Hello everyone,
I've played PUP for a long time through various situations. While the job may not be optimal for some things, with enough tweaking and effort on the part of the player they can do pretty well.
The one situation where this is not true is when fighting big baddies from Abyssea and more recent content (voidwatch, neo-nyzul, etc). Particularly the ones that spam AoE attacks constantly (some doing both draw-in and AoE attacks). In this situation I am more or less worthless, and it is impossible to keep my automaton alive, or have it attack/cast from any reasonable distance.
My suggestion is this:
Add a JA for PUP called 'Bombard' that acts exactly like 'Deploy' save for one difference: The automaton will retreat to the max primary attack method range and proceed to go through it's actions while maintaining it's distance.
The Name:
The name is to keep consistent with the current attack JA.
Deploy: Military . to spread out (troops) so as to form an extended front or line.
Bombard: to attack or batter with artillery fire.
Keeps with the military terminology and implies attacking from a distance.
The Why:
Currently PUPs only have Deploy and despite the frame of the automaton, it typically results in the automaton engaging melee range fairly quickly, often after casting a single spell or making a single ranged attack.
Most automaton frames are relatively fragile despite the attachments used, and can't hope to stand up to the battering from these sort of NMs. You would think that you could have your WHM automaton stand with the rest of the casters and do it's thing, but nope it's all but impossible to keep it out of the AoE range.
Here's an example:
How it usually goes currently:
1. I have to run into AoE range in just the right spot to Deploy my casting automaton and hope it doesn't run into the fray. Typically this is still too close and the automaton gets hit.
2. I engage the NM.
3. Either the NM is moved slightly and the AoEs reach my automaton or my automaton decides to engage melee combat.
4. After being pummeled for a bit, me using repair and keeping light manuvers up so it'll cure itself, my automaton dies.
5. I run out of range and use Activate to bring automaton back then re-Deploy in that specific spot, hoping it's not within AoE range again.
6. NM uses draw-in and AoEs my automaton to death (Repair has a 1:00 cooldown).
7. I use Deus Ex Automata to bring back my automaton at minimum HP/MP since Activate has a 20 minute cooldown. NM AoEs once and automaton is down for 60 seconds.
8. Weep.
OR
1. I use Bombard, my automaton runs to a distant casting range and starts casting while maintaining it's distance.
2. I engage the NM.
3. If my automaton somehow dies I Activate then use Bombard so that my automaton automatically runs to a distance outside of AoE and resumes casting while maintaining it's distance.
--
I would ask that something like this is please added in the future. I'm guessing the new content for SoA is going to include a great deal of these sort of NMs.
Also, this should be a JA, -not- an attachment. It's a very quick tactical decision whether you want to attack close or long range, and we still don't have any quick way to swap out attachments. We should also not have to spend an attachment point to fix something that is basically a design flaw with the current content.
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
~Moppet
[EDIT: Corrected deus ex automata cooldown time.]