WHM: Controller or Mouse/Keyboard?

[MoroMurasaki]

I suppose long term I am also asking this about AST and SCH. I play on PS4 and used to main NIN on another character using the controller and loved it. I played some other games and took a break from FFXIV and when I came back I mained WHM but had trouble managing all the abilities on the controller so my FC leader had me try keyboard.

I liked it at the time, especially for stance dancing, but now that Cleric Stance isn't a thing and abilities have been streamlined to such an extent I'm wondering if the reactivity of the controller might be better for tougher content.

I am open to both but am curious specifically about people who play on a controller because at this point have less experience with that.

[matteoxyz]

Controller is so much better IMO. Movement is superior and this game is all about moving. I find it's quite easy to manage two crossbars and alll the needed skills fit on 2. That said, I've almost always used controller so I've never become proficient with a keyboard, although I have tried it. It seems very tricky and finicky. Controller is ergonomic and intuitive. M+KB were not designed for gaming. That said, it's a personal preference. There are very good players using game pad and very good players using m/kb. For a real comparison you need to be proficient on both, so maybe work on your KB skills to see if you like it better.

[Metsonm]

I play on controller/PS4 as a WHM main and I've got a pretty good set up with my DPS bar and my healing bar, with my important skills like raise, Bene and Limit on L2+R2. WHM has so few skills that there's still gaps all over it, too.

It's VERY easy to play WHM on a pad.

[Ersahi]

I'll second that white mage works wonderfully on gamepads/PS4. I find the other healers doable but cramped on gamepad, and I have to find things to leave off because they're low utility abilities.

[IanFrench]

Controller has its advantage of comfortableness and moving, but not as fast as mouse in selecting and switching between your team members, but unless you are doing the Savage, otherwise it won't matter that much,

[Rivxkobe]

Controller + mouse.

Use your controller for combat and movement. Use mouse to reduce cross hotbars bloat by having a seperate hotbar for things like teleport, return, Sprint and the like. Also makes it easier to move around the UI by using the hotbars for key items, emotes, job sets etc.

Edit: I use a keyboard to for things like chatting and menu shortcuts.

[Yuyuka3]

I absolutely abhore controller. Far too slow, too many combos I will just forget when stressed. Keyboard + mouse all the way.

[New_Game_Plus]

I use a controller, but also use the keyboard for my horizontal bar that has my cool downs/least used moves.

[Metsonm]

I absolutely abhore controller. Far too slow, too many combos I will just forget when stressed. Keyboard + mouse all the way.

I get that it's down to preference and what you're used to and such, but there's not a combo in the game longer than 4 moves that I'm aware of (but I haven't played every class properly yet) so that can just be put on the 4 face buttons and rotate around them. For example all my physical combos are set up to go Circle > X > Square. Remember, each bar has 16 buttons to use, 8 on each trigger, which easily gives you access to 2 full combos and change for many classes without swapping triggers.

As for the speed, is your setup good for it? I haven't noticed any serious latency on press from pads.

[Sebazy]

TLDR: Use whatever you are most comfortable with, mouse and keyboard's advantages are nothing like as significant as something like motion controls in Splatoon 2 or mouse and keys in an FPS.

Personally, I couldn't stomach raiding savage etc on a gamepad though. Mouse and keys is rather akin to a somewhat significant ping advantage, I can target party members nigh instantly, turn my camera faster, start moving quicker, stutter step/cast crisper and perhaps most significantly, I'm able to comfortably use all my hotkeys as normal whilst still having complete control over both my motion and camera at the same time.

https://youtu.be/BLGUMzl2cV0?t=7m31s

Is a fairly decent example of this in action. The jumps whilst casting instants allows me to keep moving in a direction whilst using abilities that would otherwise turn me around whilst the ability to manually control where I'm facing via right click whilst moving independently is proving it's weight in gold this tier, what with all of the face away to dodge mechanics we're getting this time round.

It's not going to make or break anyone's level of play, but it is an undeniable advantage once you get it down.