Potential AST Rework: Cards = Heals

[Brandedblade]

What do you do with a card that don't match well your divination apart from changing it into an Arcana ?
Or if you already have the seals and Divination is on CD ?

If you are still building seals you Redraw and try for an appropriate seal, if not you trade the seal for a stronger effect (Minor Arcana) and if you are absolutely positively desperate to get rid of a card without using it (why would you?) You undraw it.

[Reynhart]

If you are still building seals you Redraw and try for an appropriate seal, if not you trade the seal for a stronger effect (Minor Arcana) and if you are absolutely positively desperate to get rid of a card without using it (why would you?) You undraw it.

So, like Mansion said, it's still way less options than before, without ever counting the 6 differents buffs the card themselves gave. Frankly, if the issue what that the Balance was much more wanted than all other cards, why not simply change/nerf the Balance ?

[LariaKirin]

What do you do with a card that don't match well your divination apart from changing it into an Arcana ?
Or if you already have the seals and Divination is on CD ?

I'm pointing out that the statement in regards to the current system is overly simplified. Take a while to read the entire post and understand the context before you ask irrelevant questions.

I'm most likely stressing the adaptation based on what you draw. You did not put a Bole on someone whenever you felt like it, or an Arrow to a MCH or stuff...

My post sure is minimizing the optimization that lies in the current card system, but most likely because I consider every job has its own field of optimization. That and the generic rule of cards, which is knowing when a card is most beneficial to whatever job. Now the DPS up is a safe guard, in the end of the day you did buff dps of your party member. While the other card system required much more involvement to get optimal benefits.

You're focusing on what you had to think about in the old system and ignoring what you have to think about in the new system. No wonder you think it requires less thought.

In the old system, you played the card ASAP because otherwise you'd have delayed your next cards. So you used a simple set of rules based on which job made the most use of the card. You had different ways to transform the cards - which you absolutely needed, because the system revolved around getting rid of the useless cards as soon as possible to make room for the next spread Balance.

You needed to know what card was most beneficial to what job. Now, you need to know when the card is most beneficial to each job.
Conveniently, you can now hold onto the card without losing draws, allowing you to choose a better time window to use it.

The card lasting for 15 seconds means that it's important for you to use it when your target has a burst window, rather than immediately or whenever you feel like it.
No job does constant DPS throughout the entire fight. That BLM pulling 16k dps might look like a juicy target. But if you throw your card whenever you feel like it, you risk giving them a buff during the 12k dps umbral ice phase, rather than the 20k dps astral fire phase.

Here's another scenario: You have a BLM and a MCH in your party. Do you automatically use the card on the BLM? If you do, you're not getting the most out of your cards. MCH has burst windows that can go up to 25k, which BLM cannot hope reach without extreme RNG.

The new system is only less thoughtful or involving because you choose to ignore the more nuanced aspects.

[Billythepancake]

I'm pointing out that the statement in regards to the current system is overly simplified. Take a while to read the entire post and understand the context before you ask irrelevant questions.



You're focusing on what you had to think about in the old system and ignoring what you have to think about in the new system. No wonder you think it requires less thought.

In the old system, you played the card ASAP because otherwise you'd have delayed your next cards. So you used a simple set of rules based on which job made the most use of the card. You had different ways to transform the cards - which you absolutely needed, because the system revolved around getting rid of the useless cards as soon as possible to make room for the next spread Balance.

You needed to know what card was most beneficial to what job. Now, you need to know when the card is most beneficial to each job.
Conveniently, you can now hold onto the card without losing draws, allowing you to choose a better time window to use it.

The card lasting for 15 seconds means that it's important for you to use it when your target has a burst window, rather than immediately or whenever you feel like it.
No job does constant DPS throughout the entire fight. That BLM pulling 16k dps might look like a juicy target. But if you throw your card whenever you feel like it, you risk giving them a buff during the 12k dps umbral ice phase, rather than the 20k dps astral fire phase.

Here's another scenario: You have a BLM and a MCH in your party. Do you automatically use the card on the BLM? If you do, you're not getting the most out of your cards. MCH has burst windows that can go up to 25k, which BLM cannot hope reach without extreme RNG.

The new system is only less thoughtful or involving because you choose to ignore the more nuanced aspects.

The problem of knowing "when" is now you have to memorize every other class rotation in the game, and having 4 DPS to choose from, not only knowing their rotation, but knowing where they are in their rotation so you can give them the card seems honestly absurd. That's a level of tedium that should not be required, your main mechanic should not require you to memorize every DPS class rotation just to make the best decisions on when to use it.

[Reynhart]

That BLM pulling 16k dps might look like a juicy target. But if you throw your card whenever you feel like it, you risk giving them a buff during the 12k dps umbral ice phase, rather than the 20k dps astral fire phase.

Yes, exactly like giving the old Balance to a BLM when he wasn't on Leylines...or giving it to the MCH at a bad time and losing 1/3rd of its uptime when Gauss Barrel is off for 10s...when was already a criteria for giving cards, that's why it had a skill to keep a card in its sleeve.

Did you chose to ignore these nuanced aspects before ?

[Brandedblade]

The problem of knowing "when" is now you have to memorize every other class rotation in the game, and having 4 DPS to choose from, not only knowing their rotation, but knowing where they are in their rotation so you can give them the card seems honestly absurd. That's a level of tedium that should not be required, your main mechanic should not require you to memorize every DPS class rotation just to make the best decisions on when to use it.

What is tedium for some is fun for others, maybe I consider managing seven dots to he tedious but tracking my party's burst windows fun?

[Brandedblade]

Yes, exactly like giving the old Balance to a BLM when he wasn't on Leylines...or giving it to the MCH at a bad time and losing 1/3rd of its uptime when Gauss Barrel is off for 10s...when was already a criteria for giving cards, that's why it had a skill to keep a card in its sleeve.

Did you chose to ignore these nuanced aspects before ?

Just because the old system had nuance doesn't mean the new system is devoid of nuance. The big difference however, is that said system of nuance now always has a beneficial effect in damage. Whereas the old system, as wonderful and diverse as it was, always had the risk of screwing you over and providing no positive dps gain to your group, or you had to delay and risk losing draws for the sake of getting said setup.

Now the RNG of AST isnt tied to whether or not you'll get the damage boost, but rather how potent it is. They've traded diversity for consistency, which is ultimately why I'm one of the folk constantly defending it, I prefer more consistent support over luck of the draw highs and lows.

[SieyaM]

I actually wouldn't mind the cards being tied to healing in some way. Ast does have a lot of healing skills but there really aren't any OGCD heals for them except Essential Diginity, unless I am not remembering them.

[YusiKha]

I actually wouldn't mind the cards being tied to healing in some way. Ast does have a lot of healing skills but there really aren't any OGCD heals for them except Essential Diginity, unless I am not remembering them.

Earthly Star, Celestial Opposition, Celestial Intersection

[SieyaM]

Is celestial opposition OGCD or just instant? Earthly star is an interesting ability, you really have to plan ahead for it or you lose a great deal of potency detonating too early.