Anima_ wrote:Did you see the scene where Elenor interrupted Chambaras spell? It's not like she's without unprecedented talent.
This might drift into my story grievances but I am not a fan of heroes being heroes because they have some unique gift. In my eyes, the choices make the hero. I was overdosed with bullshit just picking the starting stats for Elenor/Saren: I strangled the dragon with my right hand while shutting a volcano with the left. +2 strength. Not just: I like to lift a little now and then. +2 strength. In other words, they don't need more random gifts and we don't need to exploit the ones they've been attributed with already.
Besides, the summoning spell would of course only be available for a Healer/Mage PC. There is no need for it if Elenor is more martialy inclined.
Wouldn't you consider it poor game design if the healer/damage dealer requires the tank but not vice versa?
And now. As for the problem we're trying to solve with summons, since they've pretty much been ruled out for anything outside personal quests anyway. Let me give some examples of my solution of "make the NPC shine".
Dora/Rei: There's one very tanky frontline mob that does pathetic damage, but he protects three casters (with the ability to heal him). Rain arrows upon them.
Ramas: The enemies rely on causing ailments such as paralysis, but that can't stop him. Saren/Elenor spend most the quest questioning the meaning of their presence.
Apolimesho: Two enemies with massive heals, but they can only use them on each other, not themselves. Or they have some big combo but each half of it is quite weak (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts etc). Keep one paralyzed.
Note that I built both Ramas and Apolimesho around the SINGLE skill point that is already picked when you recruit them. If you did something for Draco that involves exploiting elemental vulnerabilities that's nice and all... assuming you actually took all four spells on him. However we're talking future titles and perhaps you might consider that not EVERY skill except the first is a choice, but rather at some levels you get a bonus skill that's generally useful to the character. And I also assume you could have new mechanics for the spells. Let's say at level 10 Loren gets a skill that guarantees she parries the next attack against her (they do like to hit her), and for her personal quest you could have some predictable big attack for which you should be ready with that skill.
Not that I hate the idea of summons though. I just don't think they are the top card of the deck for solutions to this problem.