Feedback on F8 Key Targeting

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 :)

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

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.

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.

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.

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Originally Posted by Camate

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 :)

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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.

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

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.

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. :)

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.

hmm might be out of place to bring it up but while you're at it mind reviewing the delay to re engage monsters, the one that was added to defeat 2 handed weapons form bypassing their natural delay by constantly engaging and disengaging.

given the standard TP build based around haste sets this would no longer be an issue.

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Originally Posted by Camate

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 :)

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Biggest gripe for me is F8 targets things that can't possibly be interacted with in any way, ie. it's out of range for any skill appropriate to it.

Next, in places like Campaign for God's sake stop it targetting defense NPCs while you're trying to target the CA to get tags, etc. .. there are many similar situations, that one just springs to mind. IOW, in this case it should prioritorise 'green' NPCs over white ones.

Please leave F8 alone, or allow us to keep it's function of target nearest NPC.

Best thing to do is an option to set it to:
-Target Nearest NPC (Original function)
-Target Nearest Enemy
-Cycle NPC
-Cycle Enemy
-Whatever function others may want

F8 is instrumental to how I play the game >.>;;;

The only thing I would suggest (and please take heed of this): Leave us an option to RETAIN original functionality.

Changing something we've used without problem for the past 10 years on a whim baffles me. If you absolutely have to change it, at least give us the option to keep the original mechanism - provided you do this, I don't care what you do with its 'new functions'

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Originally Posted by Alhanelem

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

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Tab Key.

There's also an option to bind keys to "scroll target left", "scroll target right", "up" and "down" which when set up and used properly covers this request.

I like F8 as it is : )
I just wish I could specifically map it to a controller button in the configuration settings.

Leave it how it is.

While I agree that more fine-tuning would be nice, I think the above suggestions (the ones that want change) are way overkill.

Would suggest just a couple things:

F8 - Behave as current.

Shift-F8 - Target nearest party-targetted monster; if no party-targetted monster, target nearest alliance-targetted monster; if no alliance-targetted monster, target nearest monster. Do not target NPCs or chests or whatnot. Character should not have to be facing the target in order for target to be found, but may want to restrict it to only targets within the camera field of view.

Ctrl-F8 - Target nearest NPC or chest or whatnot. Do not target monsters. Character should not have to be facing the target in order for target to be found, but may want to restrict it to only targets within the camera field of view.

While we're at it, there should be an updated targeting command for macros. <bt> is nearly useless in alliance fights... please give us an alliance enviroment equivalent to <bt>!

[QUOTE=Tinuviel;313661]While we're at it, there should be an updated targeting command for macros. <bt> is nearly useless in alliance fights... please give us an alliance enviroment equivalent to <bt>![/QUOTE

this is posibly the only change to targeting i could use on a regular basses

I'd just like to point out that F7 is redundant (F1 and F7 targets yourself) so leave F8 as is and use F7 as the new and improved target key.

Personally I'd be happy with leaving F8 as target any npc and make F7 target only friendly npc's (npc's, ???'s, chests etc.)

I've always wondered why the AutoTarget system always targets the Farthest target from you when we have the F8 key that uses Nearest Target. Maybe you should look into fixing AutoTarget first.

If you want a demonstration of how badly the AutoTarget system works I suggest doing the Blitzkrieg Assault.

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Originally Posted by 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

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What she said :)

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Originally Posted by cidbahamut

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

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Well said. Leave it alone. Make another button function as this "multi-npc/mob-targeting" button. Don't reinvent the wheel, it rarely works.

Hey everyone!

Thanks for all the feedback regarding the F8 key! Since it seems like a majority of the opinions we received were asking for separate functions to target only players or only monsters, we will begin testing whether or not we can make this happen.

If everything goes smoothly and the results of the tests are good, we will begin looking into what keys to utilize.

There were some suggestions to use a combination of the F8 with either Ctrl or Alt, but since these keys are used to bring up the macro palette, every time you want to target something, the palettes would appear and disappear. We are just concerned that it might be difficult to see and it might take some time to operate due to the keys being far apart on the keyboard.

As we continue to improve the current system, please feel free to let us know if you have any additional feedback or suggestions regarding key binds for separating these functions. :)

you could use the windows key or right click key instead of ctrl/alt, no?

i just want a way to target the alliance's target through macros like <bt>

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Originally Posted by Okipuit

please feel free to let us know if you have any additional feedback or suggestions regarding key binds for separating these functions.

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An option to keep the original function.

I always use F8 to target mobs. Would hate to see that changed.
However, maybe F8 being able scroll through attackable mobs in range might work. (since tab scrools through everything)

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Originally Posted by Godofgods

I always use F8 to target mobs. Would hate to see that changed.
However, maybe F8 being able scroll through attackable mobs in range might work. (since tab scrools through everything)

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This is all we need, stop the testing. Just this :-)

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Originally Posted by Cowardlybabooon

This is all we need, stop the testing. Just this :-)

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I wish it worked like that for me, instead of targetting party member pets, or mobs that are on a floor below/above me, or targetting something 100+ yalms away while there are 2 within 45-degree angle of vision....

What about Shift+F8?
The Shift key should still work as a modifier, if I'm not mistaken. 3D programs and such use it all the time.

Greetings,

We just wanted to let you know that for those of you who want to keep the original functionality of F8, development team will be taking this into consideration as they progress!

A modifier key would be a good way to introduce alternate functionality.