Auto-attack is a step backward.

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The funny part is, most MMOs have an "auto-attack", i.e you either click to attack or hold a key+attack button to auto attack.

Guess every MMO was a 'step backwards', but I guess games these days are designed for people with 5 second attention spans.

Well... not really.

That many/most past MMOs had an auto-attack (including FFXI), is something many people started complaining about because it made combat feel too hands-off to them... In FFXI in particular, a common complaint is "You sit there, watch your character auto-attacking, and hit a Weapon Skill once in a while when you have the TP."

People in FFXI have talked about playing another game on their console while in a party, or watching a movie while in a party. In each case, they'd hit a WS when they had the TP or the compulsion to do so. That's simply because auto-attack basically required no interaction by the player beyond initiating combat.

Many complained it made combat boring - especially if they were playing a less dynamic role in the group... such as just doing standard DPS and perhaps using a WS once in a while, as long as it didn't interfere with a Skill Chain others had established).

I've seen this complaint play out across other MMOs as well... for years now. People are bored with auto-attack and want to feel more personally engaged and involved with the fight.

So... in that sense, removing auto-attack and having each one require an action by players could be considered a step ahead.

Of course now... we have MMOs that don't have auto-attack in them, and so the forums have people complaining about the exact opposite... They want auto-attack to be added...

I can see the benefit in both systems. I think if SE can strike a balance where auto-attack is in there but active involvement by players still is required in order to really make a difference (ie. auto-attacking a mob to death is going to either not work out very well, or is going to take forever), then it'll be fine.

I think auto-attack should serve the role as a weak sort of "filler attack" that's done in-between major special attacks or combinations of them. It should not be suitable as "the best and easiest way to kill mobs since you just sit there and watch it happen". That would be lame. You should not be able to watch TV or play another game while fighting mobs in a MMO.