The new MCH is still a total joke

[Valence]

Flamethrower back in Stormblood used to generate heat (as it was an integral part of the rotation at the time). Removing that just shifted its usage down, and shotguns just make it a less viable option. Maybe it's time flamer generates heat and refreshes double check/checkmate when it pulses out, and/or burns off bioblaster's dot. Couldn't tell you what it needs, but until it has more or does more damage, it's just right on the meme ability. Which it's funny to say something like meditate has more of a use than flamer does.

1 heat per tick per target. 9 targets? You get 99 heat at the end of the skill. Something similar. But they wouldn't do it because it would make the heat gauge not follow round numbers I guess. Or a low-ish % chance to give 5 heat per target per tick.

Burning the bioblaster dots and making them apply their full remaining potency as suggested above is my favorite since it fixes the charges issue.

(why not both?)

[Ruminous]

1 heat per tick per target. 9 targets? You get 99 heat at the end of the skill. Something similar. But they wouldn't do it because it would make the heat gauge not follow round numbers I guess. Or a low-ish % chance to give 5 heat per target per tick.

Burning the bioblaster dots and making them apply their full remaining potency as suggested above is my favorite since it fixes the charges issue.

(why not both?)

It used to just be like 5 heat per second until it forced your gun into overheat back in Stormblood. I'd probably just do that again. Flamer, if you let it pulse for its full 11 ticks, is 55 heat if it's 5 per tick. That's enough for another autocrossbow combo. The extra drill charge means you're not likely to let a bioblaster drift and lose value on a tool not being used immediately. The other thing they could do with flamer is not require us to stand still, but allow us to move at half our movement speed and turn so if targets are out of it, we can adjust it. Currently, any movement and just cancels itself. That's way more restrictive than the other ability that forces you to stand in place, ten chi jin. You can still pivot if a target moves out of your line of sight on that, why can't you do that with flamer? If that's a problem with how the ability is set up, then, change how it works. Give it 10 charges, and each tick reduces a charge and the ability gains a charge every 6 seconds when not in use. It can still functionally work as it does now, but canceling it wont waste it, and makes flamer much more integral to a lot of machinist's play. At least, that's the goal. I don't know if it's a good idea, but it's at least a new one.

But also I'd have it reduce the cooldown of gauss shot/ricochet by 5 seconds each tick, which should get you close to full charges or full charges. Just some thoughts off the top of my head. Maybe they're good? I don't know. It'd still give flamer a lot more utility for group killin' and even if you cancel it halfway you still get a little value out of it. Not that you'd want to, but at least flamer would be worth using for other than looking like a nerd in towns. If it's too much it could be adjusted, but flamer needs something to at least be more useful than meditate.

Still, it is one issue, among many. Still have the wildfire thing, robot doing nothing for groups...Phys ranged in general just needing something to make it appealing other than to fill a 1% boost and limit break...Yeah.