Option to Remove the Circle Image on Skill CD

[Noxifer]

Read this to understand WHY the change was made.

So... to alleviate how the cooldown numbers on the tooltip was difficult to read at smaller HUD settings, they changed it so the numbers are even smaller? (Even on the hotbars I have at 100%, I can't always read the TP/MP number on my skills; if I need to check how much the skill costs, I hover over it to bring up the tooltip.)

A much easier solution instead of the spinning circles would have been to use a greyed-out skill (to prevent the skill colour from clashing with the colour of the numbers) with that large count-down number on it. Having it greyed out would phase the skill out of most people's perceptions, similar to the darkened "this skill is not available right now" for level-sync or proc skills, and the numbers would work a lot better to tell people when it was ready or not.

Like I've said once before in this thread, I don't personally have an issue with the circles, apart from that whole "I can use this skill before it appears to come off cooldown" issue. And it doesn't really have to be a skill with a really long cooldown for that. I've noticed that I can use my stun attack (20s cooldown) about a second or so before the animation tells me it's ready. Which... makes it more confusing than it should be. Is the skill ready or not? I don't know, because the cooldown animation lies to me.

[Warlyx]

i think S.Speed isnt got into account with this circles , because sometimes i can use the skill before the icon say is ready....sometimes NOT...guess it varies from gear to gear (job to job).

i just wanted a numerical CD on the icons , doest need to look cool or animated , just a timer....would love yellow if 5seconds or more and red from 5 to 1...but i will take anything at this point.

[Noxifer]

i think S.Speed isnt got into account with this circles , because sometimes i can use the skill before the icon say is ready....sometimes NOT...guess it varies from gear to gear (job to job).

Maybe, though I wasn't aware that S.Speed had any effect on longer cooldowns. Otherwise, we'd have PLD with high Skill Speed and, say, 4.5 minute cooldown on their Hallowed Ground instead of 5 minutes. GCD, cast and recast times, yes, but not skill/ability cooldowns. AFAIK. (If I'm wrong, I'd actually love to be made aware of that.)

[Niwashi]

So... to alleviate how the cooldown numbers on the tooltip was difficult to read at smaller HUD settings, they changed it so the numbers are even smaller? (Even on the hotbars I have at 100%, I can't always read the TP/MP number on my skills; if I need to check how much the skill costs, I hover over it to bring up the tooltip.)

As a console player who plays from my couch about 10 feet or so from the TV, I've never been able to read TP/MP numbers on the skill icons. And with a controller, there's no hovering over them either. When I'm crafting, if I need to double check the number of CP something would cost, I either bring up the Actions & Traits window to check, or else get up and walk over to the TV. Neither is really feasible for combat skills, though.

So, with my setup, the cooldown numbers are completely useless. I can see how they might be useful for PC players whose computer monitor is a couple feet in front of them, but not when you're watching a TV from across the room. I'm guessing that's a pretty common arrangement for console players at least, and have heard of some PC players who hook their computer up to the TV in order to do the same. (I wonder how many of the testers SE used to decide this feature works were looking at how it works from 10 feet away, or if they were all just looking at how it works when your monitor is right in front of you.)

[Lethallin]

This has probably been said but...

I like them on my cooldowns. Actual cooldowns. The ones that are longer then the Global Cooldown. I'd be cool with the circles even on the short ones, like Defiance, Cleric Stance, etc.

But on my weaponskills? The ones that make practically my entire skillbar flash white every 2.4 seconds? Why. Who needs that flashing them every single GCD?

[Noxifer]

As a console player who plays from my couch about 10 feet or so from the TV, I've never been able to read TP/MP numbers on the skill icons.

Yep, that's what I do, too. Have the PC connected to the TV, that is, though I think I'm sitting a bit closer. Maybe... Five-six feet? Which is why having the tooltip icon as the cooldown icon would be a lot better than the teensy tiny numbers you can't read anyway. Well, alright, I can read them. If I have time to focus on them, which I rarely have time to do during combat. So sure, I can test-use a skill and then see the number ticking, but... yeah. Not really efficient, IMO. I wasn't really aware that my "cooldown counter" was on until I tabbed back into the game to check it just now ^^;

(Will have to test on a striking dummy later regarding the whole 'can use Brutal Swing before the cooldown animation has gone away' and see what number it's on when I can use it again.)

Edit:

However, if you mean you're actually performing the ability before the recast finishes, then that is inconsistent with before and could be a little annoying.

Yes, I mean that the skill animation starts before the cooldown animation's gone. Haven't had time yet to check the numbers; when I do, I'll come back with more info =)

[Wade]

however, due to memory restrictions

I think now it's safe to say it's the go to answer You can add in 3 new jobs with 3 new sets of actions but a circle animation (which you should've used an overlay for) is too much for memory? Balls sir, balls!

[Teiren]

This has probably been said but...

I like them on my cooldowns. Actual cooldowns. The ones that are longer then the Global Cooldown. I'd be cool with the circles even on the short ones, like Defiance, Cleric Stance, etc.

But on my weaponskills? The ones that make practically my entire skillbar flash white every 2.4 seconds? Why. Who needs that flashing them every single GCD?

Technically, my guess is that all cooldowns are "Recast" to the game, so it can't distinguish between 2.5 seconds, 5 seconds, or 420 seconds. In other words, I'm mostly sure that there was no way to have this on only Recasts of greater than 2.5 seconds which I agree would be really nice. It's just insane that they thought it was good to ruin everything just to solve a really tiny problem. I understand that you can't get 100% consensus on anything, but this wasn't a problem that NEEDED to be fixed anyway. It's not like we're playing WoW where everyone has 6, 8, 12, or 15-second rotational cooldown abilities.


And I don't view that data for, "the ratio for old:new got wider as they used more refined versions," as valid. Everyone knows that especially Japanese people are crazy about groupthink; in other words, a self-imposed peer pressure that often happens to varying degrees in any social environment. The ratio already started out in favor of the new sweep, likely by people who didn't want to cause any disruption, so it was inevitable the votes would narrow towards it. Besides that, concerning the validity of the "memory restrictions" problem: If that doesn't mean PS3 or PS4 limitations, then what the hell is wrong with the programming of this game?! It shouldn't be something so complicated or restrictive.


Also Noxifer, make sure you don't confuse queuing an ability with actually performing the ability. Even before 3.2, it was possible to queue an ability like you would any other action if the cooldown remaining was roughly equivalent to the queue time period (400ms, or is it 500ms?). I believe this is what Hiroshi was referring to when he said that the time when you can use an action appears to be the same as when its recast is nearly complete. It didn't really matter or have any practical use, but it was there, and I wonder if the circles may just be making it a lot easier to see when you're doing it now. However, if you mean you're actually performing the ability before the recast finishes, then that is inconsistent with before and could be a little annoying.

[Felis]

I think now it's safe to say it's the go to answer You can add in 3 new jobs with 3 new sets of actions but a circle animation (which you should've used an overlay for) is too much for memory? Balls sir, balls!

Do these 3 new jobs use own UI, or share they the UI wih the other jobs?

[Warlyx]

Maybe, though I wasn't aware that S.Speed had any effect on longer cooldowns. Otherwise, we'd have PLD with high Skill Speed and, say, 4.5 minute cooldown on their Hallowed Ground instead of 5 minutes. GCD, cast and recast times, yes, but not skill/ability cooldowns. AFAIK. (If I'm wrong, I'd actually love to be made aware of that.)

S.S doesnt reduce CD , but recudes the GCD , being a bard i notice it way more than when i play sch , or blm....thats probably because my casting times are 1.5s and the GCD base is 2.5 (-SS ) , the circle doesnt time well , nor does the numeric timer , add lag to the equation because 3.2 has been a bit laggy later on ...