PETITION to remove the Animation Lock!

[Calvnor]

Instead of dumbing down the mechanics, how about making the gameplay more reactive? Advanced boss mechanics require precision accuracy and lightning fast reflexes, none of which are available in this game, due to the animation lock. Interrupts cannot be immediately cast when an interruptable ability is being cast by an enemy, because the player has to wait until the character has finished the animation of whatever ability they used prior. Then when ANY interrupt is used, the ability is not actually interrupted until the END of the interrupt ability's animation. This goes for all abilities not on GCD, they are not nor is ANY ability in the game actually "instant" as you claim. If you wish to add any real mechanics that are based on player skill, you must first remove the animation lock. I suggest you make interruptable animations. LIKE EVERY OTHER MMO ON THE PLANET. There's a reason they do this and having the animation lock makes FF14 feel sluggish and unresponsive to player commands.

[Calvnor]

For those of you who are unaware of what "animation lock" means, let me explain: When you use an ability, your player goes into an animation display of that ability. While in this animation the player is locked from using another ability until the animation is finished, even if you global cooldown is finished and the game says you are ready to cast another ability.

[Kyoskai]

I thought you meant that little pause when you finish talking to an NPC when the camera shifts back into position.
I friggin' hate that little loady-pause-shifty-frick...
Can't do things when you're doing things... kinda common sense. :I

It would work if every animation were the same, but they're not and we shall have no infinite sword glitch in my online world, no siree bob. >:I

[Itseotle]

Ya know OP... I used to not think it was a big deal, back when I was playing DRG exclusively. Other than Jump, animation lock wasn't in play. But recently, I've been playing WHM a lot more and lemme tell ya, I am getting very frustraited when a tank dies and for whatever reason, Benediction didn't hit him but its on cooldown... It is really starting to get annoying. But SE has commented on this often in the past, and tbh I do not remember there reasoning, but there could definitely be a way to keep the pretty animations, and still have functionality. This is 2014 SE...

[Axidrain]

happens a lot with the pld hallowed ground too

[Fadigre]

Marauder stun is a big one for being unresponsive and unreliable. I'm not sure it's fair keeping it in its current state.
Understandably there's a delay between when an abillity is hit and when the server recognises it but Brutal Swing is ridiculous.

It's also annoying in Titan Extreme when I've used Rage of Halone on a Gaol only to have it destroyed during my animation. I could have used that ability elsewhere.

Animation lock seems to be a blanket term.
It used to refer to forcing your character to stand still until the end of an ability's animation making you unable to dodge attacks. This made fights like Ifrit very difficult pre-ARR.

Regardless of the definition, skills that need to be used within a small window that need to wait for their whole animation to finish before their effect is activated are detrimental to the game's health and I hope the thread stays on-topic.

[Genz]

Then when ANY interrupt is used, the ability is not actually interrupted until the END of the interrupt ability's animation.

Fun thing is, it actually worked like you ask in the v1 (everything happened as soon as you hit an action, minus the client-server communication)
But some players complained about it, saying it didn't feel natural.

[HumsterMKX]

Animation lock... ask us from 1.0 what animation lock really means.

What we currently have is hardly I call animation lock, more like animation delay. Since your effect /dmg only take effect after you finish your animation.

[Espon]

happens a lot with the pld hallowed ground too

I dunno how many times this has got me since it takes about 1-1.5 seconds to kick him. Usually when I need it I need it immediately as I cannot preemptively predict I'm going to suddenly drop dangerously unless the boss is following a predicted pattern. Even more annoying is that it'll still consume it's lengthy cooldown.

Another thing I wouldn't mind seeing removed is the delay on some GCD abilities preventing you from using instant non-GCD abilities right away.

[MurakumoMillennium]

For those of you who are unaware of what "animation lock" means, let me explain: When you use an ability, your player goes into an animation display of that ability. While in this animation the player is locked from using another ability until the animation is finished, even if you global cooldown is finished and the game says you are ready to cast another ability.

This are not how it work, and there are no animation lock.

Use of ability add small ICD before you make for use another ability. Animation are no effect anything!