Thread: Patch 6.1 - Machinist Changes Feedback

I'm going to try and keep this short and simple. Also, please be civil in the comments, let's try and get some actual feedback going.

On paper, these changes feel like they... just aren't enough. Sure, a step in the right direction, but Machinist will most likely still be contributing less overall than Dancer and Bard.

Granted, we still need to see how it will function ingame and see how damage values stack up, but from what's in the patch notes, it really feels like we got a repeat of patch 6.08.

Machinist really needs some more love and attention, in my opinion.

Lets be honest, the forums have been pretty tame for months over the issues and nothing was done / listened. If anything, they made things worth for some jobs >_>

My feedback from the dev team; please stop touching the jobs if your goal is to butcher them.

Mch feels lost. I get that it's balanced around the other phys range but it's not a utility class. It's doesn't buff anyone it's a selfish DPS that doesn't do any DPS. That's a problem that need to be fixed. either give it more damage or rework it from the ground up.

MCH damage is too low even after these buffs. MCH doesn't provide any utility. MCH is weak, bad, and impossible to play with higher ping.

MCH ping problems were ignored yet again while they fixed DRK Bloodweapon. What about Heat Blast?

Please delete MCH. Please kick all MCH from party finder groups. This job will not change until everyone stops playing it.

MCH have huge ping problems.
I am from Brazil, if I do not pay a ping reductor I cannot do the proper job. That's an acessibility problem. Hypercharge/Wildfire not having stacks is.. wild.


Now, for the actual job:
I would like for it to be a bit reworked. I just want a multi-tool/multi-weapon/heavyweapon job that juggles around weapons to deal damage.
The ranged tax isn't a big thing, since when Melee can't hit the boss usually Rangeds can't too (since boss goes invul.) so I do not see why MCH cant have a bit more damage.

Automaton Queen is simply bad. I want to trade it for either an "enshroud" that we turn into mecha/have big ass cannons/lasers to shoot, or make battery a resource to debuff to buff only ourselves (like Ninja self-buff)
And as said: Flamethrower can have a cast time where if you press at the right moment, it doesn't overheat and stop, and have a little mini-game instead of 10 second of staring the screen (can even make more than 10 sec this way)

MCH have lack of damage (even tho never got kicked for it, but still), and lack of identity and fantasy.
It can even have pet but make it like WHM wings: Be attached to character and just have the animation flavor with it, but in coding its just the character doing damage.

And would be nice if reworked, to give a better levelling process for MCH. Friends told me its boring and annoying.

If MCH remains selfish DPS, then its damage needs to increase more than 10 potency per action. Otherwise, it needs a party buff to even stay in line with other ranged dps, still way below melee or magical.

Change the way movement tax and class complexity are addressed. Don't make potential max dps significantly lower between classes, but add complexity in rotation, so classes' damage potential remain closer. This can be done even while keeping class skill floors and ceilings distinct.

However, I realistically don't think any of this is going to change. I'd sadly recommend people just swap out of the job. Sad but harsh truth.

Originally Posted by Serenaya

3 - Individual ability issues
Flamethrower is counter to the function of the job. Standing still, inevitably having an AoE appear under you and having to cancel the channeling isn't fun. Why bother when it's such a small gain over Scattershot which at least lets you move.

Flamethrower is actually so forgettable now with Scattergun. It's actually really hard to tell if using Flamethrower is worth it or not when we get flooded with heat so easily.

Originally Posted by Kitfox

Flamethrower is actually so forgettable now with Scattergun. It's actually really hard to tell if using Flamethrower is worth it or not when we get flooded with heat so easily.

I only use flamethrower when I’m sandbagging on the last pack before a boss so I have at least 50 heat for the boss. Otherwise, I never use it.

Originally Posted by Serenaya

1 - Pure dps status?
Put simply in my opinion, MCH does not deserve pure dps status. Phys-ranged + pure dps is an oxymoron in and of itself, and time and time again it's proven that it feels like the job has no direction or reason to exist. Snipped.

Why? It could easily be a pure DPS if they would allow it. I think it would actually fit well as you have more support oriented DPS in every role and more selfish DPS in every role. Why can't the physical ranged have a selfish role?

Originally Posted by Serenaya

3 - Individual ability issues
Flamethrower is counter to the function of the job. Standing still, inevitably having an AoE appear under you and having to cancel the channeling isn't fun.

Bioblaster -snip

Drill/AA/Chainsaw are 3 peas in the same pod.-snip

Wildfire - I appreciate the sizable buff it's been given. However, once every 2 minutes is still underwhelming. At least let it crit, though I realise that's counter to this direction of gauranteed crit+dh abilities that's sadly getting more and more prominent. I like re-assemble though so in the context of MCH, I'm fine with it. That said, it also does not synergise with any crit-related buffs so that's a problem too (thanks to forum posters for reminding me to mention that).

Wild fire should be an aoe, that does x damage to the target and y dmg to everything else. It should also deal a % of the damage dealt to the target like it used to. It would synergize well with re-assemble and give us more options are far as holding onto / using re-assemble. Most of this I can agree with though.

Flame thrower has no purpose, if anything, I think flame thrower should have been a single target dot, and bioblaster its upgrades AOE dot or vice versa.

I like the robot, but I almost feel like battery would be used for something more interesting. At the rate we are going every expansion they are just going to add stuff to the robot, which could be fun if it were more engaging and we have more control over it vs Pile bunker and die.

Originally Posted by Serenaya

4 - Ping issues
Oh boy, this again. Still no sign of addressing this whatsoever. I remember the Q&A where we were bluntly told that there isn't enough feedback regarding ping issues with combat design in general, not just MCH. This was a major kick in the teeth and I kindly ask that the devs look into this more. It's been a problem for years and countless threads have been created here, and MCH has been a job that suffers terribly from it. Heat Blast stacks would be nice. It'd be a good start at least. -snip

I would rather do away with heat blast, and have the gauge work as it did before. It's not a fun mechanic even if it was addressed to have stacks ping would be a problem still when weaving DPS differences would still come from that. Heal blast limits our capability to utilize SKS, it just over all causes nothing but problems for what it is. I think any class that has abilities that limit it's stat customization is a major issue and concern.

I think the over all direction with the tools was a fun little gimmick of ff6's Edgar. But after the summoner changes, Machinest really reminds me that we lost a lot of engagement for flair, but that flair can still be utilized if done correctly.