(09-06-2015, 11:59 AM)Gegenji Wrote:(09-04-2015, 11:32 PM)LiadansWhisper Wrote: So...what other "utility" are they bringing if we're not looking at cards?
The cards ARE part of their utility, though. Each of them can be used to either up an ally's damage output or negate some incoming damage (in the case of the Bole), and with proper prep before a boss pull you can have a good 20-30 seconds extra damage on everybody.
I never said they weren't. Â It's pretty clear from my post if you go back and read it again. Â I'm saying, if you're ignoring cards, what other utility do they bring?
Quote:However, what I mean by them not being needed is that the class is designed so pulling a card you don't want or need doesn't "ruin" things. You pull the TP card when your tank is a Paladin or your party consists of two BRDs/NINs. You can drop that into your Spread for emergencies or burn it into Royal Road so the next card you DO use affects everyone... or you can just let it drop. And all the while your healing capability is in no way hindered from doing this since it's all off-GCD.
Kind of, sort of, since you can't draw or use cards while you're got a cast bar. Â But, if it affects things so little, how useful is it really?
Quote:Other than that? I think they might be better at panic-healing a group than the other two classes? I mean, Lightspeed means every heal is instant cast except for the Aspected AoE and that one's still less than a second cast time.
Okay...and White Mages can't pull this off with Swiftcast + Medica/Medica II, Assize, Benediction, and Tetragrammaton? Â And should we add Divine Seal into the mix, too? Â Still better than Synastry! Â And Scholars can't pull this off with 3x Lustrate + Indominability + Emergency Tactics? Â At least they don't have to stand still when they put down their Sacred Soil (and White Mages don't have to stop moving or casting for Asylum), and with Deployment Tactics , your health is never gonna go down in the first place. Â And not only do they have Fey Illumination but they also have Dissipation.
And this isn't even adding in the fact that Scholars can do truly massive damage for a healer.
Quote:And not to mention they're the only one who can fill "either" roll. They have options on whether they want a regen or a shield on their Aspected heals, and can freely switch between the two depending on both situation and party make-up. Able to mold themselves around the other healer in a raid situation and a bevvy of cards that all somehow benefit your teammates in some way sounds like utility to me.
Yeah...Astrologians can fill either role badly. Â They'll never be as good at straight healing as a White Mage and they'll never be as good at straight damage mitigation as a Scholar. Â Their shields don't double on crits as far as I can tell, and weaker shields can override stronger shields (the buff simply refreshes with the newer shield, it doesn't look to see which one has the most health left). Â And they're somehow not as mana efficient as Scholars or White Mages, which seems bonkers to me, but there you have it.
Also, damage. Â Astrologians don't bring the damage a Scholar brings, and even a White Mage would probably be able to do more damage under Cleric Stance than an Astrologian would.
So I'm just saying...the spec still needs help. Â Is it better than where it was? Â Oh yes, yes it is. Â Is it still something that would be the first choice on cutting edge content? Â Nope. Â And that's a real shame, because as long as the first choice is always going to be a White Mage or a Scholar, with Astrologian occupying the spot of, "Well, if we can't get anyone else..." it's going to suck playing one competitively.
Edited because sometimes I type Scholar instead of Astrologian and I don't know why, but I blame my Scholar buddies. It's their fault.
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