Thread: AST changes for 6.0: Let's forget 5.0 happened, and just fix what was wrong with 4.0

Originally Posted by elioaiko

I don't disagree that AST's gimmick was changed for the better on a design level to match the consistency that the game demands. RNG in job design has no place which is why they're slowing and surely rid them of such.

But I find your tone also condescending as well. It's not wrong that people would miss the old flavor of cards. I think you underestimate how many people play this game on a very casual level and play jobs for the lore behind them.

There's a reason why the AST play rate is abysmal and there's a split in the community itself. People aren't happy with how AST turned out in 5.0. Be it the cards or the removal of time aspects.

I still play AST because it's the best of healers that feel active but that doesn't mean it wasn't without being sad over they've done to it. Personally, I miss those things but I understand why they did it.

SE has a history of neglecting the healing community with silence (check fairy ghosting and 4.0 WHM). People are allowed to voice their unhappiness because the role isn't in a best place. Balance wise sure there's no bad healer anymore but for play style issues? SE missed a huge mark on that one.

Let's also remember that SE has a history of removing things from existing healers and putting them on another or even repackaging them for a new ability which is quite lazy to many of us. Temperance is just largesse with a Shield Samba attached to it. Celestial Opposition is just Diurnal Helios and Horoscope is an AoE Excog. That's not to say that all of these are bad but SE has dulled down interesting parts of healers for simplifying them with nothing in return (check SCH's Dots).

So my belief and it's likely is that SE will yet again change the cards for better or worse because tbh, it could have been well thought out if they had just committed to it instead of making it clunky. And no, I find 5.0 Sleeve Draw literal trash and 5.2 Sleeve Draw just as painful. Only 5.3 made it bearable to use.

Main take away, casual players wanting their cards back is not wrong, misguided maybe but this notion that AST should be the endgame tier healer that only us raiders can use is stupid.

Something I'd like to add is that playing for endgame raiding and playing for lore are two things that aren't mutually exclusive. Some of us want all jobs to be both well-balanced for endgame raiding while still matching the lore and feel interesting to play--not just optimal to play.