Battle Command Design -PLEASE FIX IT

[Jinko]

I hated FF11's menu based system and so glad they changed to action bars for this one.

I normally play with gamepad unless I'm in battle when i switch to mouse and keyboard because its easier and faster to use number keys.

And if anything, the action bar is the one that causes players to spend more time staring and scrolling through their actions (instead of the incredible character and MOB design models).

If you are a noob maybe, it only takes a couple of hours to get used to where actions are placed on an action bar.

Text is a lot less distracting these big, flashy, primitive flashing icons

I think you will find that text is more primitive than on screen graphics.

I'll agree that the targeting system is still pretty terrible.

[Khal_Drogo]

If you are a noob maybe, it only takes a couple of hours to get used to where actions are placed on an action bar....

I wasn't saying that you have to stare at the screen and scroll back and forth b/c you don't know what actions you have equipped. I was saying that the action bar is more distracting b/c you can't help but scroll through the lists to see if your timers are back up.

I think you will find that text is more primitive than on screen graphics.

And I wasn't disputing the primitivity of a text display. I was simply stating that "ooo, pretty" icons are about the worst substitutions conceivable...Plenty of ppl play with controllers, and ps3 players obviously will too; so, to justify the action bar just b/c it's easy to navigate w/ a keyboard and mouse isn't a valid argument. I knew console players who didn't even own/use keyboards.

If FFXIV wanted to appease the PC gamer, rather than the console players, then they should have just said from the beginning that they had NO PLANS to release XIV to consoles, EVER. It would have saved us all a lot of time and disappoinment.

[ShadowCadja]

so, to justify the action bar just b/c it's easy to navigate w/ a keyboard and mouse isn't a valid argument. I knew console players who didn't even own/use keyboards.

Sorry to say but this action bar works seriously well with a controller(much better than with a keyboard for me and many others), so I don't really understand what you really talking about...

[Khal_Drogo]

Sorry to say but this action bar works seriously well with a controller(much better than with a keyboard for me and many others), so I don't really understand what you really talking about...

Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many ifrit fights I've been in where ppl got caught in one of the specialty moves b/c they were having to coordinate looking down to hit a key, or pay close attention to which icon their controller is scrolling onto? And how many times I've accidentally scrolled down to a 2nd or 3rd list while scrolling left/right b/c the d-pad is too sensitive?

The action bar is a HORRIBLE template for controller users...so, "I don't really understand what *you're talking about" <.<

[Rydin]

Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many ifrit fights I've been in where ppl got caught in one of the specialty moves b/c they were having to coordinate looking down to hit a key, or pay close attention to which icon their controller is scrolling onto? And how many times I've accidentally scrolled down to a 2nd or 3rd list while scrolling left/right b/c the d-pad is too sensitive?

The action bar is a HORRIBLE template for controller users...so, "I don't really understand what *you're talking about" <.<

Do you know how many people I play with who that's never happened to?

and the same people too distracted by the action bar to get out the way of an Ifrit ability....
Do you think they wont suffer the same fate with a nested menu?

[Natabant]

Do you know how many people I play with who that's never happened to?

3? lol

It does happen...

[Khal_Drogo]

...and the same people too distracted by the action bar to get out the way of an Ifrit ability....
Do you think they wont suffer the same fate with a nested menu?

Actually, I do. In fact, they'll probably dodge them like pros. How often do you remember yourself opening up your battle menu, in XI, and trying to take a look at your timers?

....It never happened. No one felt the need to look at timers. They just spammed their macro, got prompted w/ a mssg in the chat log box, letting them know what their timers were at, and went on their merry way. If nothing else, they should use the down/up buttons on the d-pad for something else, and use L1/R1 for swapping between slot lines. Personally, I hate the active and passive modes.

The menu system looks nice; it's nostalgic; it's efficient; and, best of all, it doesn't have to replace anything.....OPTIONS, "yes please." Why does it always have to be either/or?

[Rydin]

....It never happened. No one felt the need to look at timers. They just spammed their macro, got prompted w/ a mssg in the chat log box, letting them know what their timers were at, and went on their merry way.

You've sold me... I can't think of a more efficient way to do it. Spamming macros to see my cooldowns... sounds genius.. why can't every game do that....
oh wait...

edit: Really? thats really the solution? I had to edit just to say, once again, how bad that sounds

[Alcide]

Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many ifrit fights I've been in where ppl got caught in one of the specialty moves b/c they were having to coordinate looking down to hit a key, or pay close attention to which icon their controller is scrolling onto? And how many times I've accidentally scrolled down to a 2nd or 3rd list while scrolling left/right b/c the d-pad is too sensitive?

The action bar is a HORRIBLE template for controller users...so, "I don't really understand what *you're talking about" <.<

Dude... change party '>.>

Seriously, I never thought this thread could have gone this long, so let's cut it down. Fast paced BS + text based menu is a total fail, from every point of view. If you wanna do somethin fast you just don't want to read, you want to recognize what you're gonna do by giving just a quick glance at the menu, you don't want to stop reading, and that's why an action bar with icons is way better than a classic FF menu. I agree that the fact that you have to scroll it down is annoying, but they alrady said they're gonna make all of the actions visible at the same time, so that's really not an argument. And some icons are looking quite too similar (hello Second Wind and Dark Seal) but the majority of them are definitely recogniable.

Now I get that a classic FF menu can have its own fashion, that someone might like its feeling of nostalgia, but let's just stop pretending that it could work better. Every designer knows that icons owns text ALWAYS, in any situation, in any project, videogame or whatever. It's just a fact.

[Sophia]

Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea how many ifrit fights I've been in where ppl got caught in one of the specialty moves b/c they were having to coordinate looking down to hit a key, or pay close attention to which icon their controller is scrolling onto? And how many times I've accidentally scrolled down to a 2nd or 3rd list while scrolling left/right b/c the d-pad is too sensitive?

The action bar is a HORRIBLE template for controller users...so, "I don't really understand what *you're talking about" <.<

I use a controller and i have no problems whatsoever using skills in battle and i find the action bar is perfect for controller users after all it doesnt take a rocket scientist to map abilities to a convenient spot.
If you are having problems using abilities with a controller its your own fault or you are using a crappy third party controller in which case its still your fault.