Tbh, i would have expect at least most of the post to write about hard facts so that it makes worthwhile comparison and perhaps even provide reasonable ground for any workabout and/or even possible adjustment
More than 80% of the post here is about frustration, disappointment, anger and quite simply just, outrage.
This update is the beginning step to curb summons PVE capability and i believe that this feedback is more for us to list the hard facts and things that are beneficial to get it curb down, the right direction.
Summons are before this update, are simply overpowered and that's a fact.
But is the current 'nerf' acceptable? Plainly it is not because everyone who voice their complaints in this topic are probably or definitely players that are affected which means, all of you play summoners.
My current PC does not rely on summon but he's not a god PVP nor PVE toon as well.
Let's just start again by listing some hard facts like i did in my earlier post on what is gained and what is lost, the APRs, AB/AC.
Whether these are Permanent or Temporary.
If there are any replacement to these losses?
And what is not possible to be achieved after replacing this losses?
I believe that nothing convince better than listing hard facts rather than simply showing outrage.
The current trend, at least right now, is that Summon is definitely getting curbed.
To speak about restoring the state to the original is unrealistic.
But i'll agree with what Xerah wrote below -
Anyone entering this discussion with the idea that summons were not too strong is hard to take seriously. That said, the other outliers already do outshine the old summons, so starting the nerfing at summoners seems like a misstep.
I agree that starting to nerf summoner first, seems like a misstep but it had already happened so, it's much more constructive to voice out on hard facts where you think, the direction it. Of course, IG and Devs might not listen but at the bare minimum, there's actual facts to look at and more possible direction to choose from.
That being said
The old summon monster III, aka wolf in a bottle previously had 30 AC, 16 AB, and 2 APR baseline.
It now has 21 AC, 11 AB and 1 APR.
So this summon has lost 9 AC, 5 AB, and 1 APR.
That is extremely significant towards the overtuned low level content that will shred this 60 HP summon. Even with a sequencer, variance is so tilted against your favor in lower levels, and you really have nothing you can do about it.
The above is extremely stunning. Consider myself outdated but you get to access this potion at level 3 new PC and you've summoned a monster that is essentially a level 8 PC with 2APRs and if you slap a sequencer on it, it's effectively around the power level of level 10 PC with the increased AC and AB.
I'm pretty sure that when i summoned a creature III about 2 years back, i'm using the dire wolf with 1 APR and during then, i have to buy healing kits, fighting alongside the summon or actively look for party members to help.
Most players are very helpful that i know, especially in Skaljard.
To use Summoned creatures for PVE probably stands about 35% if not about half the population of the player base and because of that, the effective range of any slight nerf to summon hurts a huge chunk percentage of the community and players are often friends with one another and that includes myself, of course.
Let's begin listing hard facts and even testing from PGCC if there're any who are willing to do that.