Combo Action Button

[Sylve]

Actually, it would. Not only will it miss align buffs due to pressing less buttons, this makes it impossible for Dragoon to double weave. Simply put, it would be a significant impact on the job. Not to mention, this turns it into an off-shot of Ninja. The whole point of Dragoon is a simplistic but long combo sequence. Combining half its combo together defeats that purpose.

As for the topic itself. No.

The combo consolidation reduces every job effected by it to essentially spamming a single button more often than not. While it may seem subtle, I much prefer having to press different buttons for each combo. Furthermore, it's actually more likely to fat finger your abilities as you wouldn't be able to rely on muscle memory. All in all, not only does Dragoon not have a button bloat issue at the moment. We simply don't need a bunch of new abilities anyway. I would much prefer they focus on the jobs dying off than try to shoehorn in new abilities to ones who don't need them just to say "look at the new shiny".

So give it as an option. When I have to use both Shift and Alt as modifiers because I ran out of buttons on my keyboard/mouse, There are too many skills taking up too many slots.


Dragoon would stand to benefit a whole lot, at least for me. Currently playing my DRG is:
8 9 0 E
1 2 3 Q

This doesn't include the various buffs and single use skills like BotD, Heavy Thrust and the various jumps.
But being able to condense those 8 keybinds into 2 would be a bloody godsend.
The only mechanical change for players is that Impulse Drive becomes Disembowel when used. At the top with Wheeling Thrust + Fang and Claw, it need only change the other combo path button to the appropriate skill. 8 Skills, 2 keybinds.
But I see no reason that would stop you from using oGCDs like Jumps etc between weaponskills if it essentially just replaced Impulse Drive with Disembowel etc. Same with Doomspike and Sonic Thrust, I will NEVER use Sonic without first using Doomspike, so let me press ` ` instead of ` S+`
The only change would be that I pressed 22221 instead of 8 9 0 E Q, which frees up keybinds for other skills.

Does the pvp Combo button reset the chain if you don't press it 4 times in sequence? If it does, that's horrible and can piss right off. That's not what I'd like to see. I just want to see the next step in the chain replace the preceding skill for the duration we currently have for the Combo Action to be lit up since the preceeding skill is NEVER used while the followup skill is lit up. I'd still need 8 button presses, just not 8 hotkeys.


For something like Paladin, where there are branches,
Example, If I used Fast Blade and then Riot Strike intending to use Royal Authority, but needed to refresh Goring Blade instead, id set 3 combo paths onto 1, 2 and 3. 1 Would be a full Fast -> Halone combo, 2 would be Fast -> Goring and 3 would be Fast -> Royal Authority.
Then, in the example above, I would hit 3 3 2, since the combo path leading to Goring is updated to Goring Blade once Riot Strike is used from Combo path 3. I would have the exact same options as I do presently to take a different branch at the end of the path, just with fewer keybinds.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

So give it as an option. When I have to use both Shift and Alt as modifiers because I ran out of buttons on my keyboard/mouse, There are too many skills taking up too many slots.


Dragoon would stand to benefit a whole lot, at least for me. Currently playing my DRG is:
8 9 0 E
1 2 3 Q

This doesn't include the various buffs and single use skills like BotD, Heavy Thrust and the various jumps.
But being able to condense those 8 keybinds into 2 would be a bloody godsend.
The only mechanical change for players is that Impulse Drive becomes Disembowel when used. At the top with Wheeling Thrust + Fang and Claw, it need only change the other combo path button to the appropriate skill. 8 Skills, 2 keybinds.
But I see no reason that would stop you from using oGCDs like Jumps etc between weaponskills if it essentially just replaced Impulse Drive with Disembowel etc. Same with Doomspike and Sonic Thrust, I will NEVER use Sonic without first using Doomspike, so let me press ` ` instead of ` S+`
The only change would be that I pressed 22221 instead of 8 9 0 E Q, which frees up keybinds for other skills.

Does the pvp Combo button reset the chain if you don't press it 4 times in sequence? If it does, that's horrible and can piss right off. That's not what I'd like to see. I just want to see the next step in the chain replace the preceding skill for the duration we currently have for the Combo Action to be lit up since the preceeding skill is NEVER used while the followup skill is lit up. I'd still need 8 button presses, just not 8 hotkeys.


For something like Paladin, where there are branches,
Example, If I used Fast Blade and then Riot Strike intending to use Royal Authority, but needed to refresh Goring Blade instead, id set 3 combo paths onto 1, 2 and 3. 1 Would be a full Fast -> Halone combo, 2 would be Fast -> Goring and 3 would be Fast -> Royal Authority.
Then, in the example above, I would hit 3 3 2, since the combo path leading to Goring is updated to Goring Blade once Riot Strike is used from Combo path 3. I would have the exact same options as I do presently to take a different branch at the end of the path, just with fewer keybinds.

It's called playing a MMO.

If you're running out of space, invest in a MMO mouse which is designed specifically for this. I scarcely even use my keyboard—virtually everything can be done on my mouse. Using modifiers comes with the genre. The last thing I ever want to see is the game being simplified to the point we don't even need modifiers anymore. I actually want to press buttons, not spam the same few endlessly. That one change you cite is precisely what I don't want. Not only does 2221-1112 feel incredibly dull, it forces you to watch your hot bars more closely because you can no longer rely entirely on muscle memory.

Making it an option doesn't work because it won't remain an option. The devs aren't going to spend the resources necessary to implement a combo consolidation system into PvE only to also still prune out or simply not add new abilities. They're just going to tell anyone who dislike their combos on two buttons to "deal with it." So in reality, the only one who benefits is you. Not me. Hence why I want nothing to do with combo consolation.

On a separate note. I have to question your setup. Why would you ever put your main combo on 890E? Even without a dedicated MMO mouse, you should neither need to do that nor want to since three of those keys are in Narnia.

Being a healer, your dps spells arent your top priority, and they don't combo so that dont need to worry about GCD clipping or anything like that. You'll also only be dpsing when you're not to stressed, so you wouldnt typically be queuing up DPS spells anyway, and even if you were, you'd probably waste as much time changing targets anyway.

Uh... WHM would like to have a word with you about the near 500-600 DPS increase AST received almost exclusively because they made clipping your GCD a non-issue. Furthermore, there is zero scenarios where you aren't DPSing as a healer in this game. Even in Savage and Ultimate, you'll spend a significant amount of time dealing damage. Or have the opportunity to do so. The only excuse not to is when you're progging the fights.

[MidnightS]

There are a couple buttons they could get rid of for certain abilities. Impact (RDM) doesn't really need it's own button (have it replace Jolt II), nor does Enkindle Bahamut (SMN) (have it replace Summon Bahamut).

[XiXiQ]

They definitely need to keep the lid on the button bloat, I don't care how they do it in the end but juggling 30+ odd buttons is ridiculously complicated for no particular gain. Add content like Eureka and they're giving everyone nothing but cramps.

[Penthea]

Pvp combo action buttons work well in pvp because all the classes are drastically stripped down to a very basic level.

Classes are far more complex in pve. Not only would the combo action button dramatically reduce the amount of skill and knowledge needed to play some classes, they would be laughably simple compared to others who cannot benefit from this feature. This would cause severe imbalance. Nevermind how freaking dull it would be to spam one button so much.

There are other ways of reducing skill bloat that can benefit all classes instead of using a system that clearly favours a certain type of class and is completely irrelevant to others.

[Gemina]

Combos cannot and should not be consolidated in PvE. What you're talking about would change the PvE combat system entirely. I don't play a lot of jobs, but every single one I do weaves (sometimes double weaves) ogcds/instant abilities between the weaponskills required for their combos. And if even one job is impacted negatively, then the whole concept crashes and burns.

There is already a limit to the maximum number of skills the devs can implement and give us access to during PvE, and I am sure they are well aware of it. This is reduced greatly due to the game having players that use a controller. This basically gives the devs a maximum of 48 skills (excluding passive traits) to give players access to during combat, or 3 cross bars. The pet classes are an exception and use a 4th, and actually have room for additional skills on this bar if the devs wanted to go there.

There are simpler ways to reduce/prevent button bloat if this is your chief concern. For starters, some jobs have innate gcd skills that go unused because there is always a better gcd to use. Think Repose for WHM. I also believe the role skill system is either being revamped, or (hopefully) being done away with entirely. There are a lot of skills here that can just go away and we won't miss them. Several other skills were wrongfully taken away from their respective jobs, and you can probably expect jobs like AST and WHM to lose access to skills like Eye4Eye come 5.0.

[Reynhart]

I don't play a lot of jobs, but every single one I do weaves (sometimes double weaves) ogcds/instant abilities between the weaponskills required for their combos.

Having several weapon skills on one button won't change anything about the number of GCD you will use, so weaving skills between them would still be the same.

Apologies.

No worries.

I assumed you also wanted to delete Heavy Thrust because virtually every combo consolidation requests comes with that caveat, which would impact DRG in the manner I outlined.

If I could, I wouldn't remove any skill. But, unless we use the consolidated combo system, it obviously won't reduce the button bloat. AFAIK, no first step has any bonus, so at least we could easily fuse all of them for every job.

[Beckett]

Combos cannot and should not be consolidated in PvE. What you're talking about would change the PvE combat system entirely. I don't play a lot of jobs, but every single one I do weaves (sometimes double weaves) ogcds/instant abilities between the weaponskills required for their combos.

What's the difference between
pressing 1, double weaving my ogcds, then pressing 2
or
pressing 1, double weaving my ogcds, then pressing 1 again?

[Gemina]

What's the difference between
pressing 1, double weaving my ogcds, then pressing 2
or
pressing 1, double weaving my ogcds, then pressing 1 again?

I misunderstood the intention behind this combo button. Weaving is not an issue this way, but I still don't know how it would work as not everyone combos the same. NIN has three finishers; DRK goes either 1-2-3, or 1-4-5, so since the second skill either rotation is different they couldn't take advantage of this button in any way. I am sure each combo using a job can provide at least one con about this combo button.

It just seems wonky, and as I said earlier; there are better and more efficient ways to reduce/prevent button bloat. Some of which are issues that need to be addressed now, and not send everyone with muscle memory into a craze as they relearn how to execute their weaponskills.

[Beckett]

I misunderstood the intention behind this combo button. Weaving is not an issue this way, but I still don't know how it would work as not everyone combos the same. NIN has three finishers; DRK goes either 1-2-3, or 1-4-5, so since the second skill either rotation is different they couldn't take advantage of this button in any way. I am sure each combo using a job can provide at least one con about this combo button.

It just seems wonky, and as I said earlier; there are better and more efficient ways to reduce/prevent button bloat. Some of which are issues that need to be addressed now, and not send everyone with muscle memory into a craze as they relearn how to execute their weaponskills.

Totally agreed. Auto-combos don't work for most jobs, because most jobs have off-shoot combos. In PVP they get around this by giving you multiple auto-combos. For example, Paladin has one auto-combo that does Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Royal Authority, and another that does Fast Blade > Savage Blade > Rage of Halone. These auto-combos can work off each other as well, so if you started out with Fast Blade on the first combo, you could still switch to the second combo to finish up with Savage Blade > Rage of Halone. Add a third auto-combo for Fast Blade > Riot Blade > Goring Blade and you've covered all of PLD's current combos in three buttons, and saved three buttons in the process.

Personally, I don't know if I would like this system. I think I would get used to it, but hitting a different button for each part of my combo is fun, and makes a fight feel more dynamic. I still think auto-combos should be considered as a means to reduce button bloat (especially for the rare job that doesn't have any combo off-shoots), but there are definitely other methods they could implement that are less divisive.