Tips for a gamepad user

I'm rather new to heal and I was wondering if there is any useful tips going on healing as a pad user on PS4. Also, which would be more pad friendly, AST, or WHM? (I don't like SCH).

All healers are fine on PS4. Have one hotbar for healing moves only and one for DPS moves only. I can edit this post when I get home and show you how I have my Hotbars set up.

I keybind R3 (pressing the right analog stick) to "target target's target." It lets me target a mob then quickly switch target to whoever it's hitting (great for fate healing and finding the MT in two-tank content)

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Originally Posted by raela

I keybind R3 (pressing the right analog stick) to "target target's target." It lets me target a mob then quickly switch target to whoever it's hitting (great for fate healing and finding the MT in two-tank content)

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This is so god damn smart. If I wouldn't be so used to my current set up I'd definitely do this.

EDIT: Sadly I can't provide pics with how I have my hotbars set up right up or link you a video of me in action (as they're all with SCH). Sorry :(

I think my AST bars are less crowded than WHM, but both play just fine on PS4. I have a separate bar for DPS moves, and I keep "circumstantial" moves on a third bar. Stuff like Stoneskin II, Repose, Protect, Noct/Diurnal stances, etc.

Any moves that have long CDs that I don't have on my first hotbar I keep on a horizontal bar under my crossbars, so I can monitor whether or not they are off CD.

You can also set up holding down R2+L2 and L2+R2 to reveal half of another hotbar without having to swap them.

1. Extended Cross Hotbar.
2. I'm not sure if you are on playstation or PC using a game pad. There is a function called "Assist" that switches your target to your current target's target. On Playstation, you can do it through the system preferences.
3. Target filters for scrolling with left and right on the d-pad. I forget what they are called, but they are changed by holding L1 and pressing one of the shape buttons. You can customize them in preferences (might also have to do something to enable them). Basically, you can have left and right cycle enemies, then up/down can still do party members.

1. Have a hotbar for all your DPS skills and 1+1/2 for your healing skills.
2. Put skills you need to use when moving always on the shape buttons shortcuts, it's harder to run and press R2 or L2 and a directional.
3. Remember that while pressing R2 or L2, your R1/L1 will cycle trough enemies on the screen, so you don't need to learn the R1+shape unless you really want.
4. Get used to going up and down on the party list. And be sure that your directionals are always on good condition.
5. Always lock on tank and use soft targeting for healing DPS. Unless they're taking sustented damage, of course.
6. My hotbar setup if you're interested:

http://i.imgur.com/uRVmY6V.png?1

http://i.imgur.com/rj30K6X.png?1

http://i.imgur.com/fMQXaiU.png?1

The missing slot on the last one is where I put my food or mount, depending on the situation.

Oh yeah, target filters.. I use up/down on the party list and l2/r2+l1/r1.. But also have special filters for "enemies only," "friendly PCs/npcs only," and "duty/aggro mobs only." Filters are nice since you can use soft targeting with left/right and avoid cycling all the random environmental stuff. I'll also use l1+up/down if I want a specific mob on the enmity list.

You could always macro certain things together, like buffs and other OGCD abilities. As long as you only put two of them together, you can normally weave them in-between casts. I also like to trim certain extraneous abilities (like cross-class spells that aren't OGCD) that can't be macro'd since I like to be able to switch between sets with just a tap. It's kind of a bad habit when you consider that it won't be feasible once 4.0 comes out.

A good thing to do is keep your most used abilities on the face buttons instead of the D-Pad. More specifically, the most used global cooldown abilities. It's easier to avoid AoEs that way since your left thumb doesn't need to leave the stick as often.

I set up my bars kind of organized, attacks mainly on R2 face buttons and heals on heals on L2 (with some exceptions). The D-pad abilities are generally off GCD with the exception of like instant cast spells (regen, aspect benefic), and abilities that have a relatively long cooldown or GCD abilities that aren't used as often in battle (stoneskin, protect). Ultimately whatever setup you memorize will work fine.

http://i.imgur.com/iVMhF9T.jpg

On both AST and WHM I like my heals on left face buttons, targetable on bar 1 and AoE around you (medica, helios) on bar 2. Swiftcast left bar 2 on up with the raise ability on down to make it quick to swiftcast rez. Keeping the heals on the same side is a plus, and I didn't need to relearn the positions switching from WHM main to AST main lol. The rest of my bars setups are kinda self explanatory from there, I hope. I tried to keep them fairly similar to one another.

I also like Cleric Stance on bar 1 R2 triangle, makes it easy to reach in my opinion. Others may disagree, but it's how I've had it since I was a wee conjurer lad.

I also have other bars with macros, markers, and such, though I don't macro any abilities. I had a few ability macros, but I find it more reliable to just manually do it. I like manual control, more finger work is kinda fun for me. But I play a lot of fighting games.

" I had a few ability macros, but I find it more reliable to just manually do it."
After wiping three times in a row because my Cleric Stance Macro didn't change the crossbar or didn't turn off Cleric, I came to the same conclusion.

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Originally Posted by Fevelle

" I had a few ability macros, but I find it more reliable to just manually do it."
After wiping three times in a row because my Cleric Stance Macro didn't change the crossbar or didn't turn off Cleric, I came to the same conclusion.

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Fear of that happening is one of the main reasons I never did those "change hotbars with cleric stance" macros. I do use macros for a number of things, but I am very careful about it.

WHM would be more gamepad friendly I think. I have both at 60 and am AST main.
If you're having any issues with targeting, I strongly recommend this guide; http://www.ffxivrealm.com/guides/con...-targeting.71/

My crossbars are set up in such a way that I have 2 full crossbars that are duplicates of each other, where I never lose access to my urgent and/or emergency skills, while swapping out some lesser used skills for DPS abilities on my second crossbar. tapping R1 gives me these 2 crossbars only. My skills like Assize and Asylum and potions are on the half crossbar that you can setup to appear when holding R2 + L2.

Those are the only crossbars I have available to me when my weapon is drawn, and are specific to each of my jobs. When weapon is sheathed I have access to world-crossbars (teleport, chocobo, gearsets, etc) which are used for out of battle and are shared among all my jobs. Everyone has their own way of handling crossbars, it's good to experiment.

I got lazy and macro'd my L2 to focus on healing i.e /ac "Cure" <1>. I have 3 hotbars for all 3 healers and that's with the new 60 skills. Basically allows me to press just one button to heal anyone without having to scroll through the party list outside of focused healing such as benediction, and lustrate.

Thanks for the replies. I'm currently leveling white mage on my alt and am currently working on stance dancing and switch targets flouedly. Not too bad, but there's room for improvement. :o

make hot bar 7 and 8 your extended hotbar - the one where you hold L2 + R2 down. no need for a second bar then.

I can't believe so many people got used to scrolling up and down the party list. It felt way too button heavy and slow for me; I pretty much got rid of it as soon as I started healing ifrit hm (the first time you get a party of 8). I essentially just use a bunch of targetting macros to target everyone in my party; the downside is it takes up a lot of crossbar space. I'm sure I showed how my bars are set up in some other thread around here.

Besides that I also have a target filter for just enemies, just party members (pretty much never use this one though) and just alliance members. Oh and a "target target's target" button, pretty helpful for those 24 stuff to quickly find who's tanking the boss. Oh and I use that shortcut bar, but I have both combinations lead to the same half; that's just to make sure I never slip up and pick some random skill by accident.