would this be OP?

[Seraphor]

For me personally, the sects are a mark of S-E's inability to design a unique healer concept. Diurnal represents healing like a White Mage while Nocturnal represents healing like a Scholar. It makes it difficult to balance when there are only two healing concepts but three healers. If AST had been a bit more unique in their healing kit, the complaints of healer balance would be different. Right now all we see in the healer balance front is either AST encroaching on WHM or vice versa, or AST encroaching on SCH or vice versa. It's less pronounced on the AST vs SCH front but it's there.

I feel I wouldn't be the only one to think that, because of S-E's design decision for AST's kit, there is a lack of confidence in S-E's design team when they (eventually) pitch the fourth healer for the game.

If they remove the Sects (or made it an active buff instead of a passive buff) and made AST a more vanilla healer with the capability to buff the raid, I would be a lot happier. I feel there are quiet a few people who would feel the same. Maybe not necessarily a vanilla healer with buffs but just something that makes AST more unique than WHM and SCH respectively.

I think the dual sects represent a very good way of balancing three healers between two roles. There may be an issue with the game itself being set up with only two healer roles but AST fits into that incredibly well.
Its my favourite aspect about my second main class, and I'd be incredibly pissed off if it was removed.

[Seraphor]

If AST was changed into a vanilla healer with buffs as you say, those buffs would have to be very significant, and include both HoTs and shields.

[Ghishlain]

I think the dual sects represent a very good way of balancing three healers between two roles. There may be an issue with the game itself being set up with only two healer roles but AST fits into that incredibly well.
Its my favourite aspect about my second main class, and I'd be incredibly pissed off if it was removed.

It's not a really good way to balancing the roles because if the roles are too similar, it means the inferior option will always be kicked to the curb because why bring the inferior option to the fight? At least if the themes of the healing are different, it's easier to make arguments about why you should bring X healer to X situation and Y healer to Y situation.

Also the sects represent a balancing problem about AST itself as the developers have to balance between N.AST and D.AST.

*Points to Amelia's post on the previous page*

In my mind, the sects just represent a humongous blunder on the healer developers as it shows their inability to think outside of the already defined roles and choose to take the easy road in an attempt to not shake the balance. However, the balance is even more upset now due to the fact the kits between HoT healer and Shield healer are too similar.

I was personally hoping AST would be made into a dedicated HoT healer like Resto Druids were in WoW. Sad that didn't come to fruition .-.

If AST was changed into a vanilla healer with buffs as you say, those buffs would have to be very significant, and include both HoTs and shields.

I don't think you understand what I meant with "buffs" and my comment. If they turned AST into a vanilla healer, this means their heals would have very little frills. No HoTs, no shields, just raw healing. Their position as a healer role would be a buffing Healer in the sense that it would augment the team to do better - it already does this through the cards they use. Focus on the cards more and don't give them any special effects to their heals. There, now it's more unique from both WHM and SCH.

[SWB]

I think reducing the regen and including a 5%damage down on aspected benefic/helios would allow them to remove the stances. And that way the damage mitigation can actually be extended with time dilation and celestial opposition.

[Duskane]

I doubt we will ever get rid of
SCH/Ast comp unless they butcher sch shields and the cards
A healer shield that can basically make you invincible if they crit
Other is basically a DPS increase

How can WHM or a new healers compete with that

[Gemina]

The issue is AST is already OP. Having to choose sects is one of the job's few drawbacks, and even then you can still kind of cheat a sect by casting a regen or shield prior to engagement, and then switch to the opposite sect. It's not a huge edge, but one that no other healer has, adding to AST OPness.

I could see something like this if AST needed help, but right now it seriously does not need any help. The only issue AST has right now is solo play because the card gimmick and abilities like Earthly Star seriously lose their flavor here. Jobs like AST need challenging content in order to shine because nearly all their abilities are structured around group play.

[Grimoire-M]

The issue is AST is already OP.

SCH is OP. AST and WHM are competing against one another because of it. AST is the better one between those two, but SCH is the actual problem. The outlier that AST is trying to compete with that it realistically can't. And WHM can't compete with either without a serious overhaul to Lilies and adding the right cooldowns to tighten up the utility gap. You can buff AST's ability to contribute in this manner to help it alongside WHM without majorly impacting its use in SCH/AST comps. At best sometimes Noct AST's shields are used for tank busters while SCH retains AoE shield priority. That's it.

AST/WHM needs the extra regens more than SCH/AST needs the reliable shield.

[AmeliaVerves]

I'll just leave this here:

credits: The Balance Discord




edit: in case someone wants some further inside here is the one and only big brain healer guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...LDaOmZY8/edit#

[Bobsmiaw]

SCH is the OP one.
Embrace -> passive regen + rouse buff
whispering down -> aoe healing
Fey union -> basically like spamming mini cure/benefic to target
This combination makes the burden for both healers lighter.
It is like Eos says "do not worry just keep dpsing or doing another stuff (like raising), I will handle the heal"
Is it possible for WHM/AST to do this?

I think SE starting to reduce SCH power by lowering both embrace and whispering dawn potency compared to HW.
But they are still OP until now.