No, AST is great to play now, especially if you want a class that's busier then the other two healers, it's the only healer capable of using its ogcd heals without loosing damage, while with the current tier its card buffs are weaker, percentage based buffs do tend to get better as gear does.

The issue is that while it's good to play, some of the people who preferred the way it played prior to shb view it in a very negative light.

I say give it a try on your own terms, and dont let any of our opinions influence you.