I find myself only watching my hotbar in combat. I actually NEVER see what is going on on screen. Even IF i had internalized all of the keybinds i would have to keep track of triggered abilities that have no visual clue on the actual screen but a little glowy icon on my hotbar. It is really bad.

In WoW they went overboard with the pruning but had it right a few expantions ago. There are two other diffirences tho. WoW had visual clues on the actual screen and secondly they had MACROS with the ability to combine a ton of skills into one button or castsequence.

I do NOT need 5 different attacks to apply dots with just the numbers and cooldowns being different. I do NOT need 5 different types of single/aoe stunns that do only work on trashmobs. There are rotations consisting of 20+ skills for gods sake !

I will also not spend a ton of cash on a mouse just to compensate bad game design. You should not have to buy specific equipment just to stay competitive.

This game definitely could do with some major pruning. I really would love to see what is going on on the screen once in a while.

I find myself only watching my hotbar in combat. I actually NEVER see what is going on on screen. Even IF i had internalized all of the keybinds i would have to keep track of triggered abilities that have no visual clue on the actual screen but a little glowy icon on my hotbar. It is really bad.

 

In WoW they went overboard with the prooning but had it right a few expantions ago. There are two other diffirences tho. WoW had visual clues on the actual screen and secondly they had MACROS with the ability to combine a ton of skills into one button or castsequence.

 

I do NOT need 5 different attacks to apply dots with just the numbers and cooldowns being different. I do NOT need 5 different types of single/aoe stunns that do only work on trashmobs.

 

I will also not spend a ton of cash on a mouse just to compensate bad game design. You should not have to buy specific equipment just to stay competitive.

 

This game definitely could do with some major prooning. I really would love to see what is going on on the screen once in a while.

I have never used macros, and I do not look at my hotbars at all. : shrug : MMO mouse, problems solved. 1-12, shift+1-12. ctrl +1-12. alt + 1-12. Easy as pie. The only time i look is when quick traveling or selecting a mount. : shrug :

I find myself only watching my hotbar in combat. I actually NEVER see what is going on on screen. Even IF i had internalized all of the keybinds i would have to keep track of triggered abilities that have no visual clue on the actual screen but a little glowy icon on my hotbar. It is really bad.

 

In WoW they went overboard with the prooning but had it right a few expantions ago. There are two other diffirences tho. WoW had visual clues on the actual screen and secondly they had MACROS with the ability to combine a ton of skills into one button or castsequence.

 

I do NOT need 5 different attacks to apply dots with just the numbers and cooldowns being different. I do NOT need 5 different types of single/aoe stunns that do only work on trashmobs. There are rotations consisting of 20+ skills for gods sake !

 

I will also not spend a ton of cash on a mouse just to compensate bad game design. You should not have to buy specific equipment just to stay competitive.

 

This game definitely could do with some major prooning. I really would love to see what is going on on the screen once in a while.

Yes, it could use some pruning, but what it could use the most is the ability to set macros. So, who wants to use them, more power to him!

And which rotation consists of 20 skills again? Most are in 6-10 range(even 10 is pushing it). Keep in mind, I calculate only the actual combat skills, not all those skills you pre cast or use 1 / 10 minutes or whatever. That's...hard to prune, you know. In fact, Gunnery(the simplest rotation in game) uses 4 skills lol(maybe 5 if you count TSO in)!

As I said, macros. We need macros.

I find myself only watching my hotbar in combat. I actually NEVER see what is going on on screen. Even IF i had internalized all of the keybinds i would have to keep track of triggered abilities that have no visual clue on the actual screen but a little glowy icon on my hotbar. It is really bad.

 

In WoW they went overboard with the pruning but had it right a few expantions ago. There are two other diffirences tho. WoW had visual clues on the actual screen and secondly they had MACROS with the ability to combine a ton of skills into one button or castsequence.

 

I do NOT need 5 different attacks to apply dots with just the numbers and cooldowns being different. I do NOT need 5 different types of single/aoe stunns that do only work on trashmobs. There are rotations consisting of 20+ skills for gods sake !

 

I will also not spend a ton of cash on a mouse just to compensate bad game design. You should not have to buy specific equipment just to stay competitive.

 

This game definitely could do with some major pruning. I really would love to see what is going on on the screen once in a while.

I fully agree. Like you, I find myself not looking at my character and environment as much as I'm looking at the buttons. Ability bloat and poor visual cues are some of those things I find really bad about this game.

I completely agree.

Some of the most fun classes to play currently are arsenal merc, carnage marauder, and deception assassin. They aren't too simple, but they also don't require the management of 5 different dots and any other number of abilities that would otherwise be useless if they weren't a set part of the rotation. Engineering snipers and IO mercs come to mind. Sure, they can do solid damage...but trying to apply every single dot to every target you face in high-level pvp and pve situations is much more of a hassle than it is a fun experience. Additionally, the more people have to focus on their rotation, the less they tend to focus on their surroundings/objectives/mechanics. It makes solo-queue pvp and pve incredibly frustrating at times.

I used to love having tons of abilities, but then I gave ESO and WoW-Legion a try a few months back. I was pleasantly surprised at how a simpler rotation actually made the game more fun for me. I spent less time checking on my ability procs/cooldowns and more time enjoying the combat animations and being immersed within the game. It really does make a big difference.

They already have pruned down abilities some with the updates in the last year or two. Some classes more so then others in my view. And we have many complaints from players about the game being made too simple already. Why dumb things down even further, when players have full control over where they hot-attach abilities and how they use them.

Thing is.. YOU... the player... decide which abilities you want on your hotbar or hotkeys. You do not need them all, as most class rotations are 6-10 abilities plus a number of conditionals that are useful at certain times. So I really don't see the problem here. -----> Manage your abilities conscientiously on your keys/bars and don't just pack-rat them all onto your 6 available tabs. IF you simply must have every ability at your fingertips.. then as others have suggested... use an MMO mouse and hot key accordingly.

I have never used macros, and I do not look at my hotbars at all. : shrug : MMO mouse, problems solved. 1-12, shift+1-12. ctrl +1-12. alt + 1-12. Easy as pie. The only time i look is when quick traveling or selecting a mount. : shrug :

Same here. As long as you know your rotation, you should never need to look at your hotbar, unless you're checking a defensive cooldown.

And as other people said : Razer or LG 15 button mouse - can't play without it.

I like the amount of abilities ingame right now, but I suppose a few abilities here or there can go.

Like for mercenaries, they can make death from above exclusive for healer spec, make sweeping blasters exclusive for arsenal, make fusion missile exclusive for IO. Giving each spec an AoE but each one is unique.

I have to respectfully disagree. On my mando/merc, there's not one skill I have that isn't useful in the right situation. I use EVERY skill I have in PvP, and most of them in PvE. I would hate to see the system dumbed down in any way.

I understand your desire for a simpler rotation, and I can appreciate that - when I switch to some of my characters, I haven't the foggiest idea what the hell I'm supposed to be pushing...but that's where experience counts for something in this game.

I have to respectfully disagree. On my mando/merc, there's not one skill I have that isn't useful in the right situation. I use EVERY skill I have in PvP, and most of them in PvE. I would hate to see the system dumbed down in any way.

 

I understand your desire for a simpler rotation, and I can appreciate that - when I switch to some of my characters, I haven't the foggiest idea what the hell I'm supposed to be pushing...but that's where experience counts for something in this game.

For once I am going to agree with Tux (don't let it go to your head). I have no problems with my characters abilities, and I have at least one of each class, some I have two. I do not see why it needs to be pruned. I think it needs to be left alone (and I don't use a special mouse either)

For once I am going to agree with Tux (don't let it go to your head).

I have to respectfully disagree. On my mando/merc, there's not one skill I have that isn't useful in the right situation. I use EVERY skill I have in PvP, and most of them in PvE. I would hate to see the system dumbed down in any way.

 

I understand your desire for a simpler rotation, and I can appreciate that - when I switch to some of my characters, I haven't the foggiest idea what the hell I'm supposed to be pushing...but that's where experience counts for something in this game.

I am not in favor of pruning unique abilities. I am however in favor of less attacks: Arsenal for example has an aoe skill wich lowers armor by 20%. You usually follow it up with other aoe so why not integrate that into the actual aoe? Make it a passive or something. There are also many attacks that are basically the same just increased or decreased numbers.

I am all for flexibility and situational abilities on demand. Those are also easy to memorize. My main problems are attacks i guess.

Mercs and Ops have ridiculous ability bloat. Op DPS have 4 heals and none of them are good, just give them Kolto injection instead of infusion and get rid of the others.

Mercs don't need 4 AOEs, get rid of fusion missile (for arsenal) and explosive dart and just buff sweeping blasters.

Get rid of aggro drops as a general concept, no other MMO has them any more and they are a waste of a keybind.

Get rid of aggro drops as a general concept, no other MMO has them any more and they are a waste of a keybind.

What do other mmos do about aggro drops then? (genuinely curious)

What do other mmos do about aggro drops then? (genuinely curious)

I think they just give you an aggro indication and you have to stop dpsing when it get's to high.

Yes, it could use some pruning, but what it could use the most is the ability to set macros. So, who wants to use them, more power to him!

 

And which rotation consists of 20 skills again? Most are in 6-10 range(even 10 is pushing it). Keep in mind, I calculate only the actual combat skills, not all those skills you pre cast or use 1 / 10 minutes or whatever. That's...hard to prune, you know. In fact, Gunnery(the simplest rotation in game) uses 4 skills lol(maybe 5 if you count TSO in)!

 

As I said, macros. We need macros.

Macros are a cancer on mmos. no thanks.

YES!!! 5 years later, FINALLY

I did say not to let it go to your head.

I think they just give you an aggro indication and you have to stop dpsing when it get's to high.

That is completely terrible.

That is completely terrible.

They used to do it like this but nowadays they just make sure that tanks can hold aggro wich is the smarter solution imo :-)

They already have pruned down abilities some with the updates in the last year or two. Some classes more so then others in my view. And we have many complaints from players about the game being made too simple already. Why dumb things down even further, when players have full control over where they hot-attach abilities and how they use them.

 

Thing is.. YOU... the player... decide which abilities you want on your hotbar or hotkeys. You do not need them all, as most class rotations are 6-10 abilities plus a number of conditionals that are useful at certain times. So I really don't see the problem here. -----> Manage your abilities conscientiously on your keys/bars and don't just pack-rat them all onto your 6 available tabs. IF you simply must have every ability at your fingertips.. then as others have suggested... use an MMO mouse and hot key accordingly.

My problem is that I insist that(using Assassin as an example) my main bar(1-6) is used by what I perceive to be the core of the class(Force abilities in this case), secondary bar(alt+1-6) for the secondary attacks(melee attacks in this case) and the tertiary bar for defensive / CC abilities. My tertiary bar is usually in the state of overflow. So, those abilities could use pruning imo.

But I could be bringing this all down upon myself by being needlessly neat. Who cares whether my Force(Tech) abilities and my physical abilities share the same bar? Obviously me, heh .

note: People, don't do it like this. Be more efficient!

Macros are a cancer on mmos. no thanks.

So, don't use them. Who's forcing you? And if someone's forcing you, flip him and go away.

Threads like these make me wince because, even if there are a few abilities that could be pruned, devs seem to take it too far and wack the **** out of all the leaves till it's ugly.

And saying you don't want to buy a $40 mmo mouse when you've clearly spent wayyyyy more on a processor and graphics card to run the game is asinine.

My first MMO had a copious amount of abilities to choose from during combat. Modern MMOs have approximately five to choose from. If we continue this trend, the next generation of MMOs will have one ability to choose from.

Anyone ever seen the movie, "Idiocracy?"

Seriously, you can press hotkey #1 from beginning to end in this game and still win, assuming you don't do OPs or PvP.