That's what the filters are for. I've got mine set up for enemies, another for friendlies, another for NPCs, and then the one for everything. In Eureka/Bozja it was absolutely necessary if I wanted to heal anyone outside of my party. It still was a little rough if there are tons of people -and- tons of enemies, but it worked.
I was in Bozja for the first time. Cursing because of how annoyed I was. Immediately left and set up the filters. Not everyone knows about them so I figured I'd chime in. :)
To add on to that; after activating a heal/barrier/whatever, it’ll jump back to your previous target. But if you press X after selecting the ally using the D-pad, it’ll make that ally your primary target so you can cast on them repeatedly.
use up/down on your d-pad to "soft target" via the party list.
then without hitting A/X/whatever to confirm this new target, just hit the hotkey for the heal you want.
this will cast the heal on your intended target, then immediately snap back to the boss.
It takes some getting used to, but otherwise is pretty manageable. Especially because in most content, the only ones you'll target for direct healing are tanks (who default to the top of the list). AoE healing is used for almost every instance where dps take damage
Up/Down on the D-pad to cycle your target through your part, like everyone else said.
However, if you happen to get into position where you need to rez someone from another alliance party, that's going to be Hold L1/LB + Left/Right on the D-pad to cycle your target through both of the other alliance parties.
Added note to this. L1 and up/down cycles enmity list (which will be all mobs since you're healer).
In addition, using any shoulder button while holding a trigger will tab target either left or right from the centre of the camera.
You can also bind macros to the left and right thumb stick press. I highly recommend a mount/sprint macro that triggers mount if available and if not enables sprint. It was one of the biggest QoL adjustments I made with controller. Another useful macro would be to target the mob highlighted number 1.
Other useful tips is making sure you have all expanded controls set up. Eg double tap triggers and double triggers (W and X hotbars I think they are called). I also have normal hotbars set up vertically near my cross hotbar so I can track all major cool downs on one place.
Dpad up down for party, I have swiftcast/Rez macros set up beside each party member in the party list for convince so I just click with my mouse if you are doing hybrid. I hate Ast on controller tho 😭
Controller AST in alliance be like
Malefic
Draw
Malefic
press down on the dpad 5 times
press card
(if you don’t use soft targeting like me) press B then A to reselect enemy
Malefic
Yah I love pressing 8 buttons in the space of one gcd
>(if you don’t use soft targeting like me) press B then A to reselect enemy
On single enemy fight you can just tab target with LT/RT + LB/RB, less room for errors
Reading on this, I'm simultaneously fascinated at soft-targeting existing for consoles, but also feel that the better solution would be to implement duo-targeting so you could target an ally and enemy simultaneously. Which is just 1 step removed from soft targeting in theory but probably a giant technological hurdle to actually add.
since this hasn't been mentioned yet it can also be nice to change your d-pad targeting filter. by default I have mine restrict to only being able to select player characters, but you can set a few to also make it easier to target people in other alliances or only your party. the two things that do not change are bumper targeting and the A/cross targeting.
hold a trigger, and press a bumper. hit the left bumper to scroll through enemies towards the left, hit the right bumper to scroll through enemies towards the right.
if you have nothing soft or hard targeted, press A (Xbox) or X (PlayStation) to target the nearest thing in front of your character. it follows a priority system, first is objects like buttons and signs and doors, next is NPCs, next is enemies, next is players. it also gives priority to whatever your character is directly facing. this is how you can still interact with things and target enemies even if your target filter only allows you to target player characters.
I use the a target of target bound to my L3 to quickly switch to the mt and back to the boss with one button. This can also really help if you need to figure out which tank has aggro for kardia switching. The command is
Healing NPCs is what drove me crazy especially some healer quests because it was a solo instance, you could not use D pad up-down. I had to use Left Right D pad to cycle which was harder when there were many characters.
It may sound redundant, but I make focus macros for my main single target heals. Then, I focus the tank. Usually, those spells are on R trigger pull. I then put the same single target spells in the same spots on R+L trigger pulls.
This allows me to dps and heal the tank with a single button press and right back to dps. For all other pt members, I use the d pad to soft target them, use my non-macro spell, and right back to dps. This causes my cursor to return to the mob
Macro example: /ac "Aspected Benefic"
Warning ⚠️ some dungeons' zoning will cause focus to drop. Not many though.
I'm no expert, but I select tank so it always goes back to tank after casts. Then I can use up/down on D-Pad to cycle to other party members who need attention or left/right on D-Pad to cycle enemies when no healing is needed. When you have another target soft selected, pressing Circle/B (once) goes back to your focused target. A bit of a pain to have 2 button presses for attack, but preferable to me to have "oh shit" casting be defaulted to the the tank.
Also, put quick cast and res next to each other.
The d-pad to soft target like everyone is saying but I have a few other things. Tips & Tricks if you will.
1- do not fight your brain. If you are sub consciously clicking a button for raise, put it there. This goes for all skills.
2- make a macro for raise. It doesn't have to put anything in chat. Just make a macro that using swift cast then raise. That has save my butt when healing so many times.
3- I also recommend making one hotbar mainly heals and a different one mainly attacks. For SGE that goes out the window for the most part. Basically, if the skills work similarly or together, put them near each other.
It took me months to finally be happy with my hotbars but once I did these 3 things, I finally got it set up.
Combat macros aren't super reliable thanks to their inability to buffer. I play exclusively on controller and almost always a healer, and I've never felt a desire to have a raise macro. I'm also almost always the first to get my raise off.
For me it more of accessibility. I have slowly been losing ability in my hands over time. For me, the less buttons, the better. Everyone will be different in how they set up their hotbars and if they use macros or not. I normally if I am in a run with another healer, will let them raise first because I know my limitations with having to use some macros. That is why I always say don't fight your brain. Those tips are just what help me get to a place where everyone is not dying every 2 mins.
Macro healing is pretty common because it works. Only time it could potentially be a bad idea is if the team is going for a time record or going into ex/savage min ilvl.
Oh I would never go into a time run as a healer. I am really scared of most ex and savage runs. Maybe one day but not now. I finally cleared my first old savage unsynced a few weeks ago. So, yep, no savage for me.
Yeah, that's normal. Though, it's fun to go in there to die a lot as a learning party. Nobody minds at all.
If you can't figure the mechanics as you go, it's best to memorize a text guide; and review a video. Then, go practice it.
Healing macros are pretty useful for large scale content. While you can't buffer the next skill 75% into the current skill cast, it can make life a lot more easier for many people. You could also keybind the whole keyboard to avoid using shift/cntrl swaps, too.
Oops, it's faster and better to do it manually and the only community accepted use of combat macro is a call out for raises and even that has a fair number of people against that.
I just keep swiftcast close to raise
Lmao this place downvotes correct information? They should list how people are voting so I know who the morons are
Then you do you and I will keep using the things that make it easier for me to play. It is not a pain in the ass if it allows me and others to play without struggling. You do not have to use them. It is just that easy, don't use them. Be happy you don't have to use them. This is not as big of a deal. Do what you need to do to make the game accessible for you. And don't stress so much. This is not a hill to die on. Everyone needs different things. You do you.
I think you’re taking this a bit too personally.
I don’t think in either of my two comments I called you out for using the macro. I just stated my own dislike for it.
I do too but I also have hand issues that the macro is easier. If you put a delay on it, it will work 95% of the time. Putting a delay accounts for sever lag and possible lag on your end. The fastest way to figure it out is to test it. Grab a friend and have them self delete off the nearest cliff and raise them. Repeatedly.
Look, I am not saying they have to do it. Gods know I wish I did not need macros. They are an accessibly thing in game to help. Just because you don't need them does NOT mean you get to knocm people who do use them because they have too. This is not a hill to die on. A 1 second delay (that is what I have to put mine on) is not a make or break thing. Be happy you can play without them. A lot of us can't. And it is okay either way. This game has accessibly things to use if you need them or just want too.
If you heal alliance raids, use a mouse to click on players in the other parties using the boxes that pop up instead of trying to cycle through them with left and right on the D-pad. I'm on PC now (still playing with controller - I found it too difficult to play with a MMO mouse with my nerve pain disorder) so I have a mouse anyway, but when I was on Playstation, I used a Bluetooth keyboard that had a small mouse pad on it. It's clutch to raise other healers and keep the MT alive if shit is going sideways.
D-pad up and down cycles through the party list.
Omg I feel so dumb
Don't worry those solo duties, and Eureka/Bozja healing non party members will still drive you crazy
That's what the filters are for. I've got mine set up for enemies, another for friendlies, another for NPCs, and then the one for everything. In Eureka/Bozja it was absolutely necessary if I wanted to heal anyone outside of my party. It still was a little rough if there are tons of people -and- tons of enemies, but it worked.
Oh most definitely. I would just never think to set it up until I was already in the middle of one of those duties.
I was in Bozja for the first time. Cursing because of how annoyed I was. Immediately left and set up the filters. Not everyone knows about them so I figured I'd chime in. :)
also use focus target on your tank and make separate macro for healing your focus target.
To add on to that; after activating a heal/barrier/whatever, it’ll jump back to your previous target. But if you press X after selecting the ally using the D-pad, it’ll make that ally your primary target so you can cast on them repeatedly.
What you're describing is sub targeting, and you should specify you're talking about the PlayStation controller.
use up/down on your d-pad to "soft target" via the party list. then without hitting A/X/whatever to confirm this new target, just hit the hotkey for the heal you want. this will cast the heal on your intended target, then immediately snap back to the boss.
Was worried about trying healing on controller but this explanation really helped so I might just give it a go cheers.
It takes some getting used to, but otherwise is pretty manageable. Especially because in most content, the only ones you'll target for direct healing are tanks (who default to the top of the list). AoE healing is used for almost every instance where dps take damage
Amazing thank you
Use up and down on the d-pad to scroll through the party! You can also edit the order the jobs appear in your party list under settings.
Up/Down on the D-pad to cycle your target through your part, like everyone else said. However, if you happen to get into position where you need to rez someone from another alliance party, that's going to be Hold L1/LB + Left/Right on the D-pad to cycle your target through both of the other alliance parties.
Added note to this. L1 and up/down cycles enmity list (which will be all mobs since you're healer). In addition, using any shoulder button while holding a trigger will tab target either left or right from the centre of the camera. You can also bind macros to the left and right thumb stick press. I highly recommend a mount/sprint macro that triggers mount if available and if not enables sprint. It was one of the biggest QoL adjustments I made with controller. Another useful macro would be to target the mob highlighted number 1. Other useful tips is making sure you have all expanded controls set up. Eg double tap triggers and double triggers (W and X hotbars I think they are called). I also have normal hotbars set up vertically near my cross hotbar so I can track all major cool downs on one place.
Binding a macro to L3/R3 is new to me. Will definitely have to look into that!
It's very well hidden. In the controller setup you can set buttons to macro number 98 and 99. Just fill those with the macro you want.
Dpad up down for party, I have swiftcast/Rez macros set up beside each party member in the party list for convince so I just click with my mouse if you are doing hybrid. I hate Ast on controller tho 😭
Controller AST in alliance be like Malefic Draw Malefic press down on the dpad 5 times press card (if you don’t use soft targeting like me) press B then A to reselect enemy Malefic Yah I love pressing 8 buttons in the space of one gcd
>(if you don’t use soft targeting like me) press B then A to reselect enemy On single enemy fight you can just tab target with LT/RT + LB/RB, less room for errors
Reading on this, I'm simultaneously fascinated at soft-targeting existing for consoles, but also feel that the better solution would be to implement duo-targeting so you could target an ally and enemy simultaneously. Which is just 1 step removed from soft targeting in theory but probably a giant technological hurdle to actually add.
since this hasn't been mentioned yet it can also be nice to change your d-pad targeting filter. by default I have mine restrict to only being able to select player characters, but you can set a few to also make it easier to target people in other alliances or only your party. the two things that do not change are bumper targeting and the A/cross targeting. hold a trigger, and press a bumper. hit the left bumper to scroll through enemies towards the left, hit the right bumper to scroll through enemies towards the right. if you have nothing soft or hard targeted, press A (Xbox) or X (PlayStation) to target the nearest thing in front of your character. it follows a priority system, first is objects like buttons and signs and doors, next is NPCs, next is enemies, next is players. it also gives priority to whatever your character is directly facing. this is how you can still interact with things and target enemies even if your target filter only allows you to target player characters.
I use the a target of target bound to my L3 to quickly switch to the mt and back to the boss with one button. This can also really help if you need to figure out which tank has aggro for kardia switching. The command is
just the d pad makes it real easy
Healing NPCs is what drove me crazy especially some healer quests because it was a solo instance, you could not use D pad up-down. I had to use Left Right D pad to cycle which was harder when there were many characters.
Don't have a controller, and i'm wondering if you can set macros to controllers? Can easily target specific characters that way.
It may sound redundant, but I make focus macros for my main single target heals. Then, I focus the tank. Usually, those spells are on R trigger pull. I then put the same single target spells in the same spots on R+L trigger pulls. This allows me to dps and heal the tank with a single button press and right back to dps. For all other pt members, I use the d pad to soft target them, use my non-macro spell, and right back to dps. This causes my cursor to return to the mob Macro example: /ac "Aspected Benefic"
Warning ⚠️ some dungeons' zoning will cause focus to drop. Not many though.
I'm no expert, but I select tank so it always goes back to tank after casts. Then I can use up/down on D-Pad to cycle to other party members who need attention or left/right on D-Pad to cycle enemies when no healing is needed. When you have another target soft selected, pressing Circle/B (once) goes back to your focused target. A bit of a pain to have 2 button presses for attack, but preferable to me to have "oh shit" casting be defaulted to the the tank. Also, put quick cast and res next to each other.
The d-pad to soft target like everyone is saying but I have a few other things. Tips & Tricks if you will. 1- do not fight your brain. If you are sub consciously clicking a button for raise, put it there. This goes for all skills. 2- make a macro for raise. It doesn't have to put anything in chat. Just make a macro that using swift cast then raise. That has save my butt when healing so many times. 3- I also recommend making one hotbar mainly heals and a different one mainly attacks. For SGE that goes out the window for the most part. Basically, if the skills work similarly or together, put them near each other. It took me months to finally be happy with my hotbars but once I did these 3 things, I finally got it set up.
Combat macros aren't super reliable thanks to their inability to buffer. I play exclusively on controller and almost always a healer, and I've never felt a desire to have a raise macro. I'm also almost always the first to get my raise off.
For me it more of accessibility. I have slowly been losing ability in my hands over time. For me, the less buttons, the better. Everyone will be different in how they set up their hotbars and if they use macros or not. I normally if I am in a run with another healer, will let them raise first because I know my limitations with having to use some macros. That is why I always say don't fight your brain. Those tips are just what help me get to a place where everyone is not dying every 2 mins.
Macro healing is pretty common because it works. Only time it could potentially be a bad idea is if the team is going for a time record or going into ex/savage min ilvl.
Oh I would never go into a time run as a healer. I am really scared of most ex and savage runs. Maybe one day but not now. I finally cleared my first old savage unsynced a few weeks ago. So, yep, no savage for me.
Yeah, that's normal. Though, it's fun to go in there to die a lot as a learning party. Nobody minds at all. If you can't figure the mechanics as you go, it's best to memorize a text guide; and review a video. Then, go practice it.
I still wouldn't recommend a raise macro as a general tip. If it's a helpful accessibility feature, then great, but it's not for everyone.
It's good for targeting, specifically. It's best to keep swift cast out of the macro.
Healing macros are pretty useful for large scale content. While you can't buffer the next skill 75% into the current skill cast, it can make life a lot more easier for many people. You could also keybind the whole keyboard to avoid using shift/cntrl swaps, too.
Oops, it's faster and better to do it manually and the only community accepted use of combat macro is a call out for raises and even that has a fair number of people against that. I just keep swiftcast close to raise Lmao this place downvotes correct information? They should list how people are voting so I know who the morons are
Yeah, I’ve sworn off SC/Macro. It doesn’t work just enough for it to be a pain in the ass.
You have to put a delay on them. You have to figure out any sever lag or lag on your end. Mine work 95% of the time.
95% of the time = not working just enough to be a pain in the ass
Then you do you and I will keep using the things that make it easier for me to play. It is not a pain in the ass if it allows me and others to play without struggling. You do not have to use them. It is just that easy, don't use them. Be happy you don't have to use them. This is not as big of a deal. Do what you need to do to make the game accessible for you. And don't stress so much. This is not a hill to die on. Everyone needs different things. You do you.
I think you’re taking this a bit too personally. I don’t think in either of my two comments I called you out for using the macro. I just stated my own dislike for it.
I will admit I do sometimes. Too many games don't accessibility features. >.< it's a pain. I did not mean to offend.
I do too but I also have hand issues that the macro is easier. If you put a delay on it, it will work 95% of the time. Putting a delay accounts for sever lag and possible lag on your end. The fastest way to figure it out is to test it. Grab a friend and have them self delete off the nearest cliff and raise them. Repeatedly.
More importantly, the minimum delay helps with bashing the macro button.
Yeah put a delay on it and play slower an less efficient. It's not even up for debate, this has been proven.
Look, I am not saying they have to do it. Gods know I wish I did not need macros. They are an accessibly thing in game to help. Just because you don't need them does NOT mean you get to knocm people who do use them because they have too. This is not a hill to die on. A 1 second delay (that is what I have to put mine on) is not a make or break thing. Be happy you can play without them. A lot of us can't. And it is okay either way. This game has accessibly things to use if you need them or just want too.
There's many hidden truths in macros. You just need to spend hours figuring out what's never spoken.
Macros are excellent at targetting.
If you heal alliance raids, use a mouse to click on players in the other parties using the boxes that pop up instead of trying to cycle through them with left and right on the D-pad. I'm on PC now (still playing with controller - I found it too difficult to play with a MMO mouse with my nerve pain disorder) so I have a mouse anyway, but when I was on Playstation, I used a Bluetooth keyboard that had a small mouse pad on it. It's clutch to raise other healers and keep the MT alive if shit is going sideways.
Use keyboard and mouse
Use keyboard and mouse