Suggestion: Dual targeting

[Tantalus3D]

Can you probably add an advanced targeting setting, that lets the player have a friendly and an enemy target at the same time?
All buffs and heals would be cast on the friendly target, all attacks on the enemy. Selecting a different friendly target won't change the selected enemy and vice versa. Deselecting targets would deselect both.
This would make many Jobs so much better to play, especially with a controller.

[Adeacia]

I'd be OK with this but knowing the playerbase most would claim that it "reduces the complexity and makes the game boring."

[Kemiko]

Considering how those skills default to you when targeting an enemy I've made more use out of that than needing to buff or cleanse an ally - unless the primary purpose for this is healing which I don't agree would actively benefit that area over current design.

Personally I find targeting easier on controller than kbm. Have you tried editing your targeting controls to fit your needs?

[Tantalus3D]

Well, it could just be a setting to turn on, that way nobody has to use it.
I'm still fairly new (my main job is only 54), so I don't really know how the endgame plays, but playing a low-level healer with a controller sucks. Most of the time I stick to healing only because changing targets is too much of a hassle. And as a paladin, I barely use "Cover" because until I got the right target selected it is already too late. Having a friendly target preselected (a healer for example) would make this skill much more useful.

[Dzian]

The game is fine on controller. Soft targets are a thing. You can have the enemy targeted but still toss that heal on a dps without losing target of the boss.

You can target very quickly on a controller if you set it up and tweak filters to your personal preferences.
One thing I've done is set R3 to a simple /assist macro. That alone makes life much easier because If I've got a boss targeted and press R3 bam whichever tank has hate is ready for a shield or heal. Press R3 again and back to the boss for more broil spam. Quick easy and effortless. Even works in alliance when another parties tank has hate and I wanna just help keep em up a little bit. One button and done...

I've got a programmable button on the back of my controller also set to /target <f> and between those. A well set up party list and some decent filters. Targeting is quick and easy.

[WalxAtNite]

Well, it could just be a setting to turn on, that way nobody has to use it.
I'm still fairly new (my main job is only 54), so I don't really know how the endgame plays, but playing a low-level healer with a controller sucks. Most of the time I stick to healing only because changing targets is too much of a hassle. And as a paladin, I barely use "Cover" because until I got the right target selected it is already too late. Having a friendly target preselected (a healer for example) would make this skill much more useful.

Set your focus target to the friendly, maybe? I'm not sure I'm understanding completely either. It isn't you. It's me.

[Kirika-]

The functionality is already in game, sorta..... Focus Target
Use macros to set up your friendly target skills to cast onto whomever you have your Focus assigned too.
This, then, requires no target changing.

To use a controller to mark your focus target:
>Target
>Press Square (opens tiny menu)
>Up on the d-pad (instantly scrolls to bottom of tiny menu)
>Press X
>Target focused.


Make a macro for the skill you will be using on the focus target and assign it's icon to your button bar.
/ac "Name of the Skill" <f>

Example:
/ac "Clemency" <f>

[Tantalus3D]

The functionality is already in game, sorta..... Focus Target
Use macros to set up your friendly target skills to cast onto whomever you have your Focus assigned too.
This, then, requires no target changing.

OK, thank you, will look into that.

But still, thinking about new players, they already have so much to learn, for them also to learn how to make macros is way too much to ask.
Healing is very stressful as it is right now, the soft target doesn't really help there. I think many new players will be turned off by that and having dual targets will make it just a little bit easier. You already have sooo many Buttons to press, when playing with a controller, I don't think to add more is going to help. But having two targets (and still the soft target additionally) will result in a little bit fewer button presses and especially for healers in a better gaming experience.

[Shurrikhan]

Been suggesting this since ARR. Macros could do the trick, too, ofc, if only the devs hadn't intentionally gutted them from the start, but I'd honestly prefer this. Alternatively, we should at least be able to use stacked keys (e.g. Cure II and Glare on the same hotbar slot, swapping upon ally/enemy target) and specific targeting procedures bindable to any skill, including those in stacked keys.

[Niwashi]

I wouldn't be opposed to a dual targeting system so long as they could make it easy enough to control which target you're trying to set or change, though I could see that potentially adding as much complexity as it's saving.

What we have now already does have quite a bit of flexibility. For healing, so long as in party based content I stick with "Enemies" mode filtering, so that up/down cycles the party and left/right cycles enemies, I haven't had much trouble targeting who I want. (There's also L1+ up/down when you need to be more specific about which enemy to hit, though that's usually more of an issue when playing DPS or tank than for healers.) The only time I have trouble targeting is if I accidentally switch targeting filters, which only happens if it's hectic enough that I get a bit fumble-fingered, and only rarely even then.

I do agree that the soft targeting is of limited use on healer, who might want to cast several healing skills in a row or several attack skills in a row depending on how the fight is going. It's more useful for a damage dealer's support skills, which are more likely to be one-offs.