Now that that's settled, let's move on to how auto attacks works or in this case, speed and skill timing.

In FF11 (we will always have to refer to it) we have what is known as "stacking" or more informally "interrupt" type skills. Basically, you are interrupting your initial strategy (auto attacking) with skills that will change the outcome of the battle.

This forms our auto attack -> skills -> TP ->WS time line. FF14 have not changed that despite the lack of auto attack.

Now I'm assuming from the developers comments they want it to be more situational and faster speed. The conclusion I've read into that is they want auto attack -> Skill modifed auto attack -> TP ->WS/BR/SC.

Normally we would read this as passive skills. But what happens if we twist that angle a bit like some RPGs and MMOs, where it's actually property changing skills, or otherwise known as enchanting.

We already have some of that in FF14. Like counter or steady, nock, triple, etc. It is not impossible to have a battle system like that, where skills aren't meant for a big SATA+WS ideal (stacking) but a change in auto attack properties. Thus the need for quicker auto attack rates.

Of course it may also signal a more tricky battle system especially with body parts, where you can use "hit weak point" type things with skills that change attack properties. Or defensive stuff.

The trick here is to not make it too gimmicky (like the current one) where once you get the overall idea, you abuse it to heck and back.