Machinist needs help.

[Dyvid]

So I haven't played MCH since the Heavensward days but I do have a few things. Just brainstorming ideas here.

1) Queen's Crowned Collider seems like it would be more suited to replace Roller Dash. It doesn't fix all the problems but it does help place it in a better position.

2) Wildfire is odd to me. MCH skills are mostly weaponskills now yet WF doesn't let you weave Gauss Round or Riccohet into it. Seems like a waste of potential to me. Also I'm not sure how people would feel about extending WF from 10 to 13 so you can squeeze 1,2,3 + Drill + Air Anchor into it. Also couldn't it be added to have an AoE effect?

3) Hypercharge is another one that confuses me. On one hand it adds potency to your main weaponskills yet it can also be used to bring GR & RC back up. Personally I think it would have been more interesting to lower the skill speed on the 3 main shots to really pump up WF.

4) Flamethrower is... hmm. I would have like to have it charge up your heat gauge so you can use it to build up auto crossbow (AC -> FT -> AC) but scattergun does that so... Maybe it could lower the recast timer of Wildfire? I don't know to be honest. Maybe a potency buff for AoE rotations.

5) Lack of party buff. Per SE's definition "Physical ranged DPS attack foes from a distance. They excel at inflicting sustained damage, and also provide support for companions." and yet it's the only one out of the three that doesn't give a damage buff. I'm not say it needs to be on DNC or BRD level but it would be nice to maybe have a small buff granted when the Queen when is out? Just my personal opinion.

[CKNovel]

Some quick thoughts on Machinist since I’m about to hit 90 with it.

I like it a lot. It was my choice to level in ShB’s expac since the rework was very cool. It’s fun, and I’m not getting bored of the rotation. If feels on par with the Summoner rework in that regard.

So I haven't played MCH since the Heavensward days but I do have a few things. Just brainstorming ideas here.

About Tactician What really bothers me is that RDM is free to get Magick Barrier on top of addle, rather than a trait that improves addle.
That trait should've been a way to differentiate each ranged from each other. MCH could have had a shield, BRD improve healing, DNC healing over time.
The trait is truly disappointing, if it put Tacticians on a 60s I wouldn't complain at all, it would've been amazing.

Wildfire is odd because it's just an empowered hypercharge phase. Wildfire being aoe is something that has been asked since HW as far as I can remember.
There is no "wildfire combo" anymore, in my opinion it makes the 2 minutes extremely rigid due to the cooldown being tied to Hypercharge.
IMO, wildfire is good to be reworked as a 120s CD that consumes heat or just be removed entirely.
That or put it on a stack system that reduces its count by 1 every GCD and explodes automatically at 0.

Hypercharge, I still don't get why it's still based on a timer while almost everyone got a stack based "stance".
The request was originally made because lagging players could not weave GR/Ricochet.
Spamming Heatblast is boring (another feedback that was ignored), putting it on a 3 stack would restore the job flexbility.

Flamethrower, I appreciate that you agree Flamethrower is a terrible tool.
However I think adding an effect on top of Flamethrower would just be painting on top of the problem. Making it synergize wit Bio Blaster, being able to move, adding a dot or making it generating heat...
The Flamethrower itself would not change and remain a bland "don't move, damage is automatically dealt in front of you, go grab a coffee or something".

The automaton Queen opening with Crown collider would make both its strongest moves outside of party buff, but that's better than 2 finishers back to back.
If they don't do it, the AQ is good to be scrapped next expansion. Honestly screw that glorified dot.

As for the MCH utility... I'm all for no rDPS. BRD buffs the whole group, DNC focuses on a party member, MCH bring nothing.
However, BRD and DNC participate to the party survival. IMO, if ranged could participate a lot more than other DPS to party survival, it would effectively make them "support DPS" once again.
And that would excuse their low DPS. But MCH brings nothing to the party and only has Tactician which makes it effectively the job that brings the least to the whole party.

SQEX is not communicating a lot, it's difficult to see if they even read those threads.

[Dyvid]

SQEX is not communicating a lot, it's difficult to see if they even read those threads.

Though they do gather the feedback, they won't communicate up front on the issues. We are still in "Beta Test" until 6.1.

About Tactician: I personally feel that SCH got what Physical Ranged should have had. I always wanted to use Peloton in combat as a unique means of damage mitigation. And as Ace mentioned, before ShB all PRdps shared the same defense buff in Role Actions.

Automation Queen: Having main'ed SMN for years I can see how rigid the Queen is. I feel that SE should remove Rook Overdrive and let Pile Bunker and Crowned Collider just be player commanded abilities that don't despawn the Automaton. And I'm still not a fan how 4 to 5 seconds is burned up just spawning the stupid thing. Don't start the timer until Roller Dash is used.

Flamethrower: Normally when you have an action that requires you to charge up and not move, your charging up to something but FT doesn't have that. Now I'm all for this type of action because you have to decide whether to move or stay still but it needs something to justify. Another idea was it place stacks of Damage Debuffs, 1 for each 2.5s. As you can tell I'm believe PRDPS should have raid utility to justify lower DPS where DNC has the move and MCH has the least, but not none. Just my personal feeling on the matter but you're not wrong also.

WildFire: Compared to AAnchor and Drill, the damage from it is laughable considering it's long recast time. At least give me enough time to put my 5 or 6 weaponskills into it. And AoE would be wonder even it's the standard drop off for other targets. That would give me a reason to use it in AoE packs.