Cross / Hotbar idea: setting combos to one button to save space

The idea is to have the option to set a combo of weaponskills to a single button. It would mean that I could set a path of weaponskills that would actively switch the button on the hotbar to the next weaponskill in line until the "combo effect" wears off (via use or duration), at which point it would revert to the starting ability.

Using GLA as an example, let's say I set "Fast Blade" as the starter, and fill in "Savage Blade" as the next attack in line, followed by "Rage of Halone" for the third attack. When I use "Fast Blade", the button switches to "Savage Blade". From here, if I use "Savage Blade", it will switch to "Rage of Halone", but if I wait out the "combo effect" and it wears off, the button reverts back to "Fast Blade". Additionally, setting another button to "Fast Blade" -> "Riot Blade" combo works the same, being able to use "Fast Blade" on either button to start-- button 1 moves to "Savage Blade", button 2 moves to "Riot Blade".

EDIT: I should make it clear that what I'm suggesting is not for simple macros that change the icon as it goes-- you would still have to hit the button again for the next hit in the combo, and you would be able to use other abilities on different slots of your hotbar in between your combo, or instead of them. You'd still have to think about what you do next, but your combo is set to a single button (multiple presses, though) specifically to preserve space if you need it and it would be restricted to combo actions/weaponskills, not full rotations of abilities.

Example of what could be set as a same button combo: MRD~ Heavy Swing* > Maim* > Storm's Path*

Example of what could not be set as a same button combo: MRD~ Heavy Swing* > Berserk** > Maim* > Internal Release** > Storm's Path*

* These are the weaponskills that make up the actual combo
** Abilities unrelated to the combo of weaponskills

They had this in games like Aion I think, it would be nice to have as an option.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this suggestion. On the one hand, I don't like the over-simplifying effect, where you don't even have to think of which skill to use next. But on the other hand, for controller players in particular, being limited to only 16 available actions before having to switch cross-hotbars is awkward enough on some classes that anything that condenses them better could be a real improvement. Overall, I think wanting to conserve cross-hotbar space wins out, so I'd like this change.

PS4 beta this past weekend was the first time I had used a controller and I actually really like it. I'm used to using a naga with 12 buttons on my thumb, so by either pressing shift, control, or neither that gives me access to 36 different moves all on my mouse hand thumb.

I really did not think anything would come close to that level of efficiency. The controller actually comes a lot closer than I though. Yes, at first glance it seems like you have only 16 actions easily accessible, but when you press R1 you can move between 8 sets of 16. Now that is a lot, but it takes a bit of time to get to each set. However, there are two different ways around this. One is two only set up two sets. By doing that it allows you to move between the two sets by just tapping R1 once, greatly increasing the speed and efficiency of being able to use 32 moves. However, IMO still not as good as the naga set-up. Then right as beta was ending I found an option in the cross hotbar options. Basically it lets you access your alternative 16 moves buy pressing both L and R triggers at the same time. The 8 moves you get access to changes depending on whether u press L or R first. It is REALLY REALLY slick and once you get the muscle memory down you can do things just as fast as with a gaming mouse.

Once you understand how it works you can do some really cool things. Like for instance, you can have swiftcast set to R trigger plus X button. So you hold R trigger, press X, swiftcast goes off, you continue holding R trigger, but now hold L trigger too, it changes that move set to another set where you can for instance have Resurrect also on X. All of which was done without ever losing movement control of character.

So despite what I originally thought, a controller can compete with a gaming mouse/keyboard, and IMO can even do a few things better.

Hmm. I think I'm a fan, but I'd have to see and feel it in practice. At first I thought your suggestion would be basically the same as macro'ing, but really, the thing I don't like about macro'ing combos is that I don't have the visual indicator of the dashed yellow line to let me know where my character is at in the combo and whether the second or third ability can still be combo'ed after using a spell or ability in-between. Your suggestion accounts for that--as long as there's SOME visual indication of where I am in a combo (in this case, the mere fact that a new weaponskill icon has appeared in the same place where Heavy Swing was a moment before), I'm happy. Could be a good way of opening space on the cross-hotbar for controller play, where 9 of my 16 open slots on Set 1 are occupied by combo moves and I have to macro spells/abilities onto the remaining slots.

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Originally Posted by ObliviousFool

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I don't disagree with you at all, I can make use of cross-hotbar as it is and it works fairly well, but I feel it can be improved upon. I don't think the controller is faster than M+K setup, it can contend but it is behind imo.

With that said, this isn't really about competing with the M+K hotbar, but improving both (not that the M+K needs it). It's about having more flexibility with your hotbar, and pre-emptively easing space issues well in advance of level-cap increases and the subsequent addition of weaponskills and abilities. I personally would hate to go beyond 2 cross-hotbar sets (even with the dual-button bar). It's slick now, but it'll get really clunky for people like me later down the line.

This would kind of leave out every class/job that isn't MRD, GLA, or LNC. MNK skills are kind of combo-esque, but you don't use the same three in a row every time. AFAIK, none of the other classes really get anything like combos that could work with this. Some skills proc bonus effects, but you don't base their use entirely on those procs (e.g., BRD sometimes needs to use Straight Shot without a Heavier Shot proc).

While some classes just use more buttons than others, it seems kind of lopsided to give combo classes such a convenient, button-condensing feature while all the rest are stuck without it.

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Originally Posted by Knives

EDIT: I should make it clear that what I'm suggesting is not for simple macros that change the icon as it goes-- you would still have to hit the button again for the next hit in the combo

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The idea is nice. I use macro for that but the whole problem of macros is when a skill of the middle of the combo misses (therefore not triggering the plus for the combo) and then gotta start the macro all over because the next skill which needed the combo would not work (in MNK case, for example which need forms)

This is an awesome idea, since it's already doable with hotbar swaps. Macro swaps would save a lot of hotbar space.

Basically you want to make a "mash to win" button

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Originally Posted by Inzoum

Basically you want to make a "mash to win" button

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No. As I said, this is already doable with hotbar swaps. If you "mash" the button you will only succeed in swapping hotbars due to skill times.
even if you add a /wait 2.3~2.5 things still will not work properly since you reset the macro everytime you press the button.

This suggestion only removes the cap of 8 crosshotbar swaps and provides a limit of 100 macro swaps. This saves a lot of crosshotbars in exchange for more macro slots. You can not "mash to win".

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Originally Posted by Inzoum

Basically you want to make a "mash to win" button

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Cos pressing 123 is so much harder then pressing 111

Fully support this idea

Doesn't concern me as I play with keyboard and mouse, but it's not like there's any thinking involved in spamming the Halone combo for example, whether you push 3 different buttons or the same one 3 times really doesn't make a big difference, I don't see this as something that could bring any harm or unfair advantage. Would be nice to get something like that on keyboards too, though. As someone mentioned in this thread previously, Aion had your combos automatically proceeding to the next strike in the same skillslot, and it worked wonderfully well.

I use something like this for my WAR. Only for crossbar though.

I have all the same hotkeys for R + dpad, L+dpad, L+face in 3 crossbars (sets 5 6 7) and I have 3 macros to copy from set 5, set 6, set 7 to the crossbar set 1. I just change the buttons on the face buttons and so that each set has 3 moves and 1 macro to move to the next set.

Set 5:
Triangle: Foresight + Bloodbath macro.
Circle: Fracture
X: Heavy swing
Square: Copy set 6

Set 6:
Triangle: Foresight + Bloodbath macro.
Circle: Maim
X: Skull sunder
Square:Copy set 7

Set 7:
Triangle: Storms Eye
Circle: Storms Path
X: Butchers Block
Square: Copy Set 5

Its not as easy to use as XXX but at least I can just roll my thumb towards square to set up my next combo hit. X sq X sq X sq is pretty close.

Edit:

My copy set copies for all my classes to save macro slots. so its like...5 lines of copying for WAR/PLD/DRG/MNK/NIN.