[dev1022]Auto Attack and States

[buritoslicer]

With the addition of auto attack there is very little reason to manage active and passive states now.

Stop making us manage our active and passive states to enter and leave combat. Have the system do it automatically as was done in FFXI, and is done any any other MMO that differentiates between being in and out of combat. This responsibility should not be forced onto the player.

Presently this is one of the most awkward things in game to manage. Why is it we have to micromanage what state we are in anyway? Is there a reason we don't have a 'start attack' button, and when combat is over we put our weapon away?

So please.

Change the system so that what is essentially drawing and sheathing your weapon happens automatically.
When we want to auto attack, provide a button to hit so we start beating its face in.

This way hopefully starting and finishing a fight with a monster would go like this:

• Target monster.
  
• Press [start attack key] or activate ability.
  
• Weapon is draw, attacks go off.
  
• Combat commences and eventually finishes.
  
• After a brief delay the game places you back into passive move.

Some probably want to point out that active mode is important to keep mages from constantly regenerating MP while they cast. The solution then is simple: After casting a spell the system keeps the players weapon out for a few seconds. Long enough so that it overlaps the time period within which you would need to cast another spell in combat. If you are waiting longer than that between spell casts then its about the same as it is right now where a caster would change back to passive mode to regenerate a handful of MP mid fight anyways.

Currently I use Light Slash to start off my assault on enemies... It's my attack button as a gladiator. Not sure If other classes have a similar skill though. But great point! I really hate switching between the active and passive modes!

[Phenidate]

Currently I use Light Slash to start off my assault on enemies... It's my attack button as a gladiator. Not sure If other classes have a similar skill though. But great point! I really hate switching between the active and passive modes!

It works fine sure, any of the attack skills will do this but there is a catch. I can't speak for Light Slash but I can give an example of a stumbling point with the system and MRD. The equivalent skill for MRD, Broadswing, has a 30 second cool down on it. Broad swing is our freebie AoE attack, so I'm using it quite often against monster groups in leves.

Because of this, when it comes time to re-target the next monster in a group, the ability is almost always on cooldown, sometimes for the full 30 seconds! I need to use the tedious way to start auto attacking (which also includes using the focus target or face target skill since I'm not always facing the next monster. If I tap my forward or back move key to face where my camera is looking I would lose my Steadfast buff, which is important for skills like my Skullsunder or Defender!)

So I guess it would be easy to say we need a way to initiate auto attack combat the same way using an attack ability initiates it; but available all the time even if those abilities are on cooldown!

[buritoslicer]

It works fine sure, any of the attack skills will do this but there is a catch. I can't speak for Light Slash (I'm doing Marauder and Archer right now). The equivalent skill for MRD, Broadswing, has a 30 second cool down on it. Broad swing is our freebie AoE attack, so I'm using it quite often against monster groups in leves.

Because of this, when it comes time to re-target the next monster in a group, the ability is almost always on cooldown, sometimes for the full 30 seconds! I need to use the tedious way to start auto attacking (which also includes using the focus target or face target skill since I'm not always facing the next monster. If I tap my forward or back move key to face where my camera is looking I would lose my Steadfast buff, which is important for skills like my Skullsunder or Defender!)

So I guess it would be easy to say we need a way to initiate auto attack combat the same way using an attack ability initiates it; but available all the time even if those abilities are on cooldown!

yeah I totally understand you on that part... I usually save up TP towards the end of a fight so I can have enough to use a different skill as a starter attack. My light slash also has a cool-down which is kind of inconvenient.

[Theseus]

I used to engage mobs using light slash too, but after patch can't do that anymore since it was taken off your manual attacks. I agree with Phenidate about making 1st attack faster. Last night while doing dungeon it was a killer having to wait for my character to initiate the 1st hit, it has to be either using a <attack> command or speeding initial attack.

Now, about mages, it was posted that they are working on making spells being able without the need to switching to active stance, my thought (and i am just assuming) is for mages to use mp regen from being passive.

I would say we need to wait until next update to see what adjustments are made upon feedback, for the moment, this post is just stating our point of view as players.

[buritoslicer]

I used to engage mobs using light slash too, but after patch can't do that anymore since it was taken off your manual attacks. I agree with Phenidate about making 1st attack faster. Last night while doing dungeon it was a killer having to wait for my character to initiate the 1st hit, it has to be either using a <attack> command or speeding initial attack.

Now, about mages, it was posted that they are working on making spells being able without the need to switching to active stance, my thought (and i am just assuming) is for mages to use mp regen from being passive.

I would say we need to wait until next update to see what adjustments are made upon feedback, for the moment, this post is just stating our point of view as players.

Light slash is still available. check out the abilities menu!

[Phenidate]

Well I'm hoping with this post we are getting our feedback on how auto attack feels to them.
I had no real preference between this system and the old one (its just a different way to fight really, personal opinions aside)

But the problem I see right now is we're trapped between an old way to fight and a new way. Active and passive mode made sense kind of when combat was purely based on activating skills.
With auto attack now, it just feels awkward.

We need to let the devs know that's how it feels if we want them to know. :P