Giving Astrologian A new Identity

[CorbinDallas]

I like the ability to give shields or regen, and allows me to be flexible when dealing with the other healer in the party.

But either way, I don't think they'd completely change the way any jobs work in a new expansion because, well, they never have. Why start now. Instead of completely changing a job, just make a new one.

Bard/Machinist say hi.

[Kalinas]

I think they should remove the sects and just give some of each skill to AST. Make them the redmage of healers. Some of both, but master of neither. Maybe no single target regen and keep the single target shield instead. Make aspected helios a regen only spell/no initial heal (and remove the regen from CU). have them traited to enhance card effects or extend a buff. Maybe have a reset a targets buffs (even non ast ones that were just used/ending). Either way...they are gonna need to do something if we are ever to get another healer type. They had whm/sch for 2.0 set up pretty perfectly. 3.0 they shoehorned ast into the mix with the swapping sects. 4.0 they couldn't figure out balance still.

[KDSilver]

Definitely. But SE's said several times it won't happen. So, I think at this point, we just have to hope that any new healer will be a little more innovative. (And hope that 5.0 will, in fact, have a new healer).

They also said that about bow mage you know.
Look where we are now.

[KDSilver]

The easiest way to truly diversify AST without forcing a ground up rework of it is to allow then to spend GCDs on cards with the aim of giving them a route to generate DPS indirectly via buffs, rather than accepted norm of spamming Malefic like WHM/SCH.

As a quick and likely over simplified example:

Put redraw on the GCD and remove the recast delay on it allowing it to be used repeatedly until the AST gets the card they want.

Add in another GCD ability that lowers Draw's current recast timer by 10 seconds per cast.

Now obviously, the numbers would need to be adjusted and refined significantly as I've just plucked them out of the air. But as a concept, I think allowing players to spend their GCD downtime (aka the time in which they aren't healing) generating buffs for other players as an alternative to simply blasting away themselves would make a lot of people happy even if the end result is pretty much the same.

It truly boggles my mind that SE haven't considered this.

It looks good on the paper for things like the bole and the ewer, that need specifics moments usage, but otherwise, we'd just fish for the Balance over and over again and arrow and spear would be left in the dust.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

It's unfortunate, but I doubt SE will ever change AST at this point. They had a chance before SB but it's sat for too long now. The sects is definitely the cause for many healer balance issues. It's always either worse than what it copies or so much better it's broken. I would love for them to just remove sects and just give them their own way to heal different from WHM and SCH. It was a really lazy idea anyway, and if this is the best they can do for AST, I worry for any new healer jobs...

[Sylvain]

Earthly star is quite unique so by adding more unique abilities the job would get more "identity" but unless they'd rework the way AST heal from the ground the base will always be like the whm heal.

Imo I wouldn't mind à rework to make the basic healing different.

Perhaps a new aspected spell would be nice. - 2 3

They also need to do something with the minor arcana as (beside sleeve draw) it is something you technically never want to use.

If you turn a draw into a minor arcana that means you've expanded all your options and the draw is still terrible.

The nocturnal / diurnal is also a problem.
Shield are necessary for some phase, because of this any combo of 2 healers should be able to have a way to temporary increase ehp of the party member. But the nocturnal / diurnal is a very lazy way to do it. It doesn't add much to the job.

If anything it'd be nice to be able to switch stance during a fight. And if possible have the AST gameplay change more than a simple additional effect to 2 spells.

P. S: tile dilation needs a rework it's just lame.

[Brightshadow]

Bard/Machinist say hi.

And Warrior, and soon to be Dark Knights.

[Selvokaz]

Anytime you ask a job that already exist to do something completely different than what it does it will 99% of time take way more work than just letting it sit as is.

AST already has its own identity amongst the healers as the one that buffs something other than your hp. It can boost Defense, it can Boost Attack, it can boost MP Regen and TP Regen, it can Boost Skill/Spell Recast, neither of the other two can do that, that is the uniqueness of the AST, it also has a kind of jack of all trades master of none feel, it can depending on it's sect imitate SCH or WHM but neither excels or disappoints with its imitation at copying their unique strengths.

And if it wasn't clear its overarching theme is that it uses the Stars to empower allies, its minor or secondary theme is that it manipulates time (Lightspeed, Time Dilation,)

[Selvokaz]

Bard/Machinist say hi.

Why make that comparison? The role skills aren't specific to either job, a new ranged physical dps could come out tomorrow and they'd have access to that stuff to. Where it matters between those two jobs they are very different, where as poorly as it feels in my opinion Bard has support effects woven into its primary job skills ie the songs, and several job specific abilities, whereas machinist is pure selfish DPS in all its abilities. None of Machinist job specific abilities benefit other party members, outside of one that lowers a enemies attack by 10%, a good ability if you remember to use it, but thats it, compared to the bards constant 15% critical chance buff to the party, and potential secondary buff from troubadour, battle chant, and foe requiem, and their own version of esuna.

[KDSilver]

Anytime you ask a job that already exist to do something completely different than what it does it will 99% of time take way more work than just letting it sit as is.

AST already has its own identity amongst the healers as the one that buffs something other than your hp. It can boost Defense, it can Boost Attack, it can boost MP Regen and TP Regen, it can Boost Skill/Spell Recast, neither of the other two can do that, that is the uniqueness of the AST, it also has a kind of jack of all trades master of none feel, it can depending on it's sect imitate SCH or WHM but neither excels or disappoints with its imitation at copying their unique strengths.

And if it wasn't clear its overarching theme is that it uses the Stars to empower allies, its minor or secondary theme is that it manipulates time (Lightspeed, Time Dilation,)

"It can".
Yes, cause that on its toolkit.
But that's the theory, cause once in battle, that's where this rng card system shows some of its weaknesses.

TP is never used. Cause outside of aoe, melee no longer have TP issue, and they got goad. That card is always burned for the aoe effect.
Bole looks like an awesome mitigation tool indeed. But using it means sacrificing dps card instead. Same goes for Ewer.
Not only that, but if you don't keep those card in Spread, you'll never be able to properly use them at some dedicated moment.

So the core important buff we're insterested in are Arrow, Spear and of course Balance.
Yes, Ast has some unique spells and identity, even if the main healing mechanics are copy cat of WHM one.
If they'd rework support cards, they could adjust healing spell with that in thought and make Astrologian's healing more unique and not like a "whm with cards".