Answering The Age-Old Question: Tab-Targeting Or Action Combat?

Like many MMORPG gamers, my adventures in the genre started with tab-target games. Well, Final Fantasy XI (FFXI ) may be better expressed as a function-key-target MMO, but yeah, same concept. I never had to be looking at a target to do a single thing. Moving on to World of Warcraft and other F2P MMORPGs at the time was more of the same.

While almost all MMOs were that way back in the day, we started to see a shift in concepts around 2010/2011. This was when, like many again, I had my first real experience with an action combat MMO in TERA. Obviously TERA (RIP the PC version) wasn't the "first" to use action combat, we had already seen versions of it in Vindictus and some other titles. However, to me, those were more "instanced-based brawlers" than "MMORPGs" as I knew them at the time.

I'll admit, my first impression of an action combat MMO wasn't all that great. I could certainly see the appeal for those of you that are heavy PvP players, though. Aiming skills, making sure your range is good, and anticipating an opponent's moves all certainly add to the skill factor needed. I just didn't really see the appeal in the PvE side of things. Before you jump on me, yes, I was wrong and I'll get to that, it's just how I felt at the time.

I'm sure a bit of that first impression was just the whole "change is hard" thing. It wasn't that I didn't like TERA or games using the combat system. I did. I just preferred tab-targeting in a world that was shifting very quickly to comments of "oh, that new game is tab-target? Skip!"

Maybe I was falling behind the times, although I did like Guild Wars 2's kind of hybrid approach, but I didn't stick with that one for long. Then The Elder Scrolls Online (TESO) came out in 2014.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not holding up TESO as the paragon of action combat in an MMORPG. In fact, in many ways, it's a pretty clunky action combat sometimes. However, it was enough to get me out of just the general quests I had done in TERA, and into more focused PvE content like dungeons. I love playing a healer in TESO for dungeons and trials. It's intense at times. All of the "good" factors I was able to see in why a PvP player may like action combat proved to be true in PvE as well.

Things did feel "more challenging" at first as my mind started warping around new requirements to be effective, and I loved it.

Then things changed again when I got my hands on Wildstar (I miss you!) in early development. This was kind of a hybrid of tab-targeting and action combat with a big focus on "telegraphs" that showed areas-of-effect. It was neat. Again, Wildstar wasn't the first that did this (see GW2 mentioned earlier, which also wasn't the first), it was just the first "MMORPG" I was playing more than just casually enough to be able to experience all aspects of the combat system.

Ironically, we're in the middle of a bit of a shift back towards tab-target MMOs with some of the more recent MMORPG projects coming out, so maybe I'm back in the thick of it again as a tab-target baby.

When we get right down to it, though, which do I prefer if it's my pick to make? I am having a hard time deciding, actually. I've stared at this line being blank for at least 20 minutes trying to pick one. If the combat fits the game design, I'm ok with all of them. If you make me pick one, I'll probably default back to tab-targeting. It's smooth, it requires very little mouse interaction, and it does give developers a bit more freedom when designing abilities and boss mechanics. Not having to worry about the facing of your character, for instance, certainly makes things a bit easier to develop.

Ok...fine, since you made me choose and I STILL went with tab-targeting, NOW you can call me a baby. While you do, put your preference in the comments, too.