Yoshi-P's Interview with Famitsu includes a few comments about AST

[Luvbunny]

I am just wondering, have any one else try double AST with a bard or machinist? I mean, on paper, and on theory, those triple combos can potentially do massive damage with both AST powering Bard MP recovery so they can sing more. As well as double the chance to draw balance card to push damage on the top two DPS job (on top of Raging Strike bonus). Summoner with raging strike + balance card will be dealing 30% more damage on Deathflare, turning 400 potency into 520 potency AOE on all mobs...

[Risvertasashi]

I am just wondering, have any one else try double AST with a bard or machinist? I mean, on paper, and on theory, those triple combos can potentially do massive damage with both AST powering Bard MP recovery so they can sing more. As well as double the chance to draw balance card to push damage on the top two DPS job (on top of Raging Strike bonus). Summoner with raging strike + balance card will be dealing 30% more damage on Deathflare, turning 400 potency into 520 potency AOE on all mobs...

I don't quite have what you're asking for but I can say that, leveling AST and trying it out in some level 60 dungeons-- timed buffs can be quite powerful. It's not particularly reflected in encDPS but it can be very bursty. If you're curious to try it yourself, try running stuff with DPS you know well and maybe have ACT help you track their rotation (but you'll still need to be somewhat familiar with it).

[Luvbunny]

I don't quite have what you're asking for but I can say that, leveling AST and trying it out in some level 60 dungeons-- timed buffs can be quite powerful. It's not particularly reflected in encDPS but it can be very bursty. If you're curious to try it yourself, try running stuff with DPS you know well and maybe have ACT help you track their rotation (but you'll still need to be somewhat familiar with it).

I will be curious to see, if people here has another AST they know well, and can communicate via voice chat, and try the double AST + another full time buffer to see the difference. I think healing wise, AST is below the other two healers, they can't even compare to Scholar + fairy. But AST healing potency is not astronomically shitastic either, it's just taking some getting used to compare to the other two healers. Assuming you get two AST who can sync and complement each other, I can almost see why they are taking caution adjusting the buffs. With 2 astro, one of your party members will always get a buffs every 30 seconds, and a party wide buffs every 60 seconds, as well as normal buffs from your bard or machinist. We can almost see how nasty these triple threat combo can do.

One AST can synastry one tank + off tank, the other one can do it immediately after, thats synastry bang a gong every 60 seconds. Time Dillation every 45 seconds, extending Balance card to 30 seconds or 45 seconds if you extend it. Meaning those stacking abilities are going to start showing its nastiness in numbers, even at your worst outcomes. And with TP refresh almost nonstop... one or two DPS are gonna go all out with no abandon. I mean, they could assign which one of your party members will always get which buffs, so somebody, will always have buffs for 15 seconds, at any time, every 30 seconds, for the entire duration of the fights. Just to be sure, you cannot get TWO buffs from both AST right? Only one at a time?

If I am trying to predict, based on FFXI, where most party will not do anything without their Bard buffs... Bard + Corsair + Geomancer + Red Mage + Summoner buffs are extremely OP beyond beliefs.... Even if you end up with just two of them to buff your party full time. Right now AST buffs are just too much too random, especially if you are paired with strangers in DF, though in static, where both AST can communicate, would you think, the two of them plus another buffer, can do a decent amount of buffs (even with the randomness - since the worst card to come would be MP + Bole, but both can be Royal Road).

[MidnightTundra]

I am just wondering, have any one else try double AST with a bard or machinist? I mean, on paper, and on theory, those triple combos can potentially do massive damage with both AST powering Bard MP recovery so they can sing more. As well as double the chance to draw balance card to push damage on the top two DPS job (on top of Raging Strike bonus). Summoner with raging strike + balance card will be dealing 30% more damage on Deathflare, turning 400 potency into 520 potency AOE on all mobs...

% Damage+ buffs scale multiplicatively if I remember correctly (If I'm wrong someone correct me please). So Balance * Raging Strikes * Dreadwyrm Trance = ((1.1)*(1.2)*(1.1)) = 1.452. That comes out at a 45.2% increase in damage instead of an additive value of 40%. Throwing the balance card on a SMN with these buffs gives him a 13.2% increase in damage instead of a base 10%. Now that I think about it, this is probably why enhanced Royal Road is 150% instead of 200%. They probably wanted to prevent the scaling of stacking buffs from getting out of control.