Hot Shot is Ability Bloat

[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.

[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.

[RaizeGraymalkin]

There's a few abilities that are still questionable bloat (like why is Dreadwyrm Trance/Deathflare still separate?) Impact for RDM just seems...kind of pointless. I get its use, but eh. But hey stuff to prune for 5.0 already.

[Eir_Z]

You're right. I don't have it 70. It's currently 50.

So, you don't even have your gauss barrel yet which means you've never played with the heat mechanic unless you've spammed POTD. And, if all you have played is POTD, you're playing the class without its full mechanics since most of it doesn't unlock until 64.

And you're complaining about how useless Hot Shot is?

Unlock your heated shots and then complain to us about Hot Shot.

[Chiraisu]

So, you don't even have your gauss barrel yet which means you've never played with the heat mechanic unless you've spammed POTD. And, if all you have played is POTD, you're playing the class without its full mechanics since most of it doesn't unlock until 64.

And you're complaining about how useless Hot Shot is?

Unlock your heated shots and then complain to us about Hot Shot.

You are right, I have indeed spammed POTD for what it is. It's not especially hard content (at all) but it does give me things to punch on to become familiar with a kit. With this, I have gained the personal experience using gauss barrel. However, the heat mechanic is largely useless (unless there was an event where you overheat for extra damage) beyond the 5% damage buff it gives you in these levels. Playing optimally, it is somewhat difficult to overheat the barrel. You have to actually press for it to happen, but there is no DPS advantage tied to overheating. There isn't any special shot, special bomb, or any such action that incentivizes the "risk and reward" of contributing a lot of damage at the sacrifice of heat. There just isn't a move like this (beyond flamethrower, which is 70)

Further more, I am sure that unlocking the heated shots makes much of MCH play differently, plus they look cool. But you seem to be overlooking that their is a wealth of content that is not 64+. Many roulettes, many trials, raids, etc. Are not 70. A job should not feel as bad as the way it is just because they didn't have access to the highest levels of their kit. If I were to go back and play pre 70 content I would never (I mean never) want to do it on MCH. But that's a discussion for another day.

You also seem to mistake my discussion as a means to complain, I'm not. (well, cept maybe the last bit) I am invoking discussion on Hot Shot because it seems to be that many people take it for what it is, which while fine, is yet rather interesting. It is a generic buff with a generic effect/damage/GCD that doesn't do much to play into the kit of MCH. More damage is always good. I don't aim to "remove" this damage buff, meerly saying that this buff can easily be found elsewhere, while this action could have a truly unique effect that plays into the central play style of MCH. It's also probably one of the more lore intensive actions tied into the MCH questline, learning it at 30, and using it for some quests afterwards. To compare, it would be like Dark Knight having Darkside, but otherwise contributes "nothing" else to the job, at all.

[Eir_Z]

I came off as a bit harsh in my last reply and for that, my apologies. I had similar problems while I was leveling 60-70 and while doing <64 content. The job, and many jobs in those dungeons, feel very clunky. They're very obviously designed around level 70 content eight little thought out into lower content which is somewhat comparable to the previous <30 content.

I think I got a bit defensive since, there's a lot to complain about with machinist in the new content and Hot Shot is fairly low on the list. If anything, I think it should add more heat to reduce the time it takes to build to 50 instead of using Flamethrower. But, otherwise I wouldn't touch it. The buff + the gauss barrel buff + heated shots is a huge potency increase over the basic shots and none of it is difficult to maintain.

<64 content you're relying on ammunition to regulate heat which can be quite tricky at times. Then once you get Cooldown, regulating heat is pretty easy.

[SlayerOmega]

I've cleared Sus Ex and Lak EX. And while they arnt the hardest fights by any means. They do give you a chance to play with your class in more involved fights in terms of mechanics.

Now as for Hot Shot. I dont think its a big deal keeping it up. Especially as we lost having to tra k dots and gained having to track heat. (But tbh in 3.x you always applied HS and LS at the same time anyways so its really only trackung 1 timer.)

I think the larger issue is just that HS is so weak atm you're not stressing if it falls off for a GCD. Bump that shit to 10% NOW Im making sure that shit is up 100% of the time.

As for Overheat, I never reallu considered that it might just be fore lvl 64 and lower. Cause we always think the all the parts of our class should be taken advantage of for more dps. But again. Bump OH up to 20% and Ill be using it everytime Stabalizer is off CD. Which would be a lot more interesting. Imo

[Jonnycbad]

They should make Hot Shot into what Flaming Arrow *was*. Thematically they're shifting Bard away from the Archer stereotype towards more of a Minstral/Bard flavored job, since before they were 80% archer with just a few song stances. Since MCH is more of a "tool user" igniting the ground with a special round for DoT fits more with MCH's theme and it would be a waste to see the ground flame effect disappear.

[Exterium]

Oh my god, you people want even MORE skills removed from MCH?

At this rate, every dps is going to be a big red button to do DPS.

[AmandaLashaquoa]

Make Hot Shot a DoT since they took ours (which was one of the strongest in HW) and make it count towards Wild Fire and give us an incentive to use it, like Straight Shot works for BRD.
Maybe give our Heated Shots a 20% chance to proc a sure crit Hot Shot and when applied with crit, it gives a 5% (the friggin 5%) damage bonus? It would probably make that part more fluid.
I am not one of the mathematicians players, so I don't know how much it would affect us, but it sure seems like it would be a little dps increase at least and on TOP of that, make the priority rotation a little more fluid. (which is not atm)