[Kameron8]

I'd like to see two underutilized Magic Gunner skills get buffed to work better with one another. Currently, Spark Drive takes up a great amount of SP and isn't worth using outside of a multi-hit lucky shell build.

To explain why:

Magic gunners almost always want to overcharge as often as physically possible. Whether it's for the focused mind hit buff, some of the strongest debuffs in the game, or raw damage, overcharge is crucial to almost every gunner variant's playstyle. Because Thunder Drive does not synergize well enough with Spark Drive, they can't afford to be used. Currently, critically striking with spark drive will charge you up, but prohibit you from promoting that status to Overcharge with Thunder Drive in the same turn. This translates into a 'missed' opportunity to Overcharge, realistically meaning it comes one turn late -- and unreliably, if the enemy has crit evade. Since these passives do not function while you are under the effects of reloading, it will ALWAYS delay you. This is coupled with the fact that in order to utilize Thunder Drive, you must also toggle on safety and stop your basic Shell Effect from triggering for

A: The remainder of the turn you proc Spark Drive, to prevent yourself from consuming charged shot (this is the entire turn if you use a multihit weapon, since it will consume Charged Shot the same attack it triggers unless you crit only the last bullet). And

B: The first shot -- or multiple, if you fail to crit -- of your next turn, in order to promote Spark Drive with Thunder Drive.

With all of these drawbacks, it isn't worth investing in almost ever. My suggestion is that Shell Trigger, the debuff preventing you from gaining the effects of a drive skill, only apply to Spark Drive's effect. To clarify, that means Thunder Drive could be utilized the same turn as Spark Drive if the gunner critically hit twice, and had the momentum or bullet count for a 3rd hit. It does NOT mean that multihit guns can repeatedly trigger Spark Drive on the same turn. Furthermore, reloading already blocks any further usage of the Drives until it expires, so there is little worry that it would become overbearing.

[Trexmaster]

I agree, the way it works now, Thunder Drive is practically unusable as in order to obtain it, you'd have to be firing with Safety on for two rounds, or spend the momentum on Charged Shot anyways (which is pointless when you could Overcharge for the same momentum and marginally more FP).

An alternative I could imagine is Thunder Drive activating -before- Charged Shot would, giving you Overcharge if you crit someone whilst you have Charged Shot, instead of having it spent before the check is made.

The OP's suggestion works just as well, and makes Thunder Drive far more usable, instead of simply a way of conserving FP.

[Autumn]

I think from the standing point of conserving FP (Magic gunners burn through a lot!), this is a fair change to how the skills work, +1

[Snake]

Don't see why not. And I don't know how this hasn't been checked before, lol. Good eyes, Kam. (+1)

[Esther]

Guns don't ignore defense anymore, and One Overcharge exists. There's no reason spark drive needs to be limited to 1/turn anymore either.

[Neus]

Spark Drive's limit has every reason to exist. I don't think you were playing when Magic Gunners were getting bonus shell effects on almost every hit, but it wasn't pretty.

As for the OP suggestion, I could maybe see Spark Drive's limit not apply to Thunder Drive on separate critical hits. Obviously you would still need to have Safety on until you get Overcharged, but you could (potentially) do it in one attack with a multishot gun if you crit more than once, and then switch it off for the second. I guess this wouldn't be too overbearing because Overcharge is a 3M skill and is still pretty much necessary if you want any mileage out of your high charge effects.

Did I understand what you suggested correctly, Kameron?

[Kameron8]

Spark Drive's limit has every reason to exist. I don't think you were playing when Magic Gunners were getting bonus shell effects on almost every hit, but it wasn't pretty.

As for the OP suggestion, I could maybe see Spark Drive's limit not apply to Thunder Drive on separate critical hits. Obviously you would still need to have Safety on until you get Overcharged, but you could (potentially) do it in one attack with a multishot gun if you crit more than once, and then switch it off for the second. I guess this wouldn't be too overbearing because Overcharge is a 3M skill and is still pretty much necessary if you want any mileage out of your high charge effects.

Did I understand what you suggested correctly, Kameron?

You did, verbatim. I think it would be a very welcome change.