GNB from controller player perspective

[Messiah601]

For full transparency I haven't yet leveled my gunbreaker, but last night I was mapping out my layout for the new class and I felt overwhelmed by the amount of abilities. The actual number of abilities isn't that much different from the other tanks, but where the others seem to have abilities you will press once every 60/90/120 seconds and forget it, gunbreaker has more buttons that need spamming. Even without understanding the complexities of the class, I couldn't help but wonder why continuation is even a button. Couldn't the ready-to-rip/tear/gouge combo actions just combo off of their respective actions. It may be a small gripe, but my controller layout would feel so much better with just 1 or 2 less buttons needing to occupy what I consider prime real estate (I don't like having to switch to other hotbars, or use the double cross features for frequently used abilities). I could be totally wrong, looking for feedback, specifically from my controller brethren. Thanks in advance.

[Exoxo]

And it begins, see you in 6.0 when GNB becomes a War clone like Drk.

[Izsha]

The solution to controller issues is just bite the bullet and swap hotbars. Its an adjustment but once you make it, life is so much better in game. I remember the overwhelming feeling when i was forced to move to a 2nd set. And it took a few days to get used to it. But 5 years later it was MORE than worth it.

You just have to bite the bullet and work through new muscle memory. 2 full sets to toggle. I later picked up another half bar with 8 actions with the left+right trigger bar. I put long recast items and rarely used items there (potions, immunities, stun/silence, number markers).

With 2 bars you cant get 'lost' cycling as its a binary toggle (3 would be terrible). And the double bar is always available no matter which one you are currently on.

Brains are good at adapting. Just make it adapt.

Odly enough with all the culling i now have empty spaces adter dealing with HW/SB now in ShB.

[Nedkel]

You have 40 buttons available for you with a matter of clicking L2 and R2 and macros to use, GNB has 30 skills + role.

Seems fine to me.
Merge few abilities and skills together into one button if you like i used to do that on PLD.

[Xtrasweettea]

I change crossbars to help. I have a crossbar dedicated to AOE and the other dedicated to Single Target.

I do macro my defensive cooldowns together (except Superbolde) and have Bow Shock, Sonic Break, Blasting Zone, and Rough Divide on a macro. I then have a locked, full time on-the-screen bar dedicated to macrod actions that act like a visual timer for me (or if I have to, mouse click the action).

If you plan on doing any savage, extreme, or ultimate... I would stay away from stacking oGCDs like I do in macros. Macros can delay actions, and we don't want anyone one to eat a full TB because their macro'd Rampart failed to activate in time.

[Arkenne]

I played a bit with the simulator and came with a layout I thought out would be nice pre-launch, based of off my layout on other tanks.
Only to find out that its fundamentally different despite having the same 123 base.
After all it can go 123123124344 or whatever.

On my preference I use the "Press left trigger then right trigger to show this set left side" and "Press the right trigger then left trigger to show this set right side" setting for the controller.
While my view is always on another set thats dedicated for single target situations, or change to another thats set for AoE situations.

for a total of dancing between 3 sets.

Wish there was an easy way to share my setting...
Lemme try to explain it tho.

(Before we begin: please note that I use an xbox one controller)
So, Visually on single target Im ALWAYS on Set 3, Set 3 has all the "Long CD or requires a proc" offensive skills.
So on Set 3 Left side we have:
Up > No Mercy
Left > Bloodfest
Down > Bow Shock
Right > Blasting Zone
Y > Solid Barrel
X > Sonic Break
A > Gnashing Fang
B > Brutal Shell

Meanwhile on Set 3 Right side we have:
A > Rough Divide
B > Lightning Shot

Set 1 is the one where there are stuff I do press but don't really require my visual attention.
So by pressing Left trigger then the right trigger we have the Set 1 Left side like this:
Y > Wicked Talon
X > Continuation
A > Keen Edge
B > Savage Claw

If I happen to have a Charge that I want to dump on Burst Strike, it is on the Set 1 Right side, so pressing the Right trigger then the Left will be like:
B > Burst Strike

The logic here is that everything you need to keep track of (thats offensively oriented) will be on the left side of set 3. When you enter the Gnashing Fang combo, its a matter of pressing and releasing the right trigger to use Continuation, the other combos and see if there is any other oGCD you want to doubleweave.

[Izsha]

If youre having trouble tracking CDs then just make a dummy set of icons on your screen that arent tied to the controller. (Can post picture when i get home).

Basically i have my controller hotbars. Then off to the right of them i have a little group of 12 squares with duplicates of stuff i want to track timers so they are always on the screen. I have stuff like potions, immunities, offensive buffs, ogcds etc so i can watch those timers regardless of what bar im on.

Edit: also, PLEASE dont combine skills into on button via macros. It will just make you a worse player without the ability to control what skill you use, and you still have to deal with the delay cause by using macros that will prevent double weaves and delay your gcds. Macros should he used as sparingly as possible in this game since they dont 'cue up' before hand like normal buttons.

[Messiah601]

I appreciate the good advice here but I'm already taking advantage of most of the above mentioned. It would be easier to show than tell, so I'll post a pic later when I get home. However, I do enable the hidden hotbars (L2 + R2, R2 + L2), so I'm already working with 32 buttons, this is what I referred to as "prime real estate." I then have half of the double cross hotbar (L2 L2, R2 R2) on either side, giving me 8 more total. Also, I have some dummy bars to show cooldowns. With 40 available actions I can do most everything I want with ease and comfort on most jobs, so I guess I'm just nit-picking, but when I see an ability like continuation I cringe a little. It's not that it's all bad design imo, it's just that the ability doesn't do anything until you hit gnashing blade and then it's the every other button.. button. I dont think it would turn GNB into a WAR clone by borrowing that philosophy of Gnashing Blade turns into Ready to Rip, ala Fell Cleave into Inner Chaos. Personally, I rejoiced the day they made Inner Beast the same button as Fell Cleave, you should have seen my complicated-as-hell change hotbar/change stance macros back in the 3.x days. Maybe I should have titled this thread: "Why is Continuation? A controller player's plight to satisfy his OCD."

PS: Macros are not optimal (almost always) and so I use only the most necessary of macros. Keep in mind also things like potions, ready check, limit break etc as actions occupying precious space that are not necessarily GNB actions.

[Izsha]

I appreciate the good advice here but I'm already taking advantage of most of the above mentioned. It would be easier to show than tell, so I'll post a pic later when I get home. However, I do enable the hidden hotbars (L2 + R2, R2 + L2), so I'm already working with 32 buttons, this is what I referred to as "prime real estate." I then have half of the double cross hotbar (L2 L2, R2 R2) on either side, giving me 8 more total. Also, I have some dummy bars to show cooldowns. With 40 available actions I can do most everything I want with ease and comfort on most jobs, so I guess I'm just nit-picking, but when I see an ability like continuation I cringe a little. It's not that it's all bad design imo, it's just that the ability doesn't do anything until you hit gnashing blade and then it's the every other button.. button. I dont think it would turn GNB into a WAR clone by borrowing that philosophy of Gnashing Blade turns into Ready to Rip, ala Fell Cleave into Inner Chaos. Personally, I rejoiced the day they made Inner Beast the same button as Fell Cleave, you should have seen my complicated-as-hell change hotbar/change stance macros back in the 3.x days. Maybe I should have titled this thread: "Why is Continuation? A controller player's plight to satisfy his OCD."

PS: Macros are not optimal (almost always) and so I use only the most necessary of macros. Keep in mind also things like potions, ready check, limit break etc as actions occupying precious space that are not necessarily GNB actions.

Not sure if its an option for you but i have a few things hotkeyed to my arrows on keyboard. Notably sprint, mount, teleport, home point. Tank lbs are always watching the cinimatic attack anyway with tons of time to hit it.

If hybrid doesnt work, you can always make use of a 3rd hotbar for transportation, ready check, non combat etc and check the box to have that hotbar turn off when your weapon is drawn. I ised that for a while before i hybrid stuff on my keyboard. Any non-combat action you can just have unavailable during combat but there when youre not.

Although i i just hit ready checks and countdowns from the menu. Not everything needs to he on a hotkey :P

[TheForce]

And it begins, see you in 6.0 when GNB becomes a War clone like Drk.

Rest in peace 4.0 Dark Knight, you weren't perfect, but you had potential, were fun, and actually tried to be unique.

Gone but never forgotten.