These are the changes that SE has officially announced:
| Quote: |
[ Summoner ] - Powerful mages with the ability to use their mana to call forth mighty avatars.
Changes regarding summoning magic skill:
1. Blood Pact recast time will now be based on the type of special attack used--healing/enhancing or damage dealing.
2. Summoning magic skill may increase not only when summoning an avatar, but also while using Blood Pact.
3. Blood Pact special attack bonuses may be earned while equipping items that give summoning skill bonuses. |
Nothing that directly encourages leaving the avatar out other than the fact that summoners will now be more free to use offensive BPs. Burstable BPs, if I'm not mistaken, gain potency with avatar TP, so perhaps while the DoT of the avatar won't be improved, the improved spike damage from letting it melee between pacts will make it more appealing to do so.