AST Healer used in World Third A8S / M4S

[GeekMatt]

I feel like Noct AST is in a bad place because there's no sense in using it so long as Dirunal is viable, since it offers better MP and better DPS. I don't get why we try to measure Noct up to SCH though. In the one area where the two are the same (shielding) they're both solid (with Noct Aspected Benefic being one of my favourite healer tools in the game), and when it comes to DPS no other healer measures up to SCH, but AST brings does bring unique benefits to the table in it's support and utility. I would never try and replace a SCH with another healer if I was pushing world firsts because it excels at DPS but if it were strictly to keep a party alive and DPS wasn't the concern then they could compete, and I'd measure up each healers utility to each piece of content, not to eachother.

[Ghishlain]

I feel like Noct AST is in a bad place because there's no sense in using it so long as Dirunal is viable, since it offers better MP and better DPS.

I also agree with this comment and I also do believe S-E designed AST balance into a corner by designing AST as they did. It wouldn't matter at all if Nocturnal AST had a toolkit that can match SCH if the Diurnal kit proves to be a much more effective kit because of its design. You would have the same complaints if the situation was reversed because Diurnal would be taking the back burner and everyone would be saying go Nocturnal while complaining about Diurnal's inability to perform. That's why I would personally like S-E to allow a Sect swap inside combat and redesigned the kit in some way to require the AST to use both sects in tandem. Such a redesign probably won't come until 4.0 (if at all) but it's a nice thought in my mind.

[GeekMatt]

-Snip-

Totally agree. The best way to prevent a sect from being neglected is to let us use them both. Either adjust the potencies of regens/shields for AST or apply a heftier cost (mp/CD time) to stance dancing so that we're not OP. I enjoy making use of all my abilities on any job I play, so it's s little frustrating to have all this and not get to use it. Plus the Noct playstyle is just more fun IMO.