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

[SuzakuCMX]

This, I think, is an interesting question. In my opinion, it's a lot more than just using Cure and CDs effectively, though that is certainly part of it.

My main point in posing that question was that....well no matter how skilled you are as a healer, AST will never output more healing than just spamming Benefic II and therefore "healer skill" doesn't really make having a good AST that much more effective than having a mediocre SCH/WHM since they are all around worse.

[loreleidiangelo]

I'm glad that the devs are treading carefully around AST changes, but frankly I'm very disappointed that it's taking this long to implement. By the time they tune AST to be usable in AS3 and 4 serious progression groups will have asked their ASTs to switch to something else and gear that instead (with a currency that is job-specific, not role-specific, which HURTS).

It's unlikely that ASTs will be able to use the job in any Alex progression content until the next raid cycle, which is a shame. The problems with AST were evident from the onset and out of fear of disrupting what is essentially a bragging rights contest (world first AS4 clear) they've decided to sit on their hands, rather than implement fixes.

[LycorisSelunis]

Sounds like the changes mentioned last night/this morning in Live Letter are all for 3.07, in three days.

from the quick translations-
In regards to adjustments to astrologian

We'll focus on adjusting the power of astrologian healing.
Additionally, we're making adjustments to the duration of party-supporting actions. You should be able to feel the power boosts more clearly, so please look forward to it.

[Assirra]

That honestly sounds just like potency+card duration buffs.
I am very disappointed.

[LycorisSelunis]

That honestly sounds just like potency+card duration buffs.
I am very disappointed.

I kind of am too, I was hoping for some CD love. But I will reserve judgment till I have actually played the changes and read patch notes. I feel like they are being very vague on purpose.

[NorthernLadMSP]

Sounds like the changes mentioned last night/this morning in Live Letter are all for 3.07, in three days.

Just out of curiosity, where are you getting that these are planned for 3.07?

[MidnightTundra]

Cards are getting buffed and healing power is getting buffed. Is this not what people wanted?

[Eudyptes]

That honestly sounds just like potency+card duration buffs.
I am very disappointed.

Yeah. Just like 3.05, they seem to be buffing AST in areas it doesn't really need work while completely ignoring what does. We'll see when it gets released, but I am feeling the same letdown I felt when I read the 3.05 patch notes.

Cards are getting buffed and healing power is getting buffed. Is this not what people wanted?

No. People want CDs to pull asses out of fires. As for card buffs, they are only buffing the duration of them. The problem with cards is not the duration, but the RNG and to a lesser extent card potency.

[LycorisSelunis]

Just out of curiosity, where are you getting that these are planned for 3.07?

It was in the live letter. Can't find the translation of the implementation proper :/ only a reference on reddit. I really am saddened that the 14 hour stream has no translators. If I am wrong we will know in 3 days or when Bayhone puts up the more official live letter digest as opposed to the quick-n-dirty one there is now.

For what it's worth, the unofficial people also said they mentioned Synastry and Collective Unconcious (grr, synastry is fine its CO that's needs a lil somethin-somethin).

[Eudyptes]

For what it's worth, the unofficial people also said they mentioned Synastry and Collective Unconcious (grr, synastry is fine its CO that's needs a lil somethin-somethin).

If they make it so you can drop CU, and then slap a meaty healing effect to CO (can remove the stun), I think that's really all AST needs for CDs. Any additional CDs or fixes would be icing on the cake.

After that though, we need card work for sure. I'm truly disheartened by the fact all they are doing is upping the duration. Right now AST's cards are bad because SCH can boost group dps roughly on par with AST (though much most consistently), in addition to being able to cast a field for the same effect as bole. AST needs not only to match that, but should be able to surpass it too since buffing is supposed to be out schtick and the whole reason we lack everywhere else in the first place. Duration increases, in the end, won't do anything. Especially since it's not like you can't even have two diff cards up on people at once.