Auto Attack Coming to FFXIV

The weapon delay for FFXIV's auto attack could be faster than the system in FFXI.

Like it or not, auto attack will be implemented in Final Fantasy XIV.

In a post on the Lodestone Web site, FFXIV battle lead Akihiko Matsui said auto attack is necessary to "create more interesting and strategy rich battles as well as solve the tediousness of having to spam a button." Auto attack was a cornerstone element of the battle system in Final Fantasy XI, but Matsui said the FFXIV development team is considering a faster attack delay than adventurers experienced in Vana'diel.

"The objective here is not to lower the battle difficulty," Matsui wrote in his post. "The main objective here, when thinking about battles rich in strategy, pce and exhilaration, is instead of having to time regular attacks, we will be preparing situations that require proper timing of abilities, magic, and weapon skills."

Check out Matsui's post in reply no. 194 of this thread on the Official Square Enix FFXIV forum.

Discuss this in the ZAM forum.

Matsui also says players won't  be able to auto attack their way to victory. Opponents of auto attack often criticize the feature as a crutch players lean on when fighting weak monsters, turning their attention elsewhere rather than focusing on the game. Proponents of auto attack are quick to point out that players can’t rely so heavily on auto attack when fighting stronger, challenging monsters.

Although the notion of adding auto attack has fueled debate on the ZAM forums and elsewhere, the second Final Fantasy XIV Players' Poll showed that spamming actions was one of the biggest problems with the current battle system. The poll results, released in early March, showed that 19.1 percent of players disapproved of the button-mashing nature of the current battle system. Topping the list of issues was the lack of class uniqueness (which garnered 21.9 percent of the vote). The third-most common problem was the lack of effect from attributes (15.8 percent).

The Players' Poll definitely showed that spamming actions is an issue, but the question remains whether auto attack will be accepted by the majority of players -- something that isn't directly addressed in the poll results. However, with so many Eorzeans having experience in FFXI, it seems likely that players won't need too much time to acclimate to the inclusion of auto attack.

Comments

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auto att
# Jan 03 2013 at 10:32 PM Rating: Decent
i liked the game at launch idk why they would change the att style other then when typing is in play. spamming the att button while casting spells should make them stronger to make up for the melee att rate. i like the auto att off idea IzialWelkin had <^.^>.
BS
# Apr 27 2011 at 5:50 PM Rating: Decent
I personally hate the idea of having an auto attack features. I remember many nights on FFXI that players would fall asleep while in party. This is a bad idea and may keep me from playing 14. I THINK IS SUCKS AND IT SHOULD BE PUT IN. THis will take away from the game and have players get lazy.
BS
# Jun 05 2011 at 9:07 AM Rating: Decent
Thats BS. Yeah, I'm guilty of having fallen asleep a time or two in FFXI.. I wasn't Melee tho! I was a summoner.. and Auto attack did summoners no good at all.. so you can't blame Auto-Attack for people falling asleep. Also, with the hour/exp cap in the game, its useless to work urself up that much to the point of falling asleep in a fight, because the benefits are nil.
Make it an option
# Apr 26 2011 at 10:04 PM Rating: Decent
I think that the auto attack idea is great. However I think that being able to turn the auto attack feature on or off whenever you'd like is an even greater idea. Fixed.
Very Welcome Change
# Apr 17 2011 at 5:44 PM Rating: Decent
Very glad to see this change, loved it in FFXI. I would never stop playing if they brought my Wyvern back from FFXI >.>;
Good
# Apr 04 2011 at 5:58 PM Rating: Good
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58 posts
The biggest problem with spamming 1 constantly is the fact that you cant type to fellow party members, or LS mates. This is welcome as far as I'm concerned.
Good Deal
# Apr 02 2011 at 1:28 PM Rating: Decent
That's good news, now we can all type if needed while xping/grinding.
auto-threatposting
# Apr 01 2011 at 2:29 PM Rating: Good
I'm actually away from my desk getting a pop and piece of pizza... the new ffxiv forum auto poster is typing for me.

The game has come a long way in 6 months, I think people forget September. It feels like nothing has been done, but Yoshi P really has just started his plans in February. I really hope they have an expansion up there sleeves coming with the ps3 launch though, because its going to take an expansion worth of content to make the game feel whole.
Wow...
# Apr 01 2011 at 12:47 PM Rating: Decent
Ken Burton's Reject
*****
12,834 posts
At this rate FFXIV will become playable is fourth quarter of 2125!

Apparently they are using the Duke Nukem development path!
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Olorinus the Ludicrous wrote:
The idea of old school is way more interesting than the reality
yay
# Apr 01 2011 at 12:59 AM Rating: Default
Now lets get some chocobos and airships in this be otch and were going in the right direction ^^
auto-attack afk sandwhich time?
# Mar 31 2011 at 11:40 PM Rating: Decent
now they need to make the pt search fuction better i havnt played for some time because my friends had stopped and unless you are in a LS or have friends playing its hard to find a group to kill with. and i hope they make the auto-attack so ppl cant go afk to get drinks or make sandwhiches durning fights and then when they come back the party has moved on and they are lost like what i've seen happen in 11s limbus dynamis and sky runs
Six months (and counting just to get auto-attack?)
# Mar 31 2011 at 9:11 PM Rating: Default
The game has been out since September and is JUST NOW getting an auto attack? Or is this the announcement for the upcoming auto-attack and it will actually be in the game in the late summer-early fall? Regardless, too little too late. Don't play the game anymore but I do check up from time to time as to where this game is at. Six months since release and an auto-attack announcement. Where is the announcement for actual content that doesn't involve beating up marmots from levels 1-30? This is another thing that should have came with release.
The almighty FFXIV gods are really answering prayers!!
# Mar 31 2011 at 8:20 PM Rating: Decent
More good stuff keeps coming and that reason enough for me to stay put. I think that more emphasis on spells (like dia enabling Damage dealers to do a lot more damage, or bio really weakens the heck out of strong mobs) would encourage a lot of more party diversity when forming parties as well. I would hate to see pt burns just because dds are just more physically stronger, etc. Of course, it doesn't mean that should discourage pt burns if no mages are seeking a pt but perhaps some mobs dd pt burnable and some not. It just possibly would add more elements to combat strategies.
Thank You
# Mar 31 2011 at 7:53 PM Rating: Decent
Glad they finally implementing auto attack and some strategy. I hate zerg fests.

Edited, Mar 31st 2011 9:54pm by AshelyRiot
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
# Mar 31 2011 at 7:47 PM Rating: Decent
And more Yesses...
Traditional isn't always terrible.
# Mar 31 2011 at 4:05 PM Rating: Decent
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136 posts
The more i read the developers notes the more it seems like they're opting out of their over glorified combat FFXIV started with and going with something more traditional. All everyone really wanted was a updated next gen version of FFXI anyway. I applaud SE for trying something new and for having the stones to give up on an idea that just isn't worth the time and effort. I'm sure whatever approach they take it'll have a good amount of creative spirit behind it. I'd love to see a mix between FFXI and FFXIV's combat. FFXIV's combat is a little too underwhelming while the pace of FFXI was too overbearing. I'd love to see them find that happy medium where class distinction and creative combat create a rock solid experience.
FFXI Magic Bursts anyone?
# Mar 31 2011 at 2:30 PM Rating: Decent
**
747 posts
"we will be preparing situations that require proper timing of abilities, magic, and weapon skills"

Sounds exactly like how FFXI used to be before people found how efficient TP burn parties were with every going SAM or /SAM.

I enjoyed that system because it allowed for party compositions that had a higher efficiency that the sum of it's parts and look forward to seeing how it can be implemented here...I don't really enjoy just facerolling and zerg rushing targets with whatever does the highest damage. No coordination or skill really necessary.
FFXI Magic Bursts anyone?
# Apr 08 2011 at 5:12 AM Rating: Decent
18 posts
I agree that we need Magic Bursts again. That stuff was fun. I do wish for new jobs soon too. I want a Great Sword! lol
About time!
# Mar 31 2011 at 1:20 PM Rating: Good
I liked the idea of having to attack but after 6 months I'm ready for auto attack. Another good change!
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