Every problem with the current iteration of healers.

[Datara]

it's just people don't like its cards

And that's exactly the problem.
If the specificity of the healer isn't liked anymore by the actual players of the class since it started then there is probably something wrong with it.
I'm ok with healers chipping in to dps a bit, but cards focussed solely on increasing damage is a brutal downgrade from what it could do before.
Dps have enough damage buffs already between them, a healer would be more welcomed with keeping people alive or facilitating the fights with mp regens.
AST went from a deck of trump cards to a brick.

[Brandedblade]

Have cards? :O
Oh you mean the 6 diferent colored random same dmg buff what is not worth anything? I forgot those sorry.

Yes, the cards that consistently grant your party increased damage, and give AST the only true "support" mechanic on any of the three heals, it's a shame, intentionally not using a class mechanic that helps your group and indirectly helps you with your damage contribution.

And no, its not heals very well. I tested it in many dungeon and on many levels. Its simply useless if you dont have a professional team with you.
And well, you dont always get one. O.o

Then how come I had no issues leveling my AST, even prior to the 5.05 buffs? Is it because I know how to use my cooldowns? Is it because I magically got all the good professional players? Please, tell me what is so bad that about ast.

So please leave this lies behind already and dont try to paint false truth on the realy thing.
AST is a trash not JUST cause of its cards are useless anymore, but cause cant even heal without another heal. Maybe in hardcore pro raiding its fine for some dmg boost dynamo, but nothing more for sure.

Use your cooldowns. If a noct ast can solo heal e4s, then the average player can handle healing a dungeon if they know what they're doing.

Anyway, AST was never meant to be a pure healer as it is now. Its strenght was the cards combined power AND some heal.

AST's strength is its ability to use ogcds with minimal to no clipping or damage loss. You have Malefic, Benefic I, and as of 5.05, Gravity to give you single weaving space. And you have Combust and Aspected Benefic to give you double weaving space. You also have Lightspeed, which makes every spell except for your res a double weaving tool. Your ogcd kit, while a few of them require proper timing to utilize to their fullest, is more then sufficient, especially with the recent buffs.

And if you have to GCD heal? You have Synastry, which means your Benefic II spam is either healing one target for an extra 40%, or healing two targets at once, and at 80, you have Neutral Sect, which gives you 20% more healing AND adds a decent chunk of healing (via Shielding or regen).

You have the tools to heal. Even more so with the recent patch update. I cant change your mind about the cards because that's a matter of opinion, but the healing is definitely potent enough.

[Brandedblade]

And that's exactly the problem.
If the specificity of the healer isn't liked anymore by the actual players of the class since it started then there is probably something wrong with it.
I'm ok with healers chipping in to dps a bit, but cards focussed solely on increasing damage is a brutal downgrade from what it could do before.
Dps have enough damage buffs already between them, a healer would be more welcomed with keeping people alive or facilitating the fights with mp regens.
AST went from a deck of trump cards to a brick.

A brick can still break some windows my friend.

[MintnHoney]

A brick can still break some windows my friend.

But Astrologian is part of the healer role: we're not supposed to break windows, we're supposed to pretty them up with stick n' peel window films.
If we're going to start throwing bricks around, then we'd be better off as a Final Fantasy iteration of Dragon Quest's Meena.

[Saefinn]

I've already given my feedback on SCH here. I also have given AST a try, so I'm going to put in my feedback here.
First the positives. Perhaps controversially, but I feel where AST currently is, is actually closer to what where I'd rather see all healers. Simply because (and as I understand it), it's weaker than SCH or WHM, who I feel are too strong anyway. And because there's more to do. I feel busier on AST, I've seen some comments about AST bloat, but I think its "bloat" level is about where I like it. I feel this is justified because AST is responsible for 3 things, 1) healing people, 2) DPSing and 3) buffing. So to keep those interesting, it'd require a bit more bloat than say a tank or DPS. One suggestion I might have for handling bloat is to bring back Cleric Stance but instead of it giving you a damage boost it swaps out certain healing spells for DPS ones. EG: Benefic->Combust, Benefic II->Malefic, Helios->Gravity. I used to enjoy stance dancing and you're only replacing out the base heals, so it's not like you won't be able to heal anybody during this time. I guess it'd be like how DNC's base DPS moves get replaced with steps when you Standard Step or Technical Step, which avoids button bloat.

Other points I enjoy. I like its heals. An odd one to bug me, but coming from being a career SCH, the fact Nocturnal Aspected Benefic is insta cast feels wrong, but this has always been there and I've just got to get use to not thinking like a SCH. I have no real complaints about how AST heals, it feels varied enough when I get to use them properly, but sadly a lot of content doesn't push us to, which I feel is a problem all healers share. But I like all the new heal spells and whilst I liked old Celestial Opposition, I also like the new one, as I nocturnal more, I like having more shields.

Onto the cards. I like the concept of Divination, but overall the buffs from cards feel kinda weak and I feel a combination of the old system and the new system would have been better. When I tried AST in HW and when I started levelling it again in SB, I was never a "Balance" fisher, but I'd try to use whatever card I got in a useful way, like Royal Roading it if I don't think I can use it right now or saving it for later. If anything I tended to fish for The Arrow because one of the people I queue with who is a MNK that likes to go fast. As I understood it at level 70 AST didn't have useless cards, however, I was level 65 when ShB hit. I might have compromised and made the base cards the same as the old system and have the option to use the current version of Arcana. Because even in its current state I get cards I don't want and end up turning them into Lord or Lady. As I have to fish the right combo of seals for the better divination using Lord or Lady avoids waste. Whilst I'd still miss Royal Road, but if change was needed, I feel this would have been a fair compromise. Allow us to use the arrow for a speed buff, the ewer for an MP one and so on.