What do you guys think about letting us swap between nocturnal and diurnal sect in combat? Astrologians might not be as good at HoT/absorption as WHM/SCH respectively but the flexibility of being able to do both would be powerful and personally I think really fun.
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08-26-2019, 10:33 AMVitreus
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08-26-2019, 03:04 PMAraleMight be cool, even viable but a few things need to happen first I think. Something meaningful needs to change about Nocturnal Sect, and we need a second way to recover MP. The drain on mana from shielding would be too much in my opinion otherwise.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vitreus
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08-27-2019, 05:00 AMNessaWyvernNot to mention we didn't even have to click on our party members when AoE cards were going out, just position yourself in the middle of everyone and use it on yourself, felt much better. There's a reason I switched back to SCH, after I had been an Ast main throughout HW and SB, cards just feel clunky :(Quote:
Originally Posted by TankHunter678
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08-27-2019, 05:53 AMIanFrenchOne funny thing I have noticed, ppl claimed to like new kit normally are not AST main...and most of which haven't levled their AST to 80 yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrimsonGunner
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08-27-2019, 07:45 AMSide-EyeTruth!! The other exasperating thing is when a dev (or Yoshi himself) says they were trying to address the 'problem' of astros having to "fish for balance" -- which, IF they had actually played the class to any length, would have learned that a good astrologian NEVER had to fish for anything. Every card had SOME kind of use with the old system. The NEW system? Now THAT is fishing -- for seals -- and with returns that are frankly a bit hollow and invisible unless you're using an (illegal) parser.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanFrench
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08-27-2019, 01:33 PMBrandedblade*side eyes his 80 ast* ok.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanFrench
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08-27-2019, 01:37 PMMintnHoney
And yet, even if your AST is 80, you are neither "most" nor, I suspect, would you consider yourself just "normal."
That being said, it's not as if you're wrong for liking the kit or something, so you don't have to act like this is twitter and get your tatas twisted. -
08-27-2019, 02:53 PMNessaWyvernThat being said, I haven't leveled mine at all, because I hate the new cards so much I don't even want to touch Ast anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanFrench
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08-27-2019, 08:39 PMAraleBeen an AST since 3.3 HW. I wouldn't say love, but the harder I work, the more enjoyment I get out of the new kit. I just wish for it to be stronger so that I can compete with the other healers in overall output.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanFrench
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08-27-2019, 08:53 PMSeraphor
AST is my main healer, although I don't like raiding as a healer so it's not my 'main job' (which would fall to either RDM, BLM or DRK) I do love playing healer in dungeons and roulettes.
I think the new card system is an improvement.
AST's old cards were fundamentally unbalanced, having Bole and Ewer as core healer toolkit skills tied to rng was always bad design.
Now AST has a regular mitigation spell every 30s in Intersection instead of Bole, and a more potent Lucid Dreaming for MP regen.
Plus speed and crit buffs aren't the best.
Speed is very tricky to balance, some jobs hate it, some jobs love it, and most barely feel the difference.
"But the maths says it's a flat DPS increase" but that's not how speed works in practice. Yes you might get there a bit quicker, but unless you're quick enough that you gain a whole additional GCD within the 30s window it was available, then it's barely a 2% increase, and if you clip, which most will, it's a 0% increase.
Crit has it's own issues with scaling exponentially over the course of an expansion, from being worth little at the start, to worth loads at the end. There's a reason why they stripped BRD of it's Crit mechanics.
So in terms of balance, which is their focus for healers this expac. the new system is a huge bonus.
As for the effectiveness of the buffs, Cards are comparable to Trick Attack, and because they're less 'random' now, you can actually measure it!
Trick attack is 10% over 10s every 60s.
Divination being 6% over 15s, is equivalent to 9% over 10s, so only 1% less.
It’s only every 120s though.
But then consider that as Divination is cooling down, you can use four single target cards of the same effect or greater.
Use them on all four DPS in a full party, or all party members in a 4-man, and that’s equivalent to having 2 Divinations every 120s, or… one every 60s.
Then consider you’ll get at least one Minor Arcana for 8% over 15s, which would be equivalent to 12% over 10s, completely making up for that 1% loss to Trick Attack on the other three cards. Except you can target the top DPS instead of it being a blanket buff on all party members.
Throw in Sleeve Draw and you’re in credit.
If it's a matter of whether the new cards are 'fun' or not, I think that's largely an issue of perception... and nostalgia for the old system.
Fundamentally, there's little difference between deciding to put a crit buff on a bard or a speed buff on a samurai or black mage.... and deciding to put a Ewer on a ranged DPS or a Spear on a melee DPS. The same sort of decision making is there, the same overall effect of increasing that persons damage is still there, except now the effect is standardized as a flat damage buff.
As you weren't the individual feeling the effects of that buff anyway, it shouldn't really make a difference, it's just perception.
Now, that's not to say the current system doesn't still have issues. The biggest being that while the effects of the system have been simplified... the mechanics haven't, so it's kinda clunky and takes more effort than it feels is 'worth it'.
I think it could be tweaked a little better.
So the following system is what I would do to improve it:
Balance/Spear/Arrow: 10/6% damage increase for Melee/Ranged.
Bole/Spire/Ewer: 10/6% damage increase for Ranged/Melee
Seals are the same as they currently are, but they do not apply when Playing the card.
Minor Arcana’s are the same for each card.
Minor Arcana: Applies the Seal of the currently held card and discards that card, while generating the effect of Lord/Lady of Crowns. Can only be used in combat.
Lord of Crowns: Grants you a 5% crit buff for 10s and restores 250mp.
Lady of Crowns: Grants you a 5% healing potency buff for 10s and restores 250mp.
Divination: Bestows a party wide 6/8/10% damage buff based on the number of different Seals.
Sleeve Draw would have to be nerfed to just 2 free draws instead of three. Still enough to get your three Seals if you make use of Draw first.
Rather than throwing out a 6% every 30s consistently, you’re using card buffs less often, but for greater effect.
This gives you more impact for each single card/divination (feels better to use) and choice between single targets and building an AoE buff, plus a way to burn cards for healer utility.
There’s fewer buttons to press and less switching targets, because using Minor Arcana doesn’t require you to target anyone, and also doesn’t run the risk of failing to apply the seal.
Basically, in any 2 minute cycle, you will be choosing between four 10% single target buffs, OR one 10% single target buff and one 10% party-wide buff.
In four man content, it might be swings and roundabout which you do because you only have 2 DPS.
In eight man content, you will always want to feed your Divination. And because of how powerful this will be in eight mans, better than Trick Attack, it’ll be more equivalent to WHM’s Misery.
Plus you’ll be boosting your healing output and MP in the process. Two birds with one stone, AST would be fixed.