Astro changes 5.1

[Billythepancake]

Have you considered that this might not be a limitation of AST, but a limitation of controller?

If it is a limitation of controllers, than that's on the devs for not making a system that both controller and K+M can use effectively, considering they have a huge margin of people who play this game on console.

[Shurrikhan]

I can’t speak on KB+M users, as I have always played this game on controller, but I always thought that they would have the benefit of mouse-over macros for this.

Hardly, because of the lost queuing functionality. You'd be at least as well off just clicking on your next target mid-cast, queuing the skill on that target, and then clicking the next. I've done both, but mouseover functionality at best comes out even.

How can you say that’s not an inherent flaw in the [Card] system?

Easily. Because it's not unique. The same massive disparity between ease of play between K&MB and Controller exists for almost every aspect of healing. It's just more pronounced because you're having to spot-cast, which is mostly (an oddly) absent from most XIV healer gameplay.

Make no mistake, I've been pushing for revised controller functionality since ARR. Taking up a healer in 8-man content is largely what made me stop bothering with a controller altogether. But, that's a game-wide issue, not one unique to Cards.

[Billythepancake]

I can’t speak on KB+M users, as I have always played this game on controller, but I always thought that they would have the benefit of mouse-over macros for this, which would be significantly smoother than an entire macro-hotbar setup. I could be wrong, but I saw ASTs play with mouse-over for cards even back in HW and SB. I figured that such would be the same with ShB.

However, that still doesn’t excuse that it’s terrible on controller users, thereby supporting the notion that the system itself is flawed. You can’t say a system is not flawed simply because it works well on a KB+M setup. It doesn’t work well on the other system—a system that the developers try really hard to flow as smoothly as possible compared to the other setup—thereby making it imperfect. Controller users have to supposedly set up an entire macro setup to use AST’s main gimmick in an optimal fashion; meanwhile, KB+M users get to have a single macro (mouse-over) by comparison, with no carpal tunnel of the thumb involved. How can you say that’s not an inherent flaw in the system?

This is to say nothing about Sleeve Draw and how awful it can be on controller, and that optimal execution still requires one to activate Lightspeed (for both KB+M and controller users), thereby taking the skill away from being used in a more versatile fashion (e.g., movement, MP conservation, faster Raises + MP conservation, etc.).

The Draw system before ShB was never this convoluted to manage on a controller scheme. Even when one was deploying a single-target card or using the old Minor Arcana.

TBH, I have never used macros outside of specific, one time use abilities like rescue. The delay to macros make them too unreliable. It's one of the reasons I cannot stand the current iteration of AST, if it requires macros to do its primary job, it is failed design, because macros are much too unreliable in this game. I know it's preference, and people can and have worked around them in the past, but the only way around the constant swapping of targets is through the use of a macro, so either way you're doing something that is asking for too much, or you're doing something that has a chance to not work when you need it to and forced to clip. This is what makes the current iteration of AST a failure in my eyes. I personally don't mind the whole, everything is balance (though I do sympathize with people that hate that design, and I do want it changed back because those people were the ones who mained AST from the start) but I cannot stand the constant swapping of targets and/or the reliance of macros.

[Crushnight]

Have you considered that this might not be a limitation of AST, but a limitation of controller?

Given that no other job forced this sort of thing from 2.0 to 5.1 on controller players, yes i would say it is a limitation on the design of AST not on the controller, they fundamentally made it worse to play for controller players especially when going for optimal settings. This iteration isn't even our most complex or busiest just the most frustrating

[HyoMinPark]

Have you considered that this might not be a limitation of AST, but a limitation of controller?

This game is designed for both PC and console users, meaning that the developers need to consider that any and all systems flow smoothly on both setups they have programmed this game to use: controller, and keyboard/mouse. Now, the controller setup for FFXIV is honestly really good—KB+M offers no inherent advantage in the majority of situations over controller, and vise-versa. Virtually every other job can be played with very little reliance on macros on both systems, but AST requires controller players to have a plethora of macros just to optimize its main gimmick. And, somehow, that’s now the fault of the controller?

A job flows well on one setup, but not the other. So we should shift the blame to the second system, despite no other job experiencing any limitations like AST has? I’m sorry, but that doesn’t seem logical.

Hardly, because of the lost queuing functionality. You'd be at least as well off just clicking on your next target mid-cast, queuing the skill on that target, and then clicking the next. I've done both, but mouseover functionality at best comes out even.

Mouse-over is still far smoother than what controller users have to deal with: either D-pad spam or 7 different macros in 8-man content just to toss out a single-target buff. The frequency in which we have to use the cards makes this problem stick out far worse than any other single-targeted ability.

Easily. Because it's not unique. The same massive disparity between ease of play between K&MB and Controller exists for almost every aspect of healing. It's just more pronounced because you're having to spot-cast, which is mostly (an oddly) absent from most XIV healer gameplay.

This is not true. There is no other job in this game that requires a slew of macros in lieu of repeated D-pad mashing in order to play optimally—even those like DRG that have targeted skills like Dragon Sight. No other healer requires a person to set up up to 7 different macros for a single skill the way AST does. This is a problem that lies exclusively with the system the developers designed for AST.

Make no mistake, I've been pushing for revised controller functionality since ARR. Taking up a healer in 8-man content is largely what made me stop bothering with a controller altogether. But, that's a game-wide issue, not one unique to Cards.

I’ve never experienced the amount of clunky gameplay with any job I’ve played in this game aside from AST—and I’ve played all of the jobs in some capacity. I regularly heal 4-man, 8-man, and 24-man content, and I’ve never experienced this huge issue that you seem to be describing here. I’ve certainly never had to have multiple macros to control the main gimmick of any of my jobs—and I’d wager most others have not as well.

[Mesarthim]

Have you considered that this might not be a limitation of AST, but a limitation of controller?

Have you considered that this might have been a problem introduced by the devs? If it ain't broke don't "fix it".

[Shurrikhan]

Mouse-over is still far smoother than what controller users have to deal with.

I never said it wasn't. I was just clarifying that it's not access to mouseover macros that make mouse usage strong. It's the mouse itself.

This game is designed for both PC and console users, meaning that the developers need to consider that any and all systems flow smoothly on both setups they have programmed this game to use: controller, and keyboard/mouse.

Agreed.

Now, the controller setup for FFXIV is honestly really good—KB+M offers no inherent advantage in the majority of situations over controller, and vise-versa.

Disagreed.

Cast Lustrate on Alliance B member 4 in the space of your cast and then return to your former target. Go. I'll wait, since you're on controller.

Virtually every other job can be played with very little reliance on macros on both systems...

...if and only if you ignore all situations that may require immediate targeting of an ally not immediately to your left or right tab-positionally or immediately above or below on the party or enemy list...

A job flows well on one setup, but not the other. So we should shift the blame to the second system, despite no other job experiencing any limitations like AST has? I’m sorry, but that doesn’t seem logical.

An inferior means of control being largely excusable just because the game is usually so lenient (especially if your m&kb cohealer covers for you) doesn't suddenly make the system fine. Spot-heal one in 8 members who took unexpected damage. Silence via Head Graze the one in 10 mobs casting a dangerous spell or as necessary to draw it towards the tank. The controller, much like tab-targeting, shows its shortcomings in any situation that requires rapid targeting among a high number of choices. That it's finally more obvious doesn't mean the issue wasn't there.

This is not true. There is no other job in this game that requires a slew of macros in lieu of repeated D-pad mashing in order to play optimally—even those like DRG that have targeted skills like Dragon Sight. No other healer requires a person to set up up to 7 different macros for a single skill the way AST does. This is a problem that lies exclusively with the system the developers designed for AST.

There's not a single other job that requires rapid targeting? Are you absolutely certain of that? Absolutely certain?

Let's ignore for the fact that the quote you're replying to specifically is referring to healing tasks and party- or alliance-targeting. True, Dragon Sight, Nascent Flash, Intervention, Heart of Stone, the Blackest Night, and Nature's Minne don't typically need multiple macros, since they only have one target they'd usually need to affect (lead dps, co-tank, or target of target), but would you, as a controller player, want to handle any of those without a macro? On M&KB, it's a non-issue, even if the party list gets scrambled or the one I need to affect isn't target-of-target when they normally would be. Makes zero difference. I move my mouse. I click. I move it back. I click. It's done in the .5s queue time of any give skill.

But, no, there's no advantage there in mouse and keyboard. None. Everything except AST, a controller can do as well as mouse & keyboard. Not a control scheme issue at all, only a card one. /s

You realize had Expanded Balance not been so overpowered, you'd have had the exact same problem with the old card system? Sorry, but that too would have required rapid targeting. Likely more so, in fact.

TL;DR: It is a controller problem, and if you ever want to see more interesting healer tasks in encounters, handling AST cards is the minimum of what controllers need to be capable. Otherwise we should just give up the charade of parity between control systems altogether or accept that all future fights will be bottlenecked in the same way as you're finally noticing with AST cards.

[Corbeau]

or accept that all future fights will be bottlenecked in the same way

Congrats, you've cracked the code behind this game's raid design!

[Shurrikhan]

Congrats, you've cracked the code behind this game's raid design!

It doesn't have to be, though. If enough people complained about the handicap of the controls itself rather than merely refusing any and all systems that make its flaws obvious -- be they fights that require snap-healing on a target other than just oneself or the tanks or systems like AST's cards -- we could perhaps get any of the plethora of features that other games have used to bring controllers nearer to parity: target scan, smart targeting, secondary focus targets, setting targeting schemes, conditionals, not actively disadvantaging macro usage just for a further pretense of difficulty that will disproportionately hurt controller users and those with physical handicaps, etc., etc.

[MitsukiKimura]

When you lost all feeling playing a class that you just throw card buffs on yourself because it's boring and easy regardless of damage buff... SE please fix this