Tips for targeting on the PS4?

[Khalakhaz]

Heya,

I've gotten back to Eorzea after a very long time. I switched from a gaming PC to my Playstation 4. So far I prefer this way of playing, but I'm kind of getting wrecked when it comes to grouping. I'm used to tab-targeting and not using the directional pad for much. Last night I was running Sastasha and pressed... some direction and I ended up targeting the tank, then an enemy, then the add, then the second add, then some random enemy far off in the distance before cycling back to the target I original intended... Typically I can switch between targets quickly if I cancel (O) and immediately select the closest target (X) but I'm not sure if this is the most efficient/best way to handle it?

I'd like to form good habits now so that when I'm doing 8-man raids I know a little bit of what I'm doing. I'm usually straight DPS but I absolutely love tanking and I've been thinking of making a tank as an alt at some point. Thanks in advance!

~Azeyma keep you warm

[Sagittarian]

Up and down on the d-pad cycles through the party.
Left and right cycles through everything visible.
In one of the configuration windows you can set filters on these or change the behavior, so you can (for example) set left-right to only go through hostile targets while your weapon is drawn.

[Lunaxia]

EDIT: My bad, it's holding L2/ R2 and using L1/ R1 to cycle. Tired, sorry. orz

[Khalakhaz]

Ah, got it. I stupidly hid the help-pop up windows because I remembered the gist of it while playing with a keyboard & mouse. I didn't think that new hardware meant new controls until it was too late and I was past that portion of the tutorial. I'll have the explore the windows in the settings menu a little more thoroughly!

Thanks.

[Niwashi]

up/down soft-cycles through your party list
L1 + up/down soft-cycles through your enemy list
left/right soft-cycles through your current filter

Your current filter is configurable. By default, it starts out including everything, enemies, players, objects, NPCs, minions, etc. Under the "Filters" tab of Character Settings, however, there are options to configure it to be more specific. There are a couple ways of doing that. One (at the top of that tab) is to set a list of target types that you'll cycle between when your weapon is drawn and another for what you'll cycle between when your weapon is sheathed. The other (below it) lets you set up to four targeting filters that you can switch between at will by using L1 + a face button (circle, triangle, square, or X). One thing to keep in mind when setting this up, you only want to enable one of the two patterns, either the sheathed/drawn weapon version or the four selectable filters version. If you try to set both up, they'll interfere with each other and become confusing.

Personally, I prefer the later method, as it gives me more control. I use L1+circle to switch to "Enemies" targeting mode, L1+square to switch to "Friends" targeting mode, L1+triangle to switch to "All" targeting mode, and L1+X to switch to a customized filter for specifically targeting marked enemies only. (The name of your currently selected filter is shown above your HP/MP/TP bar, so it's useful to use the named filter patterns for all but one of your filters. If you have different filters each named "Custom" you won't have that visibility to which is currently active.)

As for soft targets versus hard targets, that's actually quite useful, but it might take getting used to. When you cycle through to a new target, it will be a soft target unless you press X (confirm) to make it your hard target. You can use a skill and it will apply to your soft target if you have one, but then your target will change right back to your current hard target. (This is very handy if you want to toss a quick Goad to the tank in the middle of your damage combo, as your target goes right back to the mob you were fighting, or if you want to DoT an enemy or two while keeping the tank as your primary healing target, etc.) When you want to really switch targets, so the new one is your main (hard) target, just remember to press the confirmation X, whereas if you just want to send a single skill to that target and go back to where you were, don't confirm it with X.

Typically I can switch between targets quickly if I cancel (O) and immediately select the closest target (X) but I'm not sure if this is the most efficient/best way to handle it?

That's also useful, particularly for melee since it tends to do a better job of selecting a close-by target. It just gives you less choice for selecting something else when you need to, so it's worth also getting used to the cycling target filters. (The party list up/down and enemy list L1 + up/down are especially useful when there's one specific target you need to hit.)

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

If you really can't get used to the gamepad controls, I do believe it's possible to use keyboard and mouse on a PS4 and use the same controls/UI set up as a PC.

[Khalakhaz]

As for soft targets versus hard targets, that's actually quite useful, but it might take getting used to.

I just read a brief synopsis on Reddit about hard/soft targeting and it's the missing piece I was searching for. I don't usually suck in groups (I'm someone who tries to know my roll and stick to it.) During the Sastasha run that initially provoked this post, it actually happened because I used Goad on the Tank as a soft target, but I didn't know there was a concept of a Soft target so I ended up using Goad on the Tank as a Soft target, then made him a Hard target, then freaked out and started selecting all of my part members, then pressing "O" to start over again, only to auto-Target the furthest enemy away, then accidentally pressed Up and "invalid targeting" until the brief fight was over.

I basically felt so embarrassed that I posted here to find tips for targeting.

Thanks for the great help!

[Khalakhaz]

If you really can't get used to the gamepad controls.

I'm sure it'll just take time. I accidentally turned off the tutorial messages in the beginning of the game before going to the Adventurer's Guild, so I'm playing a littl ebit of catch up. I'm trying find a good keyboard for the ps4 though to type with. I'm currently sick/unable to speak without coughing which feels terrible to put strangers through via headsets.

[ruskie]

Any USB keyboard will do a 10eur one works just as well as any other.

[Khalakhaz]

Any USB keyboard will do a 10eur one works just as well as any other.

I'll have to pick one up, thanks!