So, the button merging feature... did I get this right?

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

No to pvp combos, never pvp combos, remove combos entirely from the game before that happens.

It would be an optional QoL feature just like what we are getting. The difference in skill between a guy pressing 123 and the other pressing 111 will not suddenly tank skill expression.

[ZiraZ]

It would be an optional QoL feature just like what we are getting. The difference in skill between a guy pressing 123 and the other pressing 111 will not suddenly tank skill expression.

I don't see how it would be optional, if you let DRG for example condense the entire loop into a single button then it's you'd be trolling yourself by not doing that, specially during prog.
Dangling a path of no resistance in your face is bound to make it the default since there is absolutely no drawbacks from doing so with the main weaponskill combos.
I would want all combos nuked at that point, maybe we can get new combat systems by 8.0 9.0 10.0 at this rate.

[Reinhardt_Azureheim]

I don't see how it would be optional, if you let DRG for example condense the entire loop into a single button then it's you'd be trolling yourself by not doing that, specially during prog.
Dangling a path of no resistance in your face is bound to make it the default since there is absolutely no drawbacks from doing so with the main weaponskill combos.
I would want all combos nuked at that point, maybe we can get new combat systems by 8.0 9.0 10.0 at this rate.

For a start, weird take to think it wouldn't be optional aka player choice. If it is easier for prog or if someone finds it easier to press it sequentially that's preference. I also would rather see the optional feature happen and have actual data on how frequently it is used let alone enjoyed.

Second, Dragoon is a special case because it actually wouldn't operate like that. The only true combos are True/Raiden Thrust -> Vorpal Thrust -> Heaven's Thrust, True/Raiden Thrust -> Disembowel -> Chaotic Spring and ofc the Coearthan Torment combo. Fang and Claw, Wheeling Thrust and in 7.X+ Drakesbane are not combo actions and instead actions available from buffs granted by Heaven's Thrust and Chaotic Spring. So at most youd have 111 3 4 222 4 3 as a sequence.

[ZiraZ]

For a start, weird take to think it wouldn't be optional aka player choice. If it is easier for prog or if someone finds it easier to press it sequentially that's preference. I also would rather see the optional feature happen and have actual data on how frequently it is used let alone enjoyed.

Second, Dragoon is a special case because it actually wouldn't operate like that. The only true combos are True/Raiden Thrust -> Vorpal Thrust -> Heaven's Thrust, True/Raiden Thrust -> Disembowel -> Chaotic Spring and ofc the Coearthan Torment combo. Fang and Claw, Wheeling Thrust and in 7.X+ Drakesbane are not combo actions and instead actions available from buffs granted by Heaven's Thrust and Chaotic Spring. So at most youd have 111 3 4 222 4 3 as a sequence.

They would absolutely just add all those weaponskills into the full combo 1 button if they're gonna go as far as enabling pvp combos.
High Jump and Mirage Dive are not marked as a combo in the actions guide but they are gonna work like one in DT(and they already did once before they reverted the change mid-endwalker)
Anyways I do not think it would come down to preference when shoved in your face like this and would rather see combos gone at that point.

[GoatOfWar]

They would absolutely just add all those weaponskills into the full combo 1 button if they're gonna go as far as enabling pvp combos.
High Jump and Mirage Dive are not marked as a 1 button combo in the actions guide but they are gonna work like one in DT(and they already did once before they reverted the change mid-endwalker)
Anyways I do not think it would come down to preference when shoved in your face like this and would rather see combos gone at that point.

Same, it *literally* removes the margin of error entirely.
There's no reason not to enable it unless you just do less potency with an auto combo.
The only preference to speak of here is if you want more room for error. Which would be a silly argument anyways.

[PyurBlue]

there is absolutely no drawbacks from doing so with the main weaponskill combos.

You have two enemies, one is at one HP, the other is full. You are at the end of your combo. You could use the combo finisher on the damaged mob, wasting potency or you could reset by going to the combo starter which would allow you to start attacking the second mob with the higher damage combo 2 button. DPS gained.

This is a niche situation, but there are drawbacks to forced combos. They are less interesting to play in my opinion and they take away optimization options.

[ZiraZ]

You have two enemies, one is at one HP, the other is full. You are at the end of your combo. You could use the combo finisher on the damaged mob, wasting potency or you could reset by going to the combo starter which would allow you to start attacking the second mob with the higher damage combo 2 button. DPS gained.

This is a niche situation, but there are drawbacks to forced combos. They are less interesting to play in my opinion and they take away optimization options.

Yeah you're right but those optimizations are so minuscule that a single extra crit would triple the combo optimizations gain, specially when the bosses are like 9 minutes long, I think the 1 button combo that can't ever be failed would outweight it on the long run.
I would rather pvp combos for weaponskills just don't exist and everyone plays on the same leveled field, a few specific abilities having a 1 button combo seems like a fine middle-ground.

[Mikey_R]

Yeah you're right but those optimizations are so minuscule that a single extra crit would triple the combo optimizations gain, specially when the bosses are like 9 minutes long, I think the 1 button combo that can't ever be failed would outweight it on the long run.
I would rather pvp combos for weaponskills just don't exist and everyone plays on the same leveled field, a few specific abilities having a 1 button combo seems like a fine middle-ground.

The bigger brain move would be to swap to the second, full HP target for as little time as possible between GCDs to allow the auto attacks to kill the low HP target.

Your scenario also fails to take into account any extra benefits from combo enders, for example, SAM stickers, the various PLD buffs, resource gains etc. that will be a bigger loss down the line than this simple 2 GCD scenario.

In the past, I was against putting them together, however, more recently, I am going down the path of, at least have the option to.

And, for anyone that claims, but you can miss the combo if they are on separate buttons, but you cannot on one, let me ask a question. When was the last time you seriously messed that up? I would bet, for anyone halfway decent at the game, they do not mess up that often, which means, whilst technically true, isn't a strong case against combo consolidation.

[ZiraZ]

The bigger brain move would be to swap to the second, full HP target for as little time as possible between GCDs to allow the auto attacks to kill the low HP target.

Your scenario also fails to take into account any extra benefits from combo enders, for example, SAM stickers, the various PLD buffs, resource gains etc. that will be a bigger loss down the line than this simple 2 GCD scenario.

In the past, I was against putting them together, however, more recently, I am going down the path of, at least have the option to.

And, for anyone that claims, but you can miss the combo if they are on separate buttons, but you cannot on one, let me ask a question. When was the last time you seriously messed that up? I would bet, for anyone halfway decent at the game, they do not mess up that often, which means, whilst technically true, isn't a strong case against combo consolidation.

Another realistic scenario for a raid I was just thinking about would be the: boss going away on a phase change so you swap to the most instant damaging combo instead of the dot application one, so yeah that's true and I didn't think about it before even though I do this.
As for failing combos, honestly it's common people will fumble a combo now and then, I check a lot of those xivanalysis links posted on discords and you see it happen at least 2-3 times per raid night in ultimate prog, the biggest thing is even though failure rates are not high and non-branching combos are not hard at all on the surface they do still require a small amount of brain activity dedicated to keeping track of them while doing mechanics.

I do still think if their goal was to "reset" all jobs to prep for a huge rework by 8.0 to improve job identity then might as well remove non branching combos if their fate is to end up with pvp combos as an option.