How could you do this to AST?

[ty_taurus]

Difference in playstyle.
The removal of Noct sect is the removal of a playstyle on AST, even if you view the difference as minor. I suspect minimizing the number of playstyles per class is the true objective of Squeen, in this case, as it's easier to mathematically map out their battles if all classes only have 1 style of play.

I feel like calling Nocturnal Sect a different playstyle is a bit of a stretch.

[MintnHoney]

I feel like calling Nocturnal Sect a different playstyle is a bit of a stretch.

even if you view the difference as minor.

...but then I actually played in Nocturnal vs. Diurnal, so there's that.

[ramsesh]

I’m guessing when they gut AST we’ll keep Neutral Sect, Celestial Opposition and Collective Unconscious as means of still being able to “shield”, the same way WHM has Divine Benison and Temperance for damage reduction/shielding.

Funny thing is, I’ve sat here a while thinking of new abilities they could give AST and they have such an aggressively good toolkit, I’m at a loss. They have so many good heals, good regens, and since they’re likely peeling back all Noct related stuff, what lore could they shove down our throats to justify new abilities?

I’m a bit bitter. I’ve played AST since it was the ugly stepchild of 3.1 when its heal potencies were crud and Balance was barely worth spreading, and I’ve seen it rise and rise and now it’s time for it to fall again. Sad, but true, at least in SE’s eyes.

[IceBlueNinja]

I’m guessing when they gut AST we’ll keep Neutral Sect, Celestial Opposition and Collective Unconscious as means of still being able to “shield”, the same way WHM has Divine Benison and Temperance for damage reduction/shielding.

Funny thing is, I’ve sat here a while thinking of new abilities they could give AST and they have such an aggressively good toolkit, I’m at a loss. They have so many good heals, good regens, and since they’re likely peeling back all Noct related stuff, what lore could they shove down our throats to justify new abilities?

I’m a bit bitter. I’ve played AST since it was the ugly stepchild of 3.1 when its heal potencies were crud and Balance was barely worth spreading, and I’ve seen it rise and rise and now it’s time for it to fall again. Sad, but true, at least in SE’s eyes.

That is SE for you they either op things or over nerf things lol do not get em started on their game dissidia NT always catering to vanguards and nerfing marks men, assassins and specialist.

[Sqwall]

Funny thing is, I’ve sat here a while thinking of new abilities they could give AST and they have such an aggressively good toolkit, I’m at a loss. They have so many good heals, good regens, and since they’re likely peeling back all Noct related stuff, what lore could they shove down our throats to justify new abilities?

I’m a bit bitter. I’ve played AST since it was the ugly stepchild of 3.1 when its heal potencies were crud and Balance was barely worth spreading, and I’ve seen it rise and rise and now it’s time for it to fall again. Sad, but true, at least in SE’s eyes.

I agree completely. I just don't know what they could ADD to make healing easier or more powerful, since AST is just insane at healing as it stands now.

Leads me to believe they will somehow make cards even more focus on the job to support your healing abilities.

Or they could gut the crap out of it and make it worse then 5.0 launch. Time will tell

[SpiralMask]

it occurs to me: they dont need to justify class changes in the lore anymore, since class quests dont really exist now that role quests have bland-ified them as well.

[ty_taurus]

...but then I actually played in Nocturnal vs. Diurnal, so there's that.

I guess my point overall is, what exactly changes about your playstyle when in Nocturnal vs Diurnal? Did it change how you used your cards? Did it change how you contributed to DPS? Did it even change when you used certain healing actions, really? Maybe if Aspected Benefic was exclusively a barrier and didn't actually restore HP, then you could argue it forced you to heal preemptively. People say that about Aspected Benefic and Adloquium now, but the thing is that's not really efficient. If your party has max HP, then preemptively casting a barrier would also be overhealing, which is wasteful. Any time where your party is injured, then the barrier is virtually the same as the added healing you'd have received from a Benefic II.

What I'm getting at is, the barrier is more or less a consequence of using Aspected Benefic vs Benefic II, and in most examples, you'd probably be using it at the same places in Diurnal as well.

[ZedxKayn]

It's beyond me how people can call AST "WHM 2" just because it's going to be regen only (like it's almost exclusively played by people who know what they are doing anyways)

Their playstyles are like night and day.

[Sqwall]

I guess my point overall is, what exactly changes about your playstyle when in Nocturnal vs Diurnal? Did it change how you used your cards? Did it change how you contributed to DPS? Did it even change when you used certain healing actions, really? Maybe if Aspected Benefic was exclusively a barrier and didn't actually restore HP, then you could argue it forced you to heal preemptively. People say that about Aspected Benefic and Adloquium now, but the thing is that's not really efficient. If your party has max HP, then preemptively casting a barrier would also be overhealing, which is wasteful. Any time where your party is injured, then the barrier is virtually the same as the added healing you'd have received from a Benefic II.

What I'm getting at is, the barrier is more or less a consequence of using Aspected Benefic vs Benefic II, and in most examples, you'd probably be using it at the same places in Diurnal as well.

For me as a Dirunal user. Aspected benefic is just as powerful as Benefic 2 for the MP. With Aspected Helios and aspected benefic the set it and forget it is strong. Benefic II is mostly reserved to large pull heals, and tank is in trouble heals (insanely strong with lightspeed). Just better watch your lucid cooldowns when your in diurnal with a squishy tank. Noct is great for a squishy tank as you can literally spam aspected benefic until your out of MP.

I can heal either way as an AST, but I prefer diurnal for the heal over time cushion that it gives for card/seal building. Shields do the same, but don't last like a heal over time.

[IceBlueNinja]

For me as a Dirunal user. Aspected benefic is just as powerful as Benefic 2 for the MP. With Aspected Helios and aspected benefic the set it and forget it is strong. Benefic II is mostly reserved to large pull heals, and tank is in trouble heals (insanely strong with lightspeed). Just better watch your lucid cooldowns when your in diurnal with a squishy tank. Noct is great for a squishy tank as you can literally spam aspected benefic until your out of MP.

I can heal either way as an AST, but I prefer diurnal for the heal over time cushion that it gives for card/seal building. Shields do the same, but don't last like a heal over time.

I seem to heal tanks way better in noct than dirunal as dirunal to me do not tic fast enough even if i aspected helios/aspected bene and cu which is 3 regens it still dont seem enough specially on a tank with poor gear, I really kill my mp more in dirunal than noct lol regens are claim stronger but to me they last so short it seem am just better off spamming aspected benefic noct and benefic 1 which is way more effiecient at keeping tank heal up or maybe a couple bene 2 , back then when regens was 30 second dirunal was more respectable for me now this mere 15 second mess by time i apply aspected bene/helios then apply the other, the other one just seem to already be finished. with darkness night on drk and my aspected bene that crits tons loving that 4k crit of mine. I have time to throw gravities then while all those fat 0s are just poping.