3.1 : Astrologian "adjustments''

[Atoli]

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

The lore of the class is basically that you do not know beforehand what cards fate deals you, and to not go against fate but find ways to use what you got to your advantage.
The cards reflect that rather well - you can't control which card you get, but as you get more qualified, you can try to change their effect, save them for later, or even use them to influence other cards.

[Muahbec]

Honestly, i honestly don't care to what the lore have to say if that's going to make my job unreliable (don't lie, random buffs are NOT reliable).

I'm PLAYING the game so i want the gameplay to be rewarding, random minor buffs are not helping at all, and if that wasn't enough our long long LONG cooldowns are not helping at all too (60s CD Shuffle giving the same card anyone???) the cooldowns are so long that prevent the job from doing what it was supposed to do correctly (BUFF!!!)

I have a spire but no one needs tp regen at the moment so i Royal Road it, oh sweet 30 seconds (probably more since the cooldown starts AFTER you use the card) acting as a WHM carbon copy since cards are the only unique thing i can do.....
30 seconds later
*Draw* SPIRE! * Shuffle* EWER!!! (if i right-click the RR buff i end up losing a card, if i cast the expanded ewer the effect will be so ridiculously low that i'll end up losing a card anyway, and if no one needs a MP regen? EVEN WORSE)
30 seconds later
*Draw* SPIRE! (yes trust me, it happens a lot) *Shuffle on CD* no one needs a TP regen at the moment.....Royal road it ._.
Result= More than 90 seconds with NO BUFFS AT ALL!(Yes, AST's niche is to buff people.... or at least that's what we were told...), more than 90 seconds being a WHM copy (everyone knows Diurnal sect is more rewarding than Nocturnal), more than 90 seconds of pure frustation.

Can't you see?
The amount of time WASTED?
How am i supposed to play my job correctly and buff my raid like this?

Basically we are 97% of our time playing WHM with different animations and 3% of our time getting the wrong buffs for the wrong moments thanks to the RNGesus and the insane long cooldowns.
So honestly now, if we are most of our time as a WHM copy, and our buffs are so insignificant, whats the point of bringing AST to the raid anyway? Just bring a WHM already.

If that's what the lore wants then i'm sorry but i want a lore change right now.

[Pomelo]

I'd like the "Ascend" in combat trait removing, and the in combatness to be innate like Arcanist Resurrection.

WHM's have the trait as their base class offers the spell to PLD's, SE currently do not want PLD's to be able to combat rezz.
ACN has no trait, at all, although the trait is deactivated in PVP for SMN's as they can't even rezz.

AST is a JOB, which offers no spells/skills/abilities to any other class/job in the game, our Ascend should from the level we get it, be an in combat rezz, instead of a useless unneccesary trait. I don't know what trait to suggest in return, but we really really don't need this crappy one >.<

[Lastelli]

Honestly, i honestly don't care to what the lore have to say if that's going to make my job unreliable (don't lie, random buffs are NOT reliable)

I agree, but we could still have a little RNG to make things more interesting but at the same time have more control over cards. Some adjustments I'd like to see:
1) Shuffle can't give you the same card you wanted to discard (change the tooltip accordingly for lore reasons) and make it a 20 seconds CD;
2) You can't draw the same card you just RR'd;
3) You can't draw the same card you're holding in your spread.
RNG could still result in the wrong card at the wrong time, but the probability will be much lower and our several skills related to cards management would feel much more...significant.

[HopeEstheim]

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.

This is exactly this. But the dps thing is linked with the nocturnal sect problem, because we can't change the damages provided by AST offensive spells.
So, imo there're two solutions :
- Give Noct. Sect a X% dps boost
- Make it so that Nocturnal Field has a damage reflector attached to it. Let's say 50%
So if you put a 2000 hp shield, and the monster hit the one with the shield with an attack dealing 500 damages, he will take 250 damage in return, and this effect fade at the same time as the shield.

With this second solution, it will help DPSing in noctual stance because you are dealing damages even when you are healing, and this is exactly what a SCH does.
Of course I said a 50% reflector, but I'm not here to talk about balance, but this is just an idea, because if an AST want to compete the SCH slot in a raid team, he have to deal damage too, and the class is not designed for it. Moreover, it won't change Diurnal Sect at all, so you can still "easily" replace a WHM.

[Zaj_Quilos]

Honestly, i honestly don't care to what the lore have to say if that's going to make my job unreliable (don't lie, random buffs are NOT reliable).

Don't play as an Astrologian then.

[Yuyuka3]

I'd like the "Ascend" in combat trait removing, and the in combatness to be innate like Arcanist Resurrection.

WHM's have the trait as their base class offers the spell to PLD's, SE currently do not want PLD's to be able to combat rezz.

Well, I tell you a secret. I don't care why that trait exists - I would like a useful one for my WHM as well instead of combat rezz. Talked to a friend about this quite some time ago. I really don't see why we should be the only ones stuck with this utterly useless trait. Give PLD some other cross class skill if you want...

But then again, if I look at what we got as 'compensation' for loosing two really nice traits, I lost faith in SE's ability to imagine useful traits for WHM...

[Muahbec]

Don't play as an Astrologian then.

Oh sure, the development team failed at the job and I'M the one who should stop playing with it? It's not my fault if the job concept is amazing but it is applied incorrectly.
And judging by your reply you just ignored my ENTIRE post.
Read the whole thing please.

[Pomelo]

Well, I tell you a secret. I don't care why that trait exists - I would like a useful one for my WHM as well instead of combat rezz. Talked to a friend about this quite some time ago. I really don't see why we should be the only ones stuck with this utterly useless trait. Give PLD some other cross class skill if you want...

But then again, if I look at what we got as 'compensation' for loosing two really nice traits, I lost faith in SE's ability to imagine useful traits for WHM...

I liked your post, because it doesn't exactly change anything if PLD can rezz, its a chunk of mana and most boss attacks interrupt casts anyway...PLD doesn't get swift/surecasts...
WHM did get shafted with quicker stoneskin :/ But the Medica for less mana is a good one...xD

[Mibgestalt]

Really just needs Nocturnal buffs. Or Scholar nerfs. Which I know isn't fun, but AST and WHM are comparable enough. The issue is that a Scholar is more or less irreplaceable as a second healer for PVE. I know people want the ability to swap Sects in combat, but Square has shown they aren't really comfortable messing with the healing paradigm they have in place, so it seems unlikely.

Maybe they should just remove Cleric Stance from the Cross-list, and give every healer their own version of Cleric Stance. Then the SCH version can make the fairy do DPS when it's on instead of being a non-stop free heal, and they can easily adjust it to account for differences in healer DPS.

Nocturnal needs a sizeable nerf in PVP if it gets buffed (and honestly even if it doesn't), though. Instant cast 600 potency is overpowered. Doubly so if they want Wolves' Den to be rejuvenated.