Advice Please - Invisible 'Barrier' during Boss Fights

[Iscah]

Is lock-on something separate to regular hard targeting? Does the inability to enter the ring only happen in combination with other settings? I've never known that to be a problem, and I would think more people would run into it (pun not intended) particularly while dodging donut AOEs.

[Rongway]

Is lock-on something separate to regular hard targeting? Does the inability to enter the ring only happen in combination with other settings? I've never known that to be a problem, and I would think more people would run into it (pun not intended) particularly while dodging donut AOEs.

Lock-on is a third layer of targeting that either applies automatically when you press the auto attack button or activate any offensive action that coerces auto attacks (see the setting Jeeqbit points out above) or manually if you press the lock-on keybind (default numpad5 I think) or use the /lockon command. It prevents you from entering the target's hit circle, and this is ostensibly to prevent you from going into and all the way through the target, which could potentially cause some unaesthetic or disorienting rapid reversals of the camera if you held Forward as you crossed the target's center, turned around, crossed the target's center, turned around.

In re: donuts, it's probably not so obviously an issue because the majority of donuts are larger than the target's circle, even when the animation appears to touch the circle or even slightly into it.

[Iscah]

...

So lock-on is when you have the extra "rotating circle" mark over the target marker?

Either it works differently on controller or there's something more to it in the settings, because I can definitely lock onto an enemy and run into their target ring unobstructed.

[Rongway]

So lock-on is when you have the extra "rotating circle" mark over the target marker?

Either it works differently on controller or there's something more to it in the settings, because I can definitely lock onto an enemy and run into their target ring unobstructed.

No, the circular arrows are the auto attack indicator. The lockon indicator is a diamond-dot on the target's model:

[Iscah]

No, the circular arrows are the auto attack indicator. The lockon indicator is a diamond-dot on the target's model:

I don't think I can do that on controller. What's the benefit of it?

All that happens when I activate auto-attack or do an auto-attack-triggering skill is that it gets the auto-attack marker.

[Rongway]

I don't think I can do that on controller. What's the benefit of it?

All that happens when I activate auto-attack or do an auto-attack-triggering skill is that it gets the auto-attack marker.

I think on controller it's neutral left stick click or something. Lock-on was originally primarily intended for physical jobs that needed to maintain target facing for auto attacks, parries, and blocks. While locked on you continually face the target and your left and right movements will sweep you around the target in an arc. However, since auto attacks, parries, and blocks no longer require target facing as long as you are not Bound, there is no real benefit to locking on anymore in most circumstances and it comes with the very large downside of being forced to backpedal while locked on.

It has some niche usefulness in aiming cone or line actions that do not auto facetarget. For example, to turn RPR's Egress action into a true backstep that teleports you away from your target, you might use the following macro:

/lockon on
/facetarget        //might not be necessary; I included it in my macro just to be extra sure
/ac "Hell's Egress"
/lockon off
/micon "Hell's Egress"

That way even when you are running left or right you can Egress away from the boss. The PLD wings can be auto-aimed at the party with a similar macro, assuming you are lined up between the boss and the party; this is slightly faster and more reliable than getting into position and manually adjusting your facing.