Quicken touch spells

[Darklone]

What I meant: Ranged touch spells and melee touch spells have some huge differences, the biggest is about holding the charge.

So why should I assume that errate explicitely referring to ranged touch attacks can be applied to melee touch attacks?

 

[mvincent]

So why should I assume that errate explicitely referring to ranged touch attacks can be applied to melee touch attacks?

The FAQ is not errata... it merely clarifies the current rules (which are pretty obvious in this matter). The FAQ answer is mentioning ranged touch attacks because that was the question it was answering. I did not include the full question earlier for brevity, but here it is:
"Several spells, such as scorching ray and meteor swarm,
require the user to make multiple ranged touch attacks.
Does the caster have to use the full attack action to use all
the ranged touch attacks these spells allow? If so, how does
this work? Does the caster have to hold the charge (like a
touch spell) and then use the full attack action later? Also
what attack bonus does the caster use? Can the caster use
his full attack bonus for each ranged touch attack, or does
the caster’s attack bonus decrease by 5 for each attack?
What happens if the caster uses the Quicken Spell feat and
casts the spell as a free action? What attack bonus does he
use then? How many ranged touch attacks can he make?
Do the caster’s other actions during the rest of the round
affect his attack bonus when using the spell?
Both of the example spells have a casting time of 1
standard action and an instantaneous duration. The caster uses
the cast a spell action (a standard action), and makes all the
ranged touch attacks the spell allows as part of that standard
action (not as part of the attack or full attack action); making
these attacks is not an action at all.
The caster uses his full attack bonus for all the ranged
touch attacks from either example spell. Any other spells that
allow multiple ranged touch attacks work the same way unless
their descriptions specifically say otherwise.
Casting a quickened version of either example spell works
exactly the same way (although you’d have to be an epic-level
character to cast a quickened meteor swarm); the caster makes
all the ranged touch attacks the spell allows as part of the free
action he used to cast the spell. The caster generally uses his
full attack bonus for each ranged touch attack. Any other
attacks the caster might make during the same round as the
quickened spell have no effect on the caster’s attack bonus for
the ranged touch attacks; however, if the caster does something
that gives him an attack penalty on all his attack rolls until his
next turn, such as fighting defensively, that attack penalty also
applies to his ranged touch attacks from the quickened spell."

 

[Philodendron]

Where does it state in the rules the "the touch attack itself is part of the casting"?

Right. Good question.

What I meant is this: casting a melee touch attack spell typically takes its own standard action; engaging in a melee touch attack typically takes its own standard action; but if you cast a melee touch attack spell, you may (either immediately or after a move) try to deliver that spell via a touch even though you've already "used up" your standard action on the casting of the spell.

As the FAQ states above,

The caster uses
the cast a spell action (a standard action), and makes all the
ranged touch attacks the spell allows as part of that standard
action (not as part of the attack or full attack action)

So the touch attack action is part of the spell casting action.

 

[Infiniti2000]

[states the obvious] If you cast a melee touch attack spell normally, the touch attack itself is part of the casting action [/states the obvious]

I agree with that, but you say it's obvious and yet it's the point of confusion. I don't think Darklone was agreeing with that.

Darkalone was (I think) wondering whether quickening the spell casting also quickens the melee touch attack, or if it only quickens the touching part if you are touching willing subjects.
It seems to me that the melee touch attack must also be quickened.

Darklone specifically questioned the validity of this statement by mvincent: "Touching a target is part of casting the spell, and so can be quickened." I don't understand his point because I don't understand which part of this sentence he doesn't agree with and why. If, as you said, the first part is merely stating the obvious, then it begs the question as to why he doesn't agree with the second part. Quicken Spell speeds up casting the spell, so QED if the first part of this sentence is a given. There's really nothing more to it after that.

What I meant: Ranged touch spells and melee touch spells have some huge differences, the biggest is about holding the charge.

Agreed that there are differences, but the first question is whether or not you agree with the statement that touching someone is part of casting the spell (same e.g. contagion). If yes, then any other points about holding the charge or whatnot become irrelevant to the point at hand. If no, then there are much bigger issues to handle.

 

[irdeggman]

Here is another way to look at it.

When using a touch spell - a character can cast the spell (standard action) and then execute a touch attack and also move.

If you look at like this:

Cast spell - standard action
Execute touch attack - free action

then quickening the spell will still allow the touch attack to be a "free action" and thus the character can execute a normal standard action.
(which would include casting another touch spells and attacking with it)