Remove AOE Toggle

[thedevilsjester]

Speaking as a controller user, I find that there is no need to remove the AoE toggle to "free up" buttons. I have the AoE toggle set to my Square button (using a PS3 controller), and have never felt that it was a "wasted" button or that its preventing me from setting a more important function to that button.

I like the idea of AoE specialists, and even like the idea of "aga" spells, however as mentioned this would clutter the skill bars and take precious action points to achieve in any traditional sense.

Now that doesn't prevent them from being creative, for instance, you start with "Fire" that does not have the ability to AoE, and you later unlock the AoE for that spell, or equip the AoE (Materia!), or some other such device that would enable the AoE toggle for a (or all) spells.

You people bringing up action points are arguing ONE slot, really? Are you serious? One slot is going to kill it for you?

Its not just one slot, its one slot for every single AoE skill we have. This would drastically reduce the number of skills we have per bar and is just generally a bad idea.

Other than "it uses a button I would rather use for something else" there has not been a viable argument for the removal of the AoE toggle UI.

Your arguments as they stand are about the mechanics of AoE skills, not the toggle. Wanting the AoE skill mechanics to change is something entirely different. I agree that AoE's should cost more MP and/or do less overall damage/heal, take longer to cast, etc...

None of these require the removal of the toggle UI, just the restructuring of how AoE's work and the cost to toggle. The toggle UI is a great addition to the game and makes using a controller a more enjoyable experience.

[Slug]

AoE needs to be a static widget while in a DoM job. There are only a few situations where I am in single target mode.

I disagree. I feel that having the ability to use every spell AOE currently without any penalty is madness. For the most part, playing a mage is mindless. I don't have to pay attention to who is taking damage, amongst other things in battle (who is the one that got poisoned, how much hate is this cure going to pull etc.).
You can choose any final fantasy title in the series, and find a better system. Whether they take on the FFXI approach; AOE cures are learned a tad later than the single target spell, cost much more mp (approx 3times) and pull a large amount of hate. This would make you think twice about using it, and save it for dire situations. (strategy)

OR take it back a few years, draw on the old classic system where toggling AOE for your abilities resulted in a significant penalty to magic potency. Cures would cure a lot less hp than the single target, nukes do much less damage etc.

Either way, I would like to see this touched on eventually.

[TehMi1kman]

Totally agree with the OP. The difference between buffing and attacking single/multiple targets not only is very tactical, but it also plays a HUGE role in defining classes, ie: the difference between red mage and scholar buffing capabilities in ffxi.

[Jin_]

AoE needs to be a widget, sure, shoe-horning jobs into aoe or non-aoe..... really?

I know I would be NOT inviting one or the other...... Instanced get the AoE; free world get the single target dude.

AoE needs to be toggle-able for all applicable WS/Spells IMO.

[Ava]

AoE needs to be a widget, sure, shoe-horning jobs into aoe or non-aoe..... really?

I know I would be NOT inviting one or the other...... Instanced get the AoE; free world get the single target dude.

AoE needs to be toggle-able for all applicable WS/Spells IMO.

I'm not really sure what you're saying but, in a game where you can level anything on one character and equip spells cross class, how would this be shoe-horning anyone into anything?

Classes could still have both AoE and non AoE, but by giving it sparingly to classes, they open up possibilities of implementing new classes like Scholar that can aoe any spell. Right now, a Scholar would be impossible because anyone can aoe anything already.

[Reika]

Could people get any ruder......

so you're saying you want separate spells that aoe instead of a toggle...

I know how people miss the -ga at the end of higher spells. but think for say Fire II as Fira, and whenever conj is able to get fire III, that is firega. and I know that people miss FFXI and it's seperate -ga spells being the aoe spell while the non-ga spell was the single target. It was ok in XI because skills dont take AC on your action bar, and you could use every spell you have. If they make a dupli-spell for every spell that is an AOE version, you'll find yourself not able to do everything your class is meant to do.. It is already impossible to set every spell in your bar at R50....

[OJtheLIONKing]

I could see aoe/single target specialist classes causing issues for players in the aoe/non-aoe content depending on which direction future content goes. Since this is NOT FFXI, and has a finite amount of slots for spells (that already takes a painfully long time to reassign unless you use macros, which should not be required of the average player just to switch classes) I'm against the idea of separating single target/AoE anything. I'm for the idea of an AoE widget though, doesn't have to be huge, just something you can click or select between spells that isn't as intrusive as it is now.

[darkstarpoet1]

i'd just prefer to keep the aoe toggle. yes, i use a controller as well and do have the issue every now and then with having to reach up and click one time with my mouse. i very rarely have aoe off as a mage. 99% of the time aoe is on anyways therefore the single mob spell would be just a waste of space on my bar. what's the use of adding twice the amount of spells if you will never use most of them?

[Shiyo]

If anything, that need to make AOEing spells have a penalty. Increased enmity generation, increased MP cost, etc. Right now it's a thoughtless thing to do in most situations, the only time you have to actually pay attention is if you're nuking/debuffing and it might hit more mobs.

[Demacia]

Don't see why the macro system couldn't be adjusted to go with this. Imo AoE-everything is part of the reason why DoM are so poorly designed in this game. Especially with healing as you can just spam heals on your party without really worrying about enmity or MP management. Don't think they can't make adjustments to other parts of the game to make something like this work. Really I just hope they rework classes and combat altogether.