What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

FFXIV is the future.

FFXIV isn't anything. Well ...

[cidbahamut]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Rainbow Dash.

[cidbahamut]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

So I was watching this video last night and it's made me realize that I'm probably nearing the limits of the vanilla client.

All that sliding around looks a lot like cheating, but I also know that it's really just automating what can already be done. Animation-lock is pretty annoying but it can be overcome with the vanilla client. I got tired of getting locked whenever I changed Arts or used a stratagem when running around /SCH so I edited my macros to include an unequip + requip of my staff and grip so I'd blink and not get caught locked in place when a mob's bearing down on me. I'm pretty ok with doing it with job abilities since those don't actually require any gearing so I had plenty of free lines with which to do it, but tacking something like that on to the end of all my spells looks a lot more challenging frustrating.

The prospect of having to add on something at the end of my spells like that is pretty unappealing. For starters it'll mean using at least two macros per spell just to fit in the extra lock-breaking swaps. I'm already stacking my gear macros and that's bad enough on my hands and reaction time as is. Also stacking it for all my spells would probably require stacking entire macro books since I'm not exactly overflowing with free macro rows in my current books. Then there's the issue of timing things so I still land the spell in the correct equipment before blinking. I'm not entirely convinced that the client's integer based /wait command is precise enough to perform reliably. I know I still get animation-locked once in a while when using JAs.

The worst part of it all is that I know I'm going to have to overcome animation lock if I want to get into soloing, because the extra movement provided by it looks to be pretty much key to surviving those crazy fights.

I really want to stick with the vanilla client, but at the same time I really want the convenience that Windower offers.
ARGH!

[Armando]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

I went through the same thing you did. I can't go back to the vanilla client after trying Spellcast.

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Setting up spellcast was the last thing I did before I quit. Scripting context sensitive equipment profiles for all my jobs was more fun to me than playing.

[cidbahamut]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

I would probably really enjoy setting up the XML files for it.

I'm scared though. I'm all conflicted. I've always told myself that Windower and its plugins are cheating, but the vanilla client is too clunky for the precision I want. Also the vanilla client has a ton of limitations that should have been fixed years ago, like only having six lines per macro, and having shitty draw distance.

Also also: gogo tinfoil hat paranoia about third party programs hijacking my account.

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

It was drawdistance more than any of the utility plugins that pulled me over to windower. You never would have guessed how beautiful Beaucedine Glacier actually is until you can see the ridges extending off into the distance. It is cheating, make no mistake about that, but it's only cheating because the rules of the game say you have to wear thick mittens to do precision work, to put you on an even level with people using ten year old hardware and networking that are incapable of experiencing the game with its limiters off.

[cidbahamut]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Goddammit, now I want to install Windower.

FML

[Armando]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

I'm scared though. I'm all conflicted. I've always told myself that Windower and its plugins are cheating, but the vanilla client is too clunky for the precision I want. Also the vanilla client has a ton of limitations that should have been fixed years ago, like only having six lines per macro, and having shitty draw distance.

This is basically it. The UI has an awful reaction time - if macros could fire off as quick as you can mash keyboard buttons, using multiple macros wouldn't be as much of an issue. On top of that it's debatable whether SE intended for us to be rooted to the ground during animations - that was probably either a hardware limitation issue or unwillingness to implement running casting animations. Gear swapping itself is questionable from a game design perspective too - much like Utsusemi, I doubt they had the foresight to predict that it would be used the way it's used now.

Since SE is content to not do anything about any of these issues, or to acknowledge that most of them are issues, I'm content to work around them. As long as I'm not screwing anyone else over, no harm no foul. I'd rather be playing the game than fighting the UI or my macros. And macro maintenance was a real issue for me before I stopped playing because of how much situational gear I had. Just don't use Windower to do stupid shit like looking through walls at Nyzul Isle Assault and you're fine.

Also I will second the motion that Drawdistance is fucking amazing.

[cidbahamut]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

I don't think I'd be doing much beyond making my macros less painful and making the game pretty with draw distance. Maybe breaking spellcasting lock, but that's already possible in the vanilla client so I don't feel too bad about that. If I can do it without an additional plugin I'll be fine. Gogo minimalist approach.

Anything I should be wary of when getting into this Windower thing?

[Takelli]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Just don't go talking to others that you have it, even if they claim they have it. It could get you banned.

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Just don't go talking to others that you have it, even if they claim they have it. It could get you banned.

^ This. If you really want to be careful about it then abide by fight club rules. I also disable the timestamp plugin, because last I checked it modifies your chat log files, and GMs can see that information.

[Armando]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

Don't ask, don't tell.

Also, even if you don't want to use Spellcast's auto-gearswap feature (which is a shame - being able to actually use your JA and MA menus is very liberating) you should still look into it for its aliases. Lets you do text commands like "//fire4" or "/ma Fire 4" instead of "/ma "Fire IV" <t>". That's something you can do yourself with Windower (you can set up a custom text command to execute anything from FFXI commands to Windower scripts) but Spellcast will set up a whole lot of them for you automatically.

[Mhurron]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

it modifies your chat log files, and GMs can see that information.

Doubtful. The logs that the GM sees are what the server logs, any windower plugin is going to alter the local data going to the text files.

[Taskmage]

Re: What's your pet peeve in FFXI?

It was always my impression that they would pull your local files, but I don't claim to be well informed on the matter. TimeStamp is enabled by default on recent releases of windower and I haven't heard of sudden mass bannings, so it's probably safe. My decision to keep it disabled is based on personal superstition.