Patch 5.05 Astrologian is still frustrating, stressful, and disappointing

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

Would also add:

• Nocturnal sect's asinine 1k Aspected Benefic cost even under Neutral Sect where Diurnal can get the exact same effect for 500 less mp.
• Nocturnal is only useful when partnered with a whm if Duirnal's shields are not good enough which unfortunately it is for dungeons/extreme trials/eden normal/E1S
• We are still 'fishing' (i would argue more now) for specific cards just it is random on the cards we want rather than being set now

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Noct AB is a button you just let gather dust, because CI is such a good skill that's available when you need it.

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Originally Posted by Arale

Quick note, but I recall them buffing most of AST's base potencies to make up for the sect healing loss when ShB rolled out. I also have to disagree with everyone here saying Neutral Sect is underwhelming; it's by far the best of the 80 healer abilities IMO. Stacks with SCH's shields, provides a beefy regen, and can be reapplied. Aspected Benefic becomes hilariously strong because of it, and Aspected Heilos can shield from a respectable amount of damage and top everyone off at the same time. Other healers have to use 2 abilities to get those results from 1 cast, or more. I would take it over Temperance any day, considering how many times someone would need to take damage that's reduced by 10% to equal the amount that Neutral Sect would outright absorb, or Consolation from Seraph even.

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This is why i put this underneath those bullet points,

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

Now i do not agree with OP on everything but they put forward a good argument why they are not liking ast atm, the stuff i added in my post are direct problems i have ast.

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I have issues with Neutral but it is due to Nocturnal rather anything Neutral does

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Originally Posted by technole

Noct AB is a button you just let gather dust, because CI is such a good skill that's available when you need it.

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It certainly feels that way it is truly sad how they can never balance Nocturnal with Diurnal let alone with scholar

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

This is why i put this underneath those bullet points,



I have issues with Neutral but it is due to Nocturnal rather anything Neutral does



It certainly feels that way it is truly sad how they can never balance Nocturnal with Diurnal let alone with scholar

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Fair enough. I agree though, the dual sect nature is kneecaping the class right now. I kinda wish they did a Horoscope esque system, where you had strong delayed heals and could manipulate them from there.

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Originally Posted by Crushnight

It certainly feels that way it is truly sad how they can never balance Nocturnal with Diurnal let alone with scholar

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Actually, now that SCH fairy's healing from embrace is like almost nothing. They have hardly any excuse anymore not to adjust Noct Sect base on SCH's shielding capability.

Pre-shield as SCH often lessens the need for extra heal from both my co-healer and myself, but pre-shield with noct helios often still require me to throw extra stuff to top off the party after co-healer's. I mostly have easier time to keep party stable with diurnal & whm double regen.

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Originally Posted by Miziliti

Actually, now that SCH fairy's healing from embrace is like almost nothing. They have hardly any excuse anymore not to adjust Noct Sect base on SCH's shielding capability.

Pre-shield as SCH often lessens the need for extra heal from both my co-healer and myself, but pre-shield with noct helios often still require me to throw extra stuff to top off the party after co-healer's. I mostly have easier time to keep party stable with diurnal & whm double regen.

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Yep, so long as Duirnal's shields are all that is needed, Nocturnal is by in large worse, sorry to those that like this playstyle but it is worse than Diurnal in most situations.

plus- I really like the high speed healing returning again since that was like the first reason that made me decide to use AST as my primary healing class and then fell in love with the card system which had so much utility.

Minus- The new card system still feels like butt, and is really distracting with certain abilities that should have been moved to earlier levels like the current CO (30-50) and divination (lv1). And, they need to make like a "sectional/celestial transition (5 second cooldown)" ability or change the Blue AOE into an AOE shield instead of an aoe heal.

I'll say this, AST was not play tested for those who use controllers. Macros aren't a substitute for poor job design and giving a job this many targeted abilities on top of being a healer is pretty stupid and beyond clunky. I spend most of my lightspeed window making sure my cards actually go off

One of my main pet peeves is that in ideal groups - aka premades - there's not much issue about the melee/ranged split.... but in DF more often than not most, if not all, the party members are ranged*, and that already renders half the cards useless. Raise your hand if you'd ever had to burn all 3 charges of Redraw at once because the melee/ranged/seal don't match. Yeah...this totally fixed the "fishing" problem /s

*Like seriously, melees seem to be allergic to queuing for Alliance raids, I've had dozens of times where all 5 DPS are ranged.

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Originally Posted by Quor

*coughs in tank*
No no, it's fine, I'll just sit over here with my shadow. I'm happy this way, really, so you can stop looking at me with those eyes.

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I do throw the melee cards at the tank if there's no DPS, but we shouldn't be restricted by such an arbitrary, redundant, and clunky division to begin with. it's specially infuriating during Sleeve Draw.

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Originally Posted by Allegor

but in DF more often than not most, if not all, the party members are ranged*, and that already renders half the cards useless.

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*coughs in tank*
No no, it's fine, I'll just sit over here with my shadow. I'm happy this way, really, so you can stop looking at me with those eyes.

i know i'm probably a minority but i love his kit,other then the basic cards that are plain and divination which is decent, i really love his kit as a whole healing and the use of cards.
i ignore any potency issues or missing effect cause those can always be adjusted.
i love we can choose which sect we use before a fight to show some aspect of controlling fate,it makes the astrologist feel more versatile and in control.
however ,i think all can agree that the cards and divination needs a bit redesign.

that issue was a result of fishing cards and tbh if the fishing problem was that sever ,i would have thought that SE would probably force players to just use the card they drew and prevent him from using draw until otherwise because i mean the astrologist theme is reading cards and interpret them.

the cards rng doesn't feel an issue cause the rng is like fate you don't know what your going to get,but i would give a player a choice give a buff or target an enemy and apply a debuff according to the card(you know like up or down cards like in the tarrots) to make the card be more meaningful and to show a player skill by choosing that as well answering the problem had with a card being unused.in terms of redraw maybe limit it to one time per card drawn to prevent fishing.
the card system of play and draw is nice and i love it but i agree that each card need to be unique or 2 sets per seal should have their own buff to make them interesting.

in terms of divination and the seals i feel its cool but it doesn't solve fishing problems cause people will always aim for 3 different seals.i believe divination can be better maybe apply a buff based on which seal drawn and get increased based on same seal drawn.

but other then those 2 things draw,play.sleeve draw,minor arcana,lord of crowns and lady of crowns feels right,the healing kit and damage kit feel right with the astrologist and i don't really have much complains other then the basic cards and that divination is ok but can be better.