how do you play? controlpad or keyboard?

[Flarega]

PC user. Mouse for movement, arrow keys for camera rotation. But I have my keyboard settings always on compact mode for fishing so sometimes I'll use wasd for movement when I feel like it.

[Eldelphia]

Something that a lot of people seem to not realize is that the same functionality exists on PC, the keys just aren't bound by default. If you go into key bindings in-game and set keys to Target Up/Down (might not be the exact names, I'm at work with no FFXI), you'll get the same functionality as pressing up/down on a controller d-pad.

I could really do with figuring this out... I'm prolly missing the blatantly obvious but I'm really not sure how to do this. Any chance of some pointers?

[Ashokan]

I play on 360 and I use controller for just about everything. I originally played on PS2, so I love the controller, nothing like sitting back on the couch playing ffxi. :D Girlfriend plays and sits next to me, so it works out nice.

I did play on PC for a while, I exclusively used keyboard during that. I always thought the mouse was kind of awkward.

[Zosi]

Something that a lot of people seem to not realize is that the same functionality exists on PC, the keys just aren't bound by default. If you go into key bindings in-game and set keys to Target Up/Down (might not be the exact names, I'm at work with no FFXI), you'll get the same functionality as pressing up/down on a controller d-pad.

I could really do with figuring this out... I'm prolly missing the blatantly obvious but I'm really not sure how to do this. Any chance of some pointers?

Config -> Misc 2 -> Key Assignment: Movement

Menu/Target Cursor Up will assign a key to cycle your target through the visible party/alliance list upwards. I use T, it's a nice easy left-hand reach from either ASDF home row position or WASD movement position.

Menu/Target Cursor Down will assign a key to cycle your target through the visible party/alliance list downwards. I use G, for the same reasons as T, except it's right below T.

This only works with Compact layout, because it only lets you pick letter/number keys, and full size layout has those unalterably bound to opening the chat box and typing that letter.

[Intense]

100% keyboard. I originally used the mouse, but it's too clunky. I've tried using a Dual Shock with a USB adapter. Worked perfectly, but I found it to be too slow for accessing macros, plus I use a lot of console commands for spells and such.

How do you change pages on the keyboard?

I've got like 4 sets of War macros for different subs, and a couple have unique gearsets that I use sometimes on other subs, so I just hit L2/R2 on the right slot, then up or down and X to hit that macro, then go right back to the current page. tabbing left and right with a Macro set optimised for it (I put my most used things in the center, WS/TP gear, WS macros, then go left and right in decreasing order, most abilities left, gear swaps/Warcry/Warrior's Charge right) and it is smooth as hell.

Couldn't imagine going to using Ctrl/Alt+number fulltime.

You hold Ctrl or Alt and use the arrow keys to go up or down through pages. With a keyboard, you also access macros more or less directly. IE, I hit Ctrl-5 to cast Refresh, Ctrl-9 to Dispel something, etc.
I'm sure if I had been playing with a controller for four years now I'd be quick with that too, but trying to swap there's absolutely no contest.
Plus as I mentioned, I wind up typing a lot of stuff. -na spells, cures on Alliance members, etc.

I could easily see using it if I was playing a DD-centric melee, but since I have yet to level such a job past 37...doesn't really work for me.

The game does work a little different on controller. Movement is smoother, no variable speed with a keyboard. The macro bars themselves also don't have the slight lag that the keyboard controls give, which is likely intentional (and therefore should be adjustable).

So let me get this clear, controllers reduce lag when accessing macros and not just playing on PS2? For example, if I were to buy a controller for my PC, I'll notice a delay reduction when try to hit a macro?

For as long as Ive played, Ive always had to be creative with gear switches/macros because the delay just to view the macro menu is 1.5-2 seconds or even just hitting like CTRL+4, I have to hit it more than opnce or hold down the CTRL button while Im pressing 4 just to get it to work sometimes, which I think is insane. I can instantly access the general menu, but for the macro menu, there is a lag. Ive never understood why this is so.

[Zosi]

So let me get this clear, controllers reduce lag when accessing macros and not just playing on PS2? For example, if I were to buy a controller for my PC, I'll notice a delay reduction when try to hit a macro?

Yes. To put it simply, there's a few ways to use input in a DirectX app.

You can use event-based notification, where your app sets a function to get called whenever a key gets pressed, and you handle each key press in order. This works well for typing, because it ensures that no matter how fast keys are pressed, they all get through. It's crappy for games because it's SLOW, and you have to handle key presses sequentially. If you press Ctrl-5, it gets Ctrl, then 5, and has to process both in order to get your macro triggered. SE's code seems to do this very slowly.

The other way is to call a function that returns the up/down position of the keys at that instant in time. This is *MUCH* better for detecting combinations of keys because you can just see if Ctrl and any of the number keys are down, and act accordingly. This is also how joysticks and gamepads work, which is why there's less delay on them. The downside is that you can "lose" keypresses if they're fast enough, but that's generally pretty rare

[Larrieux]

I used the mouse once in 2003 to click on someone to /slap them...does that count? Seriously though keyboard only since I've been comfortably using it since the time I started the game. /ta is the best intention known to hume

[Eldelphia]

This only works with Compact layout, because it only lets you pick letter/number keys, and full size layout has those unalterably bound to opening the chat box and typing that letter.

OK.. this was the part I didn't know. I found those options before. I'll mess around with the compact keyboard but I recall trying it before and it driving me insane. Thanks for taking the time to respond - I appreciate it

[gagaliya]

i cant stand the hotkey with a keyboard especially as a white mage trying to chain cast cure at low levels. It's so awkward hitting ctrl-1 to heal and wait for like 1-2 sec before it actually does anything.

If i get a controller, how exactly will the hot key work? can i bind the heal macro (ctrl-1) to just a single button? then when i click the button, it instantly kicks off the healing action?

This is such a beautiful game with a staggering amount of depth and good game design compared to all the mindless wow-clones (like having jobs to ensure newbie areas never become empty for newcomers etc..). But the execution is so piss poor, starting from the 10 page form you have fill out to signup, the controls, ui, delay to sit/stand from resting, combat initiation requiring a pause/zoom/locked camera, etc....

[Sechs]

I made it as close to wow control as possible, but the mouse look is still way fucked. Are you guys all playing with keyboard or using a controlpad? I was thinking about buying the recommanded logitech controller. Just curious what everyone else is using.

So used to move with wasd and use the mouse for full view rotate/scan etc like in wow...but mouselook in ffxi is messedup it has an acceleration or something not sure how to describe it but never give precise control like in other games.

The cool guys use Keyboard onry.

I play with an X360 cabled Pad connected to my PC, used to play with a PS2 pad and an USB adaptor.
Playin' with a controller is lame, but I like it more, and I'm too used to it to change now honestly.