FFXIV: How to Setup Your Hotbars for Keyboard and Mouse
It can be overwhelming to jump into Final Fantasy XIV. You might even have to leave your comfort zone when you start a new job. Although you might have been a White Mage for many years, you are now interested in tanking as a Paladin. It can be challenging to understand a job and set up your hotbars.
We are here to help. We’re here to help those who use keyboards and mice. We have a guide for controller players! This guide will cover the setup and configuration of the game, keybindings, and what actions you should place where.
How to configure your hot bars
Your FFXIV character will be your first. You’ll see two bars with 12 buttons each. The bottom bar is your primary Hotbar. Its default keybinds are set to the number keys on your keyboard from ‘1’ to ‘=’… The second Hotbar is the bar above it. It is bound to the modifier key Ctrl and the row number keys. You’d press ‘1″ to use Hotbar 1’s first slot while pressing Ctrl+1 would activate Hotbar 2’s first action.
This will suffice to take the actions required for levelling up the jobs from Reborn or Heavensward. However, it will feel cluttered once you get close to level 60. It will also make it difficult to level up beyond level 60. You’ll need to buy more hotbars at that point.
To access the System menu, either hit Escape or click the ‘XIV” button located in the bottom-right corner of the default user interface (UI) you can find. You can choose HUD Layout from here. You can choose from four different HUD layouts by clicking on a large number of buttons. This guide will only focus on one layout.
You can also click on the gear icon beside the dropdown menu to see a comprehensive list of settings available for the current-selected UI elements. This includes a dropdown to adjust the overall size and transparency and a slider to alter transparency. There’s also a square button that toggles the visibility of the element, as well as a series of radial buttons to control the overall layout. The hotbars have 12 buttons, each in a horizontal layout of one column (12×1). It could be set in a horizontal layout (1×12), three rows (4×3), or four buttons per row. There are six layout options, as you can see. You may also consider changing the size of hotbars by using key actions or cooldowns.
You can make any Hotbar visible or hidden and change its layout from another menu. System> Character Configuration Hotbar Setting (the fifth and last red and gold buttons in the menu). You can toggle recast times, display Hotbar numbers, and hide unassigned slots within a visible bar. This last option is essential because it allows you to break down a single Hotbar further. If there are no actions assigned to a slot, it doesn’t exist. This is how you can create hot bars that are not within the norm. You can hide unassigned slots to create one big button that will perform a single attack.
At least three hotbars are required for most jobs above level 60. There are 10 total hotbars. There are a total of 10 hotbars. I have three main hotbars and two additional hotbars.
Next, ensure that your hotbars are set to the correct keybindings. Hotbar 1 is assigned to each number key from ‘1″ to ‘=’ default. Hotbar 2 has the same settings, with Ctrl being a modifier. This doesn’t mean you have to follow this.
You can choose what you like, so we are only giving you guidelines. Or a way to build upon the foundation Square Enix provides every player. Every player plays differently.
First, if FFXIV has been played for any length of time, then you will likely notice an issue with standard keybinds. It may be difficult for some people to access the actions on the second half of the hotbar, given that they use standard WASD movement and mouse controls. To hit the keys beyond 6′ or 7′, you will need to move your hand away from your movement keys. This could cause problems in a raid or pitched Trial.
