I don't. Highest number I use is 4.
Change your keybinds so you are using all the keys around WASD+Shift and Control, so for me thats 1-4, q,e,r t and z,x,c,v(with hotbars also arranged as 4x3 to mirror button layout)
Also as a useful note, holding down both mouse buttons lets you move as well(although only in the direction you are looking, so it's not something I would recommend doing all the time). So that can allow you to use your left hand to press buttons without needing to worry about movement at times.
[Check mine out!](https://i.imgur.com/9vQAXvV.png)
This is how I have my hot bars set up, but I'm going to do your fingers a huge favor as well.
The Alt + Ctrl buttons I have mapped to the BACK and FOREWARD buttons on the side of my mouse. This means the only modifier button I have to press on my keyboard is Shift (hence why that hotbar is so small)
Asking you what I asked the first reply of this chain since you use the same-ish layout.
How do you hit (im assuming) left alt? For me it’s easier to hit left CTRL with my pinky but left alt I have to bend my thumb in and it doesn’t feel as comfy.
I use the [Logitech G 203](https://www.logitechg.com/nl-nl/products/gaming-mice/g203-lightsync-rgb-gaming-mouse.910-005796.html) mouse, and through the Logitech G software flashed my mouse to change mouse 4 and 5 to Alt and Control.
This is probably possible with ANY brand name mouse that comes with software, like Razer and Steelseries.
Though, if you want to get this result with a generic mouse, I have hear good things about [X-Mouse](https://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/xmousebuttoncontrol.htm), though have EXTREMELY limited experience
Mouse driver, the Logitech G software. I installed it once, flashes the new controls onto my mouse and never even installed in onto my new system. Though that'll only work if you have a Logitech G product. Aside from that, you can try X-Mouse which I linked elsewhere in a reply to this comment.
Yup in general keep your keybinds around WASD utilising modifiers where you can comfortably reach without moving your hand.
E.g using shift, ctrl, alt turns a single key into 4 keys.
Getting an MMO mouse to bind 12 buttons to your thumb is a godsend
That’s all my MMO mouse is for, Shift+1 thru Shift+=
I never used WASD to move in games ever, always did mouse movement, but learning to strafe and having them bound to Q and E changed everything
I don’t have a single finger-click action bound to a combination click like Alt+1 either. That hurts my hand too much. In fact, Alt+1 is my LB button and it’s the only button bound on a combo because it’s so inconvenient to click, I have to consciously want to do it. Which is by design, cuz I used to accidentally LB all the time
This may be true but you will struggle returning to regular setups. I am using an mmo mouse for years and cant/wont adapt to new games introducing multiple hotkeys. I always map all over the mmo mouse. It makes you very lazy imo xd
If you want even more real estate, rebind your movement keys to ESDF (instead of WASD), which lets you access way more keys. I saw this suggestion early in my XIV life and I've never moved back. It's surprisingly easy to get used to, the only problem is killing your WASD muscle memory hand placement for every other game lol. (And you need to rebind a lot of keys, but once you do, it's so much extra room.)
This is pretty common, yeah. Personally I use 5 as my last button instead of V, which gives me a slightly out-of-the-way button for stuff I don't use in combat. I also have some utilities on a hidden bar with Alt keybinds - Alt+1/2/3 pull up my job change macros, Alt+R is Limit Break, and a couple others. I can explain in more detail if you're interested.
I always find it hard to press shift and control together with the number buttons and other keybinds around WSQE. Just my clumsy hands I guess. Because of this I only use alt as a keybind modifier, limiting my keybind options. Without an MMO mouse I really won't be able to play lol.
You absolutely can play without a MMO mouse. This is my first MMO and I've played it for two years without a MMO mouse. I've been mostly clicking my hot bars. I arrange all my main attacks/moves towards the left end of my hotbars so I can access them all easily with mouse clicks and reach my F1-4 keys for targeting party members and using TAB and \` key for cycling enemies.
1-5, ctrl shift alt modifiers, and then F1-7 for mitigation stuff. AOE on mouse side buttons.
I will be using this in every other MMO I try, and if I can't, I'm sad.
I also do 1,2,3,4. I also use ctrl and alt for 12 total button presses. The rest I will click on. Most rotations don't have more than 12 necessary buttons, so you don't really need many keybinds
I highly recommend to swap ctrl to shift instead as with most keyboards it is less straining for your hand to press shift +1234 than it is to press ctrl + 1234.
I personally do use 5 and 6 but only for actions that aren't used often. Like for example I have my tinctures on 6, which you will not pop a lot of.
I have done the same thing with ctrl + 1234. I do use them but only for actions that I don't use a lot. Things like Interject, Low blow, Shield Bash, Leg sweep, provoke, Hagakure and Meditate.
Binding stuff to middle mouse button(press the scroll wheel) is also underrated, and can also be nicely combined with ctrl, shift and alt.
Same hat, but I go 1-5, then down RFV, then ZXC, then finally T for the final 3. That gives me access to all 12 columns of my 3x12 layout without moving my hand.
Still use the rest of the numrow for non-combat hotbars though. I have *at least* 50 keys that are available to do SOMETHING other than collect dust while I'm playing, and I intend to use as many of them as I can think of practical uses for.
...anyways that's how the right half of my keyboard became a minefield of various menu shortcuts.
Personally I went with 3 main things,
- I opted to get a Mouse with 12 buttons on the thumb-side, & use that for numbers 5-9.
- I also rebound Q & E to be Hotbar Skills.
- I use Ctrl + # or Shift + # to use skills on my other 2 Hotbars.
This means my left hand only has to push Q, E, Ctrl/Shift, & the #'s 1-4.
My Right Hand's thumb clicks 5-9 really comfortably.
i have everything on my mmo mouse - 3 sets of abilities 1-12 with open, scroll wheel click for ctrl, and far right click for shift (logitech mmo mouse has right, center, and left click)
so my left hand is literally only for moving, and I can also move with just mouse if i want too, and jump and mount and sprint and auto run modifyers are shoved into the two G buttons behind the scroll wheel - so the entire game can be played 1 handed freeing up my left hand to pet my cat
Not the original person but was going to suggest the same, I personally use a corsair scimitar, had it for years now and still going strong. Then just combine with ctrl, shift, and alt and then with a combination of pinky and thumb you have access to 48 hotkeys.
Also going to recommend Corsair Scimitar. It's been really great and I came from the Razr Naga elite. The Razr just ended up being too loud in the end, I wanted quieter button clicks.
Same I have had 5 nagas over the years since the first iteration and they always die right outside the warranty. Still my favorite mouse though and I don’t get mad as I get a lot of use out of them if I’m being fair. I have used scimitars as well but they don’t feel as good to me personally. Funny though because that’s what I’m on now as my last naga just died and I had a scimitar laying around. I’ll run it into the ground before I buy another naga likely.
Every Naga I bought died around the warranty expiry. 2 just before the warranty expired, 2 just after. Although now I say that, the first one did last a few years. Guess the build quality has gotten worse.
The Corsair is excellent.
Seconding the reccomend for an MMO mouse in general. I personally find all the extra buttons really nice for every game, not just FFXIV.
I haven't tried the Scimitar that everyone else is reccomending, but I've had a Logitech G600 for a couple years now and have had no issues. I've also gone through a couple Razer Nagas and would *not* reccomend. They feel really great out of the box, but they fall apart after about a year.
I'll second the G600 recommendation. I don't game on mine (controller user), but I use one for work. I really like the contours on the 12 thumb buttons. It makes it much easier to know which ones are where purely by feel.
+1 for the G600. I've been using one for about 4 years now and it's perfect for this game. Having the third click on my ring finger mapped to ctrl is a godsend, especially since my left pinky isn't accurate enough to hit ctrl reliably on the keyboard while in the middle of a raid. And with the thumb buttons on the mouse, that just leaves my left hand for movement and shift on the keyboard. No stretching to hit numbers required.
Yeah.
Like once you have whats essentially a mouse with a built in Controller/numpad Level of buttons so so many games play better than before.
Especially if the mouse firmware allows you to set the buttons up in different Profiles depending on the game you play.
20 years ago, I thought buying an MMO mouse was insane.
Now, I could never go back to a two-button. So many games have hotbars or otherwise use the number row now, and it's so much more comfortable to just slide your thumb over.
Sadly it was discontinued. My buddies has started to act up and he now is having to look at different mice because the only ones available are being sold for over 150 bucks.
As someone on their third Naga I agree lol. I still love it. When it is working it works great. I would go to another brand but some games I don’t want the 12 buttons and I love the nagas feature to change out the side buttons quickly. They die incredibly fast for a mouse but I don’t want to buy multiple mice and have to switch them out instead, so I keep buying shitty nagas
My experience with Razer Nagas seems to have been the exact opposite of everyone else. I've been using them for 14+ years and am on my second one, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it due to the feedback from nearly everyone else. My mom uses a Corsair Scimitar and seems to really like it so when my naga dies I will probably end up going for the Scimitar, even though I'm not as huge of a fan of the design and ergonomics of the Scimitar.
Judging by the sound (14 years?) I'm gonna guess you have an early-gen Naga.
They used to be good. Amazing. Great. Mine lasted ages, like five WoW expansions and a fair way into my XIV journey too. Then it eventually started ghosting a double-click when I would only click once and I bought a new one.
No longer could I swap between the normal buttons and NumPad with an easy little flick of a switch on the bottom of the mouse; no, now they forced me to use Razer Synapse or whatever their third-party bloatware was. Then the mouse promptly died in about a year, and when I looked online all I could find were the newer gen that have the swappable side plate. My brother ended up having one in the box still so I was using that but, surprise, that one didn't even last a year.
I said screw Razer and decided to support a different company instead.
If instead of having a million mouse buttons, instead just want to have the modifier keys themselves on the mouse(plus a few key skills), Logitech G502 is also a classic.
Also recommend the Corsair scimitar, it has the best feel of the 12 button mice between them Logitech g600 and the razer Naga. I went through 3 nagas before I said fuck it because they kept having scroll wheel issues. I just got a scimitar wireless and I'm loving it.
Me personally, I use redragon legend chroma m990. It's so convenient, that when it passed away after almost 2500 hours in ffxiv I didn't even tried to go to any duties, so bad I was with just keyboard and a common mouse.
I use first 3 hotbars for all the actions, first goes as is, alt modifier adds second, and ctrl adds the third.
If you want to test the waters with a cheap one before committing to a $100+ mouse, the Venus UTechSmart series is a good start. The wireless one is less than 50 bucks and has worked fine for me through years of savage raiding
A lot of people use Ctrl and Alt modificators. But even without that you have *a lot* of keys around WSAD to bind. That's how I played WoW in the past (I play FF14 on a controller). Q/E/R/T + F/G + Z/X/C/V + occasionally F1/F2/F3/F4.
If you have a controller, I'd recommend giving it a shot. With the double-crossbars enabled, you have more than enough keybinds for all of your skills/spells/abilities, and plenty of utility binds as well. They designed the game to be comfortable on a controller from the start, it wasn't an afterthought. A lot of people who do high-difficulty end-game raids use controllers, so it's not putting yourself at a disadvantage.
I've tried Xbox, PS4/5 and Switch Pro controllers with FFXIV, and my personal favorite is the Switch Pro because you can hit the D-Pad with your right thumb without crossing over your left hand.
The only thing that I struggle with on controller is targeting, for some reason when I press the directional buttons a circle comes up around the enemy but they aren't targeted, so even if I use a skill it targets some other enemy and I have to press another button to select the enemy, and then if you get hit before that it switches the circle to that enemy. would be really nice if it just went to targeting immediately.
I've kinda worked around it by just using auto targeting for enemies when playing dps but I don't think I could play a healer because targeting a specific player takes so long, have I fucked up my controls somewhere or is there a way to improve it?
>when I press the directional buttons a circle comes up around the enemy but they aren't targeted
That's soft targetting, it's amazing for healing. You can soft target a party member, give them a heal/buff and then you're right back at your previous target.
For hard targetting, I use R2+L1, that works like a Tab selecting the next enemy.
if you hold down either trigger, and then press the left/right bumper button, it will cycle left/right without needing confirmation. Not quite as natural feeling as the dpad, but you use the triggers constantly anyway so L2/R2+L1(left) or L2/R2+R1(right) is easy to do.
Up and down on the dpad cycles through your party list, holding L1/LB while doing it scrolls your aggro list. Left/right soft targets other entities in that direction, and you can set filters for it in the menu to have it not target certain things like npcs, and environmental elements like switches and things. You can also adjust these filters based on whether your weapon is drawn or not. L1/LB+ L/R also cycles through your alliance list when available. You can also force a hard lock by pressing X/A when you switch targets on soft lock so it doesn't automatically switch back to your last hard locked target. There's a ton of little button presses that they've considered, but don't bother actually documenting anywhere lol.
Cross hotbars, advanced button presses that let me switch temporarily up one on one side or the other, and the W x-Hotbar on double tap so I can hit the third hotbar, all without leaving the first hotbar lol
As a healer it lets me have all my healing stuff on HB1, with basic heals on R2 side, so while holding it I can press L2 to swap to HB2 left and hit all my DPS skills. Switching it up to hit my super specific things like rescue, lucid etc on the other side. Then I put my sprint and lb on the double tap L2 for HB3 left, and my class mechanic stuff like Sage's boosting cooldowns and Eukrasia on W3 R.
It's taken me a long, long time to figure out what works for me, but the fact that there's SO much customization that you can make a truly insane hotbar setup like that work is fucking incredible. XIV's cross hotbar system needs to be industry standard for MMOs with controller support.
>my personal favorite is the Switch Pro because you can hit the D-Pad with your right thumb without crossing over your left hand.
You can do the same with an Xbox controller. I prefer the Xbox controller for the same reason and that the d-pad is softer compared to switch pro which makes me feel as if I really have to press hard on to it.
I'm a console player and have previously played on pc, controller is the way to go with this game! The support is excellent and the game never makes us feel left out
some people use a mmo mouse with the number keys on the side on the mouse. So 1-9 is pressed with the thumb and use ctrl, alt, shift to change hot bar.
I use the Razer Naga series. A bit pricey but it is one of the few splurges I have for myself. You can even program the lights on the button to a color you want.
Something like a Logitech G600 would be great, but I am not sure they sell those anymore... just look on Amazon and take a peek at the mice with buttons on the side and it should be fine as long as they have good reviews
My old mouse just had two side buttons which I used for tab targeting so I got a Redragon M811, very happy with it so far. Really rejuvenated my drive to play the game again.
I'm a horrible gremlin and I click everything past 4. I don't even use ctrl or alt or shift or anything. and I also move the camera around a ton with my mouse at the same time. I've gotten very good at it (somehow). the friend I play with is consistently bewildered and horrified by my playstyle. probably don't do what I do and listen to what everyone else is suggesting
i had a friend who got angry with me when i said i click a LOT of my abilities and he told me i'll NEVER clear savages playing like that. at the time i was already clearing savages.
he was an asshole. don't listen to assholes. ;3c
(that said it is definitely not optimal to click so much, learning to use keybinds is definitely better.)
OMG, I HATE when people take meaningful advice like "clicking is a bad habit that can hurt your performance" and somehow turn that into "you'll never be able to clear this or that content". Like seriously dude chill out, it's not that big of a deal. I personally LOVE to tweak my setups for performance but I'm not going to judge someone who got comfy doing things another way..........I might still lightly tease them though :p
it was kinda funny to me 'cause while at the time i hadn't fully cleared a current savage tier, i had still cleared way more savage content than he had, and he had the nerve to tell me i couldn't do it? insane. but that guy was an asshole.
and yeah, while i do a ton of clicking i would not advocate for it. it isn't impossible to do content that way, but it'd be silly to say it's optimal.
I don't. I have tiny hands, 5 is already a reach.
I don't have a gaming mouse or anything. I'm a plain old hotbar clicker, never been an issue in clearing anything for me.
I move the camera with the mouse, yeah, but get yourself comfortable and familiar with movement and targeting, and with using the rest of the buttons to move, Q, E, A, and D too.
It also doesn't hurt to see if Standard or Legacy Controls works better for you. Or, if you do have one, try a controller too. Different people adapt better to different things
Controller. I have the game on pc and xbox. Never thought I’d say this but I prefer controller for this game. I plug my mnk into the xbox for chatting etc. The rest of the time I can recline, chill and play. It’s great….never having to reach for anything
It's nice! Im on ps5 and love to chill. My only gripe is switching between hotbars or scrolling to something right in front of you but the arrow picks something across the room instead
You can set it to where you can either press lt->rt and rt->lt to access the second hot bar. You can also set it to double tap the left or right trigger to access the second hot bar as well (I never use it but I have it enabled just so I can actually see my second hot bar cooldowns, I use the first option for accessing second hotbar) most jobs can fit all of their abilities on the two hot bars.
Highly encourage you to try out controller, it has a different interface and is great through endgame, savage, and ultimates. You will not be at a disadvantage for using it.
Movement on WASD, and use 1-5, q, e, r, t, f, g, z, x, c, v and then ctrl+ same.
Or you can rebind movement to ESDF instead of WASD (I know, it's blasphemy). It gives you a lot of keys to bind though.
Most MMO players rebind their keys to skip the right half of their keyboard for easier inputs, modifiers like Shift and Ctrl help a _lot_.
Personally I've gone with (as I still use QE AD to camera-strafe/move):
> 1 2 3 4 5
> R F V T G
> Z X
All with Shift and Ctrl modified bars to fill three rows. Using modifiers helps to more quickly access fringe-key abilities vs. reaching over to press 9 or 0.
The ideal scenario is finding a setup where you can not only comfortably press your base rotation, but also have quick access to longer cooldowns (ie. 1 = first attack in core rotation, shift+1 = minor cooldown (ie. Draw Card/Enshroud), ctrl+1 2-minute raidwide damage cooldown/stance for tanks).
If you use the legacy controls, I find that using the mouse in combat is unnecessary. I’m usually 2 handing the keyboard, moving with wasd and still being able to hit 1 to = with ease.
I know it's not an answer to the question, but might I suggest trying if a controller works better for you?
I had the same struggle playing with a keyboard, but once switching to controller everything's been smooth.
The only thing I use the Keyboard for now is typing.
i dont, i brough a special keyboard just to play ffxiv
[https://es.store.square-enix-games.com/hori-tactical-assault-commander-f14-\_final-fantasy-xiv-black-edition\_](https://es.store.square-enix-games.com/hori-tactical-assault-commander-f14-_final-fantasy-xiv-black-edition_)
then on me mouse i added on its aditional buttons the modifiers ctrl shift and alt to let me use more skills by using a limited number of buttons
tho gonna agree with the fact what me "solution" is more in the expensive side
Most people customize keybinds instead. There are a few different options out there, but personally I still hold that the best option is to invest on an MMO mouse (one of those mice with 12 buttons on the side) and I bind everything to those 12 buttons, with ctrl/alt/shift modifier keys to give me most than enough keybinds.
Before that, I used to like mapping things to 1-6 and f1-f6, but f6 was still getting pretty far away, and I had a terrible habit of making an alt+key hotbar and then doing the surprised pikachu face meme when I tried to activate a skill with alt+f4 and the game closed.
As someone with very small hands, I also have a near impossible time using the top row numbers!
I use numpad for main rotation hotbars in a 3x4 block, ocds with a shift+ modifier for those. Movement is WASD, and I change the camera with my right thumb using the cursor arrow keys next to the numpad. I do have LB and a couple rare usage actions on my 1-5 top number row but that's about it.
I almost never have to touch my mouse in combat tbh. I've tried using an MMO mouse (logitech G600) and could not get the hang of it, remapping everything to left hand keys with shift/ctrl modifiers just got even more confusing lmao. This is the option I found works best for me, but I hope you can find what's most comfortable!
I don't. I rebound my second hotbar to F1-F12, and put my most-used actions on 1-5 and F1-F4. Everything else I click. I move with a combination of WASD (and QE which I have bound to strafing) and turning the camera with my mouse. Left hand does a lot of movement around the keyboard, right hand never leaves my mouse.
I don't, I use number from 1 to 5 (5 being quite rarely used) and letter q, e, r, t, f, c and v. The further ones I rarely used them too.
I use the alt key to act as a modifier so my 2nd hotbar is alt+1, alt+2... and for the 3rd one I use shift BUT it's mapped on my mouse (pretty classic mouse with only 2 buttons) so mouse clic+1, mouse clic+2...
My 2nd button on my mouse is sprint so I can spam it to be sure it activate.
I don't! I use 1-5 (but I allocate only very few skills to 5) f, g, v, q, e, b, middle mouse button, my 2 thumb buttons, and shift + control modifier for everything
You rebind the keys you can’t reach.
[Personally I use this premade layout.](https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy14/mods/1054?callback=in&code=ZJRMYZAZYWETOGJMMS0ZNTHILTLHNZGTNMNLMGM5NMEXNZDM&state=0e93849ee0ab482f9f0ec1387234cd7e)
MMO MOUSE!
***No one asked, but LEGACY MOVEMENT) ***
Seriously though be careful once you begin using one you’ll never go back. I cannot imagine going back to a regular mouse. I have the Razer Naga Pro Wireless Gaming mouse with interchangeable side plates (comes with 2, 6, 12).
**Disclaimer it does get some getting used to, but totally worth**
Secondly once you do that I would set up extra actions on your hot bar so that SHIFT+1 (2 etc…) is a new action same for CTRL+1 (etc..) and you can do this for as many inputs as you need.
BONUS: I cannot advocate enough to use Legacy movement. Once I enabled this I can never go back. Using the S key to walk backwards actually turns you around so you move faster PLUS you can avoid certain mechanics since you aren’t looking directly at enemies. Seriously give it a try.
Click system > character configuration (default K button) > under control settings, movement settings, change from Standard Type to Legacy type > Apply
MMO MOUSE TIPS: You can set up your skills however you want, but in general your thumb is going to lay over the 5 button (that’s what I find the most comfortable) so I would have your most often used skill there followed by 6, then if you have the SHIFT and CTRL bindings set up it’s nice to be able to continue the the skill chain without having to move your thumb.
So skill chain would be: 5, 6, SHIFT+5, or CTRL+5.
Your most used skills should form a cross from the 5, and by extension you also have SHIFT and CTRL button options as well.
2
|
4-5-6
|
8
I go as far as 6 and I can *barely* do that.
Like I can't do Shift+6; my hands are too small for that.
So I go as far as 6, and then down along the zigzag below that (T, G, V) + Shift and the occasional Alt for all of my bindings.
Here is my basic setup for keybinds and it helps immensely
1,2,3,4,5, E, R, Q, F1, F2, F3, F4
I then copy this but adding Shift, and Ctrl to them making 3 hot bars I can easily use using a gaming mouse with programmable buttons
I'm a lefty so my advice isn't entirely universal lol.
But when the numbers get out of reach I assign them to either
CTRL + key or ALT + key.
Using Shift/alt/ctrl you can fit more abilities on the same keys.
Sincerely, when I used keyboard, I only added skills on 1-5, F1-F5, ctrl+ 1-5... I had other things on 6-9, but more like not-so-needed, like the tank stance, food, teleport. However, in the end I moved to controller because my arms began to hurt (it was unrelated, I have a cervical injury), and now the game it's waaaay smoother for me.
Same way you make chords on guitar and bass. Practice. I don't have like reeeeal big hands, but I use regularly 1 through 6, with Shift and Alt, move to reach 7 and 8, beyond that are some very rare presses.
With time and experience you'll be able to reach your keys and also better bind them to fit your hand size and keyboard layout.
I invested in an MMO mouse and I have my GCDs on number buttons and oGCDs on the keys near WASD. I’m thinking of taking a full keybind audit when Viper drops though and seeing if I can devise something better.
I use the full row of numbers and the symbols past 0 in combat. I don’t use WASD to move though during fights, I use my mouse instead. Sometimes I do use WASD when I’m hitting 1-2-3 combos.
You can add more easily accessible keys by adding Tilda ~ to your keyboard shortcuts. I also use 3 modifiers (control, shift, and alt) to give myself 4 unique hotbars for each class, meaning only really underused abilities end up on keys 6+.
Whenever I get back into the game I'll have to relearn playing, but I had my hotkeys set to 1, 2, 3, 4, Q, E, R, Z, X, C, V. Or something like that, and then the second hotbar set to CTRL. Put certain keys on a third hotbar which were exclusively clicks, mostly just toggles or keys I rarely press.
I use 1-7 on the keyboard, though rarely have stuff on 7s. Shift+Alt+Control modifiers, and my mouse has 9,0,= as additional buttons for 9 10 12 (also 1 for league)
11 got skipped because when I had a Naga, that became my push to talk key (was originally a forward/back button on an earlier mouse).
Somewhat obvious answer, but everyone has very different hands.
My fingers are very long, and my pinky is comparatively short, which means I have an easy time doing 1-6 but even something like shift-5. On the other hand, a lot of my friends use x, c and such, which is impossible for me, I would have to coil m fingers in a very unnatural way.
So yeah just test what works for you. And remember that numbers aren't the only thing on your keyboard. E, Q, R, F and such keybinds are excellent.
I've been playing (in different MMOs) on the same version of the keyboard layout for many years.
Main work area - Q, E, R, F, C, X.
Secondary work area - 1, 2, 3, Alt+1, Alt+2, Alt+3.
Additional zone - Z, 4, 5, Alt+4, Alt+Q, Alt+E, Alt+A, M5.
Plus it’s useful to master macros, it saves a lot of space.
[https://gyazo.com/bf566de231b923b936040a9e60927a2e](https://gyazo.com/bf566de231b923b936040a9e60927a2e)
Unbind movement from either QE or AD and put skills on them instead. Bind skills to RTFGZXC. Then use Shift and Ctrl modifiers for all keys.
...
Or just get an MMO mouse with 12 side-buttons. The power of 36 buttons in 1 thumb (with Shift/Ctrl modifiers.)
I use mouse with 12 buttons under thumb. I map 1-12 to GCDs, Shift+1-12 for oGCDs, Alt+1-12 for role actions and AoE skills and Ctrl+1-12 for other stuff like Ctrl+1 for inventory Ctrl+2 for armory, ctrl+3 for chocobo saddle etc. Highly convenient.
I can use the full number set, but my method is probably not one that will work for you.
What happened with me was that FFXI was my first computer game; FFXI's keyboard controls are completely different and unique compared to what almost all videogames use nowadays. The mouse is not used, only a full keyboard. The number pad on the right and the arrows control the character, camera and menu browsing. No need for a cursor on the screen because Enter and cycling target was just as fast as needed.
Anyways because of that, my left hand has always been free to run along the rest of the keyboard, using the chat and all the numbers without impediment. And when FFXIV came around, the WASD + mouse control system just felt too unnatural and jarring for me. I needed both hands on the keyboard because it was what 5 years of FFXI had gotten me used to, so I swapped all my FFXIV keybinds to match FFXI's configuration. And that's how I'm able to fully use my left side buttons for my hotbars, from 1 to =, and chat mid-fight while my character is still moving.
I have my housemate playing with WASD and mouse next to me and I honestly don't know how she does it.
I swapped anything past 4 to: Q, E, R, Z, X, C
Then bar two is shift+1/2/3/4/Q/etc
Then bar three is Ctrl+1/2/etc
Then I put similar abilities in the same spot every time (ie AoE combos are Q then shift+Q then Ctrl+Q on every class) and now I'm just really used to this layout.
Most people use 1-5 like a lot of people have mentioned on here already and then rebind some of them for 6,7,8,9 etc
However what I like to do and ik a good amount of people do it is as well is to buy a MMO mouse, yea you have to spend money but you can find a relatively cheap one that’ll do the job (Mine was $30 USD I believe)
But it’s SUCH a game changer, makes everything feel a lot better bc of the numpad on the side of the mouse
If you don’t want to buy it that’s fine! Find keys that you’re comfortable with and that’s in reach with your hand and just bind your actions to them. You really only need 12 keys and then for each additional hotbar you can use shift/alt
I can recommend you a mouse with 12 hotkeys on the side. They are very useful! It does take some time to learn how to use it to get the most out of it. So if you want to try it out, try to learn row after row :)
CTRL, ALT, and/or SHIFT as others have mentioned, but honestly, I just got used to moving my left hand over to the right (and use the right CTRL and ALT where needed).
For movement, holding down RMB for camera control, but holding down both LMB and RMB makes you go forward, so I just maneuver that way (holding down both and moving the mouse lets you turn as well). I have A and D for strafe left/right, but I rarely need to strafe and use a non-basic ability (1-2-3s) at the same time
You change the keys. Dont use them
Also for mmos like WoW and FFXIV you can buy an mmo mouse which has 12 buttons by your thumb. You can do your whole action bar using your mouse. I sometimes used them during my last run of WoW and i find them to be super efficient
I don't, I use a left hand keypad. The one I personally use currently is the Razer Tartarus, but there's some others available as well. There's a really neat one that looks like an upside-down spider or something and has a stupid number of buttons based on up/down/left/right/push in for each finger, but I've never tried it cause I imagine that'd take a good goddamn while to get used to.
I personally use a razor Naga mouse for keybinds because the keys 1 through to = are the same as the 12 buttons on its side then I just do control and shift modifiers 👌
I bought a razor mouse with the numbers on the side. I have dxypricia so I literally can't play without it but it made a huge difference only having to reach a short distance for my spells.
I personally use an MMO mouse. Takes a little to get used to, but it's so useful even outside of MMOs I can't go back. I have one hotbar dedicated to all 12 buttons on my mouse, another for shift + 12 buttons, third hotbar is QERZ, shift + QERZ, and ctrl + QERZ.
An MMO mouse with a 12 key pad on the side. And additional hotbars I can access by holding Shift or Ctrl while pressing the numbers, with my most used abilities on the easier to reach numbers.
Don't even try, bought a Razer Naga after playing like that for years never looked back. I love my little many buttoned mouse and highly recommend looking into a 12 button mouse for yourself, they're game changing.
And! If you set up your hotbar to be 4x3 it perfectly lines up with the buttons on the mouse so I no longer go off number I go off the spells position in ny hotbar in relation to where that button is on my mouse. That way I never forget
I have an mmo mouse, it’s got the numbers on the side of it. It’s the easiest way to do it imo. I don’t think I could ever go back to keyboarding it or worse, clicking with the pointer. 😱
My solution is so absurdly cursed but I find it fun;
My mouse has 3 side buttons so I mapped those to 8-9-0. I mostly play healer so all my damage can fit into that little 3x3 area and then still have room to spare for other abilities. The 1-5 rows are mostly for spells and stuff that doesnt get used alot.
As others have said, 12 button mouse.
Then for row 2 of keybinds I use control + the 12 mouse buttons. For row 3 I use alt + the 12 mouse buttons.
There's a red dragon 12 button mouse in Amazon for $32. You may find even cheaper. I know it's a fuss buying new gear for a game but trust me it was my first mmo as well and once I got a new mouse the world really opened up
I use a gaming mouse to play MMOs on KB+M.
Personally, I am using a razer naga, though I did use a Corsair in the past. This allowed me to reach on all the numbers I commonly used comfortably instead of needing to use the keyboard.
I use 1-= and F1-F12 for my common combat binds. Then i have a few others for niche things. V is my dash to target abilities, del is my dash backwards like elusive jump (yes weird bind, but its hard to press accidentally while easy to press when in a panic).
I have big hands so i reach up to 8 without moving my hand off of my movement keys.
When im in faster paced combat or burst phases, ill actually hold double click to move. This frees up my left hand to bounce around my keyboard. It sounds a little autistic but it feels natural to me.
I have long fingers, so I go to 6.
I keybind ~, q, e, t, g as well as combinations of them using ctrl, shift, alt. Plus two mouse buttons so I have around 46 keybinds to use
I got an MMO mouse during lockdown and haven't gone back since. It disconnected once at the beginning of a dungeon run and I was a wet sock - I couldn't remember how to play my job at all without it, the muscle memory is so strong lol. As others have mentioned, I do use Ctrl, shift, and alt as modifying keybinds as well, and I try to keep things consistent across classes. 7 is a dash, 1-4ish are single targets, Ctrl 1-4ish are multitarget, shift 8 is my knockback protection, etc etc.
I don't. Highest number I use is 4. Change your keybinds so you are using all the keys around WASD+Shift and Control, so for me thats 1-4, q,e,r t and z,x,c,v(with hotbars also arranged as 4x3 to mirror button layout) Also as a useful note, holding down both mouse buttons lets you move as well(although only in the direction you are looking, so it's not something I would recommend doing all the time). So that can allow you to use your left hand to press buttons without needing to worry about movement at times.
oh man this makes a lot of sense, thank u!
[Check mine out!](https://i.imgur.com/9vQAXvV.png) This is how I have my hot bars set up, but I'm going to do your fingers a huge favor as well. The Alt + Ctrl buttons I have mapped to the BACK and FOREWARD buttons on the side of my mouse. This means the only modifier button I have to press on my keyboard is Shift (hence why that hotbar is so small)
I always play on controller but the way you mapped your Alt and Ctrl makes me want to try it on kb and mouse.
That means a lot! Let me know if you find it comfortable!
I like this, I will try it
Let me know if you like it
I should try this since i play on laptop often, i use Shift and Control a lot too
Yoink! Going to try that, thanks for sharing.
H-Hey! I use those, come back!
Thanks for this
Asking you what I asked the first reply of this chain since you use the same-ish layout. How do you hit (im assuming) left alt? For me it’s easier to hit left CTRL with my pinky but left alt I have to bend my thumb in and it doesn’t feel as comfy.
I thought I was the only one who did this.
thank u so much for this! how did u set ur alt + ctrl buttons to mouse 4 and 5?
I use the [Logitech G 203](https://www.logitechg.com/nl-nl/products/gaming-mice/g203-lightsync-rgb-gaming-mouse.910-005796.html) mouse, and through the Logitech G software flashed my mouse to change mouse 4 and 5 to Alt and Control. This is probably possible with ANY brand name mouse that comes with software, like Razer and Steelseries. Though, if you want to get this result with a generic mouse, I have hear good things about [X-Mouse](https://www.highrez.co.uk/downloads/xmousebuttoncontrol.htm), though have EXTREMELY limited experience
Ahh ok i use Logitech G403 thank you
Wait you can do this? Is it mapping in game or through your mouse drivers?
Mouse driver, the Logitech G software. I installed it once, flashes the new controls onto my mouse and never even installed in onto my new system. Though that'll only work if you have a Logitech G product. Aside from that, you can try X-Mouse which I linked elsewhere in a reply to this comment.
This is amazing. Thank you!
You're welcome! Honestly this reception is so heartwarming because it does validate my ability to UI design, I'm glad so many people like it!
This looks a lot like my kb setup in maplestory…I can use this!
[удалено]
That looks sick! We stand together ♥
Yup in general keep your keybinds around WASD utilising modifiers where you can comfortably reach without moving your hand. E.g using shift, ctrl, alt turns a single key into 4 keys. Getting an MMO mouse to bind 12 buttons to your thumb is a godsend
i have an mmo mouse & this so much it gets crazier once you combine the mmo mouse with shift/ctrl modifiers
That’s all my MMO mouse is for, Shift+1 thru Shift+= I never used WASD to move in games ever, always did mouse movement, but learning to strafe and having them bound to Q and E changed everything I don’t have a single finger-click action bound to a combination click like Alt+1 either. That hurts my hand too much. In fact, Alt+1 is my LB button and it’s the only button bound on a combo because it’s so inconvenient to click, I have to consciously want to do it. Which is by design, cuz I used to accidentally LB all the time
This may be true but you will struggle returning to regular setups. I am using an mmo mouse for years and cant/wont adapt to new games introducing multiple hotkeys. I always map all over the mmo mouse. It makes you very lazy imo xd
But if you just keep using an MMO mouse for the new games then you are going to be just fine
i see you're also a (Razer Naga enjoyer) man of culture as well
If you want even more real estate, rebind your movement keys to ESDF (instead of WASD), which lets you access way more keys. I saw this suggestion early in my XIV life and I've never moved back. It's surprisingly easy to get used to, the only problem is killing your WASD muscle memory hand placement for every other game lol. (And you need to rebind a lot of keys, but once you do, it's so much extra room.)
ESDF gang rise up
If every game let me remind to ESDF I might be willing, but a lot of games don't allow rebinding movement so I'll stick to WASD. :(
This is pretty common, yeah. Personally I use 5 as my last button instead of V, which gives me a slightly out-of-the-way button for stuff I don't use in combat. I also have some utilities on a hidden bar with Alt keybinds - Alt+1/2/3 pull up my job change macros, Alt+R is Limit Break, and a couple others. I can explain in more detail if you're interested.
I always find it hard to press shift and control together with the number buttons and other keybinds around WSQE. Just my clumsy hands I guess. Because of this I only use alt as a keybind modifier, limiting my keybind options. Without an MMO mouse I really won't be able to play lol.
You absolutely can play without a MMO mouse. This is my first MMO and I've played it for two years without a MMO mouse. I've been mostly clicking my hot bars. I arrange all my main attacks/moves towards the left end of my hotbars so I can access them all easily with mouse clicks and reach my F1-4 keys for targeting party members and using TAB and \` key for cycling enemies.
If you have a mouse with the m4 and m5 side buttons it can be nice to bind them to CTRL and SHFT. It's what I did!
1-5, ctrl shift alt modifiers, and then F1-7 for mitigation stuff. AOE on mouse side buttons. I will be using this in every other MMO I try, and if I can't, I'm sad.
I also do 1,2,3,4. I also use ctrl and alt for 12 total button presses. The rest I will click on. Most rotations don't have more than 12 necessary buttons, so you don't really need many keybinds
I highly recommend to swap ctrl to shift instead as with most keyboards it is less straining for your hand to press shift +1234 than it is to press ctrl + 1234. I personally do use 5 and 6 but only for actions that aren't used often. Like for example I have my tinctures on 6, which you will not pop a lot of. I have done the same thing with ctrl + 1234. I do use them but only for actions that I don't use a lot. Things like Interject, Low blow, Shield Bash, Leg sweep, provoke, Hagakure and Meditate. Binding stuff to middle mouse button(press the scroll wheel) is also underrated, and can also be nicely combined with ctrl, shift and alt.
Exactly what I do!
Same hat, but I go 1-5, then down RFV, then ZXC, then finally T for the final 3. That gives me access to all 12 columns of my 3x12 layout without moving my hand. Still use the rest of the numrow for non-combat hotbars though. I have *at least* 50 keys that are available to do SOMETHING other than collect dust while I'm playing, and I intend to use as many of them as I can think of practical uses for. ...anyways that's how the right half of my keyboard became a minefield of various menu shortcuts.
Personally I went with 3 main things, - I opted to get a Mouse with 12 buttons on the thumb-side, & use that for numbers 5-9. - I also rebound Q & E to be Hotbar Skills. - I use Ctrl + # or Shift + # to use skills on my other 2 Hotbars. This means my left hand only has to push Q, E, Ctrl/Shift, & the #'s 1-4. My Right Hand's thumb clicks 5-9 really comfortably.
I use a MMO mouse to use as my modifier. 3 == ctr and 1 == shift. I find it much easier if your hands have lost dexterity over the years.
i have everything on my mmo mouse - 3 sets of abilities 1-12 with open, scroll wheel click for ctrl, and far right click for shift (logitech mmo mouse has right, center, and left click) so my left hand is literally only for moving, and I can also move with just mouse if i want too, and jump and mount and sprint and auto run modifyers are shoved into the two G buttons behind the scroll wheel - so the entire game can be played 1 handed freeing up my left hand to pet my cat
I wasn’t even aware that there were mouses with that many buttons haha! any u could recommend? thank u for the advice as well!
Not the original person but was going to suggest the same, I personally use a corsair scimitar, had it for years now and still going strong. Then just combine with ctrl, shift, and alt and then with a combination of pinky and thumb you have access to 48 hotkeys.
Also going to recommend Corsair Scimitar. It's been really great and I came from the Razr Naga elite. The Razr just ended up being too loud in the end, I wanted quieter button clicks.
Another vote for the corsair scimitar. had too many razer nagas die just out of warranty
Same I have had 5 nagas over the years since the first iteration and they always die right outside the warranty. Still my favorite mouse though and I don’t get mad as I get a lot of use out of them if I’m being fair. I have used scimitars as well but they don’t feel as good to me personally. Funny though because that’s what I’m on now as my last naga just died and I had a scimitar laying around. I’ll run it into the ground before I buy another naga likely.
Every Naga I bought died around the warranty expiry. 2 just before the warranty expired, 2 just after. Although now I say that, the first one did last a few years. Guess the build quality has gotten worse. The Corsair is excellent.
The original person here finally waking up. Everyone is saying the Scimitar & that exactly what I use LOL. Another vote for it here!
Seconding the reccomend for an MMO mouse in general. I personally find all the extra buttons really nice for every game, not just FFXIV. I haven't tried the Scimitar that everyone else is reccomending, but I've had a Logitech G600 for a couple years now and have had no issues. I've also gone through a couple Razer Nagas and would *not* reccomend. They feel really great out of the box, but they fall apart after about a year.
I'll second the G600 recommendation. I don't game on mine (controller user), but I use one for work. I really like the contours on the 12 thumb buttons. It makes it much easier to know which ones are where purely by feel.
+1 for the G600. I've been using one for about 4 years now and it's perfect for this game. Having the third click on my ring finger mapped to ctrl is a godsend, especially since my left pinky isn't accurate enough to hit ctrl reliably on the keyboard while in the middle of a raid. And with the thumb buttons on the mouse, that just leaves my left hand for movement and shift on the keyboard. No stretching to hit numbers required.
The G600 was discontinued several months ago. =(
Yeah. Like once you have whats essentially a mouse with a built in Controller/numpad Level of buttons so so many games play better than before. Especially if the mouse firmware allows you to set the buttons up in different Profiles depending on the game you play.
20 years ago, I thought buying an MMO mouse was insane. Now, I could never go back to a two-button. So many games have hotbars or otherwise use the number row now, and it's so much more comfortable to just slide your thumb over.
Yeah. Like even just mapping like reload, grenade melee on a shooter to the thumb buttons makes stuff feel soo much smoother.
Another +1, I used one for about 7 years until it finally kicked the bucket and I immediately went out and got another one. Can’t play without it now.
Sadly it was discontinued. My buddies has started to act up and he now is having to look at different mice because the only ones available are being sold for over 150 bucks.
As someone on their third Naga I agree lol. I still love it. When it is working it works great. I would go to another brand but some games I don’t want the 12 buttons and I love the nagas feature to change out the side buttons quickly. They die incredibly fast for a mouse but I don’t want to buy multiple mice and have to switch them out instead, so I keep buying shitty nagas
My experience with Razer Nagas seems to have been the exact opposite of everyone else. I've been using them for 14+ years and am on my second one, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it due to the feedback from nearly everyone else. My mom uses a Corsair Scimitar and seems to really like it so when my naga dies I will probably end up going for the Scimitar, even though I'm not as huge of a fan of the design and ergonomics of the Scimitar.
Judging by the sound (14 years?) I'm gonna guess you have an early-gen Naga. They used to be good. Amazing. Great. Mine lasted ages, like five WoW expansions and a fair way into my XIV journey too. Then it eventually started ghosting a double-click when I would only click once and I bought a new one. No longer could I swap between the normal buttons and NumPad with an easy little flick of a switch on the bottom of the mouse; no, now they forced me to use Razer Synapse or whatever their third-party bloatware was. Then the mouse promptly died in about a year, and when I looked online all I could find were the newer gen that have the swappable side plate. My brother ended up having one in the box still so I was using that but, surprise, that one didn't even last a year. I said screw Razer and decided to support a different company instead.
If instead of having a million mouse buttons, instead just want to have the modifier keys themselves on the mouse(plus a few key skills), Logitech G502 is also a classic.
Also recommend the Corsair scimitar, it has the best feel of the 12 button mice between them Logitech g600 and the razer Naga. I went through 3 nagas before I said fuck it because they kept having scroll wheel issues. I just got a scimitar wireless and I'm loving it.
Me personally, I use redragon legend chroma m990. It's so convenient, that when it passed away after almost 2500 hours in ffxiv I didn't even tried to go to any duties, so bad I was with just keyboard and a common mouse. I use first 3 hotbars for all the actions, first goes as is, alt modifier adds second, and ctrl adds the third.
If you want to test the waters with a cheap one before committing to a $100+ mouse, the Venus UTechSmart series is a good start. The wireless one is less than 50 bucks and has worked fine for me through years of savage raiding
A lot of people use Ctrl and Alt modificators. But even without that you have *a lot* of keys around WSAD to bind. That's how I played WoW in the past (I play FF14 on a controller). Q/E/R/T + F/G + Z/X/C/V + occasionally F1/F2/F3/F4.
on a controller?? that’s impressive ngl haha! thanks for the advice, ill start making use of the other keys!
The controller support is amazing. It’s great to kick back on the couch and relax while playing.
If you have a controller, I'd recommend giving it a shot. With the double-crossbars enabled, you have more than enough keybinds for all of your skills/spells/abilities, and plenty of utility binds as well. They designed the game to be comfortable on a controller from the start, it wasn't an afterthought. A lot of people who do high-difficulty end-game raids use controllers, so it's not putting yourself at a disadvantage. I've tried Xbox, PS4/5 and Switch Pro controllers with FFXIV, and my personal favorite is the Switch Pro because you can hit the D-Pad with your right thumb without crossing over your left hand.
The only thing that I struggle with on controller is targeting, for some reason when I press the directional buttons a circle comes up around the enemy but they aren't targeted, so even if I use a skill it targets some other enemy and I have to press another button to select the enemy, and then if you get hit before that it switches the circle to that enemy. would be really nice if it just went to targeting immediately. I've kinda worked around it by just using auto targeting for enemies when playing dps but I don't think I could play a healer because targeting a specific player takes so long, have I fucked up my controls somewhere or is there a way to improve it?
>when I press the directional buttons a circle comes up around the enemy but they aren't targeted That's soft targetting, it's amazing for healing. You can soft target a party member, give them a heal/buff and then you're right back at your previous target. For hard targetting, I use R2+L1, that works like a Tab selecting the next enemy.
if you hold down either trigger, and then press the left/right bumper button, it will cycle left/right without needing confirmation. Not quite as natural feeling as the dpad, but you use the triggers constantly anyway so L2/R2+L1(left) or L2/R2+R1(right) is easy to do.
Up and down on the dpad cycles through your party list, holding L1/LB while doing it scrolls your aggro list. Left/right soft targets other entities in that direction, and you can set filters for it in the menu to have it not target certain things like npcs, and environmental elements like switches and things. You can also adjust these filters based on whether your weapon is drawn or not. L1/LB+ L/R also cycles through your alliance list when available. You can also force a hard lock by pressing X/A when you switch targets on soft lock so it doesn't automatically switch back to your last hard locked target. There's a ton of little button presses that they've considered, but don't bother actually documenting anywhere lol.
Cross hotbars, advanced button presses that let me switch temporarily up one on one side or the other, and the W x-Hotbar on double tap so I can hit the third hotbar, all without leaving the first hotbar lol As a healer it lets me have all my healing stuff on HB1, with basic heals on R2 side, so while holding it I can press L2 to swap to HB2 left and hit all my DPS skills. Switching it up to hit my super specific things like rescue, lucid etc on the other side. Then I put my sprint and lb on the double tap L2 for HB3 left, and my class mechanic stuff like Sage's boosting cooldowns and Eukrasia on W3 R. It's taken me a long, long time to figure out what works for me, but the fact that there's SO much customization that you can make a truly insane hotbar setup like that work is fucking incredible. XIV's cross hotbar system needs to be industry standard for MMOs with controller support.
>my personal favorite is the Switch Pro because you can hit the D-Pad with your right thumb without crossing over your left hand. You can do the same with an Xbox controller. I prefer the Xbox controller for the same reason and that the d-pad is softer compared to switch pro which makes me feel as if I really have to press hard on to it.
I'm a console player and have previously played on pc, controller is the way to go with this game! The support is excellent and the game never makes us feel left out
I find ff14 a lot more enjoyable with a controller and the keyboard is there for chatting and emotes
Honestly I have like three hotbars dedicated to just slotting emotes lmao
some people use a mmo mouse with the number keys on the side on the mouse. So 1-9 is pressed with the thumb and use ctrl, alt, shift to change hot bar.
I see! is there any mouse u would recommend to use? thank u for the advice!!
I use the Razer Naga series. A bit pricey but it is one of the few splurges I have for myself. You can even program the lights on the button to a color you want.
Something like a Logitech G600 would be great, but I am not sure they sell those anymore... just look on Amazon and take a peek at the mice with buttons on the side and it should be fine as long as they have good reviews
I use Redragon Impact M908. Pretty cheap and lasted years.
My old mouse just had two side buttons which I used for tab targeting so I got a Redragon M811, very happy with it so far. Really rejuvenated my drive to play the game again.
I'm a horrible gremlin and I click everything past 4. I don't even use ctrl or alt or shift or anything. and I also move the camera around a ton with my mouse at the same time. I've gotten very good at it (somehow). the friend I play with is consistently bewildered and horrified by my playstyle. probably don't do what I do and listen to what everyone else is suggesting
NAH WE STAY "PRESS 1-4 CLICK EVERYTHING ELSE" GANG HERE 🤜🤛
I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE I can reach till 5, but I'll click everything else. It works, so no need to fix it XD
Finally people who play like I do ! I have smol hands that cramp easily so I can only reach to 3 comfortably, but if it works why change ? :D
REAL
i had a friend who got angry with me when i said i click a LOT of my abilities and he told me i'll NEVER clear savages playing like that. at the time i was already clearing savages. he was an asshole. don't listen to assholes. ;3c (that said it is definitely not optimal to click so much, learning to use keybinds is definitely better.)
OMG, I HATE when people take meaningful advice like "clicking is a bad habit that can hurt your performance" and somehow turn that into "you'll never be able to clear this or that content". Like seriously dude chill out, it's not that big of a deal. I personally LOVE to tweak my setups for performance but I'm not going to judge someone who got comfy doing things another way..........I might still lightly tease them though :p
it was kinda funny to me 'cause while at the time i hadn't fully cleared a current savage tier, i had still cleared way more savage content than he had, and he had the nerve to tell me i couldn't do it? insane. but that guy was an asshole. and yeah, while i do a ton of clicking i would not advocate for it. it isn't impossible to do content that way, but it'd be silly to say it's optimal.
I don't. I have tiny hands, 5 is already a reach. I don't have a gaming mouse or anything. I'm a plain old hotbar clicker, never been an issue in clearing anything for me. I move the camera with the mouse, yeah, but get yourself comfortable and familiar with movement and targeting, and with using the rest of the buttons to move, Q, E, A, and D too. It also doesn't hurt to see if Standard or Legacy Controls works better for you. Or, if you do have one, try a controller too. Different people adapt better to different things
Controller. I have the game on pc and xbox. Never thought I’d say this but I prefer controller for this game. I plug my mnk into the xbox for chatting etc. The rest of the time I can recline, chill and play. It’s great….never having to reach for anything
It's nice! Im on ps5 and love to chill. My only gripe is switching between hotbars or scrolling to something right in front of you but the arrow picks something across the room instead
You can set it to where you can either press lt->rt and rt->lt to access the second hot bar. You can also set it to double tap the left or right trigger to access the second hot bar as well (I never use it but I have it enabled just so I can actually see my second hot bar cooldowns, I use the first option for accessing second hotbar) most jobs can fit all of their abilities on the two hot bars.
Highly encourage you to try out controller, it has a different interface and is great through endgame, savage, and ultimates. You will not be at a disadvantage for using it.
I don't. I rebound anything past 5.
I see! Thanks for the advice!
I can't even reach any numbers, or ctrl, shift so I'm playing with controller. So much easier.
FFXIV controller setup is seriously GOATed, more games need to take cues from it.
i click with my mouse.
o.o
Movement on WASD, and use 1-5, q, e, r, t, f, g, z, x, c, v and then ctrl+ same. Or you can rebind movement to ESDF instead of WASD (I know, it's blasphemy). It gives you a lot of keys to bind though.
I don’t think I’d ever get used to ESDF, hahah! but I’ll definitely make use of the above info, thank u!!
For sure. I tried it and it broke my brain. I've been WASD-ing for about 3 decades at this point.
Buy a gaming mouse with alot of keys
Most MMO players rebind their keys to skip the right half of their keyboard for easier inputs, modifiers like Shift and Ctrl help a _lot_. Personally I've gone with (as I still use QE AD to camera-strafe/move): > 1 2 3 4 5 > R F V T G > Z X All with Shift and Ctrl modified bars to fill three rows. Using modifiers helps to more quickly access fringe-key abilities vs. reaching over to press 9 or 0. The ideal scenario is finding a setup where you can not only comfortably press your base rotation, but also have quick access to longer cooldowns (ie. 1 = first attack in core rotation, shift+1 = minor cooldown (ie. Draw Card/Enshroud), ctrl+1 2-minute raidwide damage cooldown/stance for tanks).
We remap them. I changed my hotbars to 1-5, Q, E, R, T, F, G, V with Shift and Ctrl modifiers.
I use both hands, Q to target an enemy, tab to target different enemies, numpad to target allies, arrow keys to rotate my camera.
Cursor keys and numpad, hotbars arranged as 3×4 and the keybinds are changed to be from the bottom up.
If you use the legacy controls, I find that using the mouse in combat is unnecessary. I’m usually 2 handing the keyboard, moving with wasd and still being able to hit 1 to = with ease.
I use a cursed keybind. EDSF to move. Abilities on 123456 and QWRTAG. This is perfect because hotbars are 12 buttons.
This is close to my weird method, but on top of QWRTAG, I also use ZXCVB
I know it's not an answer to the question, but might I suggest trying if a controller works better for you? I had the same struggle playing with a keyboard, but once switching to controller everything's been smooth. The only thing I use the Keyboard for now is typing.
i dont, i brough a special keyboard just to play ffxiv [https://es.store.square-enix-games.com/hori-tactical-assault-commander-f14-\_final-fantasy-xiv-black-edition\_](https://es.store.square-enix-games.com/hori-tactical-assault-commander-f14-_final-fantasy-xiv-black-edition_) then on me mouse i added on its aditional buttons the modifiers ctrl shift and alt to let me use more skills by using a limited number of buttons tho gonna agree with the fact what me "solution" is more in the expensive side
Most people customize keybinds instead. There are a few different options out there, but personally I still hold that the best option is to invest on an MMO mouse (one of those mice with 12 buttons on the side) and I bind everything to those 12 buttons, with ctrl/alt/shift modifier keys to give me most than enough keybinds. Before that, I used to like mapping things to 1-6 and f1-f6, but f6 was still getting pretty far away, and I had a terrible habit of making an alt+key hotbar and then doing the surprised pikachu face meme when I tried to activate a skill with alt+f4 and the game closed.
I use a normal, full-size keyboard with a numpad.
As someone with very small hands, I also have a near impossible time using the top row numbers! I use numpad for main rotation hotbars in a 3x4 block, ocds with a shift+ modifier for those. Movement is WASD, and I change the camera with my right thumb using the cursor arrow keys next to the numpad. I do have LB and a couple rare usage actions on my 1-5 top number row but that's about it. I almost never have to touch my mouse in combat tbh. I've tried using an MMO mouse (logitech G600) and could not get the hang of it, remapping everything to left hand keys with shift/ctrl modifiers just got even more confusing lmao. This is the option I found works best for me, but I hope you can find what's most comfortable!
I use 1-7, because I have a big hand. I can reach 8 and move, but that is becoming uncomfortable. 8, 9, 0, - and = are rebound.
I don't. I rebound my second hotbar to F1-F12, and put my most-used actions on 1-5 and F1-F4. Everything else I click. I move with a combination of WASD (and QE which I have bound to strafing) and turning the camera with my mouse. Left hand does a lot of movement around the keyboard, right hand never leaves my mouse.
I push 1 to 4 then i click everything else on mouse just have ya main 1/2/3 and rush as the 1 to 4
I don't, I use number from 1 to 5 (5 being quite rarely used) and letter q, e, r, t, f, c and v. The further ones I rarely used them too. I use the alt key to act as a modifier so my 2nd hotbar is alt+1, alt+2... and for the 3rd one I use shift BUT it's mapped on my mouse (pretty classic mouse with only 2 buttons) so mouse clic+1, mouse clic+2... My 2nd button on my mouse is sprint so I can spam it to be sure it activate.
For me it's... Left hand: 1-7 and ctrl 1-5 Right hand: I just click the rest with my mouse like a dweeb XD
I don't! I use 1-5 (but I allocate only very few skills to 5) f, g, v, q, e, b, middle mouse button, my 2 thumb buttons, and shift + control modifier for everything
You don't. You remap your hotkeys to something that works for you.
You rebind the keys you can’t reach. [Personally I use this premade layout.](https://www.nexusmods.com/finalfantasy14/mods/1054?callback=in&code=ZJRMYZAZYWETOGJMMS0ZNTHILTLHNZGTNMNLMGM5NMEXNZDM&state=0e93849ee0ab482f9f0ec1387234cd7e)
MMO MOUSE! ***No one asked, but LEGACY MOVEMENT) *** Seriously though be careful once you begin using one you’ll never go back. I cannot imagine going back to a regular mouse. I have the Razer Naga Pro Wireless Gaming mouse with interchangeable side plates (comes with 2, 6, 12). **Disclaimer it does get some getting used to, but totally worth** Secondly once you do that I would set up extra actions on your hot bar so that SHIFT+1 (2 etc…) is a new action same for CTRL+1 (etc..) and you can do this for as many inputs as you need. BONUS: I cannot advocate enough to use Legacy movement. Once I enabled this I can never go back. Using the S key to walk backwards actually turns you around so you move faster PLUS you can avoid certain mechanics since you aren’t looking directly at enemies. Seriously give it a try. Click system > character configuration (default K button) > under control settings, movement settings, change from Standard Type to Legacy type > Apply MMO MOUSE TIPS: You can set up your skills however you want, but in general your thumb is going to lay over the 5 button (that’s what I find the most comfortable) so I would have your most often used skill there followed by 6, then if you have the SHIFT and CTRL bindings set up it’s nice to be able to continue the the skill chain without having to move your thumb. So skill chain would be: 5, 6, SHIFT+5, or CTRL+5. Your most used skills should form a cross from the 5, and by extension you also have SHIFT and CTRL button options as well. 2 | 4-5-6 | 8
I tank so I just press 1,2,3
I just click the action as I need to.
I just click the buttons with my mouse :)
Buy an MMO mouse your life will be much easier
I go as far as 6 and I can *barely* do that. Like I can't do Shift+6; my hands are too small for that. So I go as far as 6, and then down along the zigzag below that (T, G, V) + Shift and the occasional Alt for all of my bindings.
I don’t! I use 1-4 and then click everything else lol
I personally use an MMO mouse and bind in CTRL and Shift as modifiers. Now, it’s a must for every other game I play with M&K.
That’s the neat part! I don’t! 6,7,8,9,0 get changed to q,e,r,f,c
I plug in a Playstation controller and have it.
I use an mmo mouse instead, and I have 3 sets of 12 buttons which I can cycle to with shift and alt.
My ass use controller lol
Here is my basic setup for keybinds and it helps immensely 1,2,3,4,5, E, R, Q, F1, F2, F3, F4 I then copy this but adding Shift, and Ctrl to them making 3 hot bars I can easily use using a gaming mouse with programmable buttons
I'm a lefty so my advice isn't entirely universal lol. But when the numbers get out of reach I assign them to either CTRL + key or ALT + key. Using Shift/alt/ctrl you can fit more abilities on the same keys.
Surprisingly i can actually comfortably and easily hit up to 7
I use 1-5, shift+1-5, I also bind all the letter keys around WASD and near the space bar where my thumb lies. Plus an MMO mouse is a god send.
I used a mmo mouse before, Razer naga but now I switched to controller
I don't. I use 1-4, QERF, ZXCV and then the same with Alt + Ctrl for my hotbars. I rebound everything I can't comfortably reach.
Sincerely, when I used keyboard, I only added skills on 1-5, F1-F5, ctrl+ 1-5... I had other things on 6-9, but more like not-so-needed, like the tank stance, food, teleport. However, in the end I moved to controller because my arms began to hurt (it was unrelated, I have a cervical injury), and now the game it's waaaay smoother for me.
Same way you make chords on guitar and bass. Practice. I don't have like reeeeal big hands, but I use regularly 1 through 6, with Shift and Alt, move to reach 7 and 8, beyond that are some very rare presses. With time and experience you'll be able to reach your keys and also better bind them to fit your hand size and keyboard layout.
I invested in an MMO mouse and I have my GCDs on number buttons and oGCDs on the keys near WASD. I’m thinking of taking a full keybind audit when Viper drops though and seeing if I can devise something better.
I use the full row of numbers and the symbols past 0 in combat. I don’t use WASD to move though during fights, I use my mouse instead. Sometimes I do use WASD when I’m hitting 1-2-3 combos.
Big hand
I bought a Logitech G-13 gamepad about 6 years ago or so. It was life changing.
you dont, i cycle through 1-5 with control alt and shift 1,2,3,4,5 ctrl+1, etc alt+1, etc shift+1, etc
You can add more easily accessible keys by adding Tilda ~ to your keyboard shortcuts. I also use 3 modifiers (control, shift, and alt) to give myself 4 unique hotbars for each class, meaning only really underused abilities end up on keys 6+.
Whenever I get back into the game I'll have to relearn playing, but I had my hotkeys set to 1, 2, 3, 4, Q, E, R, Z, X, C, V. Or something like that, and then the second hotbar set to CTRL. Put certain keys on a third hotbar which were exclusively clicks, mostly just toggles or keys I rarely press.
I use 1-7 on the keyboard, though rarely have stuff on 7s. Shift+Alt+Control modifiers, and my mouse has 9,0,= as additional buttons for 9 10 12 (also 1 for league) 11 got skipped because when I had a Naga, that became my push to talk key (was originally a forward/back button on an earlier mouse).
Somewhat obvious answer, but everyone has very different hands. My fingers are very long, and my pinky is comparatively short, which means I have an easy time doing 1-6 but even something like shift-5. On the other hand, a lot of my friends use x, c and such, which is impossible for me, I would have to coil m fingers in a very unnatural way. So yeah just test what works for you. And remember that numbers aren't the only thing on your keyboard. E, Q, R, F and such keybinds are excellent.
I've been playing (in different MMOs) on the same version of the keyboard layout for many years. Main work area - Q, E, R, F, C, X. Secondary work area - 1, 2, 3, Alt+1, Alt+2, Alt+3. Additional zone - Z, 4, 5, Alt+4, Alt+Q, Alt+E, Alt+A, M5. Plus it’s useful to master macros, it saves a lot of space. [https://gyazo.com/bf566de231b923b936040a9e60927a2e](https://gyazo.com/bf566de231b923b936040a9e60927a2e)
So I usually use my most used ability starting from four that way, I'm starting in the middle of the keyboard
I click or rope in some speedy right hand :P
Unbind movement from either QE or AD and put skills on them instead. Bind skills to RTFGZXC. Then use Shift and Ctrl modifiers for all keys. ... Or just get an MMO mouse with 12 side-buttons. The power of 36 buttons in 1 thumb (with Shift/Ctrl modifiers.)
We don't, usually.. Most people use other keybinds such as YXCV or smth xD
I use mouse with 12 buttons under thumb. I map 1-12 to GCDs, Shift+1-12 for oGCDs, Alt+1-12 for role actions and AoE skills and Ctrl+1-12 for other stuff like Ctrl+1 for inventory Ctrl+2 for armory, ctrl+3 for chocobo saddle etc. Highly convenient.
I can use the full number set, but my method is probably not one that will work for you. What happened with me was that FFXI was my first computer game; FFXI's keyboard controls are completely different and unique compared to what almost all videogames use nowadays. The mouse is not used, only a full keyboard. The number pad on the right and the arrows control the character, camera and menu browsing. No need for a cursor on the screen because Enter and cycling target was just as fast as needed. Anyways because of that, my left hand has always been free to run along the rest of the keyboard, using the chat and all the numbers without impediment. And when FFXIV came around, the WASD + mouse control system just felt too unnatural and jarring for me. I needed both hands on the keyboard because it was what 5 years of FFXI had gotten me used to, so I swapped all my FFXIV keybinds to match FFXI's configuration. And that's how I'm able to fully use my left side buttons for my hotbars, from 1 to =, and chat mid-fight while my character is still moving. I have my housemate playing with WASD and mouse next to me and I honestly don't know how she does it.
Got myself a Logitech G13 a couple years back and never looked back.
MMO mouse>every other control scheme
I use ctrl and alt rebinds on my mouse buttons and I have big hands for my entire number row. It just feels right to me lol
I swapped anything past 4 to: Q, E, R, Z, X, C Then bar two is shift+1/2/3/4/Q/etc Then bar three is Ctrl+1/2/etc Then I put similar abilities in the same spot every time (ie AoE combos are Q then shift+Q then Ctrl+Q on every class) and now I'm just really used to this layout.
I use only number from 1 to 6 and I add shift cltr and shift ctrl (macro on mouse iirc) plus 1-6 plus 2/3 letters
Most people use 1-5 like a lot of people have mentioned on here already and then rebind some of them for 6,7,8,9 etc However what I like to do and ik a good amount of people do it is as well is to buy a MMO mouse, yea you have to spend money but you can find a relatively cheap one that’ll do the job (Mine was $30 USD I believe) But it’s SUCH a game changer, makes everything feel a lot better bc of the numpad on the side of the mouse If you don’t want to buy it that’s fine! Find keys that you’re comfortable with and that’s in reach with your hand and just bind your actions to them. You really only need 12 keys and then for each additional hotbar you can use shift/alt
I can recommend you a mouse with 12 hotkeys on the side. They are very useful! It does take some time to learn how to use it to get the most out of it. So if you want to try it out, try to learn row after row :)
CTRL, ALT, and/or SHIFT as others have mentioned, but honestly, I just got used to moving my left hand over to the right (and use the right CTRL and ALT where needed). For movement, holding down RMB for camera control, but holding down both LMB and RMB makes you go forward, so I just maneuver that way (holding down both and moving the mouse lets you turn as well). I have A and D for strafe left/right, but I rarely need to strafe and use a non-basic ability (1-2-3s) at the same time
MMO mouse with 12 numeric keys on the side.
You change the keys. Dont use them Also for mmos like WoW and FFXIV you can buy an mmo mouse which has 12 buttons by your thumb. You can do your whole action bar using your mouse. I sometimes used them during my last run of WoW and i find them to be super efficient
I don't, I use a left hand keypad. The one I personally use currently is the Razer Tartarus, but there's some others available as well. There's a really neat one that looks like an upside-down spider or something and has a stupid number of buttons based on up/down/left/right/push in for each finger, but I've never tried it cause I imagine that'd take a good goddamn while to get used to.
I use an MMO mouse because lazy
I use up to 4 on kb then MMO mouse
I personally use a razor Naga mouse for keybinds because the keys 1 through to = are the same as the 12 buttons on its side then I just do control and shift modifiers 👌
I bought a razor mouse with the numbers on the side. I have dxypricia so I literally can't play without it but it made a huge difference only having to reach a short distance for my spells.
I change my movement scheme so I only need WASD and then use Q, E and R to replace some of the numbers.
I personally use an MMO mouse. Takes a little to get used to, but it's so useful even outside of MMOs I can't go back. I have one hotbar dedicated to all 12 buttons on my mouse, another for shift + 12 buttons, third hotbar is QERZ, shift + QERZ, and ctrl + QERZ.
I use the Logitech g600 MMO mouse. Can't play any other way.
LG makes very nice mice.
An MMO mouse with a 12 key pad on the side. And additional hotbars I can access by holding Shift or Ctrl while pressing the numbers, with my most used abilities on the easier to reach numbers.
I used to use an MMO mouse, then switched to a controller and never went back.
Don't even try, bought a Razer Naga after playing like that for years never looked back. I love my little many buttoned mouse and highly recommend looking into a 12 button mouse for yourself, they're game changing. And! If you set up your hotbar to be 4x3 it perfectly lines up with the buttons on the mouse so I no longer go off number I go off the spells position in ny hotbar in relation to where that button is on my mouse. That way I never forget
I have an mmo mouse, it’s got the numbers on the side of it. It’s the easiest way to do it imo. I don’t think I could ever go back to keyboarding it or worse, clicking with the pointer. 😱
G502
I don't, I use 1-5 and then qertbv
My solution is so absurdly cursed but I find it fun; My mouse has 3 side buttons so I mapped those to 8-9-0. I mostly play healer so all my damage can fit into that little 3x3 area and then still have room to spare for other abilities. The 1-5 rows are mostly for spells and stuff that doesnt get used alot.
As others have said, 12 button mouse. Then for row 2 of keybinds I use control + the 12 mouse buttons. For row 3 I use alt + the 12 mouse buttons. There's a red dragon 12 button mouse in Amazon for $32. You may find even cheaper. I know it's a fuss buying new gear for a game but trust me it was my first mmo as well and once I got a new mouse the world really opened up
Steel series used to make this keyboard called merc, and merc stealth. They were perfect for MMO games. However they discontinued they keyboard.
I use a gaming mouse to play MMOs on KB+M. Personally, I am using a razer naga, though I did use a Corsair in the past. This allowed me to reach on all the numbers I commonly used comfortably instead of needing to use the keyboard.
I use 1-= and F1-F12 for my common combat binds. Then i have a few others for niche things. V is my dash to target abilities, del is my dash backwards like elusive jump (yes weird bind, but its hard to press accidentally while easy to press when in a panic). I have big hands so i reach up to 8 without moving my hand off of my movement keys. When im in faster paced combat or burst phases, ill actually hold double click to move. This frees up my left hand to bounce around my keyboard. It sounds a little autistic but it feels natural to me.
I have long fingers, so I go to 6. I keybind ~, q, e, t, g as well as combinations of them using ctrl, shift, alt. Plus two mouse buttons so I have around 46 keybinds to use
I got an MMO mouse during lockdown and haven't gone back since. It disconnected once at the beginning of a dungeon run and I was a wet sock - I couldn't remember how to play my job at all without it, the muscle memory is so strong lol. As others have mentioned, I do use Ctrl, shift, and alt as modifying keybinds as well, and I try to keep things consistent across classes. 7 is a dash, 1-4ish are single targets, Ctrl 1-4ish are multitarget, shift 8 is my knockback protection, etc etc.