Viper Hunter's/Swiftskin's Den buttons

[jonimated]

Right now I have all the parallel single-target and multi-target skills mapped out in equal positions on hotbars 1 (default) and 3 (double-tap). From either of those hotbars I can switch to hotbar 2 (R2-L2) where I have laid out the "vice skills" that are used in both single and multi-target combat – but single-target gets to sit naturally on the four right-side buttons while multi-target has to be awkwardly wedged over on the left-side buttons that require me to take my thumb off the joystick to use.

Far be it for me to question how anyone has their buttons laid out. Whatever feels more comfortable for you. I'm just curious though, why did you choose to do the layout this way? Unless I'm misunderstanding something it sounds like you're not using the L2 side of the hotbars at all? Viper doesn't even have enough buttons to fill 2 hotbars, let alone 3.

The Viper basic combos and Vicewinder combos for both single target and AoE use identical button layouts, so they can be completely mirrored between the L2 and R2 sides of the hotbars. The way I have my controller mapped is the R2 face buttons (Square, Circle, Cross, Triangle on Playstation) have the basic combo as well as Vicewinder and Serpent's tail. Then R2-L2 face buttons have all 4 Vicewinder follow-up, GCDs and oGCDs. My L2 and L2-R2 hotbars are set up in an identical way just using the AoE variants, and duplicating abilities where applicable. When switching between single target and AoE abilities I'm literally pressing the exact same buttons to execute combos for both, just switching up whether I press R2 or L2.

If I've misunderstood what you're saying I'm sorry, and you can just ignore everything I said. If not though consider activating and using the L2 side of your hotbars. With most jobs, and Viper especially, you will never need to use the cumbersome double-tap third hotbar. You can also reserve the d-pad inputs for things like buffs and situational abilities. Things you don't press often.

[Iscah]

Far be it from me to question how anyone has their buttons laid out. Whatever feels more comfortable for you. I'm just curious though, why did you choose to do the layout this way? Unless I'm misunderstanding something it sounds like you're not using the L2 side of the hotbars at all? Viper doesn't even have enough buttons to fill 2 hotbars, let alone 3.

All of my layouts are R2-heavy for actual combat, L2 for buffs, shields and situational skills.

Having the two main layouts on bar 1 and bar 3 means that I hit R2 at the beginning of combat (with or without double-tap) and mostly just keep holding it, and to go into hotbar 2 I just press L2 without letting go of R2.

Alternately I could put AOE on the R2-L2 bar (which would allow for more seamless flicking back and forth between single and multi-target hits, as viper allows) and vice skills on L2-R2, which is similar to my layout for red mage, but that doesn't solve the problem of the AOE vice skills being separate buttons that have to go in a non-optimal position.