To me it seems flamethrowers would be outdated weapons in GFFA with blasters being so common. Real life flamethrower operators are highly visible and prized targets for for snipers as their tanks stick out and can be ruptured and ignited by incendiary rounds, killing the operator and even harming his squad mates. Blasters beams in Star Wars have a incendiary nature as shown in the first 6 films making flamethrowers a risky weapon. Also flamethrowers have limited range and fuel capacity which they quickly deplete. That means flamethrowers have only a few shots before you run out of fuel.
They have a bit more of a specific use, however A blaster hit could burn something, sure, but dousing a large area with expelled flame within a matter of seconds is certainly going to have a greater effect when intending to burn something down Also, given the futuristic technology - who's to say there isn't some kind of protective energy shield or something around the fuel canister thing?
Yes, I'm sure the GFFA flamethrower is much safer for the operator and has a lot more endurance than real world equivalents. And I don't think it's often used in frontline combat, only for rare specialized circumstances, like clearing houses after the main battle lines have moved past the area. Really, it's as much a psychological as a military weapon. Like the AT-AT, SW bad guys often choose intimidation over practicality.
I'm almost certain the Flametroopers in TCW who destroyed those Geonosian hives were inspired somehow by Aliens.
