Using items during battle

[Climm]

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the new MP costs for spells while using a non-discipline of magic class. Although balancing IS required for those who slotted their points so they could have, lets say, a magic using lancer; i think that for those who prefer NOT to depend on magic, their best solution is items. you know, potions! hi-potions! X-potions! all those great items we come across on other final fantasies and that we probably used to heal our characters more than once.

I know there are already potions and ethers on the game, but not a lot of people use them. my suggestion is to allow us to map healing (and other type) items on our action bars. this would allow those lone warriors to cure themselves in a pinch without having to use MP.

I would also like to see more powerful healing items. this would give alchemists a boost on their economy. it would also be nice to make potions (the ones that restore only a few HP) easier to craft. Also, i propose that on the description of the healing item you tell us exactly how much HP we get back.

is my idea too insane? am i an uncultured swine?

[Medura]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Please SE, listen to this person, for he is a genius! We need these items into the game, else it ain't enough ff feel :P Arcanite wind and such items added could be nice to

Also, please re-wamp the item menu in the field. It is the main reason i never use food etc, it ain't worth it when you use an hour walking through tons of food stuff you never wanted. Let us be able to add the items we want to that menu ourselves Also, you can make another action bar over the other one for items, for example hold ctrl+shift+ 0-9

Anyways, please fix the way we use items

[Climm]

I also wanted dot suggest that we should have the option to choose between using the item for ourselves instantly or select who to use on in a similar fashion to spells

[redmage]

I also wanted dot suggest that we should have the option to choose between using the item for ourselves instantly or select who to use on in a similar fashion to spells

I hope we get to throw it at their head in traditional Tactics style!

[VisionHolder]

I agree: using items in battle needs to be made easier. On a controller, I hate having to switch to my mouse to open the bag icon so that I can select items to use mid-fight.

[Chiz]

While I'm all for using items and trying new ideas that can help in combat, I don't think the game's current implementation of items makes this a viable solution. I also don't want this game to force you to become a walking apothecary just to perform basic actions like self-healing, self-buffing, self-statusing when there was already a viable solution in-place with the Armoury system pre-1.18. Having to carry a variety of meds will only make the already bad inventory management system worst.

Here's the biggest problems I have with the current item system:

1) Amount restored per potion is relatively weak. An Ether restores 50MP, A potion restores ~200HP. slightly more for HQ versions. I don't think anyone is going to be farming Ahriman for +3 pots for that +25 MP or whatever you get for +3, and I really doubt Alchemists would put the effort in to HQ when they can make and sell +3 glue for 1m a pop.

2) Long cooldowns per use. I think its 2-3 minutes before you can use another potion of the same type. If this was cut down to 1 minute, or the effectiveness of potions was increased, it might be more viable and worthwhile to carry and use potions.

3) Clunky method of using items, with far too many button presses for minimal benefit. I'd much rather spam a macro for Cure, or Second Wind II, or Siphon MP II for far better benefit/gain. You can get around this a bit by making a macro to pop a pot using /item "name" <target>, but I'm not even sure I would burn a macro slot for 50mp. Improvements to the inventory UI would also help here, like perhaps adding inventory Quickslots for MP and HP potions that were always visible and could be either clicked or hot-keyed.

Adding more powerful potion recipes or increasing benefit of each potion as you suggested would certainly help, but I really don't want to get back to a situation where any potion worth a damn costs a lot of gil, is [rare] tagged limiting # you can carry, and can only be dropped from NMs/chests like Vile Elixirs in XI.

[Kaisersose]

Are you guys serious right now? you can already do this in game. its called a macro. /item "Item Name" <t> boom you're done. i hit Alt+4 and i throw Paralyzing Potions onto the Ogre, or Alt+5 to throw a Fire Potion onto a teammate or myself. if you like, you can change the <t> (target) to <me> (yourself)

I do however agree with the lack of stronger potions though there are elemental potions that heal for a different amount depending on your elemental alignment.

[Gidonoidon_Sur]

I don't ever use potions. Personally, I think potions are a lame game mechanic. Maybe I am just biased by my experiences in FFXI but in that game potions were pretty marginalized which made usage somewhat special (think Vile Elixirs during Maat fight, for example). Along those lines, I think I would prefer less potions but more effect from them (so rarer and harder to make).

[DoctorMog]

I don't think ANYONE uses potions.

Some mages use ethers, but rarely.

Their effects need to be raised and the cooldown needs to be displayed. Not knowing how long before I can re-potion is annoying.

[Raistlin]

Auto healing with potions -> No need healers on grind partys.

No thanks