I wish AST never had a DPS buff

[Seraphor]

I feel like that would be taking a step backwards.
They've just gone and given WHM a shield, and allowed AST and SCH shields to stack. Plus removed all of SCH's additional DoTs.
WHM without any regens or Benison would be pretty dull, and SCH without the fairy and it's regen would be incredibly reliant on keeping a shield up at all times.
AST capitalising on delayed heals (there's only one so far) while eliminating its regens and shields would just be a direct healer under another name.

I'd much rather they spread regens and shields out across all healer jobs, and capitalised on differentiating them via job mechanics.
WHM has lilies and gains resources on using their proc'ed direct heals.
SCH uses ability amplification/spread via Tactics, and in the fairy (Eos/Selene to Seraph)
AST has cards and a couple of delayed skills.
So we come up with a fourth healer that uses unique mechanics to provide the same regens and shields that the other jobs do.

I really don't get this whole 'WHM/SCH clone' thing either. All healer jobs need to have basic heals, basic aoe heals, and their own modified versions for flavour.
AST pulls different parts of each WHM and SCH, and has it's own unique skills too. It's not a WHM clone. It's just that WHM is so basic, because they want to keep it as an entry level healer, that it shares so many parts of it's toolkit. That's like saying all melee DPS are just DRG clones because they have a 1-2-3 combo and a gap closer.
I can't see us ever getting a Necromancer or a 'siphon' healer either.