3.1 : Astrologian "adjustments''

[NamoNanamo]

I'd also like it more if they just change the MP costs of SCH and WHM spells to the cost of AST spells lol.

No !!! Whm are already fine with their mp. With good use of Shroud and Assize, whm doesn't have any mp problem.
And Sch looks like they already got too much mana.

And I don't want a retroactive spear.

[Vlady]

Nocturnal stance is really the big thing that needs adjusted. I don't know how they'd adjust it without destroying scholars since aspected benefic already kicks adlo's ass, but it needs to be better. There's very little reason to use it over Diurnal. 5% damage buff to match diurnal's speed buff would be a start.

As far as cards go, I think simply making it impossible to shuffle to the same card would go a long, long ways. Also, buff the bole. Bole kinda blows right now. But I feel like if the random factor were totally taken out, the class would lose a lot of its "thinking on your feet" aspect.

Hmm. The problem with Ben Noc is shields are meant to be used to mitigate damage and it sort of tries to shield someone with an after heal. If anything make the heal a delayed effect that heals you after you take damage and that would go quite a ways to fixing the wierd heal+shield tied to it. Might need a internal cooldown on the delayed heal part though or a shield that heals you by 10% of the damage you take every hit. Reverse inferno shield that summoner ifrit has.

[Mirili]

. AST spells always costed less MP than the SCH/WHM equivalent but it was justified as the potency was lower. Now the potency is the same and the spells still cost less MP. I'd also like it more if they just change the MP costs of SCH and WHM spells to the cost of AST spells lol.

I think it had/has less to do with the potency, and more to do with the fact that AST has the least potent MP regen tools.

AST just has Luminferous Aether, and Ewer... But you may never actually draw ewer when you're in need of it.

SCH has Aetherflow (20% of MP), and Energy Drain.

WHM has Assize (10% of MP on use) and Shroud of Saints (Same cooldown and duration as AST's LA, but higher potency) for MP over time. They also receive traits that make certain spells entirely free to cast.

If they raised the MP cost of AST spells by any significant amount, I think it'd just crumble and die in longer fights. I don't see anything resembling nerfs coming AST's way. Even with the buffs, an AST replacing a WHM in an Alex static is a little risky. An AST replacing a SCH... Still unlikely. They're in an okay place. They get the job done. I don't think ASTs need to be worried.

[Rawrz]

AST just has Luminferous Aether, and Ewer... But you may never actually draw ewer when you're in need of it.

SCH has Aetherflow (20% of MP), and Energy Drain. (100% damage return as MP).
.

Just correcting this a little! Energy Drain restores a set amount of MP. It has nothing to do with the damage dealt or the piety of the SCH. A level 60 SCH Energy Drain restores the same as a level 60 SMN Energy Drain. The only place AST really struggle for MP is on their attack spells, since most have equivalent costs with the other heals, Gravity an exception since its costs a little less. The Ewer does help to make up for the non-subsidation of attack mp costs. Its kinda like an AST's personal balance. xD Leveling in AOE heavy dungeons I always had to warn the tank that my MP was fine even at less than 10% after each pull because of Gravity spam, but 15 seconds later after an Ewer and the walk to the next mob and I'm at 100%. xD

[Mirili]

Damn, you caught that. :P I removed it 'cause I wasn't actually sure WHY it returned that much MP lol.

[Yuyuka3]

Shroud of Saints (Same cooldown and duration as AST's LA, but higher potency) for MP over time.

When will that myth finally die...? Last time I checked, both skills had the same potency. The only difference is that SoS reduces aggro already gained before activating the skill, while LA reduces aggro done during its duration. That's it. Both skills are traited. ASTs trait is a copy-paste job from WHM, even on the same level.

Oh, and about WHM MP-management through procs... I think it's really funny a class that complains about its own RNG thinks that's such a great thing...


Regarding changes. I just hope SE won't break balance completely, even though I don't hold much hope for some time now. Personally, I think AST is strong enough as is, maybe a little tweak to the card system, but nothing as radical as some people here want...
My group runs WHM/AST without problem, btw.

[FaizeD]

While the shields in Noct are underwhelming, the issue with replacing a SCH with an AST has never been the shields. It's the fact that they can't pump out as much DPS in a sustainable way, and that they don't provide latent healing via fairy.

[Mirili]

When will that myth finally die...?
Oh, and about WHM MP-management through procs...

/shrug. Did a quick search, ended up on a maybe-not-updated wiki page that said LA is 60 potency. Checked XIVDB, it says 80 (Same as Shroud). So you're right.

I don't really think you can compare Freecure and the type of RNG AST deals with. Cure either will, or will not make Cure II free, and save you... around 10% of your MP pool? Freecure has a real and palpable effect on your MP management, and you get it fairly passively by just casting your main spells. It's a pretty great thing.

Say an AST needs Ewer... they might get Spire instead. Then Spire again. Spear, Spear, Bole. Balance!

I'm also not my group's AST, and I'm not pretending to speak for all ASTs. The point of my post earlier was to outline why AST SHOULD have lower MP costs than the other classes, not complain about their tools. I also think AST is in a pretty good spot.

[Yuyuka3]

About freecure and AST MP-management

Thing is, you can get some serious bad luck as WHM, too. For example, it's entirely possible to spam cures for, say, 2 minutes straight without getting a single freecure-proc. I get so 'lucky' at times... It's more like 5-6%, btw. AST is 20% cheaper by default, if I didn't mess up my calculation. So while it does save a lot of MP, it's not as great as people make it out to be imho. And yes, I'm aware that Assize exists.
I heal with a very competent AST and through her, I can't see how the class has MP problems and needs even lower MP-costs or something like that... Actually, she seems to be better off than I am at times (like when I get lucky again...). Maybe I'm biased because of my healing partner (and some other stuff, for that matter), but...

Well, as I said before, I REALLY hope it's only a slight adjustment to the card system and nothing game breaking.

[KarstenS]

no the cards should be random as that is the lore of the class.

I don't remember a point in the whole AST story where someone told something about randomness is a normal thing.

The central story up to lvl 50 was to open the 6 gates to receive the ability to use their power.

The first big fail was that you could use all 6 cards even before you opened the gates.

The story tells us, this is the base of the whole class.

Back in reality, its nothing else than a gimmick, because of its randomness.

The core of a class should never belong to randomness.