White Mage is falling behind while Astro keeps getting buffs

[Fiorinol]

Astrologian gets yet more buffs this patch by being able to weave Collective Unconscious, and also having lower arcana recast time. And that's after Astrologian getting a significant DPS buff last major patch. Everyone is also getting Cleric Stance due to the increase cross slots, while Astrologian will have the most ease to use it on cooldown.

White Mage still doesn't get any DPS buffs or any extra tools to manage their aggro, yet it brings no raid buffs to the table.

Can we get a bone at least?

[KDSilver]

That's not a buff.
That's a fix to every aoe since we had to wait the server tick to have its effect.
Whm got the same with asylyum.

Minor Arcana reduced CD won't change anything.

[number473]

That's a fix to every aoe since we had to wait the server tick to have its effect.

Whether it's a fix for something that wasn't functioning the way it was supposed to or not, it very clearly improves the effectiveness of the skill and hence it is a buff. This change saves casting time (no clipping) for the AST and makes no such difference to the WHM. That's besides the fact that a white mage would usually have to clip their gcd in order to use Asylum anyway, whereas an astrologian can weave it with the reduced malefic cast time.

[HyoMinPark]

I don’t think this is something to get up in arms about. Removing abilities like this from the server tick is a good idea; they did it with more than just Collective Unconscious; ground AOE abilities were also affected (Salted Earth, Doton, Shadow Flare), as well as PLD’s Passage of Arms and SCH’s Sacred Soil. I doubt this was some ploy to destroy WHM in favor of AST.

That's besides the fact that a white mage would usually have to clip their gcd in order to use Asylum anyway, whereas an astrologian can weave it with the reduced malefic cast time.

I don’t play WHM often, but can’t you weave it during Aero II’s GCD? Certain situations may require you to clip the DoT slightly, but if it’s for party-wide healing, it would probably be worth it.

[IanFrench]

That's only because AST wasn't designed properly at first place, they just put it right step by step now.

[ArianeEwah]

I don’t play WHM often, but can’t you weave it during Aero II’s GCD? Certain situations may require you to clip the DoT slightly, but if it’s for party-wide healing, it would probably be worth it.

Yes, you can double weave during Aero II GCD, but that's it for weaving. That only occurs every 15 to 18 sec. AST can (single) weave EVERY Malefic GCD since 4.3, and double weave every 30 sec when they cast Combust. They also reduced "Aspected Helios" cast time, meanwhile WHM still has its "Medica II" cast time on 3 sec.
Hell, even SCH can double weave with Miasma II if they need to and pay a little DPS loss (-30 pot compared to Broil II).

WHM has no other choice, but to clip every other oGCD outside of Aero II casts.

[KDSilver]

I doubt this was some ploy to destroy WHM in favor of AST.

Of course it's not, people in here just like yelling about any small fix or adjustment about Ast without using their brain.

[number473]

I am actually really happy with the changes that they have made to AST over the last few patches, including this one. For context, I am a WHM player and I pretty much never play AST, but these changes make a lot of sense to me.

The thing is, there have been numerous buffs to SCH and AST over the expansion so far, including quality of life buffs as well as straight potency buffs. At the same time the dev team does not even acknowledge that lilies are basically a useless system and most of WHM's strengths only really make a noticeable difference in the very hardest content in the game.

Where's my "quality of life" YOSHIDAAAAAAAAAAA!?

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

Call me a heaven if you may, but what about weaving by using Regen or clipping the A2 dot a bit earlier in favour of weaving? I know that isn't the most dps-friendly solution, but I don't know what else to say that may sound like a solution.

Understandably the meta for healing is minimizing healing gcds and maximizing dps potency, but don't you think WHM is more than well equipped with the best mana economy, more healing ogcds and the most accessible burst heal, only limited by MP? There gotta be some trade-off for all the goodies and that is efficient weaving potential.

[HyoMinPark]

At the same time the dev team does not even acknowledge that lilies are basically a useless system and most of WHM's strengths only really make a noticeable difference in the very hardest content in the game.

I won’t disagree that Lilies are completely worthless, but I think if they were going to overhaul that system, they’ll probably wait until 5.0 to do so. They should, because it’s a stupid system, but I don’t think it’s something you would see in a patch cycle.