Part 3

That's the first part of the problem:
the way FF macros only work with autotriggering skills in a row with a wait time,
instead of WoW, which has a custom internal queue reset timer, that you either use or lose, meaning having to have actual skills to know what macro sequence to activate, and when to trigger the subsequent parts within it.


So the second part is how the combat mechanics are designed: Combos.
WoW has a lot of procs, passive, rng, or controlled.
In FF all skills are controlled. You MUST use A to unlock/buff > B: repeat > C: repeat D:.....
Hard to stay on one topic since this all these things are connected....

But yeah, if I had any design power, I would change as much as possible into more buffs and procs, instead of this forced tunnel rotation.
WoW gameplay is more fun due to slightly faster cooldowns, more filler actions, it reacts faster and has a better flow. Classic not so much, and retail can be very spammy, but it feels like a actual combat game, where FF feels like a dance dance rythm game.

Look at the samurai for example (I'm not using all the right skill names for obvious reasons):
You slash - 10% dmg buff, 10% speed buff, blue sen, yellow sen, red sen, megasplerg attack, aoe1 to do aoe2 and aoe3 to refresh dmg/haste buffs.
And every 55sec you blow meiyko for instant 3 sen charges.
I mean that's not very fun or allow much for a creative playstyle. It's more like someone yelling at you "DO IT IN THE RIGHT ORDER OR ELSE!!"

All the time in the same order... I think I start to see a pattern here, how FF is big on music, devs play instruments and in bands, gameplay is like playing a piano, requires you to keep in rythm with the tempo?

The desired gameplay change I'm trying to paint is... let me get out more combos, faster, at my pace, if I want to.
FF combat in the current state doesn't allow any of that to a satisfying degree.
Too little, too slow, too restricted.

And sadly I have to end this post before even getting warm.... the missing 20/25 pages coming soon.
I know you love this stuff.