It’s also all but a given that the expansion will include at least two new jobs.

[basketofseals]

Well. The reason for 3.0 AST was the devs were indeed very, very scared it would be OP and raiding would be a double AST meta. (To be fair... I think a lot of the playerbase downplays the significance of AST's damage boost abilities)

I'll never understand this. Release AST felt like the most underpowered job in this game's history.

[Mendalas]

Hopefully healer. AST was a disaster that i would rather not have to see again.
Personally they should just focus on the current classes than add new ones, i even rather have more midcore content than 3 new classes that will play exactly like the ones we already have in the game except with a extra gimmick.

AST so much fun, I switched from WHM main (since 1.0) to AST when it came out. Took me a while to actually accept that I liked it better than whm cause it was my original love and hard to abandon. But finally I bought the AST high end weapon over the WHM and have never looked back. They have made a lot of improvements on it and can't wait to see AST grow even more moving forward to the next exp.

AST a disaster? I think not but that is my opinion. Instead of just healing and dps'ing, we get to buff people with powerful card buffs! It adds a whole new fun element and I really enjoy it.

[basketofseals]

AST so much fun, I switched from WHM main (since 1.0) to AST when it came out. Took me a while to actually accept that I liked it better than whm cause it was my original love and hard to abandon. But finally I bought the AST high end weapon over the WHM and have never looked back. They have made a lot of improvements on it and can't wait to see AST grow even more moving forward to the next exp.

AST a disaster? I think not but that is my opinion. Instead of just healing and dps'ing, we get to buff people with powerful card buffs! It adds a whole new fun element and I really enjoy it.

A lot of the salt comes from AST's buffing being a mini game or a side mechanic rather than being its core identity. A lot of people were looking more forward to a support oriented healer, and what we ended up with was 4 buttons that all juggle 1 ability. Not to mention we pretty much fish for extended or expanded balance making every other draw feel kinda lackluster. It also, in my opinion, hasn't properly distanced itself from WHM.

On release, you have to admit that AST was quite underpowered, and it just never really recovered in reputation. Especially since it was the same time as the hardest raid we've ever gotten.

[mp-please]

AST so much fun, I switched from WHM main (since 1.0) to AST when it came out. Took me a while to actually accept that I liked it better than whm cause it was my original love and hard to abandon. But finally I bought the AST high end weapon over the WHM and have never looked back. They have made a lot of improvements on it and can't wait to see AST grow even more moving forward to the next exp.

AST a disaster? I think not but that is my opinion. Instead of just healing and dps'ing, we get to buff people with powerful card buffs! It adds a whole new fun element and I really enjoy it.

My point in that post wasn't that AST is fun or not. That's personal bias that i rather not bring to any argument, my point is that in terms of development AST was a convoluted mess. If they wanted to buff it they should've pulled the same they did with SCH and WAR with a complete rebalance before 3.2.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

I'd rather them not add another healer right now.
AST is, currently, overpowered utility wise and WHM is on the verge of being unnecessary. SCH is also an untouchable god that needs to be addressed.
There's too much balance issues in the healer role to slap another one in there.

[Kabzy]

I'd rather them not add another healer right now.
AST is, currently, overpowered utility wise and WHM is on the verge of being unnecessary. SCH is also an untouchable god that needs to be addressed.
There's too much balance issues in the healer role to slap another one in there.

I think it's for those exact reasons that we DO need another healer. Everyone knows WHM and d.AST are in competition, by 4.0 it's pretty much guaranteed WHM will be buffed to a similar level. That leaves SCH, and job design wise n.AST can't compete. They can actually design a fourth healer specifically to compete with SCH. Having this direction could give us some hope that we won't get another mess like AST was.

Subsequently I believe if this were to happen that n.AST should just be removed from this game, but I doubt that'll happen. xD

[mp-please]

I think it's for those exact reasons that we DO need another healer. Everyone knows WHM and d.AST are in competition, by 4.0 it's pretty much guaranteed WHM will be buffed to a similar level. That leaves SCH, and job design wise n.AST can't compete. They can actually design a fourth healer specifically to compete with SCH. Having this direction could give us some hope that we won't get another mess like AST was.

Subsequently I believe if this were to happen that n.AST should just be removed from this game, but I doubt that'll happen. xD

Exactly the same reason we can't have another overpowered tank to compete with war. If we get another healer to directly compete with SCH, WHM and AST is dead because everyone will run SCH+new healer.

[Rennies]

Not if their shields don't stack :^)

[Kabzy]

Exactly the same reason we can't have another overpowered tank to compete with war. If we get another healer to directly compete with SCH, WHM and AST is dead because everyone will run SCH+new healer.

Well you need to factor in the end game content, possibly the most important thing with balance. Ideally it's not going to be so easy that you can forfeit a main healer from a party slot. That and two shielding jobs will never be optimal.

If we don't get another healer, 4.0 is either going to further homogenize the roles, or we'll simply see either WHM or AST dead anyway.

[Supersun]

Exactly the same reason we can't have another overpowered tank to compete with war. If we get another healer to directly compete with SCH, WHM and AST is dead because everyone will run SCH+new healer.

Even if Scholar's shields could stack I don't think people would be in that much of a rush to run Double Scholar. The class is good and all, but White Mage and Ast do have some very strong perks (aka regens) that make them more suited for main healing so to speak. Running x2 Scholar is still the worst healing comp.

Now if they gave Scholars the regens that Whm and Ast have then they would be broken and everyone would want x2 Scholars for everything.