The Astrologian Wish List

[Shurrikhan]

Bit of a text-wall, and a pipedream at that, so hiding for the convenience of those using the thread...

>> Personally, I'd like to see all the healers buffed slightly to bring out their uniqueness. This is the level of slightly OP I'd like to raise the others too, as well, in unique ways. (WHM example below)

WHM able to use its wind magic to grant brief bursts of attack or movement speed, mitigate incoming ranged attacks, or expand certain effects, or allow slightly more mana-efficient and versatile use of earth magic by, for example, having Stone II apply a slowing/heavying Petra resource to the target, storing a portion of each Stone II's damage, which Stone I could chip off for bonus potency and tangential AoE damage and Stone III could consume for bonus + circular AoE damage). Probably a bit more use of the water aspect of WHM magic as well, possibly to cause mass-Esunas/storms, channel-drown, and create mud pits.

Cards - Ease, Flexibility, and Buffs:
Draw immediately starts its cooldown upon drawing a card, progressing up to 50% (15s) before the currently drawn card must be consumed or spread to continue progress.
Spread no longer has a cooldown.
Shuffle can no longer draw the same card.
Shuffle has a 40 second cooldown. (Down from 90)
Royal Road cooldown decreased to 10 seconds. (Down from 15)
*An AST could now Royal Road his card, cool Draw for 30 seconds, Spread it, cool Draw for 45 seconds, and finally consume two cards (1 with RR buff) back to back, and then consume a third card within 15 seconds. 3 cards within 15 seconds, one buffed.

Small, Auxiliary Buffs:
Gravity now draws enemies towards its center and applies stacks of Gravity, a 15% heavy, stacking up to 45% at 3 stacks. Stacks with other heavying effects. The draw-in will have greatly reduced effect against enemies currently under melee attack and has diminishing returns.
The effects of Collective Unconscious have been increased by 33%, but its maximum duration has been reduced from 18 to 12 seconds. Additionally, Collective Unconscious no longer ends upon moving or performing another action, but its effects are then reduced to 50% (66% of old value). While inside Collective Unconscious, you may resume channeling its effects at any time to regain their full benefit. Duration drains at half speed while being channeled, to a maximum of 20 seconds.
Whenever you cast a heal on your Synastry target, 25% of the mana cost is refunded.

Sect Differentiation and Versatility:
Astrologian may now change Sects in combat, but in combat each Sect has a 3 second cast. Neither shares cooldowns with any other effects or abilities. (Swiftcasting Diurnal or Nocturnal Sect will make them act as an oGCD, and following a Benefic their cast time is essentially only 2.5 seconds, or 1.5 seconds after an instant cast).

In Diurnal Sect, the range of Helios is increased by 25% and a portion of overhealing done towards the center is transferred towards the outside. In Nocturnal Sect, Helios remains at a range of 15 yalms but produces an additional 50 healing per party member within 20 yalms, shared according to proximity and % health lost (up to 12.5% healing increase to an 8-man Helios).

Unsure package...

While in Diurnal stance, the chances of drawing Balance, Spear, and Arrow are increased. While in Nocturnal Stance the chances of drawing Ewer, Spire, and Bole are increased. (To be revised.)
>> OR: each Sect is limited to those three cards, but Shuffle will cause you to draw one of the opposite Sect.
Royal Road effects adjusted -- Potency = Balance/Spire; Duration = Bole/Arrow; AoE = Ewer/Spear.

*Balance now increases the target's highest primary stat, other than Piety, by 9%, rather than increasing damage alone by 10%. Effect on Vitality and Mind is reduced to 6%. Changes to stats (e.g. Cleric Stance) will cause it to recalculate. Its usage should now be as versatile as that of Arrow (not limited to dps).

Bole, Ewer, and Spire have been adjusted in order to give equal aid to opposite extremes in targeting choice. Ewer should now aid intensive mana expenditure and basic mana regeneration roughly equally. Spire should now aid intensive TP expenditure and basic TP regeneration roughly equally. Bole should now aid both outlying targets (who you don't have time to keep alive, but are not taking much damage) and tanks roughly equally through the addition of a sort of shield component. Altogether this roughly equates to a considerable buff to the (Nocturnal Sect) cards and AST defensive support features. (Exact effects in progress, but are mostly as they sound -- I want to tie a balance between consumption and regeneration, so that Ewer would have as much value on a higher-mana healer about to blow massive AoE heals as a near-oom healer who doesn't have to do much immediately, or on a BLM instead of a healer; I want Spire to be seen as a license to basically 'go ham' on AoE as a TP-user.)
**Ewer now affects Flare. Spire now affects Sprint. Behold the speedrun value.

Unique but Practical Strengths:
Disable removed. Acquisition level swapped with Aspected Helios, and Aspected Helios's acquisition level swapped with Synastry. At level 50 Astrologian now gains Astral Alignment.
Astral Alignment is not quite a burst healing CD (e.g. Divine Seal) so much as a culminating CD that works off prior supporting casts. Its reliability and relative strength is about twice that of SCH's Rouse in 4-man content. In terms of raid value, it easily equates Trick Attack. 3 minute CD. (Exact effects in progress... It should generally synergize with a number of other CDs, without having to be held for them, using whatever minor 'seeds' (buffs) you place about your party and enemies in order to reap some surprisingly powerful effects.)

Changes for the sole purpose of uniqueness:
- As it stands, the only thing unique about AST dps is... pure-DoT DoTs... no, SCH has that in 2 of 3... decent filler damage... no WHM has that.... Damn, can't think of anything. Doesn't have Bane or Aero III? Can we really call that a positive uniqueness?
- As such, I've tried to reconfigure some things to try to give its dps a unique feel. It's a work in progress though, to say the least.
1 - Combust now creates a literal, theoretical sun above the target, which stores energy (shown it is animation), much of which is leaked into DoT damage to the target and, to much lesser degree, AoE damage around the target. It grows with damage dealt to its target or, to lesser degree, dealt around it. It benefits from over-time damage only when done to its own target. Combust applications of similar strength on nearby targets will attempt to combine, causing a Combust II in the process.
2- Combust II now deals a small AoE effect around the target and any Combust-affected enemies near it, blowing up a portion of their stored energy for increased burst damage, but also sacrificing some Combust II duration. Portion increased if the Combust-affected enemy is the target. [Roughly the same damage in single-target, but higher dps if both it and Combust I are used per-duration, where its casts are then much more frequent and much more bursty.
3 - (in progress) Malefic II creates some sort of curse effect that can play into Astral Alignment and Celestial Opposition. At the least creative, they'd create a 10% magic resistance down for 10-15 seconds.
4 - (in progress) I want to do something with Stella, kind of like popping whatever effects are already on the target to grant buffs to the AST in addition to the slow. Will likely play into AA/CO effects.

Weird but Fun Stuff:
Ascend now beings raising the target instantly upon casting, creating an astral form of the party member that gradually gains health and mana while being free to attack, cast, and use abilities, is immune to death, stuns, snares, and knockbacks, and AoEs, and cannot be targeted by enemies (though able to gain enmity). Starts at 30% greater stat reduction than normal, reduced to normal with cast progress. During Astral Alignment, this temporary raise effect will be applied to every member.
**Certain AST effects cause players to be reduced to Astral Form upon death, regenerating 30% health to stay alive, though at 30% reduced stats, for up to 5 seconds. During this time an Astrologian can cast Raise on the player suffering from Astral Form, stalling the timer for as long as the Astrologian is casting. If the Astrologian successfully finishes casting Raise while Astral Form is still present, the player will avoid death, receiving only the Astral Trauma debuff, reducing the player's stats by 10% and preventing delay of death through Astral Form for 60 seconds. (In place of Re-Raise)

[AlphaSonic]

Ideas:

- Permanent Synastry

- Rework Collective Unconscious: Now it becomes a 3 seconds channel. During those 3 seconds people inside the bubble can't be damaged by avoidable AoE.

- Rework Sects: Diurnal sect becomes the healing sect, reduces effectiveness of cards, increases healing power. Nocturnal sect becomes buffing sect, increases effectiveness of cards, reduced healing. Sects can be changed while in combat (with a CD like cleric stance)

- Celestial Opposition allows the benefit of both sects during 15 seconds.

[Muahbec]

Ideas:

- Permanent Synastry

- Rework Collective Unconscious: Now it becomes a 3 seconds channel. During those 3 seconds people inside the bubble can't be damaged by avoidable AoE.

- Rework Sects: Diurnal sect becomes the healing sect, reduces effectiveness of cards, increases healing power. Nocturnal sect becomes buffing sect, increases effectiveness of cards, reduced healing. Sects can be changed while in combat (with a CD like cleric stance)

- Celestial Opposition allows the benefit of both sects during 15 seconds.

I've seen this CO idea a bunch of times and honestly, its awesome.

[Alahra]

Well, since it's a wish list:

I want card buffs--every card should feel as useful as Arrow and Balance do now. They shouldn't be situationally useful but rather generally useful. This would mean all four other cards would probably need a secondary effect.

I would love for Collective Unconscious to get some sort of rework. Either let us move while it's active or let us still cast, at a minimum. Unfortunately, either of these solutions would probably mean the loss of the great floating animation for it, and I'm not sure how to make the skill functional and preserve its current restrictions.

Celestial Opposition should do something unique for each sect to make it worth the long cooldown. Even something as simple as an instant oGCD AoE heal would be nice (with a regen for Diurnal and a shield for Nocturnal--or even perhaps, the other way around, since it's supposed to be about opposites).

Lightspeed should actually make us cast faster by lowering the GCD significantly (which would make it more like Presence of Mind in functionality).

Gravity could really use an MP cost reduction or something so it doesn't kill your reserves if you try to get fancy and DPS in dungeons.

That's all off the top of my head.

[Selli]

-The ability to cross class Stoneskin II.

-Celestial Opposition, shorten the cooldown to 90 seconds, add the ability to restore 10% MP. Make this like AST's version of Assize, but it also benefits their HoTs/Shields and Cards, as it extends their duration. But they really need more ways to restore MP.

-Collective Unconscious, let it have a slightly higher potency when channeled, but if the AST has to move, the bubble stays put, but has a slightly lower potency than if the AST were to be channeling it.

-Shuffle, make it so you can't get the same card again.

-Aspected Helios, increase the range to 20y for Diurnal Sect. Or if same range for both Sects, give increase SCH's Succor to 20y as well to keep it fair.

-Increased healing potency for Diurnal Sect. The 5% healing potency for Nocturnal Sect is actually pretty nice, but Diurnal Sect feels really weak.

-Aspected Benefic's shield doubles when crit in Nocturnal Sect, add a 1 second cast time (like Sustain) to make it not so "instant".

-A skill like Divine Seal... might have a different use in Nocturnal Sect since SCH doesn't have anything like Divine Seal (I think?).

-The PIE party bonus. Give AST both bonuses, or give them the opposite of the other healer in the party (default to PIE if only healer or double AST), or have it change depending on Sect. It does cause discrimination, especially in the raiding community, so even though it doesn't effect everyone who plays the class, it does effect some players very negatively, so it needs to be fixed/addressed.

-Some way to mitigate damage at 50. In level 50 content, SCH has Shadowflare (which Slows mobs) or Sacred Soil (reduces incoming damage by 10%), WHM has Holy (which Stuns mobs), AST has no way to mitigate incoming damage (or even any AoE at all at this level) on their tank/party members. This can make healing very stressful and undesirable in level 50 dungeons. Not so bad in trials, but it can be bad in dungeons.

[SuzakuCMX]

There's a lot of great ideas and wants in this thread! Keep them coming!

[BMattAttack]

There's so many different ways things could go, and I kind of feel like we're shouting at the wind because I suspect the devs have a general idea of what they'd like to do, but here it goes.

I really wish the skills interacted more with each other, not just on AST, but all the healers. I think that would make healing in this game more interesting.

So, without paying much attention to balance some ideas:

I think they should play up the time mage aspect of AST more. For instance, how about a CD that removes the regen buff for a big instant heal. It quickens the regen basically. Yeah, you have to set up the CD, but I think that makes the skill a little more interesting.

Another idea could be that aspected benefic or a proc on benefic applies a small healing received up buff. Maybe 2% stacking up to 10%, but wears off after a short time, maybe 10 seconds. This would help the other healer as well. You could get a bigger regen or a bigger adlo from your healing partner. Then, AST could have a CD that removes the healing buff for a big burst heal depending on how many stacks of the buff that character has. I think this would make the class a lot more interesting to play and address some of the healing potency/lack of cool down issues.

I'd love to see lightspeed reduce the GDC by .5 or even 1 second so it actually increases throughput.

Another idea that I think would be good is a CD that boosts our healing in some way, but adds time to our draw CD, or puts draw on CD if it hasn't been used. This way we get more healing throughput, but it comes at price by sacrificing our cards, which might help address some of the balance issues the devs seemed worried about.

You can see I'm focused more on the healing side of things because I think it's a lack of security that is causing AST's to be blacklisted from parties. Even with stronger cards, I suspect most groups will avoid AST because the average group is more concerned with keeping people up than they are boosting DPS. Addressing CDs to increase healing throughput seems the best way to adjust things in my opinion.

Auto-attacks don't use up disable.

Also, I'd make gravity level 50 and give it a slow effect. Edit: Actually, here's a crazy idea. What if gravity had a % chance to proc a 5% damage down debuff on trash mobs it hit? Like, it makes their weapon/arm heavier and they can't use them as effectively. Just a crazy idea.

In a perfect world, I'd remove the sects altogether and rework AST to be a unique healer on it's own. Not because tweaks won't make it viable, but because the approach (WHM stance/SCH stance) seems boring and uninspired to me. I think if they really think carefully about the skills though, AST can have it's own identity without going back to the drawing board. I think "oh cards!" isn't enough to make AST feel unique, not when it has the most limited healing set.

[Tsurayu]

I've mulled this over for awhile, and I think what might be the smallest, yet most useful change, would be to change the proc for Benefic II from instacast, to a Freecure, like it's WHM counterpart. Due to the AST's slightly lower potency, I find myself casting Benefic II frequently, and it's a shame all of those procs are wasted on what is arguably useless. Making it Freecure, will significantly help curb mana issues.

[Alahra]

I've mulled this over for awhile, and I think what might be the smallest, yet most useful change, would be to change the proc for Benefic II from instacast, to a Freecure, like it's WHM counterpart. Due to the AST's slightly lower potency, I find myself casting Benefic II frequently, and it's a shame all of those procs are wasted on what is arguably useless. Making it Freecure, will significantly help curb mana issues.

Oh, that's something I forgot, too. I'm not in favor of making it a Freecure clone just because I think variety is important, but it does need some kind of change.

[NorthernLadMSP]

Personally, I would keep the proc remaining as an instant Benefic II (like it is now), but also make it cost half the MP. That way it's not a copy of WHM, but gives some other benefit besides just being instant cast.