Has Gauges helped you a lot?

[Alleo]

As a summoner main all I can say: Can I have the old version back please?

Instead of having only to look at my skill bars and the opponent, I now have to divert my eyes to the side too, to see how many stacks I have which takes great attention away from the fight itself. I am not sure what was so bad with having the numbers and the time displayed on the skill bar and the opponent?

In the end it would at least be nice to have options. For those that like the gauges they could just keep them and for those that want to go back, they could have given us the old version too. I mean we can have two different ways for the camera but now way to go back to the old version for such a important part?

The only job from those that I play, where I liked the gauge is red mage and it kinda gives me the feeling that they only created them for the new jobs and afterwards used it for the old ones too even if they did not make much sense.

[Makrar]

The BLM gauge has potential but it needs to be changed to include both Firestarter and Thundercloud procs so I dont have to look at two different places.

They should also allow you to turn it off if you so desire.

[Serilda]

I've never found an easier way to access my buff bar with controller than clicking the touch pad multiple times and then pressing left/right arrows until I got to the buff I wanted to disable, which took me a long time, so I'm happy to have it now easily accessible under two/three near-simultaneous button presses.

I'll agree that accessing the buff bar is not the most convenient of operations on a pad, but I guess I got used to it and sacrificing three buttons feels like an awkward solution to what used to be a minor issue, especially since dumping an unwanted card is easier than ever now with Lord/Lady. It would be nice to have both options available, giving everyone the maximum accessibility to suit their playstyle. I just cannot find any room for the existing options without messing my preferred button layout up and have to stow them on a third bar, since AST is already so loaded with great abilities I want close to hand

It confuses me why some things which had functionality beyond the gauge version were removed and made gauge-only, while others get to remain in the buff bar even if seeing them isn't that useful to anyone else in the party.

[dinnertime]

I respectfully disagree.

Well it's just my personal opinion. To me it's easier to track cards and Royal Road with the gauge than the old icons.

The only problem I see is that buffs are invisible to other players and how gauges in general are just another part of the screen to look at and causes more distraction which isn't a problem to me personally because I can keep track of things just fine.

[Stormfur]

I don't understand the BLM gauge at all. And I don't understand the purpose of the Paladin gauge -- like filling it up doesn't really give me access to some all powerful attack or healing, it just tells me when a few abilities can be used. I can look at my hotbar for that.

[A-Rook]

I think the gauge definitely seems to work better with certain classes over others. New classes this expansion were designed with the gauges in mind, so they seem to flow fairly well (ie: rdm, etc). Older classes don't seem to find as much use for them overall. Then, there are some classes that have been tooled to try and make them work (WHM), but which led to more problems within the class and how it's played than benefits initially.

On AST, I've enjoyed the gauge. Seeing what I have lined up in a more coherent manner makes it easier for me to simply glance, see, and act without delay. Moving/resizing the gauge also helped make it more practical.

I do find it tiresome that we have multiple undraw abilities, but that's not inherently a part of the gauge. If they had worked un-drawing into the gauge, that might've been a simpler solution. Not showing your cards to other party members is also frustrating, particularly if you're grouped with another AST. Again though, that's not really a gauge mechanic, but simply something that happened with the SB changes overall.

[Romulo]

I play WHM, DRK and BRD mainly.

For WHM the gauge felt totally neglectible, and works against the class making it a requirment to cast Divine benison.

For DRK the gauge felt kinda like a chore, being a third resource bar to manage when the new skills could have been given just MP or TP cost.

For BRD it was fine, it's a visual key to get track of your songs, but an added musical cue would make it even better.

[Mimilu]

On some jobs, they're nice, like having MNK's Greased-Lightning's timer really big, and BRD's really changed the job for the better, imo, making each song useable at all times.
Overall, however, not really. I still have to look at my hotbar for RNGproc-heavy jobs like BRD, MCH, and RDM. I kind of wish Procs had a sound to them when they're useable like how when BRD gets three stacks of Repertoire for Pitch Perfect.
There's also cooldown too but at least you can make a macro to add a sound and/or message to tell you when they're up (unless you have a trait or ability that decreases or ends the cooldown).

[SendohJin]

The BLM gauge has potential but it needs to be changed to include both Firestarter and Thundercloud procs so I dont have to look at two different places.

They should also allow you to turn it off if you so desire.

yup, most of the gauges are useless or tacked on just to have a gauge. all the jobs that have procs should have procs on the gauge otherwise it's just more trouble.

[Zfz]

Am I the only one hoping for something similar in concept to WoW's PowerAuras type of thing? For example:

Switch job to BRD, "Customize Gauge" ->

• General: size, position (can use mouse dragging), transparency, color scheme (standard and accessibility schemes)
• Bloodletter/Rain of Death: [ ] Show icon when recast ready. [ ] Pulsate icon [ ] Glittering border
• Straight Shot: [ ] Show buff duration. [ ] Pulsate icon [ ] Glittering border
• Dots: [ ] Show dot duration for current target
• Songs: [ ] Show song duration. [ ] Pulsate if duration less than 3 [ ] Show effect when duration ends

Something like that.

And useful scrolling battle text customizations like what WoW addons provided years ago, e.g. Mik's Scrolling Battle Text.