AST: Card rework alternative

[Nihility]

Cards aren't the only thing setting them apart from WHM, and to think so is foolish.

What sets it apart right now is the incredible off global toolkit combined with the 1.5s Malefic cast time, allowing it to heal and DPS within the same GCD with little to no drawbacks. The cards are just the icing on the cake at that point. If cards didn't exist AST would still outperform WHM thanks to the sheer versatility provided by their kit.

the global cooldown on malefic is the same as every skill. How do you know it has a shorter cast time and not know that?
WHM has pretty much everything AST has ogc in shadowbringers and then some and the lilies give them what is basically extra swiftcast+0MP versions of their spells every 30s on top of that

Cards is the only thing setting ast apart atm and they are the epitome of tedium in the currently proposed version

[CorbinDallas]

the global cooldown on malefic is the same as every skill. How do you know it has a shorter cast time and not know that?
WHM has pretty much everything AST has ogc in shadowbringers and then some and the lilies give them what is basically extra swiftcast+0MP versions of their spells every 30s on top of that

Cards is the only thing setting ast apart atm and they are the epitome of tedium in the currently proposed version

That's exactly what I said? Cast time =/= global cooldown. While a WHM using a GCD only spends that entire GCD healing, an AST, with the 1.5s cast on Malefic, can DPS and off globally heal within the same GCD. How do you not know that?

A WHM can literally only weave by using Aero and Regen, and using an off global any other time results in clipping and is a DPS loss, AST doesn't suffer from the same problems and this will be even more apparent in SHB with them gaining even more off global healing, while WHM's new toys are all on the GCD.

[Rahspdoy]

That's exactly what I said? Cast time =/= global cooldown. While a WHM using a GCD only spends that entire GCD healing, an AST, with the 1.5s cast on Malefic, can DPS and off globally heal within the same GCD. How do you not know that?

A WHM can literally only weave by using Aero and Regen, and using an off global any other time results in clipping and is a DPS loss, AST doesn't suffer from the same problems and this will be even more apparent in SHB with them gaining even more off global healing, while WHM's new toys are all on the GCD.

And yet.. the thing most of us who HATE the changes to Astro's, Dont give a flying Lalafel about the DPS changes. Its the gutting of the entire card system down to what is essentially 1 skill you use to buff a single target, that is used to unlock a 2nd skill that is just a aoe version of the first new skill. The UI element may as well not exist for any reason other than to make it 'seem' as if it is more complicated than that.

Which is why i said im just going to level up WHM instead, because if all they are going to degenerate my Astro into is a healer with a single damage buff skill, i may as well play the WHM as it has the stronger heals, and will be just as boring to play as the 5.0 Astro is going to be. But again, stronger heals... so at least im 'gaining' something by switching, rather than loosing everything.

[CorbinDallas]

And yet.. the thing most of us who HATE the changes to Astro's, Dont give a flying Lalafel about the DPS changes. Its the gutting of the entire card system down to what is essentially 1 skill you use to buff a single target, that is used to unlock a 2nd skill that is just a aoe version of the first new skill. The UI element may as well not exist for any reason other than to make it 'seem' as if it is more complicated than that.

Which is why i said im just going to level up WHM instead, because if all they are going to degenerate my Astro into is a healer with a single damage buff skill, i may as well play the WHM as it has the stronger heals, and will be just as boring to play as the 5.0 Astro is going to be. But again, stronger heals... so at least im 'gaining' something by switching, rather than loosing everything.

You mean exactly what you're doing now with Balance? Oh no, the number of useful cards has doubled, RIP Astrologian I guess?

[Rahspdoy]

You mean exactly what you're doing now with Balance? Oh no, the number of useful cards has doubled, RIP Astrologian I guess?

I never use only Balance. In fact, i constantly cycle Balance in order to get a boosted Spear i can throw on a Bard.

Or a boosted Bole to throw on a Tank durring a wall-to-wall pull so i can spend more time watching over the DPS that dont see the AOE's under the mountain of bodies surrounding the tanks.

Or when i know they dont mind it, a Boosted Arrow on a ninja or mage.

I may hold onto a Balance in prep for the early parts of a Boss encounter.

But no.. im not one of the 'meta players' who spend all day, eveyr day, doing nothing but UwU raids back to back to back and doing nothing but 'fishing for balance' the entire time.


The only card that looses its purpose with ShB is Spire. And they could have simply given it some 'other' effect. Same thing with Balance, They should have given 'it' some other effect, and left the 'pure dps boost' thing the Meta-players fish for on the AOE skill.

Instead.. for some reason. They decided to make every, single, card, Balance. And even the AOE buff.. Balance.

They can literally remove the ENTIRE ui and card system, and just replace it with a single +3% single-target buff with a 20-30 second colldown, and the 6% aoe skill with a 3 minut cooldown. And have the exact same effect. Only without the flashy UI element to make it 'seem' as if its more complex than that.

[CorbinDallas]

I never use only Balance. In fact, i constantly cycle Balance in order to get a boosted Spear i can throw on a Bard.

Or a boosted Bole to throw on a Tank durring a wall-to-wall pull so i can spend more time watching over the DPS that dont see the AOE's under the mountain of bodies surrounding the tanks.

Or when i know they dont mind it, a Boosted Arrow on a ninja or mage.

I may hold onto a Balance in prep for the early parts of a Boss encounter.

But no.. im not one of the 'meta players' who spend all day, eveyr day, doing nothing but UwU raids back to back to back and doing nothing but 'fishing for balance' the entire time.


The only card that looses its purpose with ShB is Spire. And they could have simply given it some 'other' effect. Same thing with Balance, They should have given 'it' some other effect, and left the 'pure dps boost' thing the Meta-players fish for on the AOE skill.

So you're knowingly and willingly playing suboptimally and now you're mad at SE because they're making it easier to play your job at an acceptable level? :shrug:

[Rahspdoy]

So you're knowingly and willingly playing suboptimally and now you're mad at SE because they're making it easier to play your job at an acceptable level? :shrug:

No, im willingly, and knowingly playing with ALL of the tools im given to use. And had a hell of a fun time doing it.

And im upset that that 'fun' system that actually set Astro's apart from being a WHM with a pocket full of Braised Pipira's, has been removed to appease a minority % of the playerbase.

[ForteNightshade]

the global cooldown on malefic is the same as every skill. How do you know it has a shorter cast time and not know that?
WHM has pretty much everything AST has ogc in shadowbringers and then some and the lilies give them what is basically extra swiftcast+0MP versions of their spells every 30s on top of that

Cards is the only thing setting ast apart atm and they are the epitome of tedium in the currently proposed version

Uh... what?

Cards aren't even why Astro is currently meta. Collective Unconscious is stupidly OP—providing the strongest regen in the game alongside 10% damage mitigation. Earthly Star is almost double the heal potency of Assize and Essential has a shorter CD than Tetra despite nearly healing tanks to full. Couple this with a faster recast time, thereby allowing it to equal or even surpass White Mage's pDPS, and you have a job straight up better. This is especially true in movement heavy fights, which Alphascape had aplenty. The cards just sealed White Mage's fate as being outright inferior.