I get a lot of questions about playing on PC with controller, so here I go over my setup and how to get started yourself!
And thanks, Amiko, for the character animations!
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controller on pc is the superior option. all the benefits of pc and the comfort of controller
As a KB/M, my crossbar is used for one thing and one thing only: As part of my job change menu to select crafters
I use the same hotswap of crossbars as Drak for my ST and AoE rotations – off-globals and skills used in both cases (defensive CDs, gap closers, utility spells, etc.) are in the same position on both bars.
I also use a third bar for my expanded cross hotbar. I keep mine always visible, but that's where my longest cooldowns go (tank CDs and burst-window skills if I need the space). The exception is healers, where I've never found myself needing the second main bar; all my heals are on the one crossbar, DPS is on the RT->LT expanded, and any extra cooldowns and such (card minigame stuff for AST for example) goes on LT->RT.
As a general rule where I can heed it, I try to keep GCDs on face buttons, and oGCDs on d-pad, unless I have more or less GCDs than face buttons. 1-2-3 combos always go on the right side on X-Y-B (square-triangle-circle).
I use a standard bar bound to my numpad for tank stance, Kardia, and other extremely-sparsely-used toggles.
My job gauges generally go in the gap between my always-visible expanded crossbar.
Okay, I was wondering about the stray hotbar above your controller. That's neat! I wish I had thought of that back when I was playing controller still in mid-Stormblood. I…had to switch off because of SCH's button bloat being so bad at the time. (Like it's any different now, looking at you, level 90….)
This almost makes me want to go back though T_T But I don't think I can since I do talk a lot off-voice/mute myself to lower raid chatter.
I've only played on controller and I want to change up how I set my layout soon but will adapt slowly because I often keep me basic starting combos on one side and the longer cooldowns/aoe in the other except for healers which I switched because while learning was clicking healing more than dps…as you can guess that changed quickly but I tried switching to a better setup but on no oh god I accidentally clicked queue before I hit the pole and first half of the dungeon with sin XD.
Drawback 4 of controller use also applies to KBM users. Every time anyone sees my setup I get that whole troglodyte thing. Because it works for me. I have 48 buttons on fast access because of how I play with a Naga and Tartarus. Needless to say, it works brilliantly for me, and I have muscle memories myself to it. Could do with making my bars a bit more homogenised though. White Mage and Astrologian have very different hotbar setups for example.
I also keep my abilities layout somewhat…unified? among all jobs
for example I set my hotbar in a way that similar abilities have the same button press for all jobs, anti knockback, for example, is always L2+R2+Down, and Swift Cast is always R2+R2+Square etcs.
I use controller and mouse for 14 and a keyboard I have a lot of hot bars 😂
That regular hotbar for longer CDs is something I hadn't thought of! I may try using that for my own setup.
As someone who started on PS4 and had wrist surgery since switching to keyboard/mouse, I've switched between controller and keyboard more times than I can count. I highly suggest keyboard players looking for a less wrist-intensive experience or even just a new way of playing the game try out controllers, they're shockingly comfortable.
Incidentally, the only functional controller I own is a USB Gamecube controller, and controller happens to be my preferred control scheme for healing, so the reaction of people when I tell them both of these at the same time is always hilarious, without fail.
Since you're a controller main, do you happen to know a way to adjust the 'walking' zone in ffxiv? for some reason its really wide on my controller and I only move at running speed when I slam it all the way in a direction
3:05 can confirm trying to understand draks is ummmmm interesting
I put sprint on right stick click, then I don't have to search for it on my hotbars, and sheathe/unsheathe on my other stick click ^^
The why question I get all the time from my friends "it's so weird playing FF14 with controller etc" Just like you I started FF 14 on PS3 so I'm way more comfortable with it on pc 🙂 I just cant play it with M&K xD
Those digs gave me a chuckle. Having tried on controller and hearing your mentality of why you place them where you do makes me want to try it again
healing on a controller what a joke rofl
I do exactly the same as you, even the extended cross hotbar going to the same side. It feels so logical to have left trigger, right trigger and both triggers as 3 easy access sets. The only thing I’d add is that some jobs are easier to organize than others. I have so many free spaces on summoner, but wish I had an extra button on dancer. Red mage, my current main, feels just right.
I'm very curious how your paladin hot bar works? I'm always struggling to fit everything on them, and resort with things like tank stance to be a keyboard click.
Personally I as well like to keep with the 3 hotbar set up for combat, but mine is 1) All Common Attacks/Spells go in a sequence. Take Monk for instance. R2+ O [ ] and ^ are all the Rear attacks, with Right, Left, and Up being all the Flank attacks. That way it cycles really smoothly for me. X and Down I have set to Gap Closer and Masterful Blitz. . . .the rest I'd have to look at because I can't remember off the top of my head. I just push the buttons and it works. >.>
Watching your streams reminded and finally made me make a buff bar above my cross hotbars, I've only done it for 2 classes so far cos I'm lazy…but still!
It's interesting seeing how I ghad a similar line of thought when it comes to bars too, stuff I need to press a lot on the right side so my thumbs moving the analog stick, having my second bar for aoes etc.
The only thing I struggle with is fitting all my buttons on, so I try to keep my bars as consistent/the same as possible so I often have repeat buttons on my 2nd bar let's say the same 1,2,3 combo but with different oGCDs or buffs on the 2nd bar if they didn't fit on the 1st one. I only do this because my pea sized brain can't be trusted to not just go into memory and start pressing wrong buttons lol. I'm happy with the bars on my main classes, just a bit frustrating when I start another job. Epescially with everyone I know playing on keyboard telling me to play keyboard, I can use keyboard for 99% of games just fine. But not MMOs I suck at mmos on keyboard, too many buttons how am I meant to move using wasd and be pressing like 3 other buttons (eg ctrl and 1 and then lets say you're weaving a oGCD on q, HOW JUST HOW, I can't touch type so I'm looking at my keyboard like WHERE IS T HELP).
I'll stick to PS4 controller :3 weirdly I have to have my controller plugged in, it doesn't work on FF14 wirelessly, idk why, it works on other game wireless (without 3rd party stuff now cos windows had an update that made it compatible).
I find it nigh-impossible to use a controller to play FFXIV, but I watched this entire video just for the animation. (Favourite part: angry background Sam.)
I'm already a ps4 user, so a controller is inevitable, but the hotbars really help my brain space out different combos and keep me (for the most part) from getting too lost during moments of brain-dead-button-mashing and suddenly losing what I was doing lol.
The only issue I consistently run into is having to manually switch out my mitigations (I have a very similar hot bar set-up to you) on the secondary cross hotbars. I feel like there should be a way to set them up so they automatically switch with their classes, but I haven't figured that one out and have to manually change them with memorized placements every single time. Gets annoying lol.
Not sure if it was mentioned (gotta say it now before I forget), but if your controller is not natively supported by FF14, try using the xbox 360 controller emulator to get around that.
I would definitely recommend the Xbox controller layout (stick on upper left). Reasoning being that it's much easier to move while pressing the directional buttons with your right hand, even if it is a stretch.
To me, Pad players are the most hardcore players of them all. Thats why i would never use one
Honestly, your button setup is never something I go "waaaat is happening down there" to, its just more so the gauges you leave up the top that surprise me. Comfort first and all that, but I love having my gauge down below where my character is, with it being surrounded by any oGCDs (I toss my cross hotbar over in the bottom right hand side of my screen and have it set to hidden when neither of the triggers are being held, I'd prefer it just not being there at all though.)
I'm not sure for FF14, but a good chunk of games on Steam will just register a ps4 controller nowadays, so it might be worth just trying it out before leaping for DS4Windows.
Woah, that cooldown Hotbar is an amazing idea, gonna have to steal that
My favourite was me and my friend that play with controllers on PC having to try help our PC buddies with the directional teleport in E7s, we were just like, turn your camera so that tapping forward will turn you so that you go to the safe spot. Not sure about everyone but they made it sound not so simple XD
With the layouts, for LB, mounts and teleport I'm proficient in swapping to hotbar 8. As for my main 2 hotbars, here's the problem, I'm a dumbass that can't manage the 2 hotbars plus the double tap hotbar, some of the more loaded classes have to lose a skill or 2, easy for PLD, shield bash, however GNB now, I just put superbolide on hotbar 8, can't misclick it then and I used to do that for hallowed back when I was an idiot with shield bash on the main 2 hotbars, so that "should" be fine, especially as I don't play GNB much.
As for seeing the second hotbar, I used to do what you do, but now I set it to show my double tap hotbars, set them to my second hotbar and made them smaller and positioned below my main cross hotbar and made thema bit mroe transparent to define the difference, then deactivated the option so I can't double tap to them but it still shows there. This works fine for me but I imagine others will look at the clutter it makes and cry, but I like it and I know exactly what's where.
As a M+K player, this looks like rocket science to me.
FF14 natively recognizes PS4/5 controllers so you don't even need DS4Windows or the like.
I'm not sure how easy they are to get anymore, but you can also use the official Sony DS4 Dongle which forces your computer to recognize the controller