4.3 AST changes/speculations

[Ceasaria]

So with the Live Letter, we know AST is going to have changes along with SAM and DRK.
If it was mentionned, then, that's mean, several changes (not just one fix) will come for our healer.

Here are my speculations (ideas I have seen on forums too) :

- Large changes for the Noct Stance with abilities gaining extra effect or totally new effect under this stance as Time Dilatation, Celestial Opposition, etc.

- Be able to choose/draw all the desired cards before the pull in Trial and Raid only without waiting.

- Stella back as instant spell with 100 potency.

- MP recovery buffed (How ? maybe Celestial Opposition up to 15 sec for Lucid Dream, mana cost of spells under Lightspeed would be decreased to 50%, mana cost of spells decreased, or a new effect somewhere else)

- Changes in cards : Ewer and Spire combined + add of a new card ?

So what are your ideas ?

[EaMett]

Those all look too drastic except for the mana change. I would only expect that. They might adjust the rdps for ast a bit though. Like more personal and less buff dps.

[Squintina]

I know what I'd like to see:

1 - Instant GCD attack (Stella)
Having 15 (ish) ogcds but only 2 instant GCD's (which are a dot and a hot/shield and thus not very spammable) means we often have inefficient ogcd usage when lightspeed isn't on.
I want to weave in my card usage instead of having to waste a GCD or refresh a dot early to do it.

2 - lower gravity's level requirement.
MSQ roulette is a good way to level healers (and tanks) because it's a HUGE chunk of exp (at level 62, the roulette + completion bonus for praet is 50% of a bar - without including mob and boss exp, at 68-69 it's about 40%) for a short queue time and chill dungeon run. But AST has no AOE damage at that level. When I was leveling WHM, I felt like a goddess taking on mobs and healing. As an AST, I felt so useless especially in castrum. I know other people who level their healers via MSQR because with the short queue time it's totally worth it and I wouldn't wish this sadness upon them.

[Heilstos]

Hey Guys,

I see Ceasaria you collected much of the Ideas we wrote here.^^ Okay, Thats much to explain now.^^

Those all look too drastic except for the mana change. I would only expect that. They might adjust the rdps for ast a bit though. Like more personal and less buff dps.

Mhhhh Caesaria knows many construction sites, which has the Astro at the moment. I will explain in this thread, just my opinion. And link the rest. Otherwise we have a huge wall of texts and I think they will hardly be read.

- Large changes for the Noct Stance with abilities gaining extra effect or totally new effect under this stance as Time Dilatation, Celestial Opposition, etc.

The Problem we have is shown here:



The Cooldownkit from the Astrologain is great for HoT. But its terrible for shield, because Extending shields is meaningless. My Idea is a bit more than buff the shield with the multipliers. My way to erase the problem is to give Time Dilatation and Celestial Opposition an use for shields. For more infos look at the following Link!And I musst say, thats a inportant Point to look at.

Link: My idea for Time Dilatation, Celestial Opposition in Noctrunal (post in thread "Scholar vs Astrologian Mitigation")

Next one:

Be able to choose/draw all the desired cards before the pull in Trial and Raid only without waiting.

Who knows that not. ^^ The astrologain prepares for the fight and draws his cards and unfortunately RNG Jesus is not on his side. So it depends on the damage affinity of the raid, whether you wait or not. This change would shorten the annoying wait. Whether this change should get a high rating. Everyone has to clarify for themselves.

Here we are next point:



This change is a great one! I have seen that my comment in this thread went to different people so I use the citation function here:

(...)
On reddit an user wrote something about my idea:

"At.. 2.5 GCD, Malefic 3 is 220/2.5 = 88 potency/s, animation lock I think is around.. 0.75 (I believe latency might affect the total animation lock though, double weaving the draw + something else feels pretty bad). If you just clip your dot and cut the Malefic, over the course of 2 mins (where you could end up weaving 13 times in full offense, partly due to Redraw, and 3 EDs used), ends up with only needing at least 102.5 potency (at 0ms delay, value only drops from there, down to 94.11 at 80ms) on Stella to make it worth it. (150 potency is around a 3% dps increase or so, 137 is a 2% increase or so, 170 potency is a 4.44% increase or so) "

From the user "AbyssArray"

Link: A small idea that would make playing AST a little more fluid.

So 100 DP is okay. If you want more to make it better than we can make it to 102,5 DP :P

I like to see that the Stella reborn wishes are there. (...) . The Ast have much OGCDs and to less instands to compensate this card system.

If you are interested in reading this exciting discussion, I will definitely link the thread.
Link: The Idea for Stella reborn (finding in the thread "AST needs an extra instant cast damage spell")

I continue next problem dear Mana:

MP recovery buffed (How ? maybe Celestial Opposition up to 15 sec for Lucid Dream, mana cost of spells under Lightspeed would be decreased to 50%, mana cost of spells decreased, or a new effect somewhere else)

I regret to say that, but I hope that nothing is done here. Improving mana regeneration would weaken the functioning of the Ewer card. I can see that many astrologers wish for a better mana regeneration. But for 25 seconds (thanks Celestial Opposition), a mana regeneration (50/75 from the Ewer and 80 Lucid Dream) of an potency from 130/155 is overworlding. And those who do not wish this should get their way for mana recovery.

The last point:

Changes in cards : Ewer and Spire combined + add of a new card ?

I like the Idea that this Card get to one. That mana and TP are not important here, rather the regeneration in one card is great. This could really make room for a new card. But I think this change is more for patch 5.0

I'm curious what ideas are still written here. And looking forward to reading this we got an impetus. =)

€: I apologize sincerely, through this resulting wall of text. But I hope I can give some food for thought. Maybe you also have an idea what might come.

[Yuyuka3]

The only healer that needs any buffs at all is WHM... as it stands, we can't hold a candle to what the other two healers bring to the table, and I'm SICK of getting asked to switch to AST because it's better. And don't even start with "oh, best heals!". We all know that argument is bulls.

How about some nerfs for AST instead? Now THAT's something I would love to see... though it will, if any of the two, be buffs because SE are just awful with stuff like that.

[Heilstos]

The only healer that needs any buffs at all is WHM... as it stands, we can't hold a candle to what the other two healers bring to the table, and I'm SICK of getting asked to switch to AST because it's better. And don't even start with "oh, best heals!". We all know that argument is bulls.

How about some nerfs for AST instead? Now THAT's something I would love to see... though it will, if any of the two, be buffs because SE are just awful with stuff like that.

Heyho Kyara,

You want see nerfs. First of all the Nocturnal Changes would be great for you. Like all people say "If you play with a WHM you have to use nocturnal".That's probably the tenor of many players, who will benefit you as WHM. A strong Noc. AST is for you a better partner and an option to get a place in raid group.^^

Do not for get you are in a great spot unless someone wants Buffs> pDPS. and thats not the fault of the AST! Its more the people, who ask you , Kyara, "to switch to AST because it's better" (for them).

But I belive that is not the answer you want here. I am right, or?

I belibve there are some buffing things, that are a bit over the top.

Now It is so that Celestial Opposition can extend Pots, Sprint and some Role Actions. And for me its kind of a power that is maybe too great.^^
I musst say to extend Lucid Dream is much important, becuase the high mana costs (If we reduce the mana cost of expensive healing and LD no longer needs to be extended) .But its okay not to extend "Cleric Stance","Largesse" (depending on the situation),"Eye for an Eye"(depending on the situation),"Surecast" (depending much on the situation)Pots, Sprint.

That would you gave space between you DPS (as Whm) and the DPS form the Astrologian and his Card Power.

I belive it hurts much for a lot of astrologians if Pots and "Cleric Stance" can not be extended.^^

[Ghishlain]

My gut tells me the adjustments would be geared towards Nocturnal changes, but I'm personally hoping for a huge identity overhaul (still) for AST. This particular expansion cycle seems to just scream Nocturnal buffs to Scholar buffs and if we see more Nocturnal buffs, we'll probably see Scholar buffs again and the vicious cycle would continue.

At this point in time I feel like S-E's goal is try to make AST more progression viable but I'm hoping if they do that they'd consider making WHM more speed kill viable return. I imagine they've crunched the UCoB numbers and I feel like they've seen the dearth of ASTs participating, hence why the adjustments are coming in this particular patch.

I'm trying to be as objective as possible while thinking of what they could balance. I feel giving AST a bit more MP flexibility would help their positioning since they're so GCD constrained they eat MP like candy to get the job done but other then that, it's hard to come up with anything substantial in my mind. The healer balance is good right now and any adjustment to AST, no matter how minute, can have a resounding impact on the current healer dynamics.

[Jxnibbles]

Snip.

Agreed to a certain extent. I agree with this first point.

The second point I agree as well. I remember hearing that a phase in UCoB removed held cards or something at a certain part, and it was harder on Astro to keep up with Hps? Make it easier on Astros but harder on another Healer for the next tier.

The final point I agree and disagree with. Yes Astro's mana is an issue but I honestly believe if they fix this Astro problem.. Whm identity again should be questioned..

[Shurrikhan]

I do not expect, but would like to see:

(Overbuff in this form, and is not representative of the actual strength desired, but is representative of the direction of change desired.)

Background Changes:

• Macros now allow queuing of the first action in their sequence. This is primarily a QoL change to any skills which are best set to be used against a specific target or one other than the current target.
  
  
• Sprint, Duty Action, and item usage may now be queued.
  
  
• Ground AoEs will now properly limit their indicator to their maximum range and will click through enemies (unless set to target @cursor, in which case they will be deposited beneath the enemy clicked on, or @target, in which case they will continue to skip the indicator process altogether).
  
  
• Primary stat materia removed. Fending accessories now have equal portions Strength and Vitality (two-thirds each of the primary stats found on other accessories). Now gain .67 AP per point of Strength, and .33 AP per point of Vitality.
  
  
• When in instances where cooldowns reset upon death, skills such as Aetherflow, Draw, Spread, and Shuffle are all reduced to a 5-second cooldown until having begun combat.
  
  
• The way buffs and debuffs are replaced or stacked has been revised.

  Whenever a durationed buff or debuff is replaced early, the square root of the previous duration is added to the replacement. (This includes shields. See below.)
  
  Shields cast upon an existent shield which it cannot outright replace will refresh missing absorption HP and extend the shield's duration based on the square root of the normal duration multiplied by the second's portion of the first's strength. When a shield replaces an already existent shield, the weaker previous shield is consumed to bring the shield to its maximum nominal potency (e.g. the +5% of +/-5%) and the duration is increased by the square root of the remaining duration multiplied by the first's portion of the second's strength.
  (Sounds complicated, but it's just the stronger absorbing duration from the lesser, so that you can never be locked out of extending your shields.)
  
  When two similarly named effects of varying strength or remaining duration interact (i.e. when a 30s 20% Balance meets a 10% Balance with 45 seconds less), the stronger will absorb the duration of the weaker at the square root of the weaker's duration multiplied by the weaker's portion of the stronger's strength.

For AST specifically:

• Multiple cards can now be present on any given ally at the same time. (Note that unless an AST gets maximized AoE Balance cards all day every day, SCH is still actually the king of total (raid + personal) DPS, so this is less a buff to double AST as it is to Extended forms of cards.) Multiple instances of the same card buff (i.e. two Balance buffs) still cannot coexist, however.
  
  
• Royal Road: Enhance now generates 200% effect.

  The purpose of Extend is now less to be more efficient than Enhance as it is to allow for double cards on the target over a more important period some 30 seconds future.

• Royal Road: Expand revised. Now uses 150% of the card's strength split over the square root of total members, rounded to the nearest percent. No effect to Full Party performance, but a small buff when in smaller groups, to decrease the rDPS gap that would otherwise be felt between pDPS and rDPS contributions when there are fewer people to buff.

  (100% @ 2 members; 87% @3; 75% @4; 67% @5; 61% @6; 57% @7; 53% @8, equating to a Balance of 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 6%, 5%.)

• Royal Road now allows you to select which card to affect, your Draw or your Spread. It can also be macroed to automatically target either via "/ac Royal Road <Draw>" or "/ac Royal road <Spread>".
  
  
• Ewer/Spire combined.
  
  
• Spear buffed to 20%, putting in more on par with Balance and Arrow.

  (.2 * .4 = 8% damage increase to those at low personal Crit. Value increases towards a 10% damage increase when stacked with Chain Stratagem in Crit-heavy and/or Crit-dependent compositions.)

• Balance now affects main stat, instead of Damage, making it more useful in progression.
  
  
• Bole buffed to be more useful on non-tanks. (Exact change pending.)
  
  
• Any time you increase the duration of a buff, you also increase any missing potency (e.g. from a Nocturnal Field) proportionate to that increase in duration relative to the original duration (e.g. 15 seconds increase via Time Dilation would replenish absorption HP missing from a Nocturnal Field up to 50% of the original effect, and Collective Unconscious would refresh up to a sixth thereof), to a maximum of the original effect. Affects both Time Dilation and Celestial Opposition.
  
  
• Collective Unconscious no longer provides a HoT, but in either Sect will now very rapidly heal (instantly and at 1 tick per second thereafter, scaling with Attack Speed) for 200 potency to allies nearby with any overhealing turning into a self-stacking form of shield, stacking atop any existent Nocturnal Field effects, to a maximum shield strength of 500 potency. Each tick affects allies with The Sublime, causing following ticks to generate 25% less healing. (Thus, it has a maximum strength of 500 potency.) Provides a 10% healing taken increase and 10% damage taken decrease. Maximum duration reduced to 10 seconds. Cooldown increased to 2 minutes. May again turn while casting; only movement, not turning, will break the channel.

  This makes it more useful for surviving burst damage as faced in progression, but less powerful in overgeared fights of less consequential damage, as it takes at least 3 seconds (scaling with Attack Speed) to put out its full impact.

Personal preference:

• Sect potency bonuses removed, moved into raw potency. Nocturnal no longer stronger in its basic heals than Diurnal. Diurnal regen duration decreased by a tick. Can now swap between Sects at mana cost once per 10 seconds while in combat, down from per 5 seconds outside of combat.
  
• Mana costs decreased and Time Dilation can now be used on self, but Lucid Dreaming can no longer be extended by TD or CO.

[Miste]

The only healer that needs any buffs at all is WHM... as it stands, we can't hold a candle to what the other two healers bring to the table, and I'm SICK of getting asked to switch to AST because it's better. And don't even start with "oh, best heals!". We all know that argument is bulls.

How about some nerfs for AST instead? Now THAT's something I would love to see... though it will, if any of the two, be buffs because SE are just awful with stuff like that.

Statistics in the raid community don't back up this stuff you are saying.

https://www.fflogs.com/statistics/21#class=Healers

#of parses in the last 2 weeks (as of this post):
Scholar: 42,563
White Mage: 40,233
Astrologian: 23,301

SCH and WHM each have almost double the amount of participation in sigma savage. I don't have previous week data but I've been keeping an eye on it and AST has always been below SCH and WHM in participation by quite a bit this whole tier so far.

I'm not saying AST needs a buff because of this...I main AST and besides maybe a bit more pDPS like an instant spell Stella to weave I don't think they really need much, but the statistics show AST is under represented by almost half..

I also play WHM too and never been asked to switch to AST.

So maybe you are playing with the wrong people?