Yoshi-P: "If you want more engaging content, go play Ultimate"

[ty_taurus]

One thing that could be done to help AST with solo content is giving them alternative tools to spend their buff resources on for much higher personal damage. The damage isn’t stronger than buffing DPS jobs, but when alone, it makes the job less of a slog.

As a really simple example with current ASTs design, imagine if Divination were a 2-part action. You first activate Divination, then you either recast it to provide the raid buff, or you can cast an enhanced Gravity that has a very high potency, like maybe a 700 potency attack or something. This does not resolve the design concerns with AST, but that logic could be used to make it more functional when solo, including for stuff like deep dungeons and could be in addition to other changes.

[Emitans]

One thing that could be done to help AST with solo content is giving them alternative tools to spend their buff resources on for much higher personal damage. The damage isn’t stronger than buffing DPS jobs, but when alone, it makes the job less of a slog.

As a really simple example with current ASTs design, imagine if Divination were a 2-part action. You first activate Divination, then you either recast it to provide the raid buff, or you can cast an enhanced Gravity that has a very high potency, like maybe a 700 potency attack or something. This does not resolve the design concerns with AST, but that logic could be used to make it more functional when solo, including for stuff like deep dungeons and could be in addition to other changes.

Maybe using cards on yourself could empower your abilities or something? Not enough that you would actually want to do it in group content, but just to make MSQ not a slog.

[ty_taurus]

Maybe using cards on yourself could empower your abilities or something? Not enough that you would actually want to do it in group content, but just to make MSQ not a slog.

Well, here's an interesting idea...

Let's imagine a rework to Minor Arcana, returning Crown Play as an action. But both these actions work differently than how they have in the past.

Instead of drawning a minor arcana, you basically always have one of three minor arcana in effect: The Lord, The Lady, and The Knave (from the Astrologian's Encyclopedia Eorzea lore). Minor Arcana is an action with a 1 second cooldown that cycles you through each of these minor arcana: Knave > Lord > Lady > Knave > Repeat.

While the Lord is active, Crown Play is a GCD spell that has you play The Lord of Crowns, which evenly spreads 8 stacks of Lord of Crowns amongst all party members in range. If you're alone, you get all 8 stacks. If you're in a light party, each player gets 2 stacks. This effect lasts 30 seconds. Whenever someone affected by Lord of Crowns attacks an enemy, the first target they hit is dealt an additional 25 potency attack per stack on the attacker. This attack comes from you passively, is based on your stats and buffs on you, and counts as personal DPS from you.

To better explain this concept, it's an idea inspired by an upcoming character in Honkai Star Rail, a turn based RPG where each character has a specific combat role. She is the Harmony role, which is defined by providing buffs to the party. When she uses her ultimate, or limit break if you will, she starts singing. While singing, every time one of her teammates attacks, you'll notice in addition to their damage, an additional hit with silver text pops up. This is her providing back up damage basically, and is damage that comes from her. Here's a short video displaying this ability.

While The Lady is active, Crown Play is s a GCD spell that grants a regen to the party and takes the place of Aspected Helios.

While The Knave is active, Crown Play is a GCD spell with a potency of, let's say 500 and deals 50% damage to surrounding enemies, but can only be performed while an Arcanum card is dawn and consumes the card. In other words, you can spend your cards on this attack instead.

In general play, these actions serve the purpose of being a new tool to manage for downtime, take the place of your AOE regen heal, which helps with conserving hotbar space, and can also be used in Solo to produce more damage.

[Rozeee]

-snip-

I like the idea but wouldn't this evolve into, "Lord Crown Play every 30s" > "Switch to Lady for aspected helios access"? Not too sure if the lord buff is supposed to stay after a single hit or apply to every attack in a 30s duration. If the latter, does switching off from lord removes the buff? Sounds like stance dancing. I like it.

The only part I don't like is that Knave would probably be too weak in 8 man content when compared to a normal card play (it can't be too strong since it would defeat the point of normal cards). It also makes going from Lord to Lord have an extra step that you're never going to use. If Knave was just another button it would be perfect. Maybe make it an instacast just so AST have more mobility.

[Maltothoris]

Er, Everquest? Shaman and Druids?

In all seriousness though. I honestly couldn't care less where my damage is in relation to anyone (With the provision that solo content is at least bearable). My DPS dropping in relation to tanks a few expacs back made no difference to me. What I do care about is how unbearably monotonous is to play the job in content that isn't Savage prog.

DPS numbers aren't the problem here, the fact that Cookie Clicker genuinely offers up a more compelling and deep gameplay experience than healers get at this point is just shameful on CBU3's part.

It really is the crux of it all. We just want something to do in the downtime. However, SE just isn't willing to commit in either direction. We will see what they might do in about 3 weeks but just best to be pessimistic about it.

[Maltothoris]

I do think they do need to do something about solo healer play. It's such a slog at times.

[currentlemon]

I do think they do need to do something about solo healer play. It's such a slog at times.

Agreed. I refuse to play healer for MSQ and Fates. It’s so boring.

[Aidorouge]

I pretty much leveled my healers only in PVP because it was just agony and/or anxiety playing them in any other kind of content.

[Rehayem]

I pretty much leveled my healers only in PVP because it was just agony and/or anxiety playing them in any other kind of content.

Healer anxiety? I've always wondered what makes players anxious about healing. Is it the failure to keep party alive? Personally I fall asleep, especially at lower level dungeons lol

[Roda]

Healer anxiety? I've always wondered what makes players anxious about healing. Is it the failure to keep party alive? Personally I fall asleep, especially at lower level dungeons lol

Real talk, as a career coward dps player, it's cause of 2 things:

Focusing on the enemy health bar as a dps = "if the hp hits zero yay! now can you do it faster? >:] It's the land of unlimited improvement!" vs focusing on teammate's healthbar = "IF IT EMPTIES THAT'S IT, YOU FAILED! TRY SUCKING LESS. OH? IT'S FULL? THAT'S WASTEFUL"

and the fact that as a dps, yes if you suck at your job the run takes a bit longer, but that's less disruptive than sucking as a healer and having someone else's play interrupted because of your personal shortcomings.

Not to mention the fact that the dps part of healing is so boring that I full on zone out at times which ironically makes it harder to pay attention to the healing side @_@