As a PS4/PS5 user how will you manage so many new skills on a controller?

[Naria]

This seems like a personal preference issue? I use KB in some games and MMOs but in FFXIV I find playing this game with a controller much smoother than when I've used kb/(MMO) mouse. There are only a few things I prefer the mouse for and 95% of that is out of combat so I just put my controller down and use my mouse--mostly for inventory management and targeting in crowds or raising in Bozja/Eureka, as soon as something is on an enemy/party/alliance list it is easy to target them even with a controller. The only thing I've really felt like I would prefer mouse for might be last minute uses of Rescue.

If you prefer mouse and KB then use that, correct me if I am wrong it works just fine on playstation, just click Keyboard and mouse under character config.

I don't have a problem managing all of my abilities, some jobs actually have less now than they use to, and some of the new abilities in the expansion will be upgrades to existing ones.

Edit:
Yes, you can kb/m on PS4/5
https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/uiguide/faq/

[SaberMaxwell]

I play controller on PC, and my answer is: I use the expanded crossbar controls (l2+r2 and r2+l2) for easy access to 32+ abilities which is more than enough. If I need more there's the W bar (l2+l2 and r2+r2) for even more, but I opt to not use that because I'm the kinda person who would press the trigger once thinking o pressed it twice and misfiring something lol.

[SilverObi]

I'll manage the same way I've been since ARR: quite easily as the game is designed from the ground up to work comfortably with a controller.

[Yhisa]

Pretty easily tbh , u just need to know how to edit the crossbar to make things easier

As many people pointed out in this discussion

L2 = 8 buttons
R2 = 8 buttons

In cross bar settings u can add more inputs with these commands but u must enable it for it to work, this will turn Ur cross bar 8 into Ur "back buttons"

L2 + R2 = 8 buttons
R2 + L2 = 8 buttons

U can also use R3 and L3 for macros , for example I have sprint macro to L3 and Focus target on R3

U can also set up your cross bar to only switch between 2 bars when Ur weapon is unsheathed which u can make it switch from cross bar 1 (single target rotation) and when u press R1 it will switch to crossbar 2 (Aoe rotation)

Like for example why would u need Aoe skills for single target rotation? That's just bloat, so u make 2 bars

Crossbar 1 single target rotation
Crossbar 2 Aoe rotation

And just swap back and forth between the two base on how many infront of u

Been around for 8 years and done near legit all content (prepping for endwalker for the past month now)

[Gameovers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-efoy0-alY8

Does this help?

[Illmaeran]

Where on earth are you getting this 5 news skills idea from. Admittedly I have only looked at jobs I play regularly, But of those Monk actually has less skills now, Dancer gets 2 new ones, Red Mage gets 1

They're adding two new classes, so we're going to get an additional 5 skills to account for.

[Sqwall]

I have been playing since PS3 and the cross hotbar was a god send for ANYONE that plays specifically on console.

When they added Mouse and Keyboard support...it was just even more welcome.

Having said that. Bloat never become more apparent until Stormblood came out. It was pretty bad to play competitively when you had to switch to different hotbars all the time. The W-Cross hotbar/expanded cross hotbar is where it's at.

Where I have become leaning to...more...and more. Is in high end content extremes/savages you have to build hotbars built for high end content.

Current Extreme/Savage hotbars:
-no AOE's on majority DPS and TANKS set to hotbars. Most content doesn't need them and this cleans up your hotbars for skills that are needed primarily.

-OT and MT hotbars for what is important and not important. Flick of the wrist and I can change to a MT hotbar setup which prioritizes skills that are self target (normal). OT hotbars are setup with macros to aid MT (support). No cycling during combat. Just provoke or shirk and switch MT/OT hotbar setup and stay there until next tank swap.

- Role skills are ALL on the same hotbar setup for EVERY tank/dps/heals. I go from Warrior to Paladin...the role skills don't change hotbar slots.
Example: Addle, Feint, reprisal, sprint, Limit Break are in the same hotbar slot. This way muscle memory can take over. This goes for my Invulns, Cure 1/Benefic, Regen/Aspected Benefic, when I change to healers.

-Crafting...this is a no brainer and ever since Shadowbringers trimmed down the crafting it has made my bars literally the same for ALL crafting. Plus all my macros are put together in the groupings for 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 crafted items that need certain amounts of quality/progress when I don't want to finish the craft until quality is reached. Final appraisal is a god send when doing older post 70.

-Gathering literally the same for mining/botany, and you barely use your full skill kit in gathering anyway. Used to have a collectible set, but not anymore.

Playing this game on controller is sometimes better then games DESIGNED with controller as it's main form of control. FFXIV Endwalker is minor bloat for controller players, and SE seems to be taking notice with traiting skills more and more.

[DiaDeem]

I'm on PC, but have always played with controller. I have two active cross-bars. in Character Customization, in Hotbar Settings, in Custom I have "Enable customization for when weapon is drawn", so I only cycle through the two hotbars while fighting. That's usually enough for most of my classes. Interestingly, SCH (which is my main) completely filled both my bars, so I moved Selene/Eos to a separate Hotbar that I can click with the mouse (or virtual mouse) when I'm not in combat. I'm probably going to move the LB to that Hotbar as well cause I just don't have space for the new two SCH buttons we know we'll get. I'm still going to be short of one button, so I may macro something like my Swiftcast Res, which I'm trying to avoid so I may look for something else.

Other than SCH though, the two-bars have (and are still enough) for my other jobs. Having the single tap between two bars makes gameplay rather nice.

[Nestama]

I play with both controller and keyboard like an insane person and have been since ARR :T

For example,

[Sigiria]

I've been playing with a controller on PC and never had trouble with finding my actions even with the most charged jobs.

Kinda like that:


My tanks are the only one I use R2+L2 for defensive skills, more out of habit as I could squeeze them on the main bars even with PLD


Things I use often are on the main bar, aoe rotation and less used skills are on the double tap.
Your rotation being mostly the same and the other skills being used only every now and then, once you're used to your setup you can get to everything without even thinking.
Movement on the other end changes for every fight, to me having a joystick to move precisely is way more convenient than a keyboard.