but perhaps the player’s enhancements of their summons could be something that requires active maintenance — sort of like karma and Chivalry.

I’ve toyed with the idea of a stealth mage who uses veterinary to heal his elementals, but they’re just so weak that it’s frustrating.

Cookie

loop said:

I wouldn’t mind more dedicated attention to the summoner play style. Some private servers have done work in this area. I would, however, prefer things to be tied to mechanics and skill synergies such that there is a trade off and a need on the part of the player to specialize.

The trouble with a progression system is that you’d need to recalibrate content as players get more powerful, and players are already too powerful as it is, but perhaps the player’s enhancements of their summons could be something that requires active maintenance — sort of like karma and Chivalry.

I’ve toyed with the idea of a stealth mage who uses veterinary to heal his elementals, but they’re just so weak that it’s frustrating.

I am not a trade-off person.

I have never ever understood this concept of 1 step forwards, 1 step backwards.
What is the point? It is a fake way to maintain a games balance, and very annoying.
If it is some sort of logical trade-off, sure - but not a negative, just for the sake of having a negative.

Pawain

Add a new book that you can cast new summons from.  Fire Vortex, Physical Vortex, etc.

Cold vortex could have some area spell like the snow elemental.  

Same for Colossus.

That would allow you to customize to match your targets. 

PlayerSkillFTW

Made a post about this awhile back.
https://forum.uo.com/discussion/9606/suggestion-summon-form-revamp#latest

Cookie

PlayerSkillFTW said:

Made a post about this awhile back.
https://forum.uo.com/discussion/9606/suggestion-summon-form-revamp#latest

Nice, I completely missed that one.

And yep, like this idea also.

Pawain said:

Add a new book that you can cast new summons from.  Fire Vortex, Physical Vortex, etc.

Cold vortex could have some area spell like the snow elemental.  

Same for Colossus.

That would allow you to customize to match your targets. 

popps

The one big problem with this is that most MoBs, especially the higher ones, as of now, have it quite easy to dispel summons so, whatever new summons were to be created would be short lived given how the current code sees MoBs way too easily dispel summons....

Cookie

popps said:

The one big problem with this is that most MoBs, especially the higher ones, as of now, have it quite easy to dispel summons so, whatever new summons were to be created would be short lived given how the current code sees MoBs way too easily dispel summons....

If you have the spell class mastery activated, it makes them much harder to dispel in pvm.

Again - that could be part of the progression path.

popps

Cookie said:

popps said:

The one big problem with this is that most MoBs, especially the higher ones, as of now, have it quite easy to dispel summons so, whatever new summons were to be created would be short lived given how the current code sees MoBs way too easily dispel summons....

If you have the spell class mastery activated, it makes them much harder to dispel in pvm.

Again - that could be part of the progression path.

You mean the Enchanted Summoning (Passive) ?

As far as I could see, it does not do much help in avoiding getting one's own Summons to be dispelled by higher end MoBs... I have it, but my summons still get dispelled a go go, all the time...