I believe we'll have. ...
1 Ranger
2 (?) SorcerersI know there are gonna be 4-5 people (minus DM).
The DM said he didn't mind what classes we rolled as long as we were satisfied with them.
I would honestly, for what you want, recommend stock Summoner.(*) with default Summoner...
Your Eidolon can rock in combat 9/10 (many threads/guides around here on that).You get standard action summons in a pinch.
You'll get to master buff spells and battlefield control spells as a caster while your Eidolon/summons are doing the above, learning the game without having the overload of a full (esp. prepared) casters potential 'option paralysis'.
You won't be too squishy yourself.
Starting around SMV you'll gain some healing from SM, that group make up could use it.
(*) Edit: Unless you're willing to hold back what you want a bit to help the group... then I'd recommend Druid with a powerful animal companion as a 2nd best choice, loading the occasionally heal spell for emergencies, a little less what you wanted but that group, unless a Sorc changes to an Oracle or something, is lacking divine mojo.
Once you've cut your teeth on that, next time consider a Druid, Cleric, Wizard, or Master Summoner. That way by the time you expand your options and powers you've already gained some system master over running it and you'll take CONSIDERABLY less time running multiple creatures or using many spell types.
Take of that what you will though, and good luck whichever way you pick.
Problem is I'm not sure what the other people are rolling. I want to say (with 75% certainty) we'll have a druid. I think one guy rolled one while another did a cleric. Not sure at all
Then, for the reasons I recommended above, I'd say cut your teeth on the default Summoner class first. Just make sure to read up on the Summoner guides and threads around here to make sure you build your eidolon correctly and powerfully (and so you learn some of the tricks your battlefield control spells offer, a 2nd forte of the summoner class). It should give you everything you want.
Again take of that what you will but I don't think you'll regret. There are some butch, legal, Eidolon builds floating around here. Plus the buff spells are great and learning battlefield control is one of the core values of learning to play a good caster. Combined with teleportation and other spells you'll get you will rarely find yourself feeling weak or with nothing to do.
Default summoner is a fine class but I don't think it's what the OP has in mind. Also note that just because you can flood the field with summons and slow down the game doesn't mean you have to. You can totally save that for when things go bad.
How is the Saurian Shaman a "swiss army knife"? Couldn't the Master Summoner do the same? (Sorry for noobish question)So if all it comes down to is arcane vs nature style summoning (outside of class/race) are they even? Or does one class have better summonums than another?If it comes down to summoning creatures of every stripe to attack and confound your foes than the Master Summoner is your better option. If it comes down to having a tanking creature while you sit back and hurl attack spells and the like, then the Druid, particularly the Saurian Shaman. The Saurian Shaman is a freaking swiss army knife.
What I meant was that the Saurian Shaman can summon creatures, has a constant animal companion, can heal, buff, cast offensive spells and can even engage directly in melee and be very effective.
From everything you're saying, it definitely sounds like a Master Summoner is what you want - my favorite character and specialty, actually - and if you decide to go that route then I would encourage you to contact me via pm so I can give you some more specific advice to both optimize the character and, more importantly, best capture the flavor you're going for.