whats with MCH Flamethrower

[CKNovel]

it aren't as bad as people think the tick is really quick but I do agree that it should work with the heat meters to make it stronger

It's that bad. Once you get Scattergun, it's barely a gain over Scattergun if you take in account the generated heat. And with the upgraded Hypercharge, it's even worse.
You can unbind it and use Scattergun instead, you'll find the same results.

But the biggest problem is that Flamethrower is as satisfying to use as watering my grandmother's garden.

[RowanLauron]

At the very least to make it remotely viable, is have it increase your heat gauge. Since auto crossbow doesn't give you CD reductions to your ogcds, it would make aoe less sad to do.

[mallleable]

Looking at the animation, the attack comes from your gun so it makes me think they could rework Flamethrower to be aoe Blazing Shot, and then rework Auto Crossbow (which uses the multi tool) to be aoe Air Anchor.

[dspguy]

Flamethrower is a DPS increase under certain circumstances. If your option is to Scattergun for the next 10s and your Drill won't cap charges and Air Anchor and Chainsaw aren't coming up, and Wildfire isn't due... if you can safely stand somewhere for those 10s, it is a gain. Scattergun is 640 potency for 10s. Flamethrower is 800. But Scattergun would gain 40 heat. That shrinks the gains but not by all that much.

Given it is a capstone ability, it should do something better than it does.

[Valence]

Looking at the animation, the attack comes from your gun so it makes me think they could rework Flamethrower to be aoe Blazing Shot, and then rework Auto Crossbow (which uses the multi tool) to be aoe Air Anchor.

I like the idea actually.

What I'd also add to flamethrower since it's a channeled ability is just make it consume 10 heat per tick (so technically 110 heat for the total 10s, which would reduce it to 9s, but that's not a problem imo since you could use it any time you want and have heat for it), with potency adjustments. I'd also add a walking cast ability to it so you can wiggle a little in the middle of trash packs, until you eventually have to cut it short and move if required, but I think it's something way harder on their side to make a reality since FT is a glorified ground dot that gets placed in front of you whenever you use it so to me it would just be the icing on the cake really.

[kobe-sabi]

I'd be okay for an all risk, big rewards for it.

The actual question is more, what are the devs even doing? Does it take like, a crazy budget and resources to find a creative use for this skill? It's been like this for 2+ expansions by now...

That’s what I want to know also. Because the last CEO and current said they was throwing more money into FFXIV. And I don’t see it. Lvl 94 and 98 for jobs being trait upgrades and adding 5 sec to an old ability, is lazy. What happen to the 5 new skills to unlock, this is 90 to 100. The big pay off.

[Blindheart]

Just need for it to charge the heat gauge like samurai meditate if you’re not allowed to move. Or make it so you can move and keep the animation.

[Connor]

SE: “Flamethrower being a glorified emote is totally part of Machinist’s identity we’re doing this to make them fun and unique’

It’s hilarious that they’ve made various channelled abilities through the game’s lifespan and literally not a single one works as intended. Yet they insist on keeping them exactly as they are . Frankly, it’s extremely stupid

[kobe-sabi]

Flamethrower is a DPS increase under certain circumstances. If your option is to Scattergun for the next 10s and your Drill won't cap charges and Air Anchor and Chainsaw aren't coming up, and Wildfire isn't due... if you can safely stand somewhere for those 10s, it is a gain. Scattergun is 640 potency for 10s. Flamethrower is 800. But Scattergun would gain 40 heat. That shrinks the gains but not by all that much.

Given it is a capstone ability, it should do something better than it does.

thats the point you cant stand anywhere when it has no range. everybody and their mom have huge aoes to run out of. i wouldnt care if i could use Flamethrower from a safe distance.

[dspguy]

I use it in dungeons on trash pulls. But only under specific circumstances as noted earlier. They could make it a clear winner (sorta? kinda?) if it increased your heat gauge more than 40% over those 10s. Maybe 80%.