Why people says AST is bad?

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Originally Posted by Zoralink

Doing content with an AST vs. with a SCH or WHM is indeed night and day. It is many, many times easier, irrespective of your attempts to attack any players.

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I've never found it difficult to heal/dps in my groups (no more than I found WHM to be through ARR). So I do not agree that the difference is night and day by any means. We have a few less things to fall back on when there is trouble, but it wasn't difficult to adapt to.

Again, "night and day" is a gross over exaggeration. They have different playstyles certainly, and the lack of those fall backs is an objective weakness for the class, but that's really where it ends.

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Originally Posted by Eudyptes

I've never found it difficult to heal/dps in my groups (no more than I found WHM to be through ARR). So I do not agree that the difference is night and day by any means. We have a few less things to fall back on when there is trouble, but it wasn't difficult to adapt to.

Again, "night and day" is a gross over exaggeration. They have different playstyles certainly, and the lack of those fall backs is an objective weakness for the class, but that's really where it ends.

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The thing is, they really don't have different playstyles. The base of diurnal AST is essentially the same as the base of WHM. Maintain regen, cure (benefic) spam. Essential dignity if absolutely needed, otherwise benefic II. The only thing that differentiates an AST from a WHM in particular is:



Cards, which as mentioned are objectively weaker in light of-

A lack of cooldowns as you said.

And those make all the difference in the world. If you don't realize how significant of an impact divine seal, benediction, fey illumination, rouse, fey covenant, assize, presence of mind, deployment tactics, indomitability, etc. can have in contrast to AST having...uh.... light....speed...? then you really haven't seen the aforementioned abilities used well. You can't just completely disregard the importance of healing cooldowns.

And if the argument is that AST can be "okay" if nothing ever goes wrong, well... I don't think I need to comment on that. Even in situations where things go flawlessly, AST is still objectively inferior in every way. You seem to take issue with my phrasing, but ultimately at the moment it really doesn't matter what you take with you into things such as Ravana EX. Hell, it was just done with 7 tanks and a healer. The fight is not difficult, particularly from a healing standpoint.

Don't get me wrong, I really, really want to like the job, but let's not kid ourselves. You are holding the group back by using it overall. Less so in 'perfect' scenarios, but that is still the way of it.

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Originally Posted by Eudyptes

I've never found it difficult to heal/dps in my groups (no more than I found WHM to be through ARR). So I do not agree that the difference is night and day by any means. We have a few less things to fall back on when there is trouble, but it wasn't difficult to adapt to.

Again, "night and day" is a gross over exaggeration. They have different playstyles certainly, and the lack of those fall backs is an objective weakness for the class, but that's really where it ends.

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Not only does AST lack in the healing tools department.

It also has the worst mana return (no Assize/Aether, no Indomitability/Whispering Dawn/Usable Asylum), which also exasperated by the fact it cant augment its weaker heals to replace stronger heals like WHM and AST can (divine seal, PoM, Illum, Rouse).

You simply cant output as much healing as WHM and SCH can over the course of a long fight. Your partner must output more heals or more dps to overcome AST flaws.

In more simple terms and very exaggerated terms
WHM and SCH have 1 million mana to work with along with the ability to augment its weaker heals for superior HP/M
AST has 750,000 mana to work with and cannot increase its own HP/M
Oh but AST get (most of time) a worse version of selene 3% haste buff, totally worth it.

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Originally Posted by sharazisspecial

It also has the worst mana return

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Offset by the fact it has lower mana costs across the board, and if played right can refresh more often/cut mp costs further. If you have mana issues in long fights on AST, you're playing it wrong.

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Originally Posted by Zoralink

And if the argument is that AST can be "okay" if nothing ever goes wrong, well... I don't think I need to comment on that.

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That's not the argument, and never was...

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Offset by the fact it has lower mana costs across the board, and if played right can refresh more often/cut mp costs further. If you have mana issues in long fights on AST, you're playing it wrong.

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Although you have too since you have little options. Ewering yourself even further widens the gap between Selene 3% and AST. Since it costs a card cooldown, another 30-60 seconds of noone being buffed.

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Originally Posted by sharazisspecial

Although you have too since you have little options. Ewering yourself even further widens the gap between Selene 3% and AST. Since it costs a card cooldown, another 30-60 seconds of noone being buffed.

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Right..if AST can't match Selene's haste buff 100% of the time, they're worthless. Got it.

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Originally Posted by Eudyptes

Offset by the fact it has lower mana costs across the board [...]

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But it that even right ?

Ast: Beneficx115= MP Cost: 40710 Potency: 43700 Potency/MP: 1,07

Whm: Curex100+(Free Cure2x15)= MP Cost: 44200 Potency: 49750 Potency/MP: 1,12

Sch: Physikx115 +(95x Embrace)= MP Cost: 50830 Potency: 74500 Potency/MP: 1,46

So spamming our single target heal actually has the highest cost per potency across the board. Though not far off from the Whm.
Always remember, this is not taking into account Whm/Sch cooldowns. Ast doesn't have any which actually improve Potency/MP (except Synastry)

Thats not to say, AST is unplayable, I was simply interested if your statement was true ;)

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Right..if AST can't match Selene's haste buff 100% of the time, they're worthless. Got it.

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Thats not the point people here try to get across, its more like:
AST gets 4! abilities which do "nothing" but buff the team - to offset this AST has ... lets say less options in the healing department.

SCH: 1 Ability, which doesn't even have to be managed, which by raw nubers is actually stronger - to offset this SCH has superior shielding, damage mitigation, cooldowns, dps. Can AoE heal aswell if need arises (CD) ¿¿¿

Still think AST is more fun. :D

If you get Ewer and royal road it, draw still goes on cooldown. So you could either use it on yourself and make draw go on CD, or RR it and it still goes on cooldown. Just have to ask yourself which is maybe needed more. Giving yourself reduced mana cost, or worst case, drawing spear next time (assuming you don't have a card in spread and shuffle is in CD) and having to use or RR that.

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Originally Posted by Eudyptes

Offset by the fact it has lower mana costs across the board, and if played right can refresh more often/cut mp costs further. If you have mana issues in long fights on AST, you're playing it wrong.



That's not the argument, and never was...

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You are not taking into account WHM proc system of free cure II and half cost cure III or sch having a fairy thats free and lustrates which are more or less free. Lower base cost =/= better mana efficency which is what you seem to think.

AST relies too much on RNG to compete with the other 2 healers at the moment, not to mention it is very very very difficult to recover bad situations in raids as an AST compared to WHM and SCH, meaning it will be detrimental to have an AST in a progression based raid team in its current iteration.

Ok, ok, I concede. AST is literally the worst class in the game and can't do anything. The job should be removed completely because it's clearly so awful.