What change do you want to see on your main class for Endwalker ?

[MrAptronym]

I've had some time to think about Machinist. I don't like it right now. A lot of people do like it though, and fundamentally changing it again would be a mistake. My issue: the movement allowed by a ranged DPS means that I think the strict rotational style just doesn't function as well. Melee DPS have to leave melee and therefore interrupt rotations, casters have to interrupt casts or plan movement tools to prevent interrupting. Ranged DPS can continue without drifting through most mechanics. The dancer and bard have RNG elements that make you react and pay attention. I know some players don't like RNG though, and adding it would annoy people who like machinist as it is now. (plus, variety is good) Could something be done that wouldn't annoy new MCH mains but would add some interest to the class? I see two decent possibilities:

1. My first choice would be to add more decision making to the rotation. How does one complicate a rotation without adding elements of randomness to it? Basically I think you just add misaligned elements that re-sync every few cycles. This adds some variety without adding too many extra buttons, and makes it a bit harder to just memorize relative to thinking through. Monk is like this, you have your actions in the first two stances alternating every combo with your third stance alternating every third. What I am thinking is something based on the old ammo system. 'Special rounds' adding an extra effect to your next GCD action This could do something like adding a self damage buff to split shot, a long bleed to slug shot and improving the damage of clean shot. With the time of the buff and DoT being offset so you alternate between which is best to use within that cycle of your GCD. Maybe that is a bit busy, but some kind of alternating component to our rotation. Another option is to add some interaction between our two gauges that requires calculations on our part. I like the idea of that a lot, but no idea how to implement it decently.

2. Remove mobility: another thing that can make a job have to think more is restricted mobility. MCH is already the least mobile ranged DPS, but fundamentally all three have complete freedom to move and DPS. I did not like the old cast time Gauss barrel, but Maybe adding channels to our rotation in the form of Flamethrower being upgraded significantlyand adding a single target beam weapon or something that requires us to periodically stand still. Make these add to our heat or battery guage too for some added interaction. Visually, I think it is neat to have to stand still to whip out a big piece of tech, and figuring out how to best work these into fights would be a unique component that causes us to consider our rotations. I suspect that many people would have to lose mobility, but I think there is a big possibility for unique fun here.

[CKNovel]

1. RNG and additional effect

2. Mobility and casts

1. MCH rotation is simple and efficient but fixed. RNG should be added on the 1 2 3 buttons, because it's when it's the most boring.
BRD and DNC are complete RNGfest, it's okay for MCH to have some. It could be trivial like a chance that Gauss round gets refreshed by X seconds or a bit bigger for example BioBlaster has a chance to be freely used regardless of the Cooldown.

For example the shotgun we saw in the trailer could be a proc that allows the use of said shotgun.
Yes, I'm still coping that the shotgun will not be a GCD combo from spreadshot.

2. Mobility will change in 6.0, I believe Yoshida mentionned it multiple time in interviews. We can feel that in Diamond EX and the last savage raid tier, it's quite easy to maintain melee uptime.
In other words, there is a high chance that melees will play just like ranged 80% of the time. If SQEX removes positionals entirely (which I doubt but no impossible) there will be no differences between the two roles.
Casting works on MCH, it could probably on DNC and if BRD gets reworked it could be redesigned with casts in mind.

If 2 happens as the best choice and design for ranged, it's going to be quite the irony that it the best solutions was to redesign BRD, not MCH.