Complexity/Sensory Overload

[Granyala]

Your eyes constantly darting around the screen to all these things which leaves very little time to actually visually enjoy even being there because your basically spending all your time juggling your focus and your sight between the icons, timers, bars, windows and boxes mostly.

Welcome to raiding in MMOs, where you play 80% according to UI and 20% according to what you see in the actual game world.

I agree with you that FF relies way too much on the visual channel. I dearly miss my Weak Auras from WoW, which made it possible to create audio ques for stuff like procs on classes.

The above is also why I never understood asian MMOs obsession with animations and animation locks.
As if I, as a player, ever had the time to actually WATCH the animations my character is doing.

Hint to the DEVs: I DON'T. Because you never give me time to do that. During a raid fight, my character could become a small pink box and I probably wouldn't notice it at all, because as a healer I stare at the raidframes.

[Anubis_Nephthys]

I mean, it's an MMO. Part of the skill development is looking at everything on your screen at once.

[Yukiko]

Classic Final Fantasy UI:
Attack, Defend, Spell (or Skill) and Flee

Ok you need time to choose the Skill or Spell but then you have time to watch awesome movements/animations and sometimes you can influence it with buttonsmashing to gain crit hits.

In most MMOGs you can avoid Attacks by pressing "one" Button - mostly a defence roll or jump... sometimes using a shield or skill to negate/block/counter the attack.

In FFXIV we not only have to move while pressing DPS-Skills, we have to keep one eye on team members for "Markings" and the other eye on Boss-Cast-Bar while we need to avoid different lenghts and most attacks are AoE fields (who had the stupid idea to add unavoidable AoE attacks on top of that?). Thats one reason why players in FFXIV are thinking they need a static group, because as example the cast bar from boss is a tanks job to call out in Teamspeak, or the markings are called out from raidleader or DPS, while the healer keeps track of AoE fields and timing from the group.

[Felis]

I understand where you're coming from but using PS4/controller and switching through any more than a few bars is incredibly annoying.

I also play on PS4

1. Setup the bars into combat bars (only switch between specific bars if in fight stance) and idle bars (only switch between specific bars if weapon is put away). For most classes 2 bars as combat bars are enough (32 slots)
2. Setup a 3rd bar you switch to with L1+R1 and R1+L1 if needed
3. No GCD damage skill on the d-pad buttons
4. don't put UI keybinds into a slot. Use a keyboard for them

[Granyala]

Thats one reason why players in FFXIV are thinking they need a static group, because as example the cast bar from boss is a tanks job to call out in Teamspeak

WTF
Seriously?
I know the absence of a castbar for "target's target" is utterly annoying but you do know that you can focus target critical adds and see their casts, even as a healer?

Needing a static group is common in every MMO with PvE content worth a damn (a.k.a. challenging bosses).

[Alexftw]

Hey, it could be worse...



In all seriousness though, I do get the frustration. I play on controller, and main SCH, and it is nothing short of playing Chopin's Op 28 No. 15 as nearly all abilities are consistently utilized. WHM is right on its heels with the demand, as not having a pet reduces the hotbars by 1.

I'm not going to tell you to "get better". I'm just chiming in to mention that I understand how advanced the UI and controls are. So much so that not only must you be practical, but you have to keep playing to maintain your skill level with the UI, and also get better with it. Try not to edit your hotbar/hotkeys too much, and let muscle memory take over.

Exactly what I mean't. ^ (we don't need more skills anymore or controllers wont be able to play but we don't need less either).

[Vinceroth]

I've been a long time running MMO player, and I understand what the OP is trying to state...but...they are completely forgetting that the more you play a role the easier it becomes. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've played a DPS role and I rarely even look at the hotbars. Not even a full second would pass when I glance down or use the edge of my vision to notice I have a flashing proc. Poor UI placement and management would easily spell the doom for anyone. Before you start complaining about the complexity of the game you should spend more time researching and modifying your own UI to better fit your needs. I've managed to get my party list next to my hotbars so that I can see them both in one glance. Boss casting easy fix is to focus target and I've placed that next to my hotbars as well. SE added in the UI management for a reason and before you start going off complaining about the overload you should spend more time in the UI adjustment features.

[WinterLuna]

good for you if you play with controller but not everyone does.

Controller is very difficult to play on with certain classes, more so than the PC UI. Most people who play on controller and don't have a problem with it either have multiple macros or play a simple class. Even if 'difficult' is the wrong word for it, it's certainly messy to be switching from hotbar to hotbar, keeping buffs up, weaving in skills and trying to maximise your class.

I just wanted to clear that up. I play on controller and support your thread. I would find a keyboard and mouse UI a lot easier personally but I'm unable to use them because of my PS4 set up.

[WinterLuna]

I also play on PS4

1. Setup the bars into combat bars (only switch between specific bars if in fight stance) and idle bars (only switch between specific bars if weapon is put away). For most classes 2 bars as combat bars are enough (32 slots)
2. Setup a 3rd bar you switch to with L1+R1 and R1+L1 if needed
3. No GCD damage skill on the d-pad buttons
4. don't put UI keybinds into a slot. Use a keyboard for them

Thank you, I've tried many things though and I guess the set up I have now feels the most comfortable. I will try this out though.

[Priya]

Agreed, OP. It is annoying, but it might be less so if macros were actually usable. As they are now, they're mostly a detriment since they remove the ability queue. Because of that, they can't be used to remove clutter unless you want to impede yourself.

I also believe that if CC abilities (stuns, silence, and the like) didn't have damage attached to them, they wouldn't be used for more than their utility, and that change alone would help make the skills feel less bloated since you wouldn't be using them for their free damage (SE barely makes fights that utilize them as it is, sadly).

I prefer complex bosses to button bloat, personally.