Please don't change Machinist core gameplay

[Greedalox]

But after you're done as Ninja, you're not locked out of Huton for 10 seconds and then get to slowly build it up again (or use Stabilizer). You simply continue with your normal rotation.

MCH continue normal rotation after barrel falls off >.> The only changes in your button presses will be avoiding quick reload and that's only if your overheat was accidental without BS available. You still do 1-2-3 and the like during your no GB phase.

You don't want to overheat without BS.

[Zojha]

You don't want to overheat without BS.

On that, we agree. I disagree however that the rotation doesn't change because Cooldown completely vanishes from it during the heat up phase (as would armor crush from a NIN that loses Huton) - and so does Quick Reload. On that note, I do take issue with ammo being a double edged sword in the heating phase in general. The design offers conflicting incentives (advance combo/extra damage vs faster heat up/extra damage) which is highly counterintuitive.

Plus, getting into Overheat for Wildfire is clunky - you want to load up before using Wildfire, but if you do, regular abilities don't generate anymore heat to get into overheat. You end up using an AoE OGCD on a single target to do so, only to instantly cancel it - truth be told, it doesn't even feel like that's intended usage of the skill, though it probably is. Either way, it's clunky.

I mean, yes, I personally work around it by simply never overheating when Stabilizer isn't ready. But it's just no fun to overheat at all, even when it is - it's something I just do because it's statistically a DPS gain, not something I want to do because it's fun and awesome. Wildfire is the high moment of MCH and bluntly, from an enjoyability perspective, Overheat offers nothing Wildfire doesn't offer already except a valley of drag afterwards. Which in turn makes the prior Wildfire you used it for less enjoyable.

That aside, I don't think Overheat is a very reasonable punishment for effing up. Doing so is pretty huge - You lose 10 seconds of 5% bonus damage from Gauss, 10 Seconds of around 13% bonus damage from the heated shots, the bonus damage from cooldown (which has a higher potency than your combo on average due to RNG) plus however long you need to get back into the heated area - with additional loss due to not using Quick Reload. And you get half of those punishments even if you have just delivered the most beautiful overheated Wildfire in the history of FFXIV. And that's just the numbers - The enjoyability issues that come with it are subjective. It might well be the most punishing job mechanic out there at the moment.

I don't like it and I like to think I give good reasons why I don't, even if I agree that some of them are rather subjective. And I repeat myself >_>

[Pence]

Plus, getting into Overheat for Wildfire is clunky - you want to load up before using Wildfire, but if you do, regular abilities don't generate anymore heat to get into overheat.

Expanding on the clunky comment: coming OFF of overheat is clunky AF. Mid-Heated Clean? RIP. Cancels your skill and you gotta try again.....