[Sharp]

I have a suggestion that could help to end an often brought up complaint about Narashi/Clanless being underpowered.

I propose that Narashi/Clanless should qualify as specialists in the summoning rules. Jinch should not receive this benefit. Often Narashi clans are made to be summoners, and it could be reasonable for the lore that the clanless have more time to goof around with summoning studies or whatever (and why sages are always drawn from those without clan powers).

To any counter argument I simply invite you to look at sages themselves. Any balance reason for narashi not to have it, you could apply to sages as well and the narashi character will still be weaker. The only thing I will cede is that I believe narashi are competitive as genin because clan abilities don't often shine til later, but I do think in the later end around SP. Jounin they tend to be outmatched overall. This would be a decent way to make going narashi something to consider beyond RP reasons (other than to hold out for hope that a jinch slot opens).

An even better in my opinion would be if Narashi could choose to either be a summoning specialist, genjutsu defense specialist, or a weapon specialist. Summoners would go a rank higher on the chart. Genjutsu defense kais a rank higher. Weapons are treated a spec higher. IDK as much about the balance of this and know it would require more thought. Just something to account for that time that other characters spent learning about their clan ability that shines above a normal SA, basically.

That's all I've got— Food for thought. Feel free to take it to the staff room if you think it has merit for further consideration, if not thanks for reading.

[Q]

I really like the suggestion of a more open approach, and if you guys do discuss this I think that an interesting way to do this would be to allow a bonus SA based on the abilities the specific clan is known for: most clans mention SA that are common among clan members, and this might be a cool way to integrate this to actually be meaningful.

Normally I wouldn't post on somebody else's suggestion, but i generally like the idea of increasing draw to narashi/clanless shinobi due to the relative strength of most kkg, hijutsu, sage mode, etc for a single SA and thought that this might be an interesting way to do that.

[Yoshiko]

Sages, Kage and Jin have always been considered above the standard power scale. Due to sage slots being so much less limited than Jinchuuriki we did in a sense nerf them, a consideration with this was them becoming specialized with summons. As sage mode is rooted in summons.

Clan balance is hopefully intended to be more so balanced with clanless, but they have an ability or ability avenue clanless and Narashi don't. As a Narashi you have no clan specified SA, so you have technically more room to get a summoned base SA.

Due to us allowing and 'promoting' the summon SA for all non-sages. I don't think it's fair or necessary to give them an additional perk.

A part of why we imposed higher costs and more restrictions was to make people choose if they wanted summons or not. Instead of the prior situation which was you're just better off having summons.

[Sharp]

Ah, I wasn't aware summoning SA were going to be allowed.

Ultimately, is the extra customization of enhancements worth not having a clan ability? I personally don't think so, because each SA goes through today's scrutiny while many clans are full of grandfathered content. Whether someone is throwing a fireball or a soap ball or whatever doesn't really matter in the long run, but clans with physiological changes and enhancements tend to dwarf what can be done with an SA.

I do think generally nerfing summons was a good call. I just think that narashi/clanless should have been included to help cover the difference between what clans often get. Very few of the Admins/GMods have narashi/clanless who aren't in some sort of special position and I don't think that they got the consideration they deserved in the summoning change discussion.

Even if it isn't something as big as summons. Some small boon such as being able to kai a bit better or even a novice civilian skill could be that extra + that they need to match the SA+ that clan options tend to be.

At the end of the day, I can only really clarify my position. I invite any GMod+ who may see my position as reasonable to bring it to official discussion. If none do, that's alright too, maybe I've got it twisted.

As an aside while you're reading, I don't think the problem of summons always being ideal to have has been removed. There's still no real reason not to want a A-Rank with access to specs you don't have and their own chakra pool around. It'd be pretty neat in my book if signing a summoning contract cost a B-Rank equipment slot and we just edited the charts to afford everyone an additional B-Rank equipment so that no one gets nerfed per say. Utility equipment is somewhat competitive with summons and might often fit the kind of characters who want to focus on their own personal ability over those of pets.

[Yoshiko]

I will bring up to staff discussing a boon to narashi/clanless. However as we've re-balanced old clans, jutsu and so on. I feel stating old clans or apps as grandfathered isn't a good argument. As we definitely do plan to re-balance broken clans. Giving Narashi or clanless an SA ability or slightly less than SA worthy ability without the need for an SA seems like the opposite of balancing. The balancing going into new character SA should also be going into new clans and clan re-balances.

I feel the costs and increased limitations on summons in the recent change was enough to make creating one feel less necessary. I will however also bring up adding contract as an item with rank for balancing.

[Sharp]

Awesome thanks.

Nerfing is one tool you have, but don't forget that buffing sub-optimal options is a "less invasive" option to consider. When we see hand seal rolls outs for each clan's old jutsu my opinion could change drastically, so perhaps that should be completed before this is considered.

On the other subject I do think that summons costing an equipment slot would really solidify the choice factor. I know that the original idea I had back in the day of taking an SA to get access at all wasn't popular, but an equipment slot, even if you all give more equipment slots to compensate, would I think create more reason for not everyone to want a summon. Right now there is still no choice really to be made other than "Do you want to spend a small amount of XP for a c-rank jutsu that punches way above other techniques?"

[Yofie]

The decision has been made to not add any boons to narashi/clanless at the given time. Thank you for the suggestion.