TOP cleared without healer.

[RyuDragnier]

Put the sects back, put the faeries back.
All we're getting is convergent evolution to the literal worst designed healer.

The only way I can see them bring Sects back is if they do what I suggested long ago...make Neutral Sect the DEFAULT for Aspected heals. Half shield, half HoT. Weaker than SCH and WHM's, but useful because it's both at the same time. Diurnal Sect can then sacrifice the shields for X amount of time so it does stronger heals and HoTs, and Nocturnal Sect sacrifices the HoT for stronger shields for X amount of time. Both share the same cooldown, and it makes the Sects something you're actively having to swap depending on what you need. Because just having a different stance you're stuck with all battle is...not a good idea (we've seen how hard it is to balance).

Fairy glam makes sense considering Eos and Selene are two modes of the same fairy known as Lily. But I'd prefer for them to make Seraph the permanent form after level 80.

[fulminating]

The only way I can see them bring Sects back is if they do what I suggested long ago...make Neutral Sect the DEFAULT for Aspected heals. Half shield, half HoT. Weaker than SCH and WHM's, but useful because it's both at the same time. Diurnal Sect can then sacrifice the shields for X amount of time so it does stronger heals and HoTs, and Nocturnal Sect sacrifices the HoT for stronger shields for X amount of time. Both share the same cooldown, and it makes the Sects something you're actively having to swap depending on what you need. Because just having a different stance you're stuck with all battle is...not a good idea (we've seen how hard it is to balance).

Fairy glam makes sense considering Eos and Selene are two modes of the same fairy known as Lily. But I'd prefer for them to make Seraph the permanent form after level 80.

That seems like a really good way of addressing the sects - sorting out the levelling order might be a bit of a pain, but as long as it works well enough at 70 it should be fine. I like that it also plays into the stars aligning thing in a way too, favouring whichever aspect.

I don't know that I agree on making seraph the permanent faerie, if there must be a permanent one, lily should be it really. At the same time, given the fairies are literally introduced as "the sunlight of Eos doth soothe and shield. The moonlight of Selene doth silence and strengthen" (similar to the astrologian's diurnal sect being regens and nocturnal being shields), it seems sensible to preserve that. I'm not entirely sure how technologically possible it'd be, but having 2 actions/faerie until 80 and being able to use any faerie action from selene/eos while the faerie's up after 80/lily would feel like a sensible development without removing player options?

[Alpheus]

The only way I can see them bring Sects back is if they do what I suggested long ago...make Neutral Sect the DEFAULT for Aspected heals. Half shield, half HoT. Weaker than SCH and WHM's, but useful because it's both at the same time. Diurnal Sect can then sacrifice the shields for X amount of time so it does stronger heals and HoTs, and Nocturnal Sect sacrifices the HoT for stronger shields for X amount of time. Both share the same cooldown, and it makes the Sects something you're actively having to swap depending on what you need. Because just having a different stance you're stuck with all battle is...not a good idea (we've seen how hard it is to balance).

Fairy glam makes sense considering Eos and Selene are two modes of the same fairy known as Lily. But I'd prefer for them to make Seraph the permanent form after level 80.

This was how I assumed AST was gonna launch, since the stars themselves y'know move? so you have to adjust if you wish to continue observing them lmao.

Then again I thought SMN was gonna launch with no pets but morphing part of themselves/using limited attacks a la Yuna in Dissidia. Funny looking back on that given how XVI and EW SMN ended up turning out XD