March 2021 Version Update

Technically, you only need to hold the trigger if you want to shift up or down to a separate line. Simply hitting the left or right trigger (L2/R2) keeps the macro line open and you shift left or right to the one you need.


It gets more complicated the more actions you have to choose from (RDM or RUN for example) but it's honestly been some of the most rewarding experiences I've had in XI when I'm shifting through 3~4 separate macro lines and 50+ macro buttons.

If I could relate it to another genre... it's sorta like playing a fighting game.

Honestly, despite being a controller player myself I have to say that I think in most cases keyboard is probably faster.

Controller's weakness in FFXI is that you have to move a cursor around to select which macro you want to activate. And this can be greatly exacerbated by lag, where it will sometimes take longer for the cursor to move, or you can lose a button press entirely.

So you might have to, say, hold R2 then press UP to change sets>Rightx3, then X(Assuming PS controller) And lag can cause you to end up on the wrong macro when you hit X.. and do the wrong thing.

An addon like XIVcrossbar does a lot to remedy this, changing it so that you just hold R or L, then press a direction or face button to activate the action for that slot on the current set. This way the only navigating you do is between sets. And that happens on keyboard too when using macros.(But can be avoided by having a metric effton of binds.)

While I may have other complaints about 14, its cross hotbar system is excellent, and FFXI controller players could benefit a lot from it. I should probably work on moving XIVcrossbar myself, but the task of converting my current massive macro setup is a herculean one. And there's some conflicts between some controller binds I've been using for years and some functions of the addon I'm not sure how to reconcile.

But personally, even without addon support, I find controller vastly more comfortable and intuitive. I just suck at typing, and the contortions I have to put my hands through to play a game on keyboard can quickly become painful. I also find movement and camera control incredibly awkward on keyboard. I swerve around like a drunk. lol

Me. You got a problem with that?


Note that the middle of page 9 was the last time this thread was about the March 2021 Version Update. It's like a weird general chat now.

Controller vs KB both have pros and cons.

Controller is very slow. It takes quite a long time to go from C1 to C5 (you can also hit the wrong number pretty easy)

KB you can fatfinger the wrong button.

And typing you can mistype

Controller is for relaxing casual gameplay, regardless of the game.

Keyboard is the superior input device.

This is not up for debate.

I'll add that XI's skill ceiling has such low APM it doesn't really matter though, taking an extra .5s to navigate to your macro during the 3 seconds you're waiting to even cast your next spell isn't a big deal.