Your thoughts on Astrolgian so far?

[DreamWeaver]

Just some random musings,

I'm not going to address the "lack of healing capabilities" of an AST, mostly because I haven't played and experienced one myself.

On the other hand tho regarding the 6 drawn cards, is it possible that these seems underwhelming due to lack of communication?
Imagine a well oiled team where everybody's communicating via voice comms, as an AST you can announce which card you obtained, and who'll benefit most from that card.

Just a few examples to illustrate my point:
Got Arrow (10% attack speed) and a WAR is just about to pop his berserk? Slap it on him so he can get 1 or 2 more GCDs in.

Balance (10% damage), find out which dps is about to activate their CDs for burst damage, and give it to him.

Spear (20% Recast), maybe that summoner who's just Raging Strike-ed, and about to unleash all his/her festers, slap this on him, instead of 2 festers per RS, it is now possible to unload all 3 festers in the RS duration.

Obviously all these are extremely situational, but there's always the chance of some awesome synergy wombo-combo happening every 30 seconds .

All of the above is most likely unattainable in a random DF party, but if SE were to adjust these buffs based on a random DF party, I honestly cannot imagine how frighteningly powerful an AST can be in a well oiled team.

[Shamirah]

The thing is DreamWeaver : like I said it sounds good in theory but in practice it is not.

You don't know which cards you will draw. You can't ask your party to "hold on to your CDs until I get the appropriate cards". That does not work. Yes it's great if you can align the cards with CD but you just cannot predict in advance what you will get. Plus, you can spend a fight without having any arrow or balance cards (yes it happened to me several times).

Ast is able to heal through EX primal just fine and maybe alexdaner.

We're talking about the fact that AST has ridiculously bad CDS and some serious other flaws. It's just not a good balance and design. Heck you could even do the first coils with a war, did not mean war were not bad and in dire need of a buff/rework.

[DreamWeaver]

I never imply that DPS should hold their CDs for the AST to try and grab the card they wanted.

I have also stated :
Obviously all these are extremely situational, but there's always the chance of some awesome synergy wombo-combo happening every 30 seconds.

Now, just how often these synergy can happen is not something that is quantifiable now, thus I won't comment "how awesome/badass" these synergies are, I am merely pointing out the possibilities.

[GideonHighmourn]

There are many possibilities; no one is denying that. However, those are possibilities that rely 100% on RNG, and don't warrant bringing an AST in lieu of a reliable healer where the chances of receiving their full benefit is guaranteed.

[Arragomis]

as a 60 Astro currently working my way through LAW farming let me shed some light on the issues. The heals are weak.. plain and simple I feel ike im always playing catch and have been called bad many times. Im a solid healer, main heals and have cleared all content prior to astro on sch and whm. That being said the class is fun a lot of fun and I hope to see it improved potency etc. I have ran a few dungeons at level 60 the 60 ones ilv 155 and I have been told man your struggling.. I was spamming Benefic 2 just to keep a tank alive on a large pull. Small pulls I can handle fine, but with its current state in 60 dungeons your heals are too weak to dps and then catch up b efore your tank dies. so you cant do that, the RNG of the cards are very rough, but workable.

[Arragomis]

The potency of the heals are very weak and I find myself having to use 3 benefic2 in a row instead of a white mage using Cure 1 once just to keep a tank alive. Im always starved for MP in long fights, even with the MP regen ability and using Ewer when I get it. Its just rough right now. Anyone saying "im a pro astro can heal any content" is saying that pre 60. Post 60 where it matters, we are no where near on par with other healers in healing output. But man everyone loves our buffs at least though right?

[GideonHighmourn]

as a 60 Astro currently working my way through LAW farming let me shed some light on the issues. The heals are weak.. plain and simple I feel ike im always playing catch and have been called bad many times. Im a solid healer, main heals and have cleared all content prior to astro on sch and whm. That being said the class is fun a lot of fun and I hope to see it improved potency etc. I have ran a few dungeons at level 60 the 60 ones ilv 155 and I have been told man your struggling.. I was spamming Benefic 2 just to keep a tank alive on a large pull. Small pulls I can handle fine, but with its current state in 60 dungeons your heals are too weak to dps and then catch up b efore your tank dies. so you cant do that, the RNG of the cards are very rough, but workable.

I'd be interested in your healing numbers. Would you mind posting exactly what each spell heals for, in each Aspect? Along with what iLvl, stats, weapon, etc.

[SaintK]

That guy is exagerrating. Yes, our potencies are weak, but three benefic 2s =/= one cure 1. Comon man, thats just ludicrous. Benefic 2 is only 30 less potency than cure 2. Hes right though, our healing is a STRUGGLE. Especially in pugs where you have to tell your dps to stand within a 15 yalm distance of each othre or they wont get hit by helios. Dignity is good, but i feel like it should be a 30 seconds cool down (why does our lustrate have to have a 40 second cooldown anyway? Scholars can essentially get a similiar spell three times in thirty seconds.). The cards are RNG beyond belief. I just love shuffling a spire into a spire and drawing a spire on the draw after that -_-. The abilities (all five of them) past 50 are garbage.

[Arragomis]

rought estimates. Aspected benefic averages about 1.5k Benefic 1 2200 base. Benefi 2 around 3.5k. spected Helios around 850. Helios around 1800 base. Those are rough stimates. But when tanks are getting hit 3k at a time, those numbers barely keep up let alone save a tank from brink. Our Mini Benediction is on 40 second CD and works best when people are on brink but I have around 9k HP and 12k MP atm with my current gear. Only 170 weapon and LAW legs. I know it should get better. and I hope it does.. but for a long time raid healer to be called a scrub by ignorant people really aggrivates me.. its not on par with other healers and I have to work twice as hard to keep tanks and party alive and manage MP and RNG cards you never want lol.

[NorthernLadMSP]

I just got to 60 tonight and there's a few things that really irk me. While I love the job, the abilities are gorgeous, and it's fun to play, I cannot help but wonder why:

1. WHY is our only "buff" actually a nerf you place on yourself? Yes, I'm talking Lightspeed. This skill infuriates me.

2. Why, if the heals are lower potency (and they are, obviously requiring MORE heals to match the output of the other two healing jobs) did we get stuck with Shroud, aka Luminiferous Aether? If we are having to cast that many more heals than a WHM or SCH would, why would we not get something akin to Aetherflow?

3. I know it's "random," but why do I always end up getting the cards I don't want (yes I'm looking at you Spear)?