Thoughts from a 60 AST & 60 WHM

[NorthernLadMSP]

I now have Astro, White Mage and Scholar to 60. As much as I was so pumped for AST, after playing WHM and SCH at 60 in the new dungeons, I can tell you how far AST falls short. It's actually really disappointing considering I really wanted to make AST my main healer. But, in the end, that is not going to happen.

With WHM and SCH, I feel that they are so on point that I can really add some good DPS to dungeons and while doing a great healing job, all the while never going OOM. However, on AST, you pretty much just heal or throw a card out most of the time, as their MP pool coupled with their lower potency doesn't give a lot of wiggle room to add in a lot of DPS. Their spell effects are gorgeous and I love the idea of Astrologian and their weapon, but in the end, they need some major love from the devs.

[Risvertasashi]

I've been reading the replies as they come in -- thank you everyone for sharing your own thoughts and perspectives. Once Alex opens, I'm also curious to hear from anyone that tries both AST and another healing job in the raid.

Of course, AST is perfect for dungeons and duty roulette, but I think that a SCH or WHM will just shine more then AST in Alexander (savage).

My own thoughts have been running along these lines lately... AST seems more like a job I'll keep for dungeons or easier content; it's fun in a lot of ways, but the buffs might not be enough to offset the hefty drawbacks of the job. Well, tomorrow we can start experimenting and see...

[Selli]

I'm a WHM main myself and my AST isn't quite 60, but I do have some comments about the class.

Stoneskin II
Why isn't this cross-classable for AST/SCH yet? If you pug an 8-man and get AST/AST or SCH/AST, buffing takes forever. I dislike SCHing in dungeons simply because trying to Protect -> Stoneskin x4 -> Aldo -> Succor. People don't usually wait for that, you're lucky if you can get a Stoneskin and an Adlo on the tank before he runs off. Isn't that why Stoneskin II was created for; avoiding that really long prep time from the healer? There is no reason why the other two healing classes shouldn't have this skill.

Party Stat Buffs
AST only offers the PIE buff in parties, regardless of their Sect. This means that AST and SCH are fighting for spots in Alexander (and AST isn't doing very well because their shields aren't as good as a SCH's, especially their form of Adlo no doubling when crit), which is what the Sects were created for; avoiding a very situation like this. ._. The buff should change depending on the Sect or perhaps change to MND if there is a SCH/another AST present. Missing that ~26 MND from that buff on a healer is not really desired.

Lower Healing Potency
I can really feel it. Especially when my AST and WHM were both level 50. I feel like I have to spam Bene II on my tanks a lot more than I like. Even with AST's Regen + Medi II, I have to drop Cleric a lot to go back to spamming Bene II's on the tank.

I don't feel like this was the smartest idea, giving them lower potencies, it'd be fine if AST was a DPS (kind of similar to how some songs on a Bard lower their DPS), but for a healer to have weaker heals is not a good thing. Give them bad AoE, give them bad DoTs, but don't ruin their healing when that is their main focus. Or even just lower their poteancies after they use Draw and are holding a card in their hand that's counting down, something like that.

Spread
Why the bloody hell is this an in combat only skill? Lets pretending you're doing progression and your group keeps wiping very early into the fight. You're standing there waiting for CDs to come up and talking about what to do and you decide "hey, to help with this I could get us an AoE Spear when we pull". So you spam your Draw and get yourself an Arrow, you Royal Road it. And you spend the next 4 minutes spamming your Draws and Shuffles while waiting for the PLD's Hallowed Ground and you finally get a Spear... but you can't save it and the BLM is AFK using the restroom. It's the only card skill that is in combat, and it really doesn't need to be. Sure, and it makes sense for dungeons when your constantly attacking things, but not for raids when you have a bit of downtime before each pull.

Shuffle
You're in a 4-man dungeon. You have a War, a Nin, a Bard, and yourself. Things are getting AoE heavy. You Draw a card and get Ewer... you don't really need it so you Shuffle, hoping to get a Spire or an Arrow. Instead you get... Ewer... again. Why does this even happen? The point of Shuffling is to get a new card to help counter the heavy RNG with these cards and Shuffle really ruins the control you have if you can get the same card again.

[Izcroft]

All that and the fact that so many times when you get a card that is bad for the moment you have to throw it on the ground by RIGHT CLICKING IT OFF. Would appreciate it if there's a skill to do that so we can keybind it...

[Wintersandman]

Not to say one class is better than the other but Luminiferous Aether and Shroud of Saints have one big difference. You can get off 3 LA's in the course of a 6-7 minute fight vs 2 SS in the same duration.

[Risvertasashi]

Not to say one class is better than the other but Luminiferous Aether and Shroud of Saints have one big difference. You can get off 3 LA's in the course of a 6-7 minute fight vs 2 SS in the same duration.

How is that? Their cooldowns, durations, and potencies are exactly the same. The only difference is that LA doesn't have an enmity dump.

[NorthernLadMSP]

The only way to do that, at least that I'm aware of, is if you were to use a Spear on yourself before using LA.

[Risvertasashi]

The only way to do that, at least that I'm aware of, is if you were to use a Spear on yourself before using LA.

Oh, that could do it, but... well, others have already covered the argument of taking away our own utility.

[Wintersandman]

How is that? Their cooldowns, durations, and potencies are exactly the same. The only difference is that LA doesn't have an enmity dump.

LA = 120s
SS = 180s

LA also does have an enmity dump.

[NorthernLadMSP]

LA = 120s
SS = 180s

LA also does have an enmity dump.

No, I'm pretty confident (I will check tonight) that Shroud is also 120 seconds.