[dev1022] Auto-attack system questions and discussion

[Malakhim]

Well to make an anecdotal argument...

FFXII and FFXIII both had an auto-attack, and people threw a fit about it.

Also, I've been playing some more FFXIV lately as my pugilist(started a new character), and I've rarely had a moment when I'm "spamming" anything. I'm usually going through my entire action bar alternating between heavy strike, light strike, concussive blow, haymaker, featherfoot, etc. I'm constantly moving around my enemy to position myself behind it to make sure I can score the most crit hits as well as dodging certain attacks like a puk's somersault or dodo breath.

I'm pretty engaged, and I enjoy it.

[Skeeter]

I would welcome auto attack. They would have to rework other things to make it work. Spamming light attack to build up TP is not exactly exciting, gets kinda tedious.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Only read OP, going to post, then go back and read, but I see two forms of implementation here.

Auto-attack is a toggle for on/off in the Options menu and with some kind of keyboard or gamepad shortcut. By having it on, whatever 0 TP attack skill you choose at the start of combat (or switch to during combat) becomes your Auto-Attack. And it doesn't spam the Stamina bar, so it will attack, allow for time to replenish the stamina bar, then attack again. This would allow other stamina actions to be used, allow the player to type without feeling like they're doing nothing for the battle, and when the player is ready to take control of their stamina, they toggle off AutoAttack and do the spammy thing they do.

Second implementation which would require some overhaul: Keep the stamina bar, make it regen slower. Choosing a 0 TP attack becomes your auto attack until another ability is chosen. Its attack speed is based on the old amount of stamina it used to consume. So Broad Swing auto attack would be slower than the standard attack. Slow would reduce auto attack speed. Haste / Speed Surge would increase auto attack speed.

In regards to voice chat, it may be a nice option to implement in-game, but I don't see the majority of players using it, even if they have mics. I'm only basing this off of Steam games where voice chat is built in and only four to five out of twenty players will talk. And from Xbox Live, playing a non-FPS game, you may have three out of eight players willing to use their mics.

[Seirra_Lanzce]

as both a conjurer and lancer (Yes i play both ways, and hell yea i like DoM as well) i find that Auto-attack doesnt really benefit the game at all. i can heal and attack at the same time easily without my team mates dying on me when im the only healer. It may take a while to get use to it, but yea i find it enjoyable that im able to play with the current combat system. I have to strongly disagree of adding in Auto-Attack as it will hurt the interval or timing of my next execution input.

All in favor for the current system, but may need more punch in it, Auto-attack does not solve the problem. The fun is there, just not much use of it on the contents, hench the Balancing of Combat should be addressed instead.

[Suzaku]

Step 1: Get rid of Battle Regimens. They're incredibly clunky.

Step 2: Bring back manual skillchains. Feel free to vary the effects and such, and apply some of the BR effects if you want. Allow mages to participate, and even create their own chains. Yes, this means letting mages skillchain positive spells onto party members for cool effects in addition to simply chaining on mobs. Protect + Shell = Reflect might be cool, for example.

Step 3: If adding auto-attack, make sure that toggled "next attack" buffs apply to manually-triggered skills only. This way there is no worry about wasting a buff on an auto-swing while waiting for stamina or TP to recharge.

Step 4: Make auto-attack easily toggleable and the on/off function responsive, unlike in FFXI where it was toggleable, but took forever to go from attacking -> not attacking -> attacking again.

Note that steps 1 and 2 are independent of auto-attack, and my opinion of something needs to happen regardless.

[Seirra_Lanzce]

Step 1: Get rid of Battle Regimens. They're incredibly clunky.

Step 2: Bring back manual skillchains. Feel free to vary the effects and such, and apply some of the BR effects if you want. Allow mages to participate, and even create their own chains. Yes, this means letting mages skillchain positive spells onto party members for cool effects in addition to simply chaining on mobs. Protect + Shell = Reflect might be cool, for example.

Step 3: If adding auto-attack, make sure that toggled "next attack" buffs apply to manually-triggered skills only. This way there is no worry about wasting a buff on an auto-swing while waiting for stamina or TP to recharge.

Step 4: Make auto-attack easily toggleable and the on/off function responsive, unlike in FFXI where it was toggleable, but took forever to go from attacking -> not attacking -> attacking again.

Note that steps 1 and 2 are independent of auto-attack, and my opinion of something needs to happen regardless.

I'm sorry, but BR(Battle Regimen) is working perfectly fine, i dont see the trouble of doing so.

[Abraxai]

I just think fundamentally it's un-FF-ey to have to sit and spam a button to attack, mixed with the server lag and the usage of the action bar.. such as switching from slot 1 to 7 using a game controller.. It can be really sluggish and sometimes uneven, I think a complete overhaul to the battle system should be in order and not just an auto attack, even thought I am ALL FOR that feature.

[xneonobodyx]

yeah auto attack would make the game boring in my opinion. this system involves the player in combat, where you can move around the battlefield (dodge certain skills) and manually attack from different angles. All an auto function will do is make people point click (auto-run and let game spam normal attacks while they chat/ watch tv or surf internet) doesnt soudn very involving to me...

[Gath]

The only bad thing about Auto-Attack is lazy people who decide to ALT+TAB while attacking a mob, then, since they're not paying attention, wipe the party because they might want to incapacitate the mob (THIS IS AN EXAMPLE). They sleep it, he attacks, they all die.

[Syxilor]

The only bad thing about Auto-Attack is lazy people who decide to ALT+TAB while attacking a mob, then, since they're not paying attention, wipe the party because they might want to incapacitate the mob (THIS IS AN EXAMPLE). They sleep it, he attacks, they all die.

This would be an absolute horrible implementation of auto attack. I am all for auto attack, but please make it nothing like FFXI where you do not do anything but run a macro once a minute as a DD.