Has Gauges helped you a lot?

[dinnertime]

I don't feel like it's a hindrance or anything. For me it feels the same as it used to be, instead it's larger visuals instead of tiny icons with numbers on most of them.
In some jobs like AST it definitely helps.
The new jobs were obviously made with the gauges in mind.

[Cidel]

I don't feel like it's a hindrance or anything. For me it feels the same as it used to be, instead it's larger visuals instead of tiny icons with numbers on most of them.
In some jobs like AST it definitely helps.

I respectfully disagree. While I adapted quickly to the separate card UI on AST, that's largely in part to just training myself to look slightly off to the side of the target's HP bar (where I moved it) as opposed to the top of my screen with the rest of my buffs.

The custom gauge on AST offers nothing new outside of a place to dump the minor arcana card indicator (which could have been done without a custom gauge anyway) and some pretty little border around your held cards. It factually took away visibility of AST's held, spread and Royal Road from others (the same way Aetherflow stacks are now some big secret). It really only comes off as "help" to me if the goal was to let mistakes on card/RR/spread management (if there's even any at all) and unlucky shuffles go unnoticed.

I do recall a (or "the") reason was the devs being more concerned with "buff bloat," but I personally never thought to myself: "Damn, I have too many buffs to know what's going on."

[JunseiKei]

Commenting.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

We went from most jobs starring at their buffs to starring at their buffs AND job bar.


......Good job?

[DynamoAce]

I'm a Scholar main and......not really. It doesn't feel any different except for the visual indicator is just a lot bigger, yet it functions just the same way.
The one downside is that my Aetherflow stacks are not visible on the party list, and that being up was sometimes a little helpful to other party members depending on their role and depending if they actually do look there.

The Faerie gauge is just the Faerie Gauge, you use it for one move that's pretty good but that's about it.

[Darkobra]

It can be shrunk in the UI settings. Also confused as to why people think this makes it difficult. You SHOULD be looking at more than your cast bar.

Does explain the players I've had in my dungeons lately, though...

[kikix12]

The problem with many of these gauges being useless is that they try to be "cool" and draw attention. Except, you don't want your attention to be drawn to such things during a fight, so they are counterproductive to their purpose which is meant to make effective play easier.

Where there is a large numbered resource, like for Warrior or Red Mage, bars are fine. Where the amount of a resource is small or it works outright as a buff, they should just continue to be treated like that. They want to increase their visibility?! Sure. Make the "gauges" into nice, little frames that can be resized and placed where the player wants them, that will show the buffs the class can actually use and whether they are on or not (along with timers), and the debuffs the player can use. In both cases, where they are targeted, have them show the buffs/debuffs on target. And for crying out loud, make these buffs visible to other party members. Aetherflow and Astrologians cards being the biggest offenders here. I can see whether the tank have a tank stance or not despite them having that gauge. Why can't I see what cards the other Astrologian have, if any?! Whether the other Scholar have their Aetherflow to make up for a possible error or not?!

Being gaudy and cool is nice and all, but it should not come at the expense of functionality. Nor should it be half-assed. Either apply it to all similar mechanics, or none.

[Squigley]

The problem with many of these gauges being useless is that they try to be "cool" and draw attention. Except, you don't want your attention to be drawn to such things during a fight, so they are counterproductive to their purpose which is meant to make effective play easier.

...

Being gaudy and cool is nice and all, but it should not come at the expense of functionality. Nor should it be half-assed. Either apply it to all similar mechanics, or none.

Very much this. Some simple usability heuristics analysis would have shown that the UI is in many cases objectively worse than before. Maybe the devs knew but decided to go with the cool factor anyway? As a BLM I have to keep an eye on one more place now, diverting my attention even more from the things I should be paying attention to (=the fight).

[Astral145]

For BRD no.... its just more stuff to look out for. Now if they add in all my procs, song cool down timers and DOT timers for TARGETED mob/boss then yea it would be amazing. But as it is now its just more stuff cluttering up my screen. Some jobs like RDM and BLM its awesome and working as intended but for BRD no its just another thing cluttering up my screen.

[uvuvwevwevweonyetenyevweugwemu]

I like the audio trigger when we have enough to do something. Other than that, only RDM and AST gauge is really helpful visually. The rest is just distraction should be put on status bar instead.

edit: I realize those gauges might be useful for people with hearing-impaired, still simplified/toggleable version would be nice.