Quote Originally Posted by GideonHighmourn View Post
The point RichardButte is trying to make is that all of AST's utility is RNG based (17% chance = 1 in 6 chance of drawing), and doesn't make up for the difference between lack of healing cool downs no matter how you split the numbers.
That's why I question the 17% as that is drawing 1 card when 3 of them increase DPS. And for that 1 card Balance I have to ask, do you know how much Trick Attack increases DPS over the course of the fight? About 2%. How about Foe's? Even less.

That is the problem with that argument. The cards are the opposite of 'underwhelming.' What exactly are you expecting? For the AST to boost overall raid damage by 10% with good RNG? That's what I meant by SE has to balance against good, bad and average RNG. It's closer to 50-50 for drawing a card that increases dps. Depending on the length of Savage fights, Spire negating Paeon is another boost.

You don't need an 'ideal' time to throw up a card. The Ewer/Spire cards aren't refreshes precisely so throwing them on someone even at 1000 TP. As long as they are hitting buttons, that's never wasted. We have Spread for a reason. An Aoe Balance as long as people are hitting things is never wasted and is still 5 percent raid dps for fifteen seconds. Requires more set up than the NIN. 3% more for 5 seconds longer balanced against pulling that same trick 2 cards later to make up for that. Might be nicer and 'ideal' for burn phases, but that doesn't make drawing it suddenly not count. 10% less tank damage. As long as the tank is being hit, never wasted. 10% less healing, less mana used, greater safety margin.

The reason why I am arguing is because a lot of people are going way overboard buffing cards AND the CDs and making a monster healer for no reason. A card is every thirty seconds. It can't be 'flashy' and pack a lot of oomph because in half a minute, there is another card.