Hot Shot is Ability Bloat

[Chiraisu]

First and Foremost:

I won't say that I am a machinist main, nor will I say it's 70 yet. I'm sure that (like so many other jobs) having access to your full kit makes a job feel complete, instead of a watered down husk that leaves much to be desired (pre 50 Dragoon). But one thing I have painfully noticed, especially since 4.0 is how entirely useless and redundant Hot Shot feels.


With the changes to Gauss Barrel, (increasing dmg output by 5%) It would have been no consequence to load the 5% dmg increase from Hot Shot onto it and eliminated the skill in it's entirety. Yes, the action generates "slightly" more heat than regular weapon skills, but is that really that significant of a reason? Really?

Furthermore, It feels awkward to use in most (all) cases, you don't want to use ammo on it, it doesn't generate heat if you do, and the extra 25 potency doesn't even really bother me. What this leaves you is a WS you want to use, but don't feel like wasting ammo on, so it forces you to consider using it before you even have ammo, or blowing a quick reload on it (which ideally is the best option available to you when you already have ammo)

Constantly needing to refresh it every 30 seconds is one thing too. Why does it matter? I know that DRG has a similar move in Heavy Thrust, and it's highly likely this was thought of in it's making. But that button doesn't really feel that good to press on DRG, either. Just another layer of complexity (that feels unfun and unoriginal) to keep up on.

That being said, Hot Shot Literally could have endless potential. It's effect could be changed entirely, it could be removed entirely for something else, there is so much this ability could be, instead of what it is.

It could be a DoT

Hot Shot sounds like it would burn. Why can't hot shot be the DoT WS that MCH lost? doing initial damage, and burning for over time damage? Great idea.

It could be a Buff

So MCH has this whole heat mechanic as of 4.0, it could buff or otherwise augment any one of the "heated" weapon skills that you use once your heat gauge is 50 or above, adding complexity that feels fun, and less generic. Split, Slug, or Clean shot could all push forth a completely different additional effect, depending on which one Hot shot was buffed to be used on.

It could be erased, and literally anything else could replace it

The possibilities are endless. Grenado shot back, Lead shot even. To be be honest Any variety of alternative AoE move would be stellar. Spread shot feels bad to use, and lining up the AoE feels weird in moments where you aren't sure if it's going to hit everything. Even bard has more than one AoE, one of which is on a CD much like Ricochet, but has a chance to be refreshed, like blood letter.

I feel like after MCH's opener, they are stuck pressing 1 until RNG prayer is heard

Hot Shot aside, (and it's replacement could be any number of fix to this) MCH feels like it runs out of steam very quickly. They do their opener, reload/hyper/combo/OGCDS, and then they're just... done. That was it, nothing to manage, nothing to prioritize, just. 1, 1, 1, maybe 2... While waiting for reload to refresh, and waiting for OCGDS to come back up.

I'm not entirely sure if this is intentional, but it's physical ranged equivalent feels constantly busy for much longer. I don't like comparing jobs, but SE seems to be hellbent on homogenizing similarly roled jobs as much as they can, instead of increasing their diversity into unique strengths/weaknesses for the sake of "balance," (it can't be unbalanced if it's the same thing)

Final thoughts:

I dunno. I want to like MCH. I want to give it a chance. But it's not even numbers that bug me. It's how it just doesn't feel like it's identity is fully realized. It's a collage of a couple of different ideas that seems hastily and hap-hazardly put together. It's like SE wanted to make the musketeer job the community demanded to have, but didn't want it to be just so. So they added a turret. But then... even that's where I lose them. What even is a machinist? This entire job feels like it's 3 expansions too early.

It should have been a garlemald job

Edit: I don't mean to say that Hot Shot should be removed, especially completely. (Title is somewhat misleading, forgive me) My point was to invoke creative thought on how this Action could feel more fun to use. To see others' ideas on how it could play more into Machinist's central kit. Thematically, it doesn't make sense for it to give a slight damage buff. Thematically, it generating heat makes more sense, but beyond this, it should feel more fun to use.

[Chiraisu]

But, aside from this, I look forward to seeing whatever changes they get

[Gun-Cat]

Make it apply the piercing debuff, thanks.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

First and Foremost:

I won't say that I am a machinist main, nor will I say it's 70 yet.

I wanted to highlight this first. You don't main it, yet you say one of the most basic skills, just like BRD's Straight Shot and DRG's Heavy Thrust - both of which increase your damage - is an ability bloat?

MCH lost more than it gained, and the empty slots in my second hotbar are proof of that. Not to mention with all the things that currently just don't work/work well/conflicts with others, you choose the one thing that was the least changed? Hot Shot IS a buff. Keep it up just like the BRD/DRG skills I mentioned before.

Please actually play and level the job before you go trying to speak on it at length.

[KalinOrthos]

It's not even that hard keeping Hot Shot up. I'm terrible with buff uptime, and yet I don't have much of an issue with it. I've also made a few mistakes and hit Overheat with Flamethrower and Stabilizer on cooldown (I get tired, leave me alone) and Hot Shot is a great tool to get my heat back up. Hot Shot is super not the problem with machinists; rather it's their often conflicting toolkit, low damage with little utility, and overall punishing gameplay.

[SkywenXRosethron]

for one straight shot is nothing like hot shot. it gives crit and it can be used in a rotation easily. hot shot is so annoyingly stupid. we don't need the extra heat so maybe if they took the heat and ammo use away from it I would say its not bad. but it completely ruins my heat gauge rhythm. I have a 70 machinist that I wish I could main. they made the balance so unfair towards bard. bard has lots of support buffs while machinists has like 1? maybe 2 if u count a 5 second dmg red on boss lol. and I'm not counting the cross roles bc obviously bard has those too. unfortunately I'm never going to be able to bring my machinist into a raid group bc bard is just so much more useful. warning you now don't main machinist until they fix the class bc right now its the worst unfortunately.

[KalinOrthos]

warning you now don't main machinist until they fix the class bc right now its the worst unfortunately.

You can't tell me what to do! *sass*

[Chiraisu]

Please actually play and level the job before you go trying to speak on it at length.

You're right. I don't have it 70. It's currently 50. I also touched on that I was positive post 60 stuff is likely and largely more fun, cause it damn well looks like it. And I have extensively examined it's kit for several hours. It's what I like doing. Sorry if what
I said hit a nerve.

I choose hot shot not because it's the most conflicting part of the kit, but because it's (one of) the easiest thing to improve upon. Straight shot will always be infinitely more useful than this current iteration of hot shot. Critical works integrally with bard's kit. Hot shot is "just" extra damage. Something Gauss barrel already does, with no gcd, accidental ammo use, or needless heat gen.

There are many things Mch can be changed and improved upon, but this was the safest thing I felt I could speak on.

[EdwinLi]

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I think he is more refering to how Hot Shot is just there as a Damage buff only to maintain every 30 seconds instead of contributing to the MCH mechanics.

It hardly compare to Bard's Straight Shot because Straight shot not only increase Crit chance but also contributes to Bard's mechanic since increase the chance of DoT Crit happening which then goes into Bard's Songs to proc more for each Song's Mechanics. Also Stright Shot gets a chance to become Instant Crit if Heavy Shot is used.

Hot Shot is not actually contribute directly to the MCh mechanic as it is more about using it on the right time being between 50 to 90 Heat so the MCH player does not accidently Overheat when trying to recharge the Hot Shot Buff.

I would certainly like Hot Shot to benefit MCH mechanics like Stright Shot does to Bard but they will certainly take time for consideration how it may contribute beyond its damage buff.

[Zojha]

Well, not gonna lie - I'd rather have kept lead shot over hot shot. They're both maintenance de/buffs of sort and in fact were both used together in the old "rotation"/priority system, but the first comes with the added bonus of multi-dotting.

Hot shot, I'd rather just have as counterpart to cooldown - a quick heat generator after overheat (kinda like it works in PvP). That "could" go a long way making overheats less punishing and maybe even help MCH numbers as a result.