EE'd revisions to EFU Summoning: Custom Planar Binding

[Random_White_Guy]

I've been doing some thinking of some troubles lately. I know EFU has a long time tradition of Conjuration spells and necromantics but with the current trends of both the server and the game I'd like to propose an alternative.

Two scenarios

1) Necromancy. The biggest allure of Necromancy in past chapters was that you could get persistent summons for an extended period of time plying your dark craft - at the extent of being executed. However with the situation of the notorious "EE'd" this has become awful. Having played a big time necromancer near the end of EFUR there was more than a dozen occasions where I would spend a sizable portion of time doing necromancy on my 4-7 skeletal or otherwisesummons only to lag out, crash, or have them die over a transiton.

This effectively butchered all my efforts, desummoned all my creatures, trashed all their weapons, and lost all their corpses. Suffice to say: Pretty huge setback of supplies, resources, time, and moral to even bother with the animation end of necromancy.

2) Summoning "Swarms" of creatures severely lags a lot of people, leading to more EE's or just all around agony. Dedicated summoners can pull 6, 8, or almost a dozen different creatures out at once which while it's thematically very cool and fun to watch - It can be a nightmare. Empire of Neon's previous Spider Summoner, while thematically awesome and a great ally to my PC at the time, was a nightmare to see in action because the swarm of spiders storming an ongoing PvP or etc would heavily lag things, kick people, or otherwise.

Rather than massive armies would it be possible if the two systems were merged?

A rough idea basically like-

A Conjurer would be able to summon a persistent monster of some kind which could be treated and tended similar to how Necromancers can work their dead. Disable Summon 1-3 at lower levels but starting at level 5+ a custom spell of "Animate Dead Custom Sysvem vs 24 Hour Planar Binding Of Summoning THeme" that allows Conjurers to build a henchman or three similar to Animate Dead. This would still allow people to customize their summons, still bring heat to a fight, still play dedicated "Conjurers".

What this would also allow though, is Cult enhancement.

A Devil Cultist able to summoned actually -terrifying- demons, at the extend they would have to remain unsubdued and alive in combat for them to be effective
A Necromancer can summon powerful Undead, Spirit, or otherwise.
A Demon Worshiper can strike at town with two massive demons in tow

But as far as the battle field goes it would also give Conjurers more skin in the game than "Stand in the back and summon 45 creatures to augment the quest team" as their Custom Planar Binding Summon would need tending in the throws of battle, equally reducing lag from having so many conjurations in play at once which is a heavy tax on things.

It also gives Necromancers and evil conjurers and etc more steamlined efforts than "Collect 5 orc corpses, animate them, give them weapons, and watch them turn to Thanos Dust as you get EE'd during PvP or Quest".

[Random_White_Guy]

Rather than SWARM ARMY or etc, you'd have your Henchman Planar Binding conjurer, and conjurers could still have theme transitions for different elementals, etc. Maybe at higher levels PCs could summone one more to show they're an adept conjurer who can maintain two at once.

It's just more focus on 1-2 singular "pet" type summon than a number of PCs all summoning an army at once. Or some poor necromancer pouring 45 RL minutes into making his "Dope ass undead army" suddenly losing everything.

High end Conjurers could have higher tier or more efforts they can do, etc.

Disabling Animate Dead and "Summon Monster X" spells to give a more Planar Biding focused conjurative system - Comparable to how Ooze Druids get their oozes, etc.

[Charnelist]

I'm a really big fan of the teeming hordes and their uses, even - well, maybe especially - as fodder and meatshields for the grinder. I'd be very sad to see that go, it was always an exhilarating exercise for me.

That said, I see your point and would be willing to tentatively accept a change like this. I have my doubts on the fun of it, but I'd be willing.

I can predict some issues with sapient summons and the need for some new rules about what your summons are allowed to 'know', what sort of social clout they get to have, etcetera.  Some tiptoeing may be required when controlling devils who conspicuously can't do what players can't do without DM help. You know what I mean.

[Bobbybrown]

Personally the biggest problem I see with summoners lately isn't the lag summons cause but the unavoidable EE scenarios where you crash and all your summons are gone so your helpless, before it was not as prevalent of a problem until the horrors of the EE crashes began to appear and have gotten somewhat worse.