Suggestions for the targeting system (Discussion)

[Mycow8me]

I'm sure there are people who think the current targeting system is fine and doesn't need changed but I'm not out to change it completely. I just hope to improve it for certain skills, designations, but more importantly healer/tank roles.

What came to mind immediately was for healers and tanks, why not have a second target for party members that is cycleable. What I mean from this is that a red target bar/icon is used for enemies and a green target bar/icon is used for party members and both are available at any given time. How would this affect you as a tank or healer? You could simultaneously cast healing spells on the tank and go straight to dps spells without retargeting the boss. Need to emergency benediction the tank? Press the button, don't even need to target them cause they are already selected as your party member target. Tired of having to cycle to the tank to put up some buffs on bard? Well they would already be your party target so you just hit your skill button then continue dpsing.

This is just an example using an existing icon:

This would be an example of current selected party member target while also targeting an enemy target wich would have its own red icon (the icons should probably be a bit smaller). DPS skills would only hit enemies and buff/heal skills would only be directed towards your current party member target. The current selected enemy HP bar would still be placed wherever your current HUD is and /focustarget still allows for a second enemy target to keep an eye on so there is no real detrimental change. This system could be enabled or disabled so that people can decide whether or not they want to use it. I for one would use it. A simple simultaneous party/enemy target checkbox under a settings tab would be fine. Cycling through enemies and party members will require different buttons respectively which is already available on controller and keyboard setups, so no real changes there.

Incase someone doesn't want to read the wall of text or needs an easier explanation:
The Idea is Simultaneous party and enemy targeting to alleviate targeting downtime. A Partymember will always be targeted at any given time and an enemy as well with respective green and red bars/icons. This system can be enabled or disabled back to the current single target setup.

Edit: We could also use a party member target hud bar that displays their buffs/hp simultaneously with the current selected enemy target as well. This hud would be a seperate and moveable from the enemy one so the player can position it where they want it.

Whats everyone elses thoughts on the current target system? I don't mean to change it, just offer optional changes through settings.

[RichardButte]

One of the reasons I'd like this is because, as a healer, I get nailed by bosses casting things that I don't see more often than not because I'm constantly targeting party members to heal them so I don't see the cast bars.

And before someone says "Just make the boss your focus target!", what about adds that cast things that I need to be aware of? It'd be a giant PITA to set each new add as a focus target.

[Mycow8me]

One of the reasons I'd like this is because, as a healer, I get nailed by bosses casting things that I don't see more often than not because I'm constantly targeting party members to heal them so I don't see the cast bars.

This happens to me alot but I more or less get tunnel vision on healing and don't even notice the boss using an action till its too late. If my heal targets are seperated from my enemy targets I think it will be alot easier to keep an eye on enemy actions. The focustarget bar is too small and doesn't draw attention enough like the main target bar does.

[Yshnal]

One of the reasons I'd like this is because, as a healer, I get nailed by bosses casting things that I don't see more often than not because I'm constantly targeting party members to heal them so I don't see the cast bars.

And before someone says "Just make the boss your focus target!", what about adds that cast things that I need to be aware of? It'd be a giant PITA to set each new add as a focus target.

You get cast bars for all enemies on the aggro list on the lower left part of the screen (default).

[Naunet]

One of the reasons I'd like this is because, as a healer, I get nailed by bosses casting things that I don't see more often than not because I'm constantly targeting party members to heal them so I don't see the cast bars.

This is the beauty of mouseover macros. I keep the mobs/bosses targeted 100% of the time.

[Shurrikhan]

Some things I've always wanted:

• Being able to set an "offensive" and "support" target. This is primarily useful for healers, but also for Black Mages, Dragoons, Bards, and to an extent every job. Actions which cannot be cast on the "offensive" target will be cast on the "support" target. Actions which cannot be cast on either will be cast on self. This can be reordered to "offensive" -> self -> "support" as well, as to make self healing default.
• The option for your Focus Target to automatically swap to your previous target when you target your Focus Target. (I.e. the MT is my focus target, and I'm targeting the boss. But now I want to actually heal the MT. When I swap targeting to the MT, the boss automatically becomes my focus target. When I change to any other ally, it swaps back to the MT. Or, if the boss is my focus target and I'm targeting the MT, swapping to attack the boss makes the MT my focus target for the time being. (This is much less useful, at least for healers, if the addition above has already been implemented.
• Durations optionally viewable via focus target and on party list. This would be via subscript, but large enough to be readable, and therefore slightly reduces amount of status effects viewable at a time for a given party member via party list. By default, it only affects key durations like HoTs.
• Status Effect display filters and orders.
• A context menu added to our skills, whether via Hotbars, Crossbars, or the Action & Traits pane, which allows us to change certain settings for already bound actions or to add a modified version of said skill to our hotbars or crossbars. Options include Mouseover/Mouseover if Available/Target/Focus Target, and for Ground AoEs On Button Down/On Button Release/On Target/On Focus Target.
• Separable Target of Target UI element with optional status effects and status effect durations display.

[Chocolys]

... what about adds that cast things that I need to be aware of? It'd be a giant PITA to set each new add as a focus target.

I don't remember many Adds with a barely visible attack (no aoe marker), or sneaky but lethal effect that I need to concerned about as a healer. So Focus Target on the main threat is usually enough.
And the few specific adds that you might be concerned about, you just learn to deal with them after few encounters.

But it's true it's easier to miss something as a healer since you have to especially keep your attention on both your teammates and on the enemies.
It does however give a good habit when you're playing another role with support capability, you will more naturally help your teammates with these usually rarely used support skills.

Personally I would prefer more if "invisible" attacks that can only be spotted by looking the enemy cast bar, or by noticing a specific animation, would have a visible marker. It would be easier not to miss.

Also I would not mind to be able to set a secondary Focus target, so for example I could use one on the main threat, and one of the main target of my support. (especially helpful during those large Fate to support someone not from my party)

.....The focustarget bar is too small and doesn't draw attention enough like the main target bar does.

You can scale up the Focus Target by selecting it while in Editing the UI, and by press CTRL+HOME (to cycle between various size).

[Mycow8me]

You can scale up the Focus Target by selecting it while in Editing the UI, and by press CTRL+HOME (to cycle between various size).

TY I never noticed this. I still believe 2 different kinds of targets simultaneously will allow smoother transition between heal/support skills <> DPS skills though and be very beneficial to people maximizing their rotation without having to target someone to put a skill on them then go back to what they were doing. You could literally target someone for a support skill while continuing a rotation in this way as a DPS or healer. Even a tank might see benefit from this for skills like cover.

[RichardButte]

You get cast bars for all enemies on the aggro list on the lower left part of the screen (default).

Too small for me to notice in the heat of combat while I'm watching HP bars, really.

I also would like the OP's idea because being able to toss a DoT on the boss between casting heals without ever changing targets would be great.

[Naunet]

I also would like the OP's idea because being able to toss a DoT on the boss between casting heals without ever changing targets would be great.

Why can't you use mouseover macros?

(As I type this, it occurs to me... console users? Man I feel sorry for y'all. XD)