Archer auto-attack (Yes, please.)

[Xenor]

In FFXIV buffs like Ferocity and Raging Strikes buff your next attack, not just your weapon skill. So while buffing raging strikes, ferocity, blindside, still precision or hawks eye you will essentially give your next AA that buff instead of the intended WS or multishot. Unwanted results and no way to control them.

Ferocity is a lancer buff in case you hadn't noticed. Should lancers not get auto attack either?

the thing your not getting here, is archer doesnt play the way you think, and it doesnt play like ffxi Ranger. AA is less important than AA is for mages, for archer.
As soon as you hit 20 and do the quest and buy multishot the entire plastyle of archer shifts. Archer as it is, is a mellee nuker, and it is not from the use of weapon skills.
Archers whole dps playstyle is based around applying multiple buffs to multiple shots, multishot, quick knock barrage, trifurcate. they actually pick their shots, the higher they get, the likely hood that they will shoot a stream of light strikes diminishes greatly.
Archer is all about ability use over AA, their WS are nothing alone, the Ws are basically utility skills. Its not about replacing multishot with a WS, because archers dont use TP for thier major damage, they use abilities and basic attacks for that.
Archer picks thier shots. firing arrows pointlessly isnt the style of archer in this game, and it is actually a fairly good mechanic, it simulates an archer requiring preparation to make best use of its damage, while still giving the freedom to attack whenever they choose.

Some classes just peak late, you cant really understand them until you get more skills, seriously before you think how
archer should be, i suggest you get it to 30+, and experiment with multishot, trifurcate barrage and quick knock with various buffs. high level archers by and large rarely use light shot outside of multiple arrow skills, and without some kind of buff. for single shots they may use one light to get to some tp threshold, or heavy shot for utility and damage. Turning archer into a AA and TP attack class is a step back.

You should try playing ARC before you try acting like you know how to play it. Archer does not, ever rely on Multi Shot for damage after the initial engaging of the mob. If you're using Multi Shot after you've engaged a mob then you're doing it wrong.

Each arrow knocked with Multi Shot uses more stamina than an arrow just fired off on its own. Sure buffing those shots will create a net benefit but if you're playing the class right you won't ever have buffs available for normal shots. Buffs will always be far better put to use in weapon skills.

If you're not getting 1000 TP for a weapon skill every 30 seconds to use your Raging Strike with then again, you're doing something wrong. Probably sat there idling to avoid using precious arrows while your party does the work.

There's simply no valid argument against it.

[SeraviEdalborez]

There's simply no valid argument against it.

There's simply no valid argument for it, either.

Edit to above: Buffed multishots are the greatest bang for your buck. I don't even bother with regular arrows unless I'm desperate for the TP, and even then just Heavy Shot. Invigorate, passerby mobs (for NMs), and Multibuff is a winning formula as it is.

[Xenor]

There's simply no valid argument for it, either.

Edit to above: Buffed multishots are the greatest bang for your buck. I don't even bother with regular arrows unless I'm desperate for the TP, and even then just Heavy Shot. Invigorate, passerby mobs (for NMs), and Multibuff is a winning formula as it is.

There's many valid arguments for it, you just refuse to listen. Unfortunately for you any argument against it applies to every class, not just ARC. Either no classes should have it or they all should.

No, they simply aren't best bang for buck, unless you're talking literally bucks, as in you spend less gil on arrows. Even then it's debatable as you can spend 0 on arrows if you just stand there throwing rocks. But I'll assume you're talking damage.

Unless it's taking you minutes to get 1000 TP then you shouldn't be using Multi Shot mid-fight. With Invigorate you should be getting 1000 TP far more than you can buff your weapon skills nevermind only once per 30 seconds. Just what are you doing to get TP so slowly?

Multi Shot is a useless ability after you have engaged the mob with your initial strike. I only use it mid-battle if I am over-flowing with stamina due to a battle regimen filling my bar, even then it's not getting buffed because my buff will have either been used in the regimen for powerful damage or it will be used on my next weapon skill.

[SeraviEdalborez]

Depends on what you're doing, I suppose. I don't use buffs for WS or go late in a regimen, I either start or spam Twisting Vice when needed.

[Physic]

There's many valid arguments for it, you just refuse to listen. Unfortunately for you any argument against it applies to every class, not just ARC. Either no classes should have it or they all should.

No, they simply aren't best bang for buck, unless you're talking literally bucks, as in you spend less gil on arrows. Even then it's debatable as you can spend 0 on arrows if you just stand there throwing rocks. But I'll assume you're talking damage.

Unless it's taking you minutes to get 1000 TP then you shouldn't be using Multi Shot mid-fight. With Invigorate you should be getting 1000 TP far more than you can buff your weapon skills nevermind only once per 30 seconds. Just what are you doing to get TP so slowly?

Multi Shot is a useless ability after you have engaged the mob with your initial strike. I only use it mid-battle if I am over-flowing with stamina due to a battle regimen filling my bar, even then it's not getting buffed because my buff will have either been used in the regimen for powerful damage or it will be used on my next weapon skill.

i have been playing with 3 archers now from the time this game was in beta, i have leveled it to like 23 myself, but it was redundant at that point, i had already seen the damage bonus.

the first problem with your theory is you are not thinking about the way stamina works, yes multishot uses more stamina than light shot, but buffs also use no stamina, buffs are basically regen stamina while getting more damage. you are basically doing more dmg while waiting for stamina.

heres the difference, you can apply more accuracy, more dmg, and thus get more tp back with your next 3 shots, the stamina costs are payed in full by the buffs. if the stamina cost of light shot to multishot is in a ration of 1 : 1.5, but doing buffs gives you 2x damage and more accuracy, then it is worth it, the time wasted is an illusion because you have to wait for stamina anyhow.
quick knock and barrage dont get as much out of the buffs as multi shot/trifurcate does, quick knock also has a long cooldown. I would only put those buffs on Weapon skills when im using them in BRs, and since raging is like 30 seconds, you can prolly use them on both.

you are one of the few high level archers who believes in single shots over multi shot, I didnt do all the math, i cant say you are 100% wrong, but just think of this, if buffs are worth anything at all, how much more worth it are they on something that applies them 3 times, that is more than worth the extra stamina imo.

some archers put them all on one attack, some of them split them up, but almost all the dudes i see prefer the multishot technique, even in combat, and they are pulling high comparitive dmg to everyone else.

the only downside i see to multishot in battle is extremely large hate generation from buffs. honestly the WS on archer are not doing enough dmg to make them special, they basically do similar dmg to everyone elses Weapon skills, the big dmg is coming from the multishot/trifurcate + buffs, an archer fully buffing quick knock basically is a little weaker than me fully buffing victimize, or doomspike, but a fully buffed multishot is doing huge dmg and generating throw away tp. if i was an archer id just let other people finish the BRs with all thier buffs and get my dmg on my regular attacks.

and no, archers with buffing dont get tp slowly, in fact tend to have too much TP, just burn the tp up.

since tp is based on damage, the increase in damage on multishot also equals insane amounts of tp. invigorate is nice on the side, but so not needed, id rather spend that stamina on multishot.

[Ingram]

i have been playing with 3 archers now from the time this game was in beta, i have leveled it to like 23 myself, but it was redundant at that point, i had already seen the damage bonus.

the first problem with your theory is you are not thinking about the way stamina works, yes multishot uses more stamina than light shot, but buffs also use no stamina, buffs are basically regen stamina while getting more damage. you are basically doing more dmg while waiting for stamina.

heres the difference, you can apply more accuracy, more dmg, and thus get more tp back with your next 3 shots, the stamina costs are payed in full by the buffs. if the stamina cost of light shot to multishot is in a ration of 1 : 1.5, but doing buffs gives you 2x damage and more accuracy, then it is worth it, the time wasted is an illusion because you have to wait for stamina anyhow.
quick knock and barrage dont get as much out of the buffs as multi shot/trifurcate does, quick knock also has a long cooldown. I would only put those buffs on Weapon skills when im using them in BRs, and since raging is like 30 seconds, you can prolly use them on both.

you are one of the few high level archers who believes in single shots over multi shot, I didnt do all the math, i cant say you are 100% wrong, but just think of this, if buffs are worth anything at all, how much more worth it are they on something that applies them 3 times, that is more than worth the extra stamina imo.

some archers put them all on one attack, some of them split them up, but almost all the dudes i see prefer the multishot technique, even in combat, and they are pulling high comparitive dmg to everyone else.

the only downside i see to multishot in battle is extremely large hate generation from buffs. honestly the WS on archer are not doing enough dmg to make them special, they basically do similar dmg to everyone elses Weapon skills, the big dmg is coming from the multishot/trifurcate + buffs, an archer fully buffing quick knock basically is a little weaker than me fully buffing victimize, or doomspike, but a fully buffed multishot is doing huge dmg and generating throw away tp. if i was an archer id just let other people finish the BRs with all thier buffs and get my dmg on my regular attacks.

and no, archers with buffing dont get tp slowly, in fact tend to have too much TP, just burn the tp up.

since tp is based on damage, the increase in damage on multishot also equals insane amounts of tp. invigorate is nice on the side, but so not needed, id rather spend that stamina on multishot.

I agree with physics rather long but accurate post . Also depending on what you are doing hate is not much of an issue when we have such things as the out of sight trait, chameleon, and quelling strike II (as long as you dont have raging up when you use quelling since it replaces it). On topic, I don't think auto attack should be in the game anyway so archer not having it is w/e to me considering at least 90 percent of archers mainly use multi shot with buff combos and a few weaponskills. Oh and what Richard meant is yes ferocity is a lancer move but if you level lancer it helps your multi shot damage decently.

[PSxpert2011]

No to Auto-attack BS, SE your sucking to much ???

[darkstarpoet1]

There's many valid arguments for it, you just refuse to listen. Unfortunately for you any argument against it applies to every class, not just ARC. Either no classes should have it or they all should.

No, they simply aren't best bang for buck, unless you're talking literally bucks, as in you spend less gil on arrows. Even then it's debatable as you can spend 0 on arrows if you just stand there throwing rocks. But I'll assume you're talking damage.

Unless it's taking you minutes to get 1000 TP then you shouldn't be using Multi Shot mid-fight. With Invigorate you should be getting 1000 TP far more than you can buff your weapon skills nevermind only once per 30 seconds. Just what are you doing to get TP so slowly?

Multi Shot is a useless ability after you have engaged the mob with your initial strike. I only use it mid-battle if I am over-flowing with stamina due to a battle regimen filling my bar, even then it's not getting buffed because my buff will have either been used in the regimen for powerful damage or it will be used on my next weapon skill.

multishot+ferocity to start the fight, follow with trifunicate+raging strike+hawk eye, followed by multishot. those 3 attacks together do massive damage when done back to back. if you use just those 3 in that order while farming mobs your rank do not even make it to you and if they do they are close to death.

what need does an archer have for auto-attack again? for me it is 22131221 and most fights are over and if not there is always 4 or 5 which is barrage and quick nock because by then my tp gauge is full so i have free reign to do whatever i need to.

[Koga]

I'm not reading everyones post in relation to this but its probably been said and i'll say it again

-Toggle autoattack off for CC'ing OR Buffing
-Disable AA for ranged while running

Balance maintained

[Celtodeno]

I disagree with the OP.

I like the fact that there is a completely different style of gameplay involved with my archer than there is with my gladiator. I can pile on buffs and unleash one big attack when my group needs it.