Quote Originally Posted by Gemina View Post
It was a disaster. The OP you quoted and other likeminded players look at this version of AST with rose tinted glasses. They fail to mention the illusion of choice, and the ridiculous amount of layers of RNG involved with the card mech back then. They will mention all of this utility they could bring to a party, and how they can heal and shield better than WHM and SCH when nobody couldn't care less. Their spot as a meta healer was and still is firmly solidified by their ability to increase the damage output of their party members. This is their identity. Don't be fooled into thinking anything otherwise. This will continue in EW based off of current tooltips, and both WHM and SGE will keep the bench warm in case one of the starters go down.

What I won't take from those ASTs is the fun they had playing that broken version of AST. Clever job design though? Not even close.
I feel like you're right on one hand with this, but mostly from the perspective of the META, which only really effects people who do the hardest content. A lot of people, if not most who are not hardcore end game players don't care about the META. Yes Balance was the reason AST was top tier for endgame, however the "handful" of niche situations that people cite for uses of the other card abilities is what gave the job flavor. It was exciting to use a perfectly timed Bole, or assist a fellow healer gain mp back with Ewer after a death.

I can count on one hand how many times I've used Repose in endgame... 0, that is an ability that has a sure foothold in this game and yet it has an even finer niche than any of the old cards abilities had. At least those were useful periodically throughout the fight. You had to think on your feet and make snap decisions based on what you had in your hand so to speak. You don't just change the rules of Black Jack because you don't always get 21. Sometimes you have to stop being such a slave to "the META" and just have fun.