My thoughts on machinist (Up to level 42)

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Originally Posted by Croisciento

I personnally get a better feel of the class when playing w/ Gauss Barrel on.

It feels great honestly, the job feels a lot less clunky and you roughtly understand they created the class with having GB in mind. Also, this is super cool to play with GB on because with your procs you can move a lot around!

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I like to think of it as BLM with firestarter procs :P

Currently only a lvl 42 MCH. I'm a bit concerned for future play based on what I've seen so far. I'll stick it out til 52, but right now the playstyle is very telling.

Reload/Ammo system is clunky and poorly designed. The +20 potency for EVERY weaponskill used is simply a waste considering you need those stacks to guarantee procs from the very wimpy gun-combo. They need to take that back to the drawing board and give us something better.

Hot Shot seems like it was just added to give us something else to hit. 5% dmg buff for 30 seconds? What is even the point of making that into a skill? Just roll the 5% into one of our action damage traits and give us something thats actually fun to use.

Reassemble has no balls. Doesn't work on AoE's - which is really the only time it's worth using it. None of our skills has a higher potency than 200, which is really sad. Guaranteed crit on a single target with 200 potency? Whoop-dee-friggin-doo.

Dismantle and Rend Mind share a cooldown. They are only 5% and 90s CD though. They should either combine the effects or make them each 10%.

Gauss Barrel seems like a neutered version of Wanderer's Minuet. Only we don't get the arsenal of insta-cast skills that WanMin Bards have. We get.. Gauss Round (200 potency again!)

RapidFire should be at least 5 skills, not just 3.

Wildfire sounds cool but is very underwhelming in reality. It doesn't have an animation, sound effect, and I don't even think the damage shows up in floating text either...

Too much time staring at the hotbar on the main combo. The way they worded these skills in the live letter made it sound like; "Use the skill and have a 50% chance to proc its secondary effect. If it doesn't proc the first time, it'll proc on the second time" - sort of a failsafe. Thats not what we got though, and its resulted in me having to stare a procs instead of enjoying the visuals.

Something that's been a problem for me, especially in dungeons, has been problems with lag with attacks. Every fight there's several times I'll hit a key, the animation for the attack will start and then stop mid way, forcing me to hit the key again for it to finally go off properly. There's even been times it's done the full animation, bullets and everything, but no damage was dealt and I still had the proc on the ability. Definitely clunky.

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Originally Posted by RubenSnizzle

MCH has potential, but that 50% RNG combo proc is what kills it. I tried leveling AST a bit today, and the DPS was so low with 2 MCH, that it literally took 45min to do haukke, they really need to fix that..


Cause as of now, MCH is probably the lowest DPS, even lower than Arcanist.

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Bard was actually lowest DPS below Summoner pre expansion. Now SMN is phenomenal. Unless you mean the actual Arcanist class then LOL, damn.

I would say the biggest QoL change is to make ammo only consumed by abilities with increased effect (currently only Split Shot, Slug Shot).

Would be a very good change and not feel wasted when using dots, hot shot, or clean shot.

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Originally Posted by LoreChief

Dismantle and Rend Mind share a cooldown. They are only 5% and 90s CD though. They should either combine the effects or make them each 10%.

Gauss Barrel seems like a neutered version of Wanderer's Minuet. Only we don't get the arsenal of insta-cast skills that WanMin Bards have. We get.. Gauss Round (200 potency again!)

RapidFire should be at least 5 skills, not just 3.

Wildfire sounds cool but is very underwhelming in reality. It doesn't have an animation, sound effect, and I don't even think the damage shows up in floating text either...

Too much time staring at the hotbar on the main combo. The way they worded these skills in the live letter made it sound like; "Use the skill and have a 50% chance to proc its secondary effect. If it doesn't proc the first time, it'll proc on the second time" - sort of a failsafe. Thats not what we got though, and its resulted in me having to stare a procs instead of enjoying the visuals.

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I pick up classes pretty quickly (not bragging, I just do) and I also still have to stare at the bar. It makes things very boring when you're literally staring at hotbars instead of the actual fight. It's like you're playing a mini tactical game mode.

Which then you look at bard that is 90x easier with the same benefits and wonder why the hell you're doing it?

For the record I got MCH up to 50 and quit it. If I want to do DPS I will either go summoner or I will level Bard. Machinist is not even close to viable for how much effort it takes to play. The buffs are weak, the debuffs are weak (5% values for real on these all on long cooldown timers!!?!?!?! WTF!!?!! AT LEAST MAKE THAT HORRIBLY LOW VALUE CONSTANT), the 1-2-3 combo requires constant staring at hotbars and for what? Bard does the same damage.

My potential fixes.
Make the slug/clean shot procs 100% after 2 or 3 split/slug shots. Less
Add some punch to ammo effects on the non combo moves OR have ANY ammo'd shot trigger slugs proc.
Remove hp requirement on heartbreak and make it 100% crit when target is under 20%

Updated post with my numerous criticisms.

Do not think I am trying to bring Machinists down, I LOVE their concept and gunner was one of my fave FF tactics classes. Enjoyed it so much and so I was so excited I leveled MCH first of all!

... However it needs A LOT of improvements across the board to be competitive. At present a MCH will never get a raid group spot, period.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RubenSnizzle

MCH has potential, but that 50% RNG combo proc is what kills it. I tried leveling AST a bit today, and the DPS was so low with 2 MCH, that it literally took 45min to do haukke, they really need to fix that..


Cause as of now, MCH is probably the lowest DPS, even lower than Arcanist.

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I did Haukke with 2 MCH, a DRK and an AST and we cleared it in around 25 mins or so. No issues at all.