Is there a trick to it?

golight

I'm trying to like the game, it's got potential and looks nice. But I have major problems with the interface. Is there a trick to it? I've tried both using keyboard + mouse and gamepad. 

 

Gamepad seems to work best but the camera and movement is difficult, your staggering along and either running to fast or not at all, plus you can't zoom in or out with a gamepad. Movement just seems really difficult. Plus selecting targets can be a nightmare, if there are 10+ targets around you, you have to cycle through them all to find your next enemy, by which time you might be dead already.

 

Using the mouse + keyboard makes it much smoother to move around, it seems like you have more control. However using menus and combat is near impossible. 

 

I often also end up getting "target engaged" for no reason. And can't do anything..

 

Any why do you have to go through 3-5 menus to equip a single item. Or 3 menus to loot? Even with a gamepad its difficult and takes time. Don't understand why it's done like that, seems to make no sense at all. What am I missing?

 

I really don't mind learning the game or it being difficult, but interaction is just a pain. What's the best setup how can it be made more enjoyable and easier to control?

weslubow

Look at the section about making macros. Then make the game however you like it.

VikingGamer

I have found that to an extent you simply have to get used to it. Targeting is a pain but you get better at positioning your character so that you only have to hit the target stick once or twice to get the right one, but if there are a lot of targets in front of me, like trying to target the leve npc at the adv guild, I just use the mouse.  Also, when you are grouped you can cycle though only group members by going up and down on the target/menu stick.  But mostly it is muscle memory, getting used to a series of clicks to get what you want. Like doing a combo in one of the fighting games.

But believe me, I understand where you are coming from. I am not a console player at all. Haven't owned one since the old Atari.

The reason you have to go though so many menus to find what you want is because they have to make the same game accessible to someone with only a controller. When they game releases on PS3 that is all they will have. So while they may duplicate some functions for the PC they do ultimately have to make it so that 24 buttons on a controller can get to everything. The menu is annoying though.

alanthecelt

looting is automatic
kill a creature and it goes into your loot list, then eventually into your inventory
I believe it goes into the loot list first for when your playing in groups, kinda loot distribution system, but other than that i havent touched it

golight

Originally posted by VikingGamer

I have found that to an extent you simply have to get used to it. Targeting is a pain but you get better at positioning your character so that you only have to hit the target stick once or twice to get the right one, but if there are a lot of targets in front of me, like trying to target the leve npc at the adv guild, I just use the mouse.  Also, when you are grouped you can cycle though only group members by going up and down on the target/menu stick.  But mostly it is muscle memory, getting used to a series of clicks to get what you want. Like doing a combo in one of the fighting games.

But believe me, I understand where you are coming from. I am not a console player at all. Haven't owned one since the old Atari.

The reason you have to go though so many menus to find what you want is because they have to make the same game accessible to someone with only a controller. When they game releases on PS3 that is all they will have. So while they may duplicate some functions for the PC they do ultimately have to make it so that 24 buttons on a controller can get to everything. The menu is annoying though.

 

Thanks. I'm trying hard to get used to it. But main problem is that I like movement with Mouse + Keyboard but the rest with Gamepad.. Which makes for a bad combination. Going to give it another go with only gamepad.

yoyoyoblaka

why they made their interface how they did is a mystery nobody will know. It's really just inconvenient there is no other way to explain it, trust me when I say you are not the only one who doesn't like how it is set up. 

Unfortunately you'll have to go on the net and read for an hour about setting up macros, really stupid you are doing something that should of been done for you. 

Digna

Originally posted by alanthecelt

looting is automatic

kill a creature and it goes into your loot list, then eventually into your inventory

I believe it goes into the loot list first for when your playing in groups, kinda loot distribution system, but other than that i havent touched it

 Correct. you can always go into your loot list and manually add the items to inventory.

 

Also, some keys aren't working right (for me at least). Auto Run for example. Can't remap either. Oh well small issues over time.

Quicksand

Originally posted by golight

Originally posted by VikingGamer

I have found that to an extent you simply have to get used to it. Targeting is a pain but you get better at positioning your character so that you only have to hit the target stick once or twice to get the right one, but if there are a lot of targets in front of me, like trying to target the leve npc at the adv guild, I just use the mouse.  Also, when you are grouped you can cycle though only group members by going up and down on the target/menu stick.  But mostly it is muscle memory, getting used to a series of clicks to get what you want. Like doing a combo in one of the fighting games.

But believe me, I understand where you are coming from. I am not a console player at all. Haven't owned one since the old Atari.

The reason you have to go though so many menus to find what you want is because they have to make the same game accessible to someone with only a controller. When they game releases on PS3 that is all they will have. So while they may duplicate some functions for the PC they do ultimately have to make it so that 24 buttons on a controller can get to everything. The menu is annoying though.

 

Thanks. I'm trying hard to get used to it. But main problem is that I like movement with Mouse + Keyboard but the rest with Gamepad.. Which makes for a bad combination. Going to give it another go with only gamepad.

Not sure if it will help you out but, I use a Belkin n52 key pad. You can customize all the keys, and it has a D pad on it that your thumb lays on so you can actually set it up so it works like using a gamepad and using the keyboard at the same time. I cant play an MMO without it. 

And yeah, the targeting in FFXIV sucks, but I found that hitting your select/action key (default is enter I think) it will target what ever is directly in front of you, so if you face what you want then hit the key, you wont have to cycle through 10 mobs to get to the one in front of you.