Best methods/practices for healing a group of 8.

[Ava]

Just wanted to start off by saying I'm still getting used to the new battle system. I find that healing a large group now on CON is rather clumsy. For example hitting Cure II then either tabbing around or trying to click on names/characters is too sluggish in a rapid fight. Macros also do not seem to help yet either for example:

/ac "Cure II" <p#>

Numbers for party members seem to stop at 5, with no way of macroing a cure for members 6,7 or 8. Also the F1-F5 key targeting also seems to neglect party members 6-8 as well.

So how has everyone else been healing? Thanks for any tips I might be missing out on.

Are you using a controller, a keyboard, or a keyboard/mouse combination? I find the best way to heal is using keyboard/mouse combination, press the # for your heal, then click the player name in the party frame. This is one of the few things related to the controls in this game I have no issue with, so I wouldn't know what else to say if that doesn't work.

[Ylferyf]

Actually now that AOE heals won't be the norm, I think they need to add the player himself to the party list. Did they do that? Haven't had much time to play so far...

[Jmeat]

Thanks for the responses guys! I'll tinker with the F# keys. I'm all keyboard!

Edit: Hmm Interesting. F6 is unmappable?

Edit2: Never mind, apparently was a bug. "Restoring defaults" fixed the F keys.

Thanks a bunch guys!

[Shai]

its so awesome how complicated healing is.
im not talking about MP management or enmity, im talking about the direct functionality of it lol
the combination of targeting + weird action bar system + system delay make for a really tedious time.

Yeah, I had a hard time for my first month or so adjusting to the needs of parties, but once I got "click on the name" to cast I was doing a lot better. I hate using a Mouse for this game, though, but in that situation I just can't get anything better.

I used F1-6 in XI to do the same thing, but I still can't target the last few members of my party this way - though I'm glad the Function keys finally sub-target. Too bad I got used to Mouse clicking in the meantime.

[Shai]

This would probably benefit more in the CON or THM forum, where it won't be bumped off the page by the 7000 people who don't play CON and don't give a shit about this thread.

However, I don't go there very often so I'm glad I found it. It's interesting to read how others heal - maybe even test and adapt some of these ideas myself.

[Shai]

If you play with keyboard, F1 - F7 work fine for targetting all your party members. I didn't realize it for the longest time but they added hotkey configuration to allow you to set F5-F8 for the rest of your party awhile ago. This will just be the way mages used to heal in FFXI. It encourages care and skill when fighting which I like.

Ah see? I skipped this post. Gonna fix this right quick in my Config.

Nice. Thumbs up!

[Dreadnought]

Yeah, I had a hard time for my first month or so adjusting to the needs of parties, but once I got "click on the name" to cast I was doing a lot better. I hate using a Mouse for this game, though, but in that situation I just can't get anything better.

I used F1-6 in XI to do the same thing, but I still can't target the last few members of my party this way - though I'm glad the Function keys finally sub-target. Too bad I got used to Mouse clicking in the meantime.

thats an inefficient work around that shouldnt have to happen. battles arent supposed to be slow enough to be able to do what your doing.

[Shai]

Actually now that AOE heals won't be the norm, I think they need to add the player himself to the party list. Did they do that? Haven't had much time to play so far...

No, and actually one of the biggest "fumbles" for me is if I accidentally sub-target someone else when I was meaning to cast on myself. Because I am not prepared to "mouse click" myself and I'm not trained to use the Function keys as quickly anymore I'm often bumbling around like "uh! crap! where am I!" for a few seconds. Not too often, but annoying when I do it. I suppose overtime I'll do it less and less.

This has yet to kill me, but has caused a few moments of panic.

[Shai]

thats an inefficient work around that shouldnt have to happen. battles arent supposed to be slow enough to be able to do what your doing.

Really?
I push #2 then click on my tank's name. Really not that long of a time.

Uh. How do you do it?

[Dreadnought]

in this game? i hit F-#key, press my spell button and it confirm. numbers 1-0 and F1-F8 are all very near eachother. my right hand controls the camera at all times. this allows me to utilize both hands as proficiant as possible.
in other games?
i hit F-#key and only hit my spell button once, there is no confirmation or sub target to worry about. if i need to target something else then i target it, i dont need a sub target to do my job efficiently.
this was not meant to be an attack on anyone just fyi. i thought you were saying you do that because the system isnt as efficient as other MMOs and so your forced to click the names.