AST changes, where we're still weak, and why I'm not upset with Yoshi-P...

[RichardButte]

These are exactly the changes I said they should make (though I'm not posting on the JP forums so I doubt they got the idea from me).

Basically, I had been saying that they need to make the AST 90% as effective, healing wise, as SCH and WHM and let the RNG of the cards make up for the last 10%, and I think we're at that point now.

Given that healers are the largest determining factor in raid progression (ie if a healer is more powerful than they should be, then they can potentially allow raid teams to survive mechanics that they don't have the gear to be surviving yet), I'm not upset with Yoshi-P in the least for the fact that ASTs had to sit out these savage world firsts. In hindsight, it was inevitable. Yoshi-P erred on the side of caution because he wanted world firsts to actually be a big deal instead of a faceroll that happened week 1, and believe me, we should ALL respect that decision.

World firsts in FFXIV SHOULD be a big deal, and that's not going to be the case if it happens week 1. If we can get sponsored progression raid guilds to start coming to FFXIV, it'll be AMAZING for the game's overall popularity. This is the real reason I created a thread for this (I meant to do it the other day): don't blame Yoshi-P for this. There have been many cases in the past where MMOs released a new class too powerful (Death Knights) and it was a huge debacle. He made the absolute right decision for doing it this way.

Now, on the subject of the one place AST is still relatively weak: mana regen.

With generally-improved healing potency, we'll hopefully be going OoM less often, but it's still possible to go OoM if a situation turns sour or if you're just trying to heal a party who is bad at not standing in the bad.

In that area, we're still going to be leaning on RNG to help us recover MP. In essence, we ARE still a luck-based class, especially since Spear wasn't buffed and remains a pretty awful draw (RRed on sight...).

Overall, it feels like a good place for the class. We'll see if their representation increases in Savage teams now...

[RissotoMissoto]

Only thing they need to deal with now is making The Spear not 100% shuffle/RR fodder lol

[RichardButte]

Only thing they need to deal with now is making The Spear not 100% shuffle/RR fodder lol

As much as I would agree, I think there had to be one BAD card in the deck and the Spear is definitely it.

Originally, AST was designed with one card that was a DEBUFF to whoever you cast it on. Spear is the spiritual successor to that card: while it's not completely worthless, it's extremely situational and probably the last card you want to draw.

Though, with the duration buffs to the other cards, we don't have to be as pinpoint accurate with when we want to use them any longer, meaning that spreading a Spear is now less of a bad idea so we could hold onto it to use BEFORE we fire off big healing cooldowns...

[Isala]

I give all my Spears to the MCH in the party. Sure, I could toss it on the tank, but they're using those CDs for specific moments in the fight anyway, like tank busters. I rather enjoy giving MCH their Reload 12 seconds faster, and their Quick Reload, well, now 3 seconds faster? Though, if they pop QR right after a Spear, that's TWO QRs in 24 seconds. Nobody complaining about that, methinks.

[Zaj_Quilos]

Spear isn't a bad card - just royal road it

[DawnSolaria]

Why is Spear a bad card? Use it with LA and CO and you will rarely have MP issue.

[RichardButte]

Why is Spear a bad card? Use it with LA and CO and you will rarely have MP issue.

It's easily the most situational of all of the cards.

It's not that it's BAD, per se, it's just that nearly anything else would typically be more useful.

As I said, we have a bit more freedom to spread Spears now so it's a little more feasible to have it on hand for when those cooldowns need to pop.

[Elth]

I just can't take seriously anyone saying Spear is a bad card...
It may even be one of the best of all. NIN gets a huge benefit from it, not mentionning tanks and their Hallowed Ground with a little coordination.

But most of all, it's the best card we can cast on US ! LA CU CO LS all benefit greatly from it, allowing for a very decent MP conservation/regeneration, Synastry aswell is enhanced by a spear, even moreso now that it boosts our healing potency.
And what most people usually forget about, it allows to draw MORE cards, reducing the cooldown on Draw and Shuffle.

With THAT much oGCD benefiting from it, it doesn't seem so situational anymore, to me.

[Roxas_Andrade]

It really depends on the party. If you have a MNK and a NIN, I'd rather draw a Spear than an almighty Arrow. At least you wouldn't drain the TP out of them, making you hope to draw a spire, which is a non-great card as much as Spear...
I agree it's situational, but Spear has it's uses...

[Assirra]

I just can't take seriously anyone saying Spear is a bad card...
It may even be one of the best of all. NIN gets a huge benefit from it, not mentionning tanks and their Hallowed Ground with a little coordination.

But most of all, it's the best card we can cast on US ! LA CU CO LS all benefit greatly from it, allowing for a very decent MP conservation/regeneration, Synastry aswell is enhanced by a spear, even moreso now that it boosts our healing potency.
And what most people usually forget about it, it allows to draw MORE cards, reducing the cooldown on Draw and Shuffle.

With THAT much oGCD that benefit from it, it doesn't seem so situational anymore, to me.

Well the "issue" is what you said in the first part.
In a coordinated group it is very powerful but in the most runs you will do in df you never know when people will use cd's.