[dev1022] Auto-attack system questions and discussion

[ChiefCurrahee]

what is everyone so resistant to taking just one single attack off the users hands and let it attack in an interval depending on weapon type (delay)

Are you thinking it'll slow down combat, that they will be waiting around for their TP gauge to fill to 3000 before firing off skills? This isn't FFXI where you auto attack for 6-15 TP a swing and wait 5-10 attacks before you're able to use a TP skill.
FFXIV you can attack once and then be able to use your TP immediately. (the argument that you shouldn't be spamming 1)

The point is auto attack will take the tedium out of the necessity of having to constantly revert back to you're #1 for the simple fact of TP gain.

People have counter-argued that auto attack takes away from guild purchased skills or alternative basic attacks.

Have some foresight and think of how these skills can be tweaked to fit in this role.

Lancer for instance.
Heavy thrust:
binds the target in place.
this can be left as is. It's a situational attack. the mob is fleeing or goign after a mage, Try to bind it in place.

Pierce:
attacks monsters between you and your target.
This can be tweaked in 2 ways. 1) make it a basic attack upgrade so that now your auto attack is AOE. 2) make it a slot-able ability so people can choose to have AOE on/off

Full Thrust:
Your attacks gain greater TP
This can be made a basic attack upgrade, and further define what separates a lancer from say... a Gladiator... or a Pugilist for that matter.

I'm not for having a system to play the game for me, don't get me wrong. I don't want slow boring combat. But I also would like a chance to chat with the people I'm grouping with mid combat, and have them respond. I would like enjoy my time playing this game for more than 30 min, but I become increasingly fatigued by the shear amount of input needed per fight to select skill after skill. It's like playing Dance Dance Revolution the MMO on a gamepad. At least on a keyboard it's a 1:1 input to action where on a gamepad its 2-5:1 input(s) to action.

Auto Attack is a means of middle ground, where TP accrual is automated and the user has the ability to use skills/abilities at will.

We aren't asking for FFXII gambits where we sit back and watch the game play for us.
This won't lead to more bots in game.
This won't become washed out game mechanics.

What this will do is reduce user load of having to manage even single swing made.
Reduce server load for having to send receive send for EVERY input.
Offer opportunity to interesting gear and weapon stats.
opportunity for devs to define classes in a more controlled environment.

It's not the end of Eorzea if AA is introduced. But I think it'll make a better Eorzea with AA than w/o AA.

[Naqaj]

what is everyone so resistant to taking just one single attack off the users hands and let it attack in an interval depending on weapon type (delay)
[...]
It's not the end of Eorzea if AA is introduced. But I think it'll make a better Eorzea with AA than w/o AA.

Can't speak for everyone, but I'm against auto-atack because it doesn't solve any of the problems the current combat system has, and it would make an already unengaging combat system even more so.

It's certainly not going to be the end of Eorzea, the old XI-players will probably love it, and maybe that is the target audience SE should aim for now. But taking this step backwards with the combat system would mean one of the two key features that initially drew my interest to XIV would be gone. The other being the Armoury that might be gutted in favour of classic jobs.
What's left of the game after those changes go through simply isn't worth staying for.