[UI/Targeting] Unify Group UI hotkey logic with Warband UI to prevent player-skipping confusion

[Ror2016]

Dear RoR Dev and UI Team,

I am submitting a crucial feature request regarding the target selection hotkey logic in the Group UI, which deeply affects keyboard-targeting players across Scenarios (SCs), Warbands, and open-world party play.

The Root Issue:
Currently, there is a frustrating inconsistency between the Group UI and the Warband UI targeting mechanics:

• In a Warband (WB), the hotkeys strictly correspond to the exact slots. If you target slot 3, it targets whoever is in slot 3, period.

• In a Group (6-man party), the engine natively skips the player ('Self') when counting the Target Group Member 1-5 hotkeys.

Because of this player-skipping mechanic, combined with the fact that the player's position is randomized every time I join a new Scenario or group, the key-to-frame alignment changes constantly. If I am visually in slot 3, my third targeting key targets someone else entirely instead of myself or the expected slot. This forces me to constantly stop and think about which specific targeting key corresponds to which teammate in every single match, completely destroying my muscle memory.

Why mouseover/click-casting doesn't work for me:
Unlike other MMOs, RoR features a strict player collision system. In intense Scenarios, my mouse must be 100% dedicated to precise movement, steering, and navigating through player collisions to position myself or escape. Having to move my cursor to unit frames to cast spells heavily disrupts my movement and often gets me physically stuck on other players, leading to instant death. This is why consistent keyboard targeting via unified slot logic is an absolute necessity.

My Request:
I earnestly request the development team to overhaul or unify the Group UI targeting logic to behave exactly like the Warband UI.

Specifically, I want a system where:

1. No Skipping: The targeting hotkeys strictly map to the visual/data slots 1 through 6 of the party frame.

2. Absolute Mapping: If a teammate (or myself) is in position 1, pressing the first targeting key targets position 1. If someone is in position 3, pressing the third targeting key targets position 3, regardless of who or where 'Self' is.

3. Consistency Across All Modes: This strict mapping should remain 100% identical whether I am in a normal 6-man group, a 12v12 Scenario, or a 24-man Warband.

Keyboard-targeting players should not have to fight the UI engine to figure out who they are selecting. Unifying the Group UI targeting logic with the Warband UI would be a massive, revolutionary Quality-of-Life improvement for myself and many other tanks, healers, and DPS who rely on traditional keybindings.

Thank you for your time, dedication, and for maintaining this incredible game.

Sincerely,
A Passionate Player

[Ror2016]

"To explain why this issue is exclusive yet critical to specific playstyles with a concrete example:

"As a Shield WP / DoK (Melee Healer), my gameplay and spatial positioning are fundamentally different from tanks or ranged healers:

• Tanks are inherently tanky with high survivability. They can Guard one teammate first, and then pre-target another teammate in advance to switch their Guard faster when needed. They have the mechanical window to manually click unit frames because their positioning isn't constantly threatened by instant death.

• Ranged Healers operate from the backline. When the fight turns sour, they can kite backward to maintain distance. They can also simply use the default "Target Self" hotkey to quickly switch to themselves and maintain survivability, meaning their mouse cursors are relatively more available to interact with unit frames for targeting other players.

• However, as a Shield WP/DoK, I must dive into the frontline to attack enemies to generate my healing resources. My right hand (mouse) must be 100% focused on precise navigation and steering through intense player collisions to stay alive and land melee strikes.

For instance, when I am tracking and attacking a moving enemy with channeled melee-healing abilities like Divine Assault (WP) or Rend Soul (DoK), if a teammate suddenly drops to critical health, they will immediately need the healing output generated from that ongoing channel.

If I try to use my mouse to click their unit frame, I will lose steering control for that split second, causing me to lose trailing distance on the moving enemy, which interrupts my melee strikes and stops the healing entirely.

However, if I could use reliable keyboard targeting via consistent slot mapping, I could instantly switch to that teammate with my left hand while my right hand perfectly maintains my character's movement, transferring the massive healing output to them without skipping a beat.

To achieve this level of reaction speed, I disabled Enemy's auto-role sorting to utilize pure keyboard slot targeting. That is when I encountered the unexpected constraints of the current Group UI's player-skipping mechanic. It can be quite challenging in the heat of battle when a melee healer's muscle memory conflicts with this specific UI behavior.

This is why a unified targeting logic would be a highly appreciated Quality-of-Life adjustment for frontline hybrid classes who rely on keyboard targeting to perform at their best under player collision mechanics.