Astrologian: what is your understanding about it?

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

I really feel the last thing they should do is to turn job gauge that literally 'plays by itself'. We already have WHM and SGE for those. You don't need to do anything about their gauge. Just stand in combat and afk (exaggeration, I know). Come back 60s later they're full, save Misery and MP gain from Addersgall. I personally prefer to play the game on my own, not to let the game play it for me.

[Supersnow845]

Draw and play existing independently is fine it’s the charge on draw that’s the problem, it encourages you to dump too much in the overfull city window without achieving anything of interest

In ShB there was a lot of strategy in applying cards to the DPS sub bursts, in EW it’s just a burst dump

[Kissune]

Draw and play existing independently is fine it’s the charge on draw that’s the problem, it encourages you to dump too much in the overfull city window without achieving anything of interest

In ShB there was a lot of strategy in applying cards to the DPS sub bursts, in EW it’s just a burst dump

Exactly this! That's why my biggest wish for the job is for them to spread out the busyness so I always feel like I'm doing something instead of going insane for 15s and then pressing one button. ShB AST was my favourite iteration. It was by no means perfect, but it definitely is a massive improvement over what we've got now.

[Raikai]

Draw and play existing independently is fine it’s the charge on draw that’s the problem, it encourages you to dump too much in the overfull city window without achieving anything of interest

In ShB there was a lot of strategy in applying cards to the DPS sub bursts, in EW it’s just a burst dump

Not only that but dumping in the 'overfull city window' (love the name) kind of waters down the feel and excitement of properly using a card. It's like as if you devoured an expensive chocolate box in one minute instead of enjoying it slowly through some hours.

In fact, seizing the sub bursts windows from other jobs is actually more work than the 'a test of your reflexes' we currently have.

[Local_Custard]

hewwo!
I'm popping in to ask a few questions about ast:
1. when should I use helios over asp helios? I have been trying to work away from overusing asp helios since it meant I would neglect to use much of my kit and worsen my performance overall (with lots of free heals, I should use them-). I almost never touch helios.
2. a. can you link me to multiple ast suggest posts? Especially your favorite ones.
b. can you link me to any posts that go into depth on ast's current problems?
3. I am still trying to cook this hypothetical ast rework and could use some eyes on it before I post it. There are some things I do not fully understand and trying to learn more about (of course, experience is the best medicine for this but I couldn't hop onto the game today). Is anyone willing to speak with me in game or over discord?

[Supersnow845]

1) Helios is near redundant these days. Its purpose used to be in high damage situations you’d press aspected Helios once then spam Helios while the regen ticked however they doubled the regen potency and halved the duration so this niche barely applies anymore. Regardless both are rarely used anyway
2b) AST has a lot of problems right now but people debate on what constitutes being a problem. Basically let’s split AST into two halves, the burst window and outside the burst window. Outside the burst window is pretty self explanatory. You spam malefic and barely do anything else. Even healers collectively suffer from the problem of being cucked by the superior shield healers so this makes this even worse. Now inside the burst window, in EW they made the change to give draw charges and added astroydyne. This has massively inflated AST’s burst window as they now have to juggle 2 minor arcana (which has its own problems of being a pointless RNG button) earthly star, divination, 3 cards and potentially 2 astrodynes. This requires the use of AST’s only movement tool lightspeed to facilitate the needed number of weave slots. People complain this burst window is clunky, overfull and barely worth the effort as in most content except at the top end WHM out damages it anyway. This has led AST to being the most unpopular class in the game right now

[Local_Custard]

1) Helios is near redundant these days. Its purpose used to be in high damage situations you’d press aspected Helios once then spam Helios while the regen ticked however they doubled the regen potency and halved the duration so this niche barely applies anymore. Regardless both are rarely used anyway
2b) AST has a lot of problems right now but people debate on what constitutes being a problem. Basically let’s split AST into two halves, the burst window and outside the burst window. Outside the burst window is pretty self explanatory. You spam malefic and barely do anything else. Even healers collectively suffer from the problem of being cucked by the superior shield healers so this makes this even worse. Now inside the burst window, in EW they made the change to give draw charges and added astroydyne. This has massively inflated AST’s burst window as they now have to juggle 2 minor arcana (which has its own problems of being a pointless RNG button) earthly star, divination, 3 cards and potentially 2 astrodynes. This requires the use of AST’s only movement tool lightspeed to facilitate the needed number of weave slots. People complain this burst window is clunky, overfull and barely worth the effort as in most content except at the top end WHM out damages it anyway. This has led AST to being the most unpopular class in the game right now

I'm surprised. I thought sch was the most unpopular class?
I was considering combining both helios for the redesign I'm cooking. What are the repercussions of this?

[Supersnow845]

I'm surprised. I thought sch was the most unpopular class?
I was considering combining both helios for the redesign. What are the repercussions of this?

SCH is third in EU and NA and second in JP. Some people don’t like it’s “clunky” design but it’s widely agreed as the strongest healer in EW do that may contribute. JP also seemed to have not liked how copy pasted SGE was so sorta played SCH as a protest if my google translate of the JP forums is accurate

Convincing Helios and aspected Helios is near pointless as you would still just press it exactly when you current press aspected Helios, it won’t ruin anything but it won’t change anything either

[Local_Custard]

SCH is third in EU and NA and second in JP. Some people don’t like it’s “clunky” design but it’s widely agreed as the strongest healer in EW do that may contribute. JP also seemed to have not liked how copy pasted SGE was so sorta played SCH as a protest if my google translate of the JP forums is accurate

Convincing Helios and aspected Helios is near pointless as you would still just press it exactly when you current press aspected Helios, it won’t ruin anything but it won’t change anything either

hm okay, will be noted. If I am to do anything with them, I'll need to put a lot of thought into it in relation to the entire kit.

[ASkellington]

SCH is third in EU and NA and second in JP. Some people don’t like it’s “clunky” design but it’s widely agreed as the strongest healer in EW do that may contribute. JP also seemed to have not liked how copy pasted SGE was so sorta played SCH as a protest if my google translate of the JP forums is accurate

Convincing Helios and aspected Helios is near pointless as you would still just press it exactly when you current press aspected Helios, it won’t ruin anything but it won’t change anything either

The only way I'd see it being interesting would be for a rework of AST from WHM's buffier clone to a Regen/Delayed healer based model.

Benefic, Helios, Neutral Sect and Celestial Intersection go out the window, Essential Dignity remains your one burst heal and most of your healing comes from Regens (A. Benefic/Helios, Celestial Opposition) and delays (Earthly Star, Macrocosmos, Exaltation). Collective Unconciousness I'd rather change to where the regen is removed (and the mitigation bubble can stay because I do like you can pop it, mit, and then drop it).

As far as AST problems go:

• Cards are boring. There's six of them, but two effects and people want to go back to the older model where they all do different things.
• APM. This is an easy fix by 1. removing or reworking Trashtrodyne/Seals System, 2. removing the extra charge of draw

To go further in the above, with 2 charges of Draw you're trying to play them both ASAP in the Divination window while also getting the 3 different seals to boost your own DPS. If however, the seals system is removed and a charge of Draw is dropped, you now have 1 card you need to play upon a dps, even if we don't change the current cards' effects.

Aside from that AST shares the other problems healers have: boring 2 dps rotation, too similar to other healers in play style (even from just a healing kit perspective) etc.