Small QoL Improvements

[Eorzean_username]

I have a request for Camera options. I don't know exactly what the solution is, so I'm just stating the issues I'm encountering, and hoping the developers can understand and adjust something so I feel more comfortable while playing.

Auto Face Target is very helpful for me, because compared to other worlds I've participated in, FFXIV has very narrow and fussy facing requirements for important actions like Auto Attacks, and I enjoy the convenience of being able to focus on responding to battle mechanics and not doing goofy Jump + Spin actions every time I want to activate an ability while strafing out of AOEs, etc.

However, Auto Face Target + Standard Camera is extremely dangerous, because it causes my movement to jerk in the direction of the target. If I'm under pressure and activate a new GCD while escaping an AOE, that zig-zag can be enough of a stutter to get me clipped by the AOE effect.

Auto Face + Standard is also very annoying as certain Jobs. As WHM, I'm constantly (unnecessarily) being spun into the direction of players I heal. As SMN, Auto Face + Standard spins me in the direction of my Egi when I activate Rouse/Spur. These effects are deadly while dodging mechanics.

Auto Face + Legacy is smooth and elegant, because while my character turns (for a micro-second), it does not actually affect my path of travel. Thus, I keep Auto Face + Legacy active on almost all classes, and I'm very comfortable with this Camera set-up.

However, there are two problematic aspects to Legacy Camera: it prevents using Left Mouse Button Mouselook while moving (extremely important for scanning the battlefield during certain fight mechanics), and it overrides the Move Backward key from backpedaling into a 180° turn (not helpful at all while Tanking, where I value backpedal for tiny position adjustments, and I do not value instantly exposing my Back and Flank to enemies).

As a result, I have to keep Standard active while Tanking, resulting in a return of the zig-zag frustrations when activating abilities while moving.

Any combination of any of these changes would make me very happy:

• Stop changing my direction when I activate abilities with Auto Face + Standard Camera — make it work like Legacy, where I activate the ability, but then immediately return to my previous path of travel. Getting dragged into AOEs because I Tomahawk while strafing around is frustrating. Getting turned into a Spinning Dive because I Goad someone while running is frustrating. etc.
• Allow an option to disable the 180° spin under Legacy Camera settings, something like 'Always backpedal when pressing Move Backward key'.
• Allow an option to use LMB camera rotation under Legacy Camera settings (currently LMB + Legacy works while standing still, but not while moving), something like 'Always mouselook with Left Mouse Button, even while moving'.
• Allow an option such as 'Only Auto Face enemy targets' — I don't need to spin in random directions while casting Regen or Spur.

This seems like such a trivial thing, but I can honestly say that these fussy camera issues are my #1 frustration in FFXIV. Which should indicate how great I think Eorzea is overall — but it could be a little better for me!

[Shurrikhan]

However, Auto Face Target + Standard Camera is extremely dangerous, because it causes my movement to jerk in the direction of the target. If I'm under pressure and activate a new GCD while escaping an AOE, that zig-zag can be enough of a stutter to get me clipped by the AOE effect.!

The only real suggestion I can give you for this problem as it exists already is to be aiming your camera in the direction you want to move and jump just before using the ability. Your character will auto-face, attack/cast/release, and immediately return to the prior facing without being able to actually change direction.

That said, it would be great to have an option allowing us to imitate that same process without actually having to remember to L&R MB + Space every time (or the controller equivalent). It's literally the only use I have for the space bar at the moment.

[Eorzean_username]

The only real suggestion I can give you for this problem as it exists already is to be aiming your camera in the direction you want to move and jump just before using the ability. Your character will auto-face, attack/cast/release, and immediately return to the prior facing without being able to actually change direction.

Thank you for this. It works well and I can now keep Standard cam on most of the time.

The only issue I'm encountering is the slightly erratic way the server understands a character's position while jumping — sometimes it doesn't seem to register a location change until I hit the ground again, which can be deadly if I jumpcast right before escaping an AOE.

Life on the edge, I guess.

So, let me condense my previous wall-of-request down a little:

For the devs:

1. Turn on Standard Camera.
2. Turn on Auto Face.
3. Make dangerous AOEs appear under your feet.
4. Strafe out of the AOE, and use a ranged ability while doing this.
5. Watch as your camera jerks you back into the AOE because you got auto-spun toward the enemy.
6. Now, do the same thing, but Jump before activating the ranged ability.
7. Watch as your character intuitively spins, uses the ability, and keeps going in the correct direction without any issues.

All I want is for Standard + Auto-Face to work like that always, even when my feet are on the ground.

I don't mind JumpCasting in the sense of the extra button, that is actually fun. The reason I'm still asking for this as QOL is that Jumping causes unreliable, unpredictable behavior with how the server interprets a character's position.

Also, I'd still appreciate an option to disable Auto-Face vs. Friendly targets, because getting spun and jerked all over the place if casting Regen, Goad, Spur, etc while moving is unnecessary (Friendly actions don't require facing), annoying, and sometimes deadly.

[Niwashi]

I don't mind JumpCasting in the sense of the extra button, that is actually fun. The reason I'm still asking for this as QOL is that Jumping causes unreliable, unpredictable behavior with how the server interprets a character's position.

Also, I'd still appreciate an option to disable Auto-Face vs. Friendly targets, because getting spun and jerked all over the place if casting Regen, Goad, Spur, etc while moving is unnecessary (Friendly actions don't require facing), annoying, and sometimes deadly.

Agreed. It's good that Shurrikhan was able to explain a workaround, but not only does it create issues with positioning as you mentioned, but it's not very intuitive. I'd expect there to be more players who don't know about it than who do.

And in any case, it just makes more sense that the auto-face-target rule would apply specifically to those actions for which you need to be facing your target.

[Shurrikhan]

Thank you for this. It works well and I can now keep Standard cam on most of the time.

The only issue I'm encountering is the slightly erratic way the server understands a character's position while jumping — sometimes it doesn't seem to register a location change until I hit the ground again, which can be deadly if I jumpcast right before escaping an AOE.

Life on the edge, I guess.

So, let me condense my previous wall-of-request down a little:

For the devs:

1. Turn on Standard Camera.
2. Turn on Auto Face.
3. Make dangerous AOEs appear under your feet.
4. Strafe out of the AOE, and use a ranged ability while doing this.
5. Watch as your camera jerks you back into the AOE because you got auto-spun toward the enemy.
6. Now, do the same thing, but Jump before activating the ranged ability.
7. Watch as your character intuitively spins, uses the ability, and keeps going in the correct direction without any issues.

All I want is for Standard + Auto-Face to work like that always, even when my feet are on the ground.

I don't mind JumpCasting in the sense of the extra button, that is actually fun. The reason I'm still asking for this as QOL is that Jumping causes unreliable, unpredictable behavior with how the server interprets a character's position.

Also, I'd still appreciate an option to disable Auto-Face vs. Friendly targets, because getting spun and jerked all over the place if casting Regen, Goad, Spur, etc while moving is unnecessary (Friendly actions don't require facing), annoying, and sometimes deadly.

Would be great if we could get that option—"auto-face" subcategory "without changing direction of movement" (along with, I would hope "on offensive casts only").

That said, there are probably smoother blends that would look less like exploits (spells shooting out of your back when using the above option) that would fit in among some, imo, well worthwhile movement physics/animation improvements that I'd also like to see in 4.0, such as some return of 1.x movement inertia, but that would already handle all QoL issues just fine.

About that last bit: When first doing T7, I macroed my healer offensive casts to all face target, and left the auto-face target option off on healer. I later just switched to manually facing target instead of using a macro, but it just goes to show how costly unwanted auto-facing can be.