The positive Astrologian thread!

[Bovinity]

I don't mind civil discussion if we can keep it civil, and still talk about the things that are great. The AST needs help posts are kind of beating a dead horse, positive solutions would be a better topic. And for those of us that are doing A1S as astrologians, any tips and tricks we find to share would be a boon to us all as well. Sunday night on oppressor I wasn't feeling to positive about being able to clear as AST, but Monday night I felt it was within my reach, granted we are still learning it, and overall only have a few hours of practice in over a couple nights.

Well, I really, really love the idea of a healer with strong support and proactive skills, if that's any help!

[Ghishlain]

Read the OP.
This thread was about posting the things we love about about the astrologian.
This was not about a "civil discussion" you got enough threads for that.
So yea, this thread has converter from "hey let's talk positive to yet another discussion thread and hereby lose it's meaning.

I would like to point out that the OP and I have had a few discussions on those last few pages and he's agreed with some of what I've said and I've agreed with some of what he says.

And between the OP and I, despite the RNG buff factor, we enjoy the job, based on the way we've responded to each other.

Again, while the discussion wasn't "OMG YAY AST IS AWESOME!" it was still a discussion stating the pros and cons of the job and how fun the job still is regardless.

This is something I think everyone needs to stop saying, in my opinion. In 2.x, DRG was the outcast that no one wanted in their raidgroups because it didn't add any raid utility and couldn't outdps anyone. Did they "fix" it? No. They made minor changes and addressed the broken parts – there were mechanics that made it impossible to clear because DRGs would die no matter what. That didn't make DRG competitive. Because it doesn't need to be. Raid progression groups, like I've been saying since forever, use 2.x metas, because it's easier and doesn't require any learning curve other than the fight itself. AST doesn't adapt in ANY way to the 2.x meta, and it doesn't have to adapt. It's FINE that there are no A3S clears with AST. There were A1S and A2S first week clears with AST. I daresay 90% of the groups won't get there no matter what you do. You could play Jesus with my group and they won't raise their DPS.

As you've rightfully pointed out, DRGs were excluded from progression content because their Magic Defense prevented them from being able to survive certain attacks. S-E fixed those issues, and thus made them more acceptable. While NIN and MNK were both more sought after, now DRG isn't being left in the sidelines due to infeasibility.

The idea for the AST changes isn't to necessarily make them sought after, but instead to make them viable. I don't think AST is as infeasible in the current meta as DRG was at the onset of Final Coil, but there needs to be some changes to make them more desirable.

The fact that there hasn't been a single AST clear in A3S yet indicates a very low desirability for AST. This may change this week, but if we don't see an AST clear this week for A3S, that is a very negative sign for AST players.

Gideon and Cynfael spoke it best and I agree with their point - show us a strategy that can become mainstream that pushes AST's strengths to the forefront of a new healing meta. That's when we can say AST doesn't need any help.

People are asking that in almost all threads, Gideon, and most of them are not even trying to learn AST properly. There are people saying that the only thing that raises dps is an Enhanced Balance and that they're having trouble setting that combo. That's basically the worst possible strategy for cards to be used; there's only like 3% chance you'll get that combo in two Draws. Another example: people get a Bole and say it's shit when there's no tank buster. They don't realize that, by using the Bole during normal damage, gives you (or your healing partner) breathing room to conserve MP or DPS - that's value right there. It's like saying that a crit Adlo when there's no tank buster is shit because you don't need that for regular damage. You, as a main SCH, knows that the purpose of the double shielding in Adlo is not to shield tank busters; your regular Adlo has to be enough, otherwise your tank will get busted like 70% of the time.

I don't recommend you broadly generalize the many players on this forum as "not trying to learn" how to play AST. Most of us understand the capabilities of each card and how it may best fit with a particular party composition. Some are more obvious than others (Balance and Arrow versus Spear), but many of us recognize that all cards have some value - and that value changes positively or negatively based on your party composition, the existing battle scenario, and resources available.

I don't mind civil discussion if we can keep it civil, and still talk about the things that are great. The AST needs help posts are kind of beating a dead horse, positive solutions would be a better topic. And for those of us that are doing A1S as astrologians, any tips and tricks we find to share would be a boon to us all as well. Sunday night on oppressor I wasn't feeling to positive about being able to clear as AST, but Monday night I felt it was within my reach, granted we are still learning it, and overall only have a few hours of practice in over a couple nights.

I'd personally like to see Draw reduced to 20s. I think that would alleviate a lot of the "buffs aren't effective" concerns without actually boosting the card buffs to unsustainable value.

[Bovinity]

Oh, and I do like the AST weapons.

In general, I would prefer staves, but I hate how WHM holds theirs. As if they're trying to choke it to death.

[DarkmoonVael]

Oh, and I do like the AST weapons.

In general, I would prefer staves, but I hate how WHM holds theirs. As if they're trying to choke it to death.

I think out of the three healers, the aesthetics of the AST in regards to weapons, animations of casting spells and the visual spell effects themselves are the best.

[Sylentmana]

I think out of the three healers, the aesthetics of the AST in regards to weapons, animations of casting spells and the visual spell effects themselves are the best.

I agree. I've played every class/job and I find AST to be the most visually appealing in terms animations. Also, dat eso gear is amazing.

[Ghishlain]

Fun things to do on AST? When running through trash on the Vault and you give your tank Enhanced Bole + Diurnal Aspected Benefic + Diurnal Aspected Helios then Time Dilation all that followed by Collective Unconsciousness. Sit pretty and whistle for a bit. See a big orange AoE under you? Shrug it off because the damage is healed in the next six seconds.

Sweet sweet HoT stacking~

[Ariel_Valmont]

Has anyone mentioned astrologions amazing auto attack animation? The Backhand!

[Ghishlain]

Has anyone mentioned astrologions amazing auto attack animation? The Backhand!

Death by thousand paper cuts.

.... that actually sounds pretty scary >>;

[Eul]

I don't know but somehow AST is kinda buffed in frontline. Your know they keep spam Noct Aspected Benefic unlike SCH that need cast to Adloquium.

[Galadrium]

Got a compliment today from a Drk that I was the best AST he ever ran with. Later said..."no really," he said, "you are good."

Keep shining fellow ASTs. One by one we'll eventually change the perception. Kinda just like the AST storyline actually.