Feedback on F8 Key Targeting

[Camate]

Howdy!

With battle systems and styles shifting to players facing off against multiple enemies at once or having more NPCs present in battles, we feel that there is a need to tweak the target NPC feature a bit (the good ol' F8 key).

There is some talk going on discussing what aspects should be prioritized. For example, placing targeting priority on the monster, ???s, treasure caskets, etc. We’d like to know everyone’s feedback and opinions on this matter so we can continue to make the game user-friendly and enjoyable

[Llana_Virren]

Fixing the "F8 Target" command is long overdue! My suggestions would be:

"F8": Scroll through the nearest NPCs in range (interactive NPC-targetting).
"Alt+F8" (or "F9"): Scroll through the nearest enemies in range (Monster-specific targetting).
"Ctrl+F8" (or "F10"): Target the enemy in range with the lowest HP (Weakest Monster-specifc targetting).
"Ctrl+Alt+F8" (or "F11"): Target the current battle-target of the Party/Alliance (Battle Target, ie. /assist, targetting).

"Shift+F8" (or "F12"): Customizable targetting command. For example:

-- /assist "player name" customizable to a player name
-- Slept Monsters (engaged)
-- Awake Monsters (engaged)
-- Non-Engaged Monsters (good for sleeping a monster before it links)
-- Call-for-Help on current engaged target

[wish12oz]

Leave it how it is, when you change something after 10 years all youre going to do stir up anger. Look at OP teleports and how much of a fiasco thats been.

[SpankWustler]

My first choice is that the targeting priority could be customizable somehow, or the addition of separate commands for specifically targeting NPCs-only or monsters-only. Things a little bit beyond just "Mister Eff-Eight likes ???'s better now."

If that's not possible, I'd rather it just be left alone entirely. I've gotten a pretty good feel for my F8 key's deviant predilections over the past decade and I don't want it to suddenly drop those and develop new ones.

[Kaisha]

I'd prefer the priority to be whatever is closest to me that I'm facing.

Really annoying in an event like Voidwatch where F8 almost always ignores the rift/chest/voidwatch-monster if there's a single other mob normal to the zone onscreen.

[Economizer]

There is some talk going on discussing what aspects should be prioritized. For example, placing targeting priority on the monster, ???s, treasure caskets, etc. We’d like to know everyone’s feedback and opinions on this matter so we can continue to make the game user-friendly and enjoyable

F8 should ideally be able to be prioritized client side, however failing a menu that allows players to choose their own priority, it should prioritize as follows:

1. Party battle target
2. ???
3. Chests
4. Other Non-Combat NPC (Books, Confluxes, Outpost NPCs)
5. Alliance battle targets
6. Friendly NPCs
7. Non-friendly NPCs (Monsters)
8. Pets

Hitting Shift-F8 should prioritize Non-Combat targets. CTRL/ALT-Shift-F8 should prioritize Non-Friendly Combat targets that aren't the party/alliance battle target. Hitting ALT/CTRL-F8 should prioritize the top or bottom alliance's battle target depending on if ALT or CTRL was hit (likewise, ALT-F1~F6 and CTRL-F1~F6 should target party members in other alliances).

The function keys in FFXI don't use modifiers enough. Considering that FFXI captures commands (so that stuff like ALT-F4 doesn't close the client for example) it should be utilizing modifier key-function key combinations to great effect. F8 is no exception.

[cidbahamut]

Leave it alone. It is one of the few user interface features that was well implemented.

[Alhanelem]

It was well implemented, but it could still be better. I'd like it if pressing the key repeatedly cycled through applicable targets

I don't know what key it would be bound to, but a second key that only cycles NPCs or only cycles monsters would be awesome.

[Yurai]

I actually like it the way it is as well. If I want to target a ??? I will face my character and camera at the pop location and 9.9 times out of 10 it will target what I want that way. I should specify however that I have a macro with just the /targetnpc command on it. If the F8 key is this same functionality I hope neither that button nor the slash command change any- it works wonderfully the way it is now. Like really, the targeting is fantastic. I've never felt a need for the targeting in this game to improve, except for using the Switch Target command in battle and targeting a far away monster over one thats nearby and about to punch your face in.

I hope that feedback was valuable. Just please be assured that some people like, even love, the way the system is currently.

[Helel]

Make it target the closest NPC, whether it be monster or ??? or something else. Having to turn the camera around just to target a ??? is really annoying. Yes, you can use tab, but you can also use tab to target a monster.