Why can't we just have combo chains?

[artlessknave]

yes, there are too many buttons that seem to exist for the sole reason of creating the appearance of more depth than there actually is. completely redundant or unneeded that do nothing more than need require more hotkeys than are humanly possible to use

[Arohk]

Okay, here is what it looks like for samurai on 80, just look at this mess.

this is just the normal damage rotation i need to do for single target. try to follow the line

Red>Orange>Yellow>Green


+offcooldown skills in between.
And the stuff in my Crossbar i have to click because there is no space left for my hotkeys i can handle.

[Tlamila]

Okay, here is what it looks like for samurai on 80, just look at this mess.

this is just the normal damage rotation i need to do for single target. try to follow the line

Red>Orange>Yellow>Green
+offcooldown skills in between.
And the stuff in my Crossbar i have to click because there is no space left for my hotkeys i can handle.

Mh about that, totally unrelated to the OP but have you considered settings your skills differently? I have them so tidely ordered that I never had such a...order groove.
Also honestly, samurai is one of the classes with the least skill bloat.

[Arohk]

Mh about that, totally unrelated to the OP but have you considered settings your skills differently? I have them so tidely ordered that I never had such a...order groove.
Also honestly, samurai is one of the classes with the least skill bloat.

i am constantly optimizing the keybinds when ever i find something uncomfortable, i arrange them by priority and how often i use them, if i need to use something quick i can not click it.

It is impractical, because it's too many hotkeys...

[Maeka]

i am constantly optimizing the keybinds when ever i find something uncomfortable, i arrange them by priority and how often i use them, if i need to use something quick i can not click it.

It is impractical, because it's too many hotkeys...

You mention clicking.... this implies you're on a PC and choosing to use controllers, or you have a mouse hooked up to your PS4?

Ever considered using a keyboard instead of a controller? That just sounds like that would be far, far better IMO. Heck, I think even a PS4 lets you hook up a keyboard to it (friend of mine mentions having a keyboard hooked up to hers), don't see why you couldn't do the same for a mouse.

That way, you would have 36 buttons which is enough for every job in the game, at your disposal with only two button presses (shift+ and ctrl+) and it's only a matter of mapping them to where you'd memorize them and all of the buttons would have equally fast access, except for the first 1 through = being just a smidge easier.

To be quite honest, a game like this just doesn't lend itself well to a controller IMO. I've tried it, and it's just too cumbersome IMO. It's neat that they made a way that it is possible to use a controller, but yet one should accept the fact that it is going to be less optimal than using a KB/M. The same goes for first person shooter games.

But then on the flipside, before anybody accuses me of starting a PC/Console war, most side-scrollers are way better on controller (at least the ones that don't require precision aiming).

It simply comes down to picking the best tool for the job, and that's what controllers, keyboards, and mice are for; they are tools to interact with your computer/console/whatever. Use the right one for the right application, really.

EDIT: So I looked at your screenshot again, closely and this baffles me...

You have a combination of 1 through 7,
Numpad,
Controller buttons,

And that's just making me go wtf?

How are you even playing the game with that setup? Not to judge you or anything, but... how are you swapping your hands between the leftside of the keyboard, a controller (because you have things bound to LT) and on the right side, you're swapping between the controller (RT), the Numpad, and I would assume the mouse (unless you're using left stick to turn the camera instead of the mouse)?

Do you have, like, four arms and hands or something? lol.

I can't imagine any scenario in which you're not furiously swapping your hands between the controller and the keyboard... that has got to be uncomfortable as frick, surely? Is there something I'm missing?

EDIT2: So let me get this straight... the green line...

7 on the keyboard with left hand
RT+Square with right hand
Numpad 1 with right hand (swapping it from the controller to whatever it is that you're hitting those keys with, keyboard, Nostromo, etc)
Keyboard 6 (having to grab the controller with the right hand so you can use your left hand to hit the button)
F4 (which is quite a decent reach which tells me you're not using WASD for movement)

..... just.... no wonder you think SAM is so hard. I'll post a screenshot of mine using full keyboard setup later.

[Arohk]

You mention clicking.... this implies you're on a PC and choosing to use controllers, or you have a mouse hooked up to your PS4?

How does "clicking" imply i use a controller? You click with a mouse.
i have 9 hotkeys bound to my thumb buttons on my razer Naga and 15 on my keyboard, as you can see on my screenshots, i use F1 F2 F3 F4 F5...

The Num Buttons are the side buttons on my mouse, not the actual num block, no have no controller, i only use the crossbar for skills i click on.

Here is my logic to my keybinds, as the samura has 3 basic skill rotations, i bound them to be

2 > #2
2 > 1 > #1
2 > 3 > #3
makes it easier to remember.

[AmeliaVerves]

How does "clicking" imply i use a controller? You click with a mouse.
i have 9 hotkeys bound to my thumb buttons on my razer Naga and 15 on my keyboard, as you can see on my screenshots, i use F1 F2 F3 F4 F5...

The Num Buttons are the side buttons on my mouse, not the actual num block, no have no controller, i only use the crossbar for skills i click on.

Here is my logic to my keybinds, as the samura has 3 basic skill rotations, i bound them to be

2 > #2
2 > 1 > #1
2 > 3 > #3
makes it easier to remember.

Hmm, you are not utilizing Q and E at all.
So wouldn't it be easier to put more skills on the keyboard and then use some of the mouse buttons on the side as shift/ctrl left/ctrl right modifiers? so you can quickly switch between the 'sets'?

Idk most of the time I'm playing on controller and I have yet to find a class where you cannot easily put all buttons in a way you can play smoothly, and I have leveld them all.
Since most ppl say it's easier on mouse+keyboard I'd assume it is mostly up to utilizing your buttons and modifiers smartly.



To the topic itself:
I prefer having different buttons for each combo skill, because even tho ppl keep saying that it's "braindead" and "too easy anyways" pressing a rotation it is indeed making a big difference especially in hard content. DPS checks are a thing because ppl are often doing their rotation wrong or don't know it in the first place. It definetly adds a layer of difficulty in already stressful fights and seperates good from not so good players.
It would indeed simplify the gameplay quite a lot if they changed this, imo and I'd rather not see the game watered down even more.