Astro: AoE Royal Road too strong

[Sylvain]

I would like to know what other astrologian think of the current Royal Roads?
From my own experience and according to what I've seen from various videos and other astrologian gameplay, during a raid, there are only two interesting royal roads,
AoE mostly used with balance or arrow, sometime bole or spear at the beggining of a fight, ofc never with Ewer and Spire
And the duration one for bole, Ewer sometimes if lods of people died and a healer needs mana.

But for the most part, it's gonna be AoE Balance/Arrow.

As far I understand the intent of Yoshida and the card system, the goal was to offer us flexibility and management. Basically, depending of what you would draw you would either use, keep, RR(i like to say burn ^^) or redraw in order to get the most of it.

However, the only thing we pray for are SPire/Ewer followed by a balance everytime. It somewhat ruins the whole concept. We're not trying to get the most out of the cards we draw, we're just trying to get the Ewer/Spire followed by Balance / Arrow.

So my question is, wouldn't it better to simply (for 4.0 let say) create a new card spell, making the next card used do AoE with 50% potency and create a new Royal Road that would be on par with the two others? (oh and fixing the Spear to reduce the cooldown of CD already used)

Of course, we would still probably try to push a boosted AoE Something, but if the 3 RR become roughly equal in term of strength, maybe we would see more card mixs.

I have the feeling the way the current card system works is much more adapted for a 4man. Doing a 1min balance, while less effective than aoe balance, doesn't feel like a waste, casting Tower on the tank AoEing a pack makes them happy (not PT starving) etc.
In 8man, it just feels like if I don't aoe something, it's a waste (spare the very situationnal "I'm oom, the tank needs a bole cuz the boss hits like a truck")

What do you guys think?

[Kelya]

Of course you ideally want a Royal Road AOE buff followed by a Balance/Arrow drawn/spread but if you just wait for this combination to happen you're loosing more DPS than if you throw a single target Balance/Arrow especially if you throw it with a duration/potency buff as it's all random. Imagine you don't get the AOE buff for 4 min what you gonna do ? So by throwing Balance/Arrow with duration/potency or even alone with at least Time dilation, you're not waiting on being the luckiest man in the world and you're not wasting anything technically. In fact you have more chances of wasting something if you focus on RR AOE set ups. Again that's the ideal situation but it doesn't mean if you don't meet it it's a waste.

[FoxyAreku]

I think it's balanced by the fact that you're not going to get it consistently, and if you try to, you're losing a lot of buff uptime.

[Yhisa]

Actually i kinda agree with what ur saying that spread is often used for balance or arrow only.... And royal road is ewer/spire in 8mans

The card mechanics for AST is fine but.... There is no diversity between the cards garentee u everyone tries to fish for the glorous aoe balance/arrow

When i first read about astrologian when heavenward came out i thought i would be able to throw out card buffs consently as i thought that be my role

But as today... I always feel like im trying to set myself up for certain parts of the fight.... And if RNG is in ur favor it works well.... But if not ita bleh

In 4.0 i wish they focus purely on the card development and make interesting card combos instead of everyone using balance/arrow for the go to card for 90% of the time

But i have learned to have 2 card buffs on 2 players or 3 if RNG is on my side just a hint "time dialation" "extend" "celestrial opposition" is all im saying but u can have up to 3 cards rolling within the party

[ruskie]

It's not really OP. It's governed by RNG to be honest and what I generally hate most about ASTs is... stop fishing and play the cards you are given. So many times I see a spear not used like 5s pre pull where it would help everyone with their CDs. Learn what jobs can make best use of certain combos.

[ChiiSoSeriouz]

All royal roads work fine in 8-man, in fact. Determine the best dps in the group and give them an extended/potent balance or arrow, then time dilate it. Keep up time as much as possible for the duration of the fight, using your spread balance/arrows. They will love you forever.

[Krissey]

I was worried I was doing something wrong but reading the comments has reassured me. Sometimes I'll get a +150% Potency The Bole (Two Boles in a row) and my Redraw is on Cooldown...so I put that sucker on the tank. It's like an extra defensive cooldown for them. Sometimes I get the Spire and I'm glad because the DRG spammed his TP down to nothing with AOE. Sometimes I need a Ewer myself because I've been smashing Benediction II to keep the tank alive for 5 minutes straight non-stop. I pretty much use all the cards except "The Spear" because it's only good in voice comms prepull and that's hard to do in randoms. So I always make that extended duration and then use a Balance or Arrow on a DPS for a minute long buff.

I use all the cards and like all the cards. So...I'm not doing it right?

[Werhusky]

It's fine as it is... learn your cards play them well (so many asts just play them random or not at all if no balance or arrow the MNK ;^) ).

Anyway the only change I could Imagine to RR is that it doesn't affect the next card played but that you use it like your Time Dilatation thingy or like Bane on a card already player to enhance/spread etc it with the rest time its ticking for as base.

I use all the cards and like all the cards. So...I'm not doing it right?

Yes every card is viable and worth it and worth your love only f**king annoying if you get Ewer RR that, then get Ewer Redraw into Spire RR that, Draw Spire and you wanna scratch out some eyes (can't redraw cause on CD) o.o

For Spearuse: basically any DPS will thank you even if you only hit one random CD, Also a tank having his CDs up faster is happeh (WAR as he also gets stacks with em esp.). Else MCH > SMN > DRG/NIN from what I heard... but I play AST only halfassed

[GeekMatt]

The entire card system is situational, and all cards/royal roads are preferred over the others in one situation or another (ok less true for The Spear). But when things are going relatively smoothly we'll always choose to increase DPS, meaning the support utility will always be neglected until needed.

[BrielleBeaudonet]

What's wrong with a gambling job being based around drawing a card you're hoping for?

Balance, Arrow, Ewer and Spire are those trump cards I hope for at different times. I rarely ask for (or like seeing) Bowe or Spear, but if every card in the deck was good enough that I don't care which one I get, it robs the RNG/gambling aesthetic of any meaning.