Where Do You Put All Your Buttons?

Been playing since Beta 3 and I love the game but I have found it really hard to get into any DPS class other than BLM just due to having too many buttons to push (I originally rolled MNK and gave it up shortly after the first mini-patch).

I started an alt to go NIN but at level 37 I'm already seeing the same issue and at 50 I'm going to need 18(!) easily accessible buttons (Spinning Edge, Gust Slash, Shadow Fang, Dancing Edge, Aeolian Edge, Mutilate, Assassinate, Mug, Goad, Trick Attack, Ten, Chi, Jin, Ninjutsu, Kassatsu, Internal Release, Blood for Blood, and Invigorate for those counting).

I play on PC with keyboard and mouse and, even though I type at 90+ WPM, I realistically can hit 1-6 at top speed and then CTRL + 1-6 at slightly lower and then... idk. I can add some clicking but that isn't really ideal.

How do you guys manage? Do I need to buy a gaming mouse to DPS?

Try the gamepad? Honestly, I do tons of healing on SCH which has a lot of micromanaging, moving and button smashing. But I play on ps3. I recently started trying out pc and I'm not feeling it too much other than to do small things, like fates, crafting or gathering.

I love my controller too much.

WASD for movement (strafe, not turn; the mouse is for turning).

123456QERTYFGHZXCVBN for combat hotkeys. Plus Alt, Shift, and Ctrl variants. The rest of the keyboard for out-of-combat hotkeys (e.g. the map, the character screen, etc.).

Gamepad all the way !
L2 => 8 shortcut
R2 => 8 shortcut
L2>R2 => 8 shortcut
R2>L2 => 8 shortcut
===> 32 easy accessible shortcut

Less used (focus, marquing etc...)
R1+X => then L2 / R2 => 16 more shortcut

You can have 8x16 shortcut all nearly as accessible as the other ! Hell, I even have spare room for emotes, minion and mount shortcut !!

And 3 or more way to target things (cycle monster, ally, alliance, enmity list, etc...)
I don't know why people says "mouse + keyboard is superior" I tried it, and I only see 1 advantage (sometimes, targeting with mouse).

Anyway, I'm playing on PC with mouse + keyboard + gamepad... I can do anything ^^

I play a Scholar and every single one of my skills are bound to a hotkey. Years ago when WoW first released I only had about 8 skills with a keybind, everything else I clicked. It will be difficult, awkward and seemingly impossible to learn and remember all your hotkeys but I promise that it really doesn't take that long. Before you know it, all your skills are bound and you don't have to even think about it.
Some examples,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, E, R, T, F, G, Z, X, C. All of those keys also have a Shift variant and ZXC also have a 3rd, Alt variant. That is 37 Key binds EASILY and quickly accessible. If using Z is a little too awkward, bind something to it that is not used as often. I bind my most commonly used things to Q,E,R,F,G,1,2,3,4. Q is become my best friend over the years lol. Physik and Adloq are on Q and Shift Q.
May not be the best option, but it is an option and it works great for me! :)

Look in to getting a razer orbweaver. It makes these kinds of things easy to deal with. I set my skills up in 3 groups of 9. 1-9 then shift + 1-9 and ctrl + 1-9 and I set them on my hot bars to match my key layout like a number pad.

In a word: Macros.

As a controller user (DS4) I have the same issue across all classes, but some more than others. The use of macros to automatically swap hotbars, and "combine" like skills is invaluable. Consider the following macro for PLD:

/ac "fight or flight"
/ac "mercy stroke"
/ac "fast blade"


With these three skills all on the same button (I actually place Mstroke on a few places) I always have; ForF up (if possible), will attempt Mstroke, or if all else fails, execute fast blade, the first skill in my chains.

More importantly, as it relates to you, I've combined 3 buttons into one. Effectively turning X PLD buttons into X-2.

Yup. Do the 32 on my controller, but took it a step further. Not well known. If using a keyboard on PS4 set up a line 1 above or below your cross bar. Keybind the 12 buttons to your numerical keypad on the keyboard (not your regular numbers).

Now I have 44 with 12 bound to keypad and I still fonts have to hit enter to chat. xD.

FYI. You'll need to keybind escape to a different key, but it doesn't really matter if you're only using the keyboard to chat (plus the 12 keybound keys).

Damn auto correct. Won't not font in message above. Lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Regart

Yup. Do the 32 on my controller, but took it a step further. Not well known. If using a keyboard on PS4 set up a line 1 above or below your cross bar. Keybind the 12 buttons to your numerical keypad on the keyboard (not your regular numbers).

Now I have 44 with 12 bound to keypad and I still fonts have to hit enter to chat. xD.

FYI. You'll need to keybind escape to a different key, but it doesn't really matter if you're only using the keyboard to chat (plus the 12 keybound keys).

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Hit the wrong button on my mobile and was trying to respond to Aura's comment.

I use an uncommon layout:

ESDF for movement. The fastest skills I need to reach or ones I use commonly are placed closer to the core while lesser used skills and buffs are further away.
AQWRVCXZ for close skills
12345TGB for further skills
Shift ESDF AQWRTGVCXZ
I could even add in Ctrl if I bind a mouse button to Ctrl.

When I didnt have my Razer Naga, my MMO keybinds are as follows:

SZXC as movement instead of wasd.

qwer and 1234 as hotbar binds.

With keys set up that way, I was able to easilly use shift + 1234qwer or ctrl 1234qwer or alt 1234qwer for a total of 32 buttons. Then I usually just bind ADV for quick reach buttons for stuff like procs or something.

http://i.imgur.com/gNb3q9q.jpg

I use 1-7 For my main combat skills, Alt+1-7 for my secondary combat and Shift+1-7 for my cooldowns (sometimes I use these for macros, only cd's for my tank though).
I use two micro bars for swaps and other buttons I don't necessarily need. I also have another larger bar on the right side setup for various uses, like PvP abilities. These keys aren't
bound, and instead I click them. They'll likely be bound once I find the clicking to be inconvenient. Normally, if I'm binding buttons, I'll ask myself if I'll be using it under pressure. If not, then it
isn't bound to a 'prime' key, and instead goes somewhere I can click it.

I normally bind R, Z, X, C, F, and H for alternate abilities, but I haven't found a need for them yet. If you have small hands and you're not familiar with one specific setup for MMO's, this thread has some very useful information and suggestions.