AST's weakness in end game

[GarnetTribal]

As someone posted in another thread - AST can clear content. Gameplay-wise, it's pretty solid.

Identity-wise, it needs a lot of work. With no clear identity on its own (diurnal/WHM and nocturnal/SCH) it not only has to compete with itself (which stance is better. There will always be one that's better) but it will also compete with the other healers. It needs its own niche of healing.

Yes, it's got a card drawing system - it needs to be emphasized more.

[Rashammel]

Yes, it's got a card drawing system - it needs to be emphasized more.

I want more love to the card system too.

[TatoRazzino]

Identity-wise, it needs a lot of work. With no clear identity on its own (diurnal/WHM and nocturnal/SCH) it not only has to compete with itself (which stance is better. There will always be one that's better) but it will also compete with the other healers. It needs its own niche of healing.

Long post incoming.

TL;DR: AST has identity and uniqueness, just like every other job in the game. Look more carefully to the toolkit and you'll see it. If you can't see it, compare the Melee DPS toolkit and you'll get a hint.

If AST has no identity, then MNK, DRG and NIN also don't have any identity. All three jobs have a status buff that needs to be sustained (Greased Lightning, Blood of the Dragon and Huton), a self damage buff that needs to be sustained (Twin Snakes, Heavy Thrust and Dancing Edge), every job has a combo that finishes with a DoT (Demolish, Chaos Trust and Shadow Fang), every job has off-GCD skills and an off-GCD finisher that has a long cooldown or some penalty attached to it; identity is given to the melee DPS in two ways: 1) how these shared aspects interact with each other and 2) the specific job skills. MNK has stances and his sustained status can stack; DRG has jumps and 4-move combos to sustain the status; NIN has different Mudras and party utility for aggro control. What makes them unique is a set of what? 10 skills? ASTs also have that when compared to the other healers. Just look at the healing toolkit for all three of them:

1) Every healer has a basic healing spell (Cure, Physick and Benefic);
2) Every healer has a second tier, situaltional healing spell (Cure II, Adloquium and Benefic II). SCHs got a cooldown to increase the potency of the second tier healing spell (Emergency Tactics);
3) WHM and AST have a basic 300 potency AoE healing spell (Medica and Helios), and SCH can use a cooldown to increase the potency of its second tier AoE healing spell to catch up (Emergency Tactics + Succor);
4) Every healer has a second tier, situational AoE healing spell (Medica II, Succor and Aspected Helios). WHM adds a Regen, SCH shields and AST can choose to do either Regen or shielding to match duty (and NOT party) requirements;
5) Every healer has an off-GCD single target healing spell (Tetragrammaton, Lustrate and Essential Dignity). WHM has a long cooldown, SCH consumes stacks that could be used for other skills and AST has a short cooldown/variable potency heal;
6) Every healer has a bubble (Asylum, Sacred Soil and Collective Unconscious). WHM Regens, SCH shields and ASTs do both at the same time, but have to channel the bubble around themselves;
7) Every healer can increase their own healing potency (Divine Seal, Dissipation and Synastry). WHMs can do it every minute, SCHs need to give up their fairies to do it and ASTs burn their double healing cooldown;
8) Every healer has a cleanse spell (Esuna, Leeches and Exalted Detriment);
9) Every healer has an MP refresh skill (Shroud of Saints, Aetherflow and Luminiferous Aether). WHM cuts own aggro by half, SCH gets stacks for other spells and AST lowers aggro generation.

It's already possible to see some unique characteristics for every single healer just by comparing what they have in common. Now let's look at what they don't have in common:

WHMs

1) Have a third tier healing spell that affects a single target and splashes healing to everyone around that target (Cure III);
2) Have a long cooldown panic heal that restores 100% of the target's HP (Benediction);
3) Have a cooldown that increases own attack speed for a short duration (Presence of Mind)
4) Have an interaction between their basic heal and their second tier heal, allowing a free cast for the second tier heal (Freecure);
5) Have an interaction between their second tier heal and their third tier heal, allowing them to save MP on their third tier heal cast (Overcure);
6) Have a spell that deals damage and does AoE healing at the same time while refreshing 10% of maximum MP (Assize);
7) Have MP cost and cast reduction traits/special effects for some of their spells (Medica, Esuna and Stoneskin).

SCHs

1) Can summon pets to help with healing and supporting, getting additional skills. Pets could be considered stances (Eos – healing/Selene – utility);
2) Have a second tier critical healing additional effect that can double the amount of shielding on the target, or can create a big burst heal when combined with cooldowns (Emergency Tactics + critical Adloquium);
3) Can spread their single target shields to other party members (Deployment tactics);
4) Have a short cooldown, close range off-GCD AoE spell with 400 potency (Indomitability);
5) While using Eos: AoE regen with no initial burst (Whispering Dawn);
6) While using Eos: AoE magic defense buff (Fey Covenant);
7) While using Eos: AoE healing potency buff (Fey Illumination);
8) While using Selene: single target silence (Silent Dawn);
9) While using Selene: AoE cleanse (Fey Caress);
10) While using Selene: AoE haste (Fey Wind);
11) Have a trait that adds INT and MND penalty to the Virus debuff (Supervirus);
12) Have an interaction between their second tier AoE healing spell and their bubble, making the second tier AoE healing spell free to cast (Additional effect on Sacred Soil);

ASTs

1) Have two stances they can choose from to match playstyle or duty requirements. Each one of those stances give the AST a sustained buff and change the additional effects of their Aspected spells (Diurnal Sect and Nocturnal Sect);
2) Have an instant cast, single target healing spell on their GCD, that adds special effects according to the stance (Aspected Benefic);
3) Have a cooldown that creates a bond with a target and heals them for 40% the amount of the single target healing spells the AST casts on any other party member (Synastry);
4) Have a cooldown that reduces cast time by 2.5 and MP cost by 25%, allowing them to heal while moving (Lightspeed);
5) Have an interaction between their basic heal and their second tier heal, transforming their second tier heal into an instant cast on-GCD spell (Enhanced Benefic);
6) Have a single target cooldown that increases any buffs cast on a target by 15s (Time Dilation)
7) Have an off-GCD AoE stun that increases any buffs cast on any target (including themselves) by 5s (Celestial Opposition);
7) Have a cooldown that allows for a random buff to be cast on a target every 30s (Draw). The buffs can do one of six things: decrease damage taken, increase damage dealt, increase attack speed, decrease recast timers for skills used while under the buff effect, refresh MP and refresh TP;
8) Have a cooldown that reuses the random buff cooldown in case the result was not satisfactory (Shuffle);
9) Have a cooldown that allows for a specific buff to be stored and used whenever they feel like using it (Spread);
10) Have a cooldown that allows them to use one of their special buffs to enhance their next used buff by adding a special effect on themselves (Royal Road).

I could go on and compare their DPS toolkit, but I believe this is enough to show my point. Just like every other role (Tank, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS and Caster DPS), all three healers share common characteristics that allow them to perform equally in basic duties (like 4-ppl dungeons and so on); they also have additional effects on those common spells/skills that give each of them a unique flavor; and, finally, they all have a unique set of spells/skills that no other healer has. People have to stop saying that AST doesn’t have its own identity, because that’s not true. Yes, it was launched after the other two healers, but so were NIN, MCH and DRK. I have compared (briefly, I know) the Melee DPS toolkit, but I could do the same for the Ranged DPS and Tanks; every single job in the game shares characteristics with the other jobs that can perform the same role. This isn’t a problem, it was never a problem and it will never be a problem. Identity and uniqueness are there, and you don’t need a flashy icon and an exclusive skillset to see it.

[Risvertasashi]

While I do think that AST is fine in all content, Thordan isn't hard to heal when you have 5 DPS. The hardest parts to heal are double knights and the last phase before enrage. You should be killing a knight on the first divine right so the healing check is pretty much gone and you should skip the last phase before enrage with 5 DPS.

This assumes the DPS are competent and don't die.

One advantage to 5 DPS is you can leave one on the floor if needed, and still meet DPS checks.

I want more love to the card system too.

While at first this is what I hoped SE would do... with how powerful AST's heals are now, I don't think they can buff the card system without making the job OP.

[Vlady]

As someone posted in another thread - AST can clear content. Gameplay-wise, it's pretty solid.

Identity-wise, it needs a lot of work. With no clear identity on its own (diurnal/WHM and nocturnal/SCH) it not only has to compete with itself (which stance is better. There will always be one that's better) but it will also compete with the other healers. It needs its own niche of healing.

Yes, it's got a card drawing system - it needs to be emphasized more.

That is just in the eye of the beholder. When I see astro I see cards and support buffs that can heal. Seems like it doesnt have a identity problem but just some people want to be as strong as white mages (which they now are if not stronger) and be able to dps/shield as well as a scholar while supplying said buffs. It does not have to emphasize its identity any more because that is what almost everyone sees when they think of Astrologian.

I am oddly suprised that people are defending astro as fine now and days. Even months after the buffs to astros people screamed bloody murder for more buffs and enhancements to card buffs but before the astro should be given a single new buff they will have to receive a nerf to the healing potency.