Gamepad targeting issue.

[Velo_Vandore]

As mentioned above, when using targeting filters it only affects the dpad left/right. The a button (xbox controller) will always auto target disregarding filter settings.

I use the 4 target filter options which you can swap between by pressing L1+a,b,x,y buttons - at first I left on the option above which automatically adjusts your target filters when the waepon is drawn/sheathed. This caused a lot of frustration and confusion until I realized and switched it off. I have the 4 modes customized to any enemy, enemies targeting me, players, NPCs/Signs/duty specific (sometimes useful in fates). In most situations I'm on the filter for all enemies.

Only recently did I realise that L1+up/down toggled through the on screen enemy list. After getting used to that method I find it very useful, especially where there's a particular enemy you want to target by name such as the blm / whm moogles in Thornmarch.

Also note if healing that you can more easily target alliance members with L1+left right, which toggles through them in order of the alliance list, i.e. if you want to select the dead guy for raise.

The most used targeting tool for me personally is an assist macro, which I include in the same spot on all my battle cross-hotbars. In dungeons it's very easy to select the tank (if you have the party list ordered with tanks at the bottom, that's just pressing d-pad up twice) then hit your assist macro and you are ready to attack the tanks target. You can hit the assist macro twice any time to check the tanks current target. The macro is simply:

/target <tt>

Alternatively pressing the left or right analogue stick down can be assigned to assist. If you use a macro I recommend having it on an action button position (a,b,x,y) rather than d-pad position, as you can then freely use it if having to move around with your left thumb on the left analogue stick. There are other useful macros to consider such as casting directly onto target's target (which I use to cast Apocatastasis to the bosses target (normally the tank) without having to manually target. You can also cast to a focus target or a particular play (i macro Aetherial Manipulation to a player if I don't have a suitable target already selected manually). Just note that macro's don't que unfortunately so you have to mash the button and will inevitably lose a couple split seconds each cast (so not ideal to macro frequent spells like fire, etc).

Also, you may already be familiar with it, but it's important to understand your target and sub-target. For example, if I have a main target I want kill, and I want to throw a single spell on something else then switch back to the main tagret (i.e. Apocatastasis on tank, lethargy/virus/thunder on a mob), just select the target with the dpad and once the cast is done you'll be back to the main target automatically. If you want to switch targets for good, use the dpad but then press the a button to confirm it main target (rather than sub-target) before casting.

Note that you can switch targets before your cast finishes too (the cast will still hit it's initial target without being interrupted), which gives you more time. If you wait for a cast to finish, you'll be madly trying to target get the next target before you can cast again, so predict when a mob will die and switch targets in advance. If you're not sure that the current target will die with your pending cast then just sub-target another enemy - if the main target dies and you cast on a sub-target, it will automatically become a main target. If the main target doesn't die as expected, you can cancel the sub-target easily with the b button, putting you back to your main target without having to use the d-pad to re-select it again.