I use solar flare beam in GW and GW2. It is a bit more obvious, but turret mode is always a bit of a gamble, especially with the proliferation of soldiers and their ZPGs as a plant! Also, losing mobility is normally not a great idea in general. That being said, they can be quite effective and as you post, putting your healing flower down nearby can really help.
One of BfN's largest failings is the lack of damage drop off, so again as you point out, why this weapon has it and so many don't is quite the head scratcher.
