Perhaps some of the development team can take a look at the animators which are becoming outdated. Particularly with the addition of Su5 weapons, leaving animators limited at Su2.

If not any new animators, maybe an option to augment them. Specifically for the Automaton to make up for the lack of useful Automaton augments on Ultimate Weapons (i.e. Kenkonken).

All pet ideas as follows...

A:
Regain +50
Weapon skill damage +10% (we have not a single piece like this for the Automaton)
All Combat Skills +242 (Animators are to Automatons as H2H are to the master)

B:
Magic Accuracy +25 Magic Attack Bonus +10
Magic Burst Damage +20 (Literally no pieces exist for Automatons when 'burst damage' has been here for years)
Fast Cast +15 Haste +10
All Combat Skills +217

C:
HP/MP +300
Ability Recast -10 (Why not!)
Enmity +1500 (seriously not a joke in today's environment)
All Combat Skills +242

Path C is clearly designed for the role in which majority of the player base has placed PUP in...Tank role. Increased rates on Provoke, Flashbulb, Shield Bash, etc. Whatever it takes to hold hate in an environment where capping hate happens quick and weapon skills are shooting through the roof.

I really don't see my values as extreme in the slightest. Take a look at your main hand weapon. There are multiple skill increasing stats on it. All of which Automatons do not have while it is supposed to be the main focus of this job. This is a true hindrance to performance as the master's gear options don't always allow for the front line and greatly reduce DPS on the back line.

Just some of my ideas after seeing the job progress from it's integration in 2006 to its stagnation in 2018.