WHM: Controller or Mouse/Keyboard?

I suppose long term I am also asking this about AST and SCH. I play on PS4 and used to main NIN on another character using the controller and loved it. I played some other games and took a break from FFXIV and when I came back I mained WHM but had trouble managing all the abilities on the controller so my FC leader had me try keyboard.

I liked it at the time, especially for stance dancing, but now that Cleric Stance isn't a thing and abilities have been streamlined to such an extent I'm wondering if the reactivity of the controller might be better for tougher content.

I am open to both but am curious specifically about people who play on a controller because at this point have less experience with that.

Controller is so much better IMO. Movement is superior and this game is all about moving. I find it's quite easy to manage two crossbars and alll the needed skills fit on 2. That said, I've almost always used controller so I've never become proficient with a keyboard, although I have tried it. It seems very tricky and finicky. Controller is ergonomic and intuitive. M+KB were not designed for gaming. That said, it's a personal preference. There are very good players using game pad and very good players using m/kb. For a real comparison you need to be proficient on both, so maybe work on your KB skills to see if you like it better.

I play on controller/PS4 as a WHM main and I've got a pretty good set up with my DPS bar and my healing bar, with my important skills like raise, Bene and Limit on L2+R2. WHM has so few skills that there's still gaps all over it, too.

It's VERY easy to play WHM on a pad.

I'll second that white mage works wonderfully on gamepads/PS4. I find the other healers doable but cramped on gamepad, and I have to find things to leave off because they're low utility abilities.

Controller has its advantage of comfortableness and moving, but not as fast as mouse in selecting and switching between your team members, but unless you are doing the Savage, otherwise it won't matter that much,

Controller + mouse.

Use your controller for combat and movement. Use mouse to reduce cross hotbars bloat by having a seperate hotbar for things like teleport, return, Sprint and the like. Also makes it easier to move around the UI by using the hotbars for key items, emotes, job sets etc.

Edit: I use a keyboard to for things like chatting and menu shortcuts.

I absolutely abhore controller. Far too slow, too many combos I will just forget when stressed. Keyboard + mouse all the way.

I use a controller, but also use the keyboard for my horizontal bar that has my cool downs/least used moves.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Yuyuka3

I absolutely abhore controller. Far too slow, too many combos I will just forget when stressed. Keyboard + mouse all the way.

---

I get that it's down to preference and what you're used to and such, but there's not a combo in the game longer than 4 moves that I'm aware of (but I haven't played every class properly yet) so that can just be put on the 4 face buttons and rotate around them. For example all my physical combos are set up to go Circle > X > Square. Remember, each bar has 16 buttons to use, 8 on each trigger, which easily gives you access to 2 full combos and change for many classes without swapping triggers.

As for the speed, is your setup good for it? I haven't noticed any serious latency on press from pads.

TLDR: Use whatever you are most comfortable with, mouse and keyboard's advantages are nothing like as significant as something like motion controls in Splatoon 2 or mouse and keys in an FPS.

Personally, I couldn't stomach raiding savage etc on a gamepad though. Mouse and keys is rather akin to a somewhat significant ping advantage, I can target party members nigh instantly, turn my camera faster, start moving quicker, stutter step/cast crisper and perhaps most significantly, I'm able to comfortably use all my hotkeys as normal whilst still having complete control over both my motion and camera at the same time.

https://youtu.be/BLGUMzl2cV0?t=7m31s

Is a fairly decent example of this in action. The jumps whilst casting instants allows me to keep moving in a direction whilst using abilities that would otherwise turn me around whilst the ability to manually control where I'm facing via right click whilst moving independently is proving it's weight in gold this tier, what with all of the face away to dodge mechanics we're getting this time round.

It's not going to make or break anyone's level of play, but it is an undeniable advantage once you get it down.

Mouse+KB all the way with me.

You can keep your left hand on WASD for snap movement out of AoEs and such, but the mouse lets you select group members for fast spell targeting and you can use your WASD hand for hotkey inputs and should an AoE head your way, you're ready to go anytime.

Mouse & Keyboard for me with Legacy controls. I got a hotkey ready for every spells, precise control with my movement with WASD, Q and E, precise camera control with the mouse, and precise targeting by simply clicking on target or party member (Party UI) / certain enemy (Emnity list) at a glance.

I tried using a gamepad, It's tough for me to get used to switching hotbars, or else risk having a few skills left unused entirely. But I know there are people who are good with Gamepad, and they are like the master of gamepads imo, almost as much as fighting games. :)

i like changing keybind on A and D to strafe left and strafe right instead of turning camera left/right. Setting up instant heal such as tetra on Q and benediction on E. This allow u to use A and D to move left or right dodging telegraphed AoE while pressing Q/E for instant heals.

I do everything on a gamepad and it's all pretty easy. Except tab targeting enemies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Averax

I do everything on a gamepad and it's all pretty easy. Except tab targeting enemies.

---

Tab targeting isn't that easy on a keyboard either. I mean sure, the button press is easy, but sometimes you have no idea just what you're going to wind up targeting. Like when it ignores stuff right in front of you to get something in another pack instead. Ugh.

Anyhow.. mouse/keyboard user here. I have a Logitech G600, which is one of those "MMO Gaming" mice that has a zillion buttons. Took some getting used to, but its pretty sweet now, since I can reach 25 hotbar buttons soley by pushing buttons on the mouse.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sebazy

TLDR: I'm able to comfortably use all my hotkeys as normal whilst still having complete control over both my motion and camera at the same time.

---

you know you can set the camera to legacy so you won't have to turn your camera every time a aoe is beginning to land.
EDIT: not to mention bring up the camera sensitivity pretty high

Mouse has an edge when using Asylum for speed. I middle mouse click, and place Asylum exactly where I want it and I can do this while moving. From what I can tell, with a controller ground target spells can be quickly used with a centered target (friendly or enemy), but with Asylum there are cases where either the tank isn't positioned optimally, or I can place the field such that it covers melee DPSers as well but is centered in a space inbetween.

Otherwise, I think if you know the fight well enough and know incoming damage, controller speed vs keyboard+mouse will not be noticeable or necessary on average even if it is a slight advantage for some situations.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Extreme

you know you can set the camera to legacy so you won't have to turn your camera every time a aoe is beginning to land.
EDIT: not to mention bring up the camera sensitivity pretty high

---

Backpedaling with legacy controls spins your character around even if you hold right click. This is a pretty big deal for certain encounters ranging from the likes of T7, Thordan and of course O2S+O3S. I spent years getting into the habit of strafing sideways to 'reverse' in WoW PvP which gives me options depending on if I need to get clear of an aoe or need to face away but still be able to start moving into position early (Without the risk of accidentally spinning to face the mechanic that legacy adds).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Extreme

you know you can set the camera to legacy so you won't have to turn your camera every time a aoe is beginning to land.
EDIT: not to mention bring up the camera sensitivity pretty high

---

I wonder how many people use the Normal camera and the people who use the Legacy camera, and if there is a certain advantage / disadvantage to it.

For myself, I use the Legacy controls. In the normal camera, when I press back, I just hate the fact that I walked backwards slowly while still looking on the same direction. In Legacy, I can just turn around with a press of a button and run in that direction instead, showing my back to the enemy (and easily avoid eye contact mechanics with impunity). I can refer to this type of movement to the more Action oriented games like Monster Hunter, in which manueverability is the forte.

I use Normal Camera.

If I need to go backwards, I use a combination of A+Right Arrow or D+Left Arrow to turn+strafe simultaneously until I'm facing exactly perpendicular to the boss at which point I just strafe. It is almost as fast as using the Legacy Camera, BUT, you get some other benefits such as better turn control and faster strafing as well as turn+strafe capabilities you don't get with the legacy camera.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maeka

I use Normal Camera.

If I need to go backwards, I use a combination of A+Right Arrow or D+Left Arrow to turn+strafe simultaneously until I'm facing exactly perpendicular to the boss at which point I just strafe. It is almost as fast as using the Legacy Camera, BUT, you get some other benefits such as better turn control and faster strafing as well as turn+strafe capabilities you don't get with the legacy camera.

---

It seems to be working well with Keyboard only users. How do you use your mouse in this case?

In Legacy mode I just trust my mouse to control where I turn my character instead. Still, it's good to know how to turn in Normal camera, I'd love to know more. ^^

As mentioned before, normal controls here as well.

Movement is on WASD (With A and D for strafing), I stick with normal over legacy for the additional precision and control over which direction my character is facing. I'm used to reversing like a crab from my time in WoW so lots of camera work to assist with my movement is pretty natural to me. It also means I can move without WASD if I'm needing to use other abilities on the go.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lyrai_Celestine

It seems to be working well with Keyboard only users. How do you use your mouse in this case?

In Legacy mode I just trust my mouse to control where I turn my character instead. Still, it's good to know how to turn in Normal camera, I'd love to know more. ^^

---

I don't use my mouse while moving, or shall I say I don't use my mouse *to* move.

The mouse is used for targeting group members and specific enemies; numbers are used to use abilities/spells with the exception of seldom-used abilities (such as protect) on the top row of my hotbars (the 3rd one).

Controller is great of only because I keep my DPS slotter to L2+R2. My cooldowns are either on the main crossbar or a double click of R2 for a little side cross bar.

I can see advantages and disadvantages for both. I say of you're a class with less buttons like the ones I play (Whm, Mnk) controller is great.

But really, once you have where all the buttons you pressed internalized, whether they're immediately visible or not doesn't matter.

M/kb does help for healing in an Alliance tho. I actually have a mouse for my PS4 for such delicate targeting.

I'm on controller to help with mobility since I have limited use of one of my hands. I physically can't use a mouse and kb at the same time.

What is this L2+R2 thing I keep hearing about? If there is a way to get more buttons without cycling through hotbars, I'd definitely be interested. Thanks. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Katryn

I'm on controller to help with mobility since I have limited use of one of my hands. I physically can't use a mouse and kb at the same time.

What is this L2+R2 thing I keep hearing about? If there is a way to get more buttons without cycling through hotbars, I'd definitely be interested. Thanks. :)

---

Expanded Hold Controls. You can press and hold L2->R2 or R2->L2 to gain access to a secondary crossbar of your choice

It's in Character Config->Hotbar Settings->Custom->First option at the top (i have mine set to access hotbar 2)

You can also enable WXHB there, which allows you to access yet another crossbar by double tapping R2+R2 or L2+L2 in rapid succession. This one can be more trouble than it's worth if you can't hold your trigger with a consistant pressure. If you twitch you can accidentally cast something you really shouldn't have. For example; i was trying to cast a simple Aero 3 once but i accidentally double tapped and LB'd instead. I turned it back off after that

You shouldn't need access to any more than 2 bars at a time, anyhow. I put all my semi useless or rarely used skills on bar 3.