AST changes for 6.0: Let's forget 5.0 happened, and just fix what was wrong with 4.0

[Gemina]

The RNG aspect of AST cards is what makes it a self-defeating mechanic. Because of this, we can never revert the cards back to 4.0. If we want to provide valuable feedback/suggestions, we need move forward, not backwards. This does not mean we cannot see the return of abilities like Royal Road and stun returned to CO, but RNG based utility is gone and not likely to return. For that previous mechanic to work, encounter design would need to be changed, and I don't see that happening.

That said, AST has the most interesting and engaging mechanic of all the healers. Despite how 'meh' it is, it remains the best example to improve the other healer gauges, and implement a new one with the 4th healer. I predicted that with 5.3 changes, AST high APM would be reduced. I was correct. My next prediction for AST is they are going to put the cards on the GCD to reduce the APM even further. This dev team is all about accessibility, and AST remains a job and a healer with a high skill ceiling. I wouldn't let this cause despair though, because the current track record for this dev team is that when they put abilities on the GCD, they are vastly improved. So it would be interesting to see what they would do with the cards in this case.

The biggest problem I have with AST right is how it is the catapult loader/damage buff turret I refer to it as. AST is the most selfless of all the healers because it gets the least amount of return for the work put in. Everyone else benefits from a skilled AST, while one of lesser skill will get more personal enjoyment out of it. Rectifying this issue should not come by reducing the benefit everyone receives from AST, but rather bring the enjoyment level up for the AST that plays with a high skill level while giving incentive to the lesser skilled player to improve. Until this changes, my AST will continue to be benched.

I would feel more comfortable making suggestions for this job if I ran relevant savage encounters. The job itself is a wildcard, anomaly, third wheel, red-headed step child, the new cat in the house already claimed by two other cats. I know what I would like to see with the job, but have no clue how to get there, and perhaps the savage encounters would broaden my perspective. Alas, I would only take a job I am comfortable playing inside savage, and AST is not one of them.