Action Bar and Move Anchor Keys

There is one particular function that is applied to the Action Bar, which seems to be configured for gamepad players. Move Anchor keys. Players can't avoid how the Move Anchor keys takes priority over other similar assigned keys whenever an Execute Shortcut key is used.

• Using Execute Shortcut leads to Move Anchor keys focused on Action Bar
• Players needs to hit the Cancel key each time if they wish to use the Other keys assigned similar as the Window>Move Anchor keys.

I'm referring to the how the Action Bar functions after hitting an Execute Shortcut key (1~0). The Action Bar seems to be treated like a Window that pops up (or focused on if you've toggled continuous display) every time an action is taken from the bar via Execute Shortcuts. Such as, cast an ability that is assigned on the Action Bar, the Action Bar is then focused on.

This means, for the default Type A keyboard settings, if you have used an ability on the Action Bar, then your arrow keys are now Move Anchor keys for the action bar, oppose to targeting keys. To return to targeting keys, you have to hit Esc every time you use an action. Similar for Type B keyboard setting, except the keys are reassigned around the numpad.

The only reason I could see them having this is for gamepad user who can't even execute the ability unless if they have a selection arrow over the ability. Otherwise, I don't see why is this left in for both keyboard modes assuming a keyboard player would use the Move Anchors to select the next ability every time they use an ability from the Action Bar. (In other words, assumed if a keyboard player hit 1 to cast an ability, the player would might want to use the arrow keys to select the next ability.)

It just doesn't seem to make sense. If you look at a key setting in Type A > Other > Cycle Action Bars (Forward) and (Reverse), it is ideally the same keys but with Shift+arrow if you don't have the Action Bar window focused on. Why not assign the arrow up and arrow down as the Cycle Action Bars, and get rid of the automatic window focus on the Action Bar whenever an ability is cast via Execute Shortcut keys?

Luckily the player can reassign the keys to temporarily avoid this issue, such as if the player wanted to access the default keys assigned to the same keys as the Move Anchor keys. But, no matter what, they can't avoid how the Move Anchor keys are bound to the Action Bar whenever an Execute Shortcut key is used.

I just hope this is addressed in 1.21 when adding "On/Off toggle for sub-targeting".

in4b an in4b comment, oh noes paradox

The reason they left it in is probably because currently we have the same UI for both gamepad and mouse/kb. I guess that's an "INB4" statement :P