Not That Coordinated

I've been playing FFXIV on PC. I'm working on Summoner and Black Mage. The problem is, I'm really not coordinated enough to do that much moving and attacking at the same time. Am I screwed for endgame PvE??

Thanks!

My experience as a BLM has been that dodging is vital in many endgame fights (like Titan) but not all of them (like Coil Turn 2). It certainly helps to be able to dodge as a BLM though. :)

I'm slightly motor skill impaired so I think my opinion may be of some help. I find Blm the easiest DPS because you do either moving or attacking, not both normally. I also really love healing because it's very stationary and simplistic (yet intricate). You say you have Smn so you should try out Sch too and see if you like it!

I can dodge OK, I just have trouble casting at the same time. =/

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Originally Posted by AmyNeudaiz

I'm slightly motor skill impaired so I think my opinion may be of some help. I find Blm the easiest DPS because you do either moving or attacking, not both normally. I also really love healing because it's very stationary and simplistic (yet intricate). You say you have Smn so you should try out Sch too and see if you like it!

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Been thinking about healing. I was a raid healer in EQ and early WoW, but I kind of burned out on it. Not sure I'm ready for that special kind of abuse again!!

Boosting your Spell Speed can help a lot with that. I found it very hard to cast when dodging a lot with low SS.

Avoid bad/kick ass is pretty much 90% of endgame in FFXIV.
Sorry to say.
Practice does make perfect though! Keep at it! Don't give up.

Which job has less casting to do while actively dodging, Black Mage or Summoner?

One piece of advice I can give: Find a group of friends who understand your situation and are willing to be patient. There are so many jerks in this game, I'd hate to see them make you want to quit!

That's why I can't stand playing on pc. Try a controller.

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Originally Posted by Victros

Which job has less casting to do while actively dodging, Black Mage or Summoner?

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Absolutely SMN.

While you can do all content in the game as a BLM, the only way you can keep up with the other DPS roles in a good group is to follow the caster rule of ABC (Always Be Casting). As BLMs inherently have the longest casting times, they're really not built well for fights that require frequent moving, unless you are experienced enough to predict all of the fights mechanics ahead of time so you can cast in a rhythm that doesn't interrupt your casting.

SMN on the other hand, has a pet that for most fights can remain stationary and will constantly be contributing damage for you. Couple that with the fact that SMN is built upon doing huge amounts of damage from DoT effects, where once the boss has been DoT'd, it will just keep ticking away damage while you're moving. SMN also comes with 4 nice ways to add damage, while you're dodging as well (These are Ruin2, Fester, Energy Drain and Swiftcast->Shadowflare) All of those abilities are on cool down so can be guaranteed to work for you if you just use one that's available.

Attacking while moving on BLM is also possible (Scathe, Thundercloud Proc, Firestarter Proc or Swiftcast->Flare), however the good abilities are proc dependant so require a bit of luck (while you can just not use your procs until you have to move, most BLMs prefer to use a proc as soon as it's up so another one can come). So essentially the only available attack guaranteed for you while moving is scathe, which is gonna have pathetic damage.

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Originally Posted by Tenshi

Boosting your Spell Speed can help a lot with that. I found it very hard to cast when dodging a lot with low SS.

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+1 to this. If you're adamant about going BLM then it will help you to build Spell Speed more than Det/Crit.

Smn has a lot of on the move attacks
Blm has one consistent on the move attack

Blm is the better choice.

Bit confused what you're asking, there aren't any jobs that can cast while moving.

You'll be fine as a BLM in endgame so long as you remember that dodging is more important than finishing a cast. You say you have no trouble dodging, and no trouble casting. So you won't have any trouble...

My suggestion, learn to move first, then cast. This may seem contrary to the "Always Be Casting" thing, but, if you need the time to get used to playing as a caster, it's really important (in other words, your dps will suck if you're dead). You just can't cast and eat all enemy attacks. Learn to move out of an attack/aoe just far enough to be safe, then resume casting. Know your rotation so that button presses become muscle memory. I do not find SMN any faster than BLM, personally. It takes a lot of spell speed to make the slightest bit of difference. With practice, you will learn to move and then get right back to casting. Good luck!

First off, the short answer: just go BLM. Everybody knows high-movement fights are their weak point, so if you're not Captain Awesome at pumping out every point of DPS you potentially could while you're moving, it's not going to be as noticeable as if you were playing a BRD. Just make sure you get the movement part down, and do what you can to maximize your DPS otherwise; learn the fights, when you'll need to move, when it's a good time to hold off a cast vs. start one and pray, etc.

That being said, there may be things you can do to make it easier. I don't want to get too deep into your personal situation or anything. Wouldn't blame you at all for not wanting a bunch of strangers on a game forum nitpicking around sensitive issues or anything.

But just in case: The default controls suck. One of the first things I do with any MMO is change the action keybindings from 1-= to stuff I can actually use. A and D get rebound to strafe instead of turn, and skills go on keys close to the movement keys. If you can reliably hit F, for example, while moving, stick Scathe on F and you'll be just that much better as a BLM.

There are limits to how far you can take this, but in case this is your first MMO or PC game or something, and that's part of the problem, take some time and try to find ways to make the controls work with you instead of trying to make yourself work with the defaults.

I think blm is probably the least demanding that you dodge WHILE casting... As you largely can't. Summoner is a wee bit more mobile in that they have more instant cast options. BLM's key to success is learning the most advantageous positioning that will result in less overall movement and maximization of casting time. And learning to use procs well. My dps main is a blm, so I could be wrong about this, but smn appears to be more versatile, if a bit more complicated.

In my opinion the only job that truly let's you maximize damage while actively moving during a fight is bard. All other jobs to some degree Will have your DPS rotation be out on pause while you deal with fight mechanics. That said, the trick to all the end game fights really is learning to maximize your DPS "up time" to fit in as much of it around the fight mechanics as you can. BLM has some great tools to assist with this, Aetherial Manipulation, free use of sprint, sure cast, swift cast scathe and thundercloud and firestarter procs. It will take some time to learn to use them all effectively in each fight, but the same is true for pretty much all DPS jobs. generally right now in end game it seems blm is preferred by most groups for turn 8 and smn is preferred for 6,7, and 9, but either job is fully capable of performing well in any fight.

one thing I would do right away is switch to Legacy camera so you don't end up walking backwards when you need to dodge.

Set up your keys however they fit you best.
I personally use WASD to move and I use my mouse to click my abilities.

Learn to utalize Manawall and Manaward, as they can help you immensely in certain fights (ie Titan HM, Titan Ex, Twintania, just to name a few).

Lastly, I recommend that you play whichever job you enjoy the most.
A lot of these fights are about learning the fight and the pattern. Once you learn it, it'll be easier for you to avoid things.

Lastly, if KB+Mouse doesn't work for you, you may want to try a controller. Either xbox or ps controller will work with this game

I think the rule of thumb for you should be Dodge before Damage. It doesn't matter what you're doing, if you need to move? Move. As you progress you'll learn to do this naturally, especially if you get involved with a casual / beginner / friendly Free Company.

Magic classes can not use magic while moving anyway. This is a game mechanic regardless of which input device you're using.
I have mobility problems trying to use toggles lolz.
The computer is much easier for me. The mouse does all the moving and targeting for those pesky ones I can't get by using the tab cycle thru.
All the casting and abilities have assigned to hot bars provided.
Then all you have to do is push a button. Numbers 1-0,- and =.
The second bar has my lesser used skills ( mostly cool downs) point and click those with the mouse.