PROPOSE Machinist Buffs/Changes HERE

[HairyRoger]

RNG is part of the job I feel.

If they lower the cooldown on reload and quick reload, and increase the % of the split to slug, it would make a worlds difference. Quick reload could be used more frequently to proc clean shots instead of using it in desperation after landing the 7th-8th split shot without a proc. Clean shot might need an increase in potency and maybe even a little less % proc chance. It would make reloading slug into clean shot more impactful and more rewarding, while at the same time making it interesting.

I also think the way lead shot / hot shot and clean shot consume ammo, while not really gaining anything more than 20 potency, is dumb. They could easily add something extra to this mechanic without breaking anything(dismantle/rend?). Gauss barrel is another story. If they want us to swap in and out of this mode, they need to make it possible without rapid fire. If they want it to be a flat out increase in dps on expense of mobility, make it an actual increase.

[Zyrusticae]

RNG is part of the job I feel.

RNG is fine, as long as you don't get completely screwed over by it when it works against you.

I'd personally keep it really, really simple:

Increase Split Shot potency to 175, Enhanced Slug Shot potency to 190, and Cleaner Shot potency to 205. This will dramatically reduce the negative effect of bad RNG while still rewarding the player for getting off those Clean Shots, as well as increasing our damage and getting it closer to par. Improving the power of Split Shot also conveniently makes MCH much less agonizing to play at lower levels.

I also kind of like the idea of a failed split shot proc (and maybe even a failed slug shot proc) giving a stack of ammo. In fact, this idea alone could probably be used in place of the potency changes I mentioned above, since it automatically increases our damage output while also mitigating the horrible nature of the RNG.

I would also implement the cd changes to Quick Reload and Reload (15s and 45s, respectively, are indeed good numbers, I feel), not just for the increased damage but also just for the increase in QoL for MCH players in general.

Wildfire, of course, shouldn't be subject to double defense subtraction, as a matter of course.

All of these changes above (aside from the potency changes and failed proc ammo stack, which I would only pick one of) would easily put our damage on par while making the class less of a frustrating slog to play as.

Gauss Barrel (and Wanderer's Minuet) have their own set of problems and I don't really feel like addressing those because I'm not at all a fan of those stances. I would say that, if they were really serious about these increasing our damage output to BLM-levels, they would definitely need a minimum of a 40% damage buff to be worthwhile. However, if the other changes increase our damage output sufficiently enough, then a 30% buff would probably suffice (giving it enough damage to offset auto attacks AND failed casts and still be at least a marginal increase in damage overall).

Also note that increasing our overall damage output will likely decrease the proportion of damage that both turrets and auto attacks make up, meaning losing auto attacks or losing turret damage become less detrimental. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on their intent and how well the change reaches their goals.

[Themis]

RNG is part of the job I feel.

If they lower the cooldown on reload and quick reload, and increase the % of the split to slug, it would make a worlds difference.

I think is the best thing to start with. Reload to 45s allows it to line up with your burst every other Reload. That in itself should be a fairly good improvement on damage.

Quick Reload needs to be carefully adjusted, if at all. Currently, Reload @60s and QR @30s means you get 2 extra bullets per Reload. If you reduced Reload to 45s and QR to 15s, you get 3 extra bullets. This might be too much for the short amount of time. 20 or 25s could work just fine, but I think 30s is also still ok (so leave it as it is).

As for Split Shot proc chance, it being increase to 75% is the most I'd expect leaving Slug Shot at 50%. This lets you try for more S>S>C rounds (increases the chance of this by 50% from the 25% it currently is to 37.5%).

I also think the way lead shot / hot shot and clean shot consume ammo, while not really gaining anything more than 20 potency, is dumb.

If you reduce the recasts on Reload/QR, the potency increase of 20 is going to stack up a lot more in the same space of time it currently does. For Clean Shot, I think this is ok like that. It could perhaps be given a relatively small chance of resetting QR (20% or so?). This could be balanced somewhat by not increasing the proc chance of Split Shot.

Lead Shot, it would be nice if the potency increase would add to the DoT or at least increase the DoT in some way (extra 5 per tick?).

And Hot Shot could be given the boost to the damage increase it gives. Potentially. But extra potency on that really adds up, so it will probably need to be considered along with any other chances.

Gauss barrel is another story. If they want us to swap in and out of this mode, they need to make it possible without rapid fire. If they want it to be a flat out increase in dps on expense of mobility, make it an actual increase.

I'm not sure if, along with other chances, GB needs an adjustment for MCH. Assuming we use procs, we only get cast times on Hot Shot, Lead Shot and Split Shot. If we can get more ammo in a set time frame than we currently do, we get to reduce the negative effect of GB a lot more. I'd probably hold off on those and adjust other areas first.