AST, and what we lost

[elioaiko]

Having experienced AST since StB, I do miss Royal Road and the varying card effects. But for endgame content like raiding, it's not reliable because you didn't know if you would get an AoE Bole. So the extra mitigation isn't accounted for as you could not plan it–it was all random.

In ShB, while not perfect, was a decent balance. The devs saw that the utlity cards aren't useful so they decided to make them all balance. 5.0 was awful with Sleeve Draw forcing you to draw and then play, 3 times in a row. On top of Minor Arcana adding more to the APM.

In EW, Astrodyne is interesting but it's only a buff for yourself, it would be interesting if you could have a "dance-partner" (or even Synastry) that you could give these buffs to. Or even small buffs that affected tanks, healer and then dps.

I disagree on Noct being missing. While it was nice to have an option, it hindered a lot of AST's design–being half-baked SCH or WHM and since Diurnal is better they opted for AST to be a regen healer. Now the job has space to grow in a sub role rather than be two at once.

In the end, AST's cards being RNG buffs will never fit into the current combat design. It's either guaranteed or nothing. And that's why they'll keep changing AST.

[OtakuSempai]

In the end, AST's cards being RNG buffs will never fit into the current combat design. It's either guaranteed or nothing. And that's why they'll keep changing AST.

Its this type of limited thinking and bad hot takes from the community as to why none of the jobs (mainly healers, tanks) have any identity anymore. God forbid the devs had to get creative to maintain the flavor and lore of old AST - best to throw the baby out with the bathwater cause everyone wants only the maximum effect with the least effort.

Changing balance to be direct hit only would've gone a long way in being more, well balanced in my opinion. Instead now we're back literally in the position we wanted to get ourselves out of. I'd laugh at the irony if I wasn't so jaded.

[Jybril]

Having experienced AST since StB, I do miss Royal Road and the varying card effects. But for endgame content like raiding, it's not reliable because you didn't know if you would get an AoE Bole. So the extra mitigation isn't accounted for as you could not plan it–it was all random.

In ShB, while not perfect, was a decent balance. The devs saw that the utlity cards aren't useful so they decided to make them all balance. 5.0 was awful with Sleeve Draw forcing you to draw and then play, 3 times in a row. On top of Minor Arcana adding more to the APM.

In EW, Astrodyne is interesting but it's only a buff for yourself, it would be interesting if you could have a "dance-partner" (or even Synastry) that you could give these buffs to. Or even small buffs that affected tanks, healer and then dps.

I disagree on Noct being missing. While it was nice to have an option, it hindered a lot of AST's design–being half-baked SCH or WHM and since Diurnal is better they opted for AST to be a regen healer. Now the job has space to grow in a sub role rather than be two at once.

In the end, AST's cards being RNG buffs will never fit into the current combat design. It's either guaranteed or nothing. And that's why they'll keep changing AST.

Old Noct AST main here. Hi, I miss Noct stance, haven't even removed it from my bar.
AST is dead since 3.0. Where it was the hardest healer to be, but the most rewarding and fun.
It won't come back and I'm sad for it. Theatric sounding as it may sound, I won't forgive SE for screwing
one of my fave classes I've played in the last 15 years of MMO history. So F it.
They can do without dumbing the game down at EVERY expansion.