Logitech g15

[shintopriestess]

It's been out for awhile now but I havent found any profiles or programs to use the G15 in FFXI. Does anyone have a macro guide or know of some program made to make use of its key features?

~Help~

[PTT]

Re: Logitech g15

Is this that keyboard that was advertised on playonline.com?

It'd probably be considered a 3rd party tool, regardless of that fact

I actually don't know anything about macro-ready keyboards, but I do know that most everything important that needs to be done on the Computer version can be done with a Playstation Controller connected via a USB converter. Macros, movement, and camera controls are all within a finger's reach.

I've always disliked using the keyboard for Final Fantasy, though oddly enough, not for 'pure' computer RPGs like KOTOR and NWN and such.

[Murphie]

Re: Logitech g15

Everyone has a different preference. I personally prefer the keyboard. I haven't tried the G15, but they gave some away at Fan Fest or something, so I think it's ok.

Not sure about the plugins for it though, unfortunately.

[shintopriestess]

Re: Logitech g15

actually i spoke to a Super GM and confirmed its legal. Its NOT legal if you set the macro's to loop IE botting. As long as you are present when using its ability your ok.

[GiaCorleone]

Re: Logitech g15

If you don't use Windower, your machine better be above par or you will have to put up to 1 second waits in between commands for them to execute properly. (sounds small but it's a pain in the rear). If you do use Windower, you can take advantage of the Windower macro system. I'll explain how it works both ways though.

Without Windower
Pretty straightforward. Open the profiler and right click any g-key. Select "New Macro" and it'll open up the Macro Editor. Name your macro then hit "Start Recording". Here's the fun part. Type slowly (and I mean SLOW) because it registers both key press and key release. Type exactly what you would if you were executing commands on a keyboard in the game, e.g. "/ma "Fire" <t>[enter]". If you make a mistake, press the correct key and keep going. You can go back and delete incorrect key strokes (though you can't edit one to make it right). The "/ma "Fire" <t>[enter]" macro would look like this in the profiler:

(down)/
(up)/
(down)m
(up)m
(down)a
(up)a
(down)[space]
(up)[space]
(down)[shift]
(down)'
(up)'
(up)[shift]
(down)f
(up)f
(down)i
(up)i
(down)r
(up)r
(down)e
(up)e
(down)[shift]
(down)'
(up)'
(up)[shift]
(down)[space]
(up)[space]
(down)[shift]
(down),
(up),
(up)[shift]
(down)t
(up)t
(down)[shift]
(down).
(up).
(up)[shift]
(down)[enter]
(up)[enter]

If you want to add in equipment swaps, you could spend hours on this method. That's why for this keyboard on an average system I recommend...

With Windower
There are all sorts of guides on the Windower site about how to make macros so I'll leave it to you to find the real intricacies and efficiencies, but I pretty much only use this for equip swapping so I'll whip out a quick example.

First step is to make a .txt file in your /Windower/scripts/ directory. Let's call it Fire.txt. Should look like this:

input /equip main "Fire Staff";

input /ma "Fire" <t>;

(the space between lines is important, and always end a line with a semicolon)

Now, go into your profiler, right click a g-key, Create New Macro, call it "Fire" or whatever, Start Recording, type: /console exec Fire.txt

Instead of using the keyboard to perform game functions, you're using it to call macros which really have no limits. Because of the performance of Windower macros, each of my equip macros includes every single piece of equipment, in all 16 slots. Not only does it help when you're actually fighting something, only hitting one key to change as much equip as you need (and perhaps, using waits, change back to another equip set after), the most convenient use I've found is when I'm swapping equip from one job to another. I have 4 lv75 jobs, full locker, full storage, near full inventory at all times, and nothing is worse than switching jobs and getting to camp only to find I've left something behind. Now I can swap my gear out then hit my main gear swap macros and quickly see if I have all the equipment I need. (sure you can do that with FFXI macros but it would take 4 macros to go from naked to fully equipped whereas I do it in 1 key press)

[Bricklayer]

Re: Logitech g15

actually i spoke to a Super GM and confirmed its legal. Its NOT legal if you set the macro's to loop IE botting. As long as you are present when using its ability your ok.

And they check this... how? I guess they could send a /tell or something and wait to see if you respond. Not that you plan on looping macros.

[Miken]

Re: Logitech g15

I own a G15 and I use some small wait commands but nothing as high as 1 second lol. And thats on a AthlonXP 3000+ Barton.

I heard that GMs can tell if youre using windower macros if they are for some reason monitoring you. Is this true or are the windower macros totally safe?

16 gear swaps on one macro seems tempting but it also seems like it would be considered big-time cheating lol.

[Spazz]

Re: Logitech g15

At the FFXI Fan Festival... S-E was giving these keyboards out as prizes.... yeah... its legal to use them. lol. I have my G keys setup like G1 = Alt+1. That way it works directly from the macros I set ingame. It works quite nicely. I dont know of any plugins... but I have been looking for awhile.

[Miken]

Re: Logitech g15

At the FFXI Fan Festival... S-E was giving these keyboards out as prizes.... yeah... its legal to use them. lol. I have my G keys setup like G1 = Alt+1. That way it works directly from the macros I set ingame. It works quite nicely. I dont know of any plugins... but I have been looking for awhile.

Yea thats how I have mine set up right now.

[Omniblast]

Re: Logitech g15

The G-Keys set up to perform mundane alt+# or ctrl+# is a good way to use them.
Also I've set up /as <name> commands for dynamis usage.

If your NOT using a Windower, you will need to crash out of ffxi quite often to reconfigure it through Logitech's G-key menus. You can also re-name your quick macros so that you know which one to switch to when you use it.
I've only filled out 1 set of G-keys. I should really fill out all 3 or 2 atleast for my two main jobs.

I've also NEVER gotten the scripting for the G-keys to work properly on Windower, so I can do equipment switches, so I just gave up on that. =(

[levish]

Re: Logitech g15

I own a G15 and I use some small wait commands but nothing as high as 1 second lol. And thats on a AthlonXP 3000+ Barton.

I heard that GMs can tell if youre using windower macros if they are for some reason monitoring you. Is this true or are the windower macros totally safe?

16 gear swaps on one macro seems tempting but it also seems like it would be considered big-time cheating lol.

o_O

why? I routinely swap most of my gear, it's just that i have to hit 2 macro combinations to get them all done

Ctrl + 0 and Alt + 0

I am thinking of making them Ctrl + 9 and Ctrl + 0 for a set instead though

I tried programming the G15 to do the whole thing with a single press and it would get confused despite the macro iteself looking 100% correct on the keyboard. Sometimes they would work sometimes it wouldn't.

It'd get so screwed up sometimes it'd target the nearest person and send a tell and do a whole bunch of funky stuff. Too bad that without windower I can't use the profiler to edit my macros without logging in and out.

Programmable keyboards just need official support otherwise "it either works or it doesn't" and the burden to fix it is left on the end user.

[Feba]

Re: Logitech g15

It'd probably be considered a 3rd party tool, regardless of that fact

Suprisingly, because of SE's deal with logitech, the G15 is considered part of FFXI's client, even though it's not available for all clients (And probably wouldn't function fully/at all on anything but PC). How you like them PS2 apples?

[levish]

Re: Logitech g15

Suprisingly, because of SE's deal with logitech, the G15 is considered part of FFXI's client, even though it's not available for all clients (And probably wouldn't function fully/at all on anything but PC). How you like them PS2 apples?

Even on the PC the Logitech programmable keyboards require the software to be installed so it's not exactly a stealth nerf, more like it was never designed to run macro's on the PS2 or xbox360.

I don't really think SE even supports the Logitech Programmable Keyboard for the PC since I can't seem to find any help on it.

[GiaCorleone]

Re: Logitech g15

I tried programming the G15 to do the whole thing with a single press and it would get confused despite the macro iteself looking 100% correct on the keyboard. Sometimes they would work sometimes it wouldn't.

It'd get so screwed up sometimes it'd target the nearest person and send a tell and do a whole bunch of funky stuff. Too bad that without windower I can't use the profiler to edit my macros without logging in and out.

Your macros don't need edits (except maybe slightly longer pauses). The problem with the keyboard is it doesn't directly perform actions, it inputs the text command into the chat window. So if you have a string of commands, such as equip swapping, the keyboard macro fires off at its normal speed but the chat window doesn't always pick up every key press in time. When you get problems like targeting people and trying to send them tells, that's usually because the "enter" command fired off early and was followed by another enter command, sometimes with some text in the middle. I had all kinds of problems with sending commands into party chat or tells and had pretty much given up on the keyboard for game value. Someone before said something about not having to use long waits in his macros, but I also saw his highest job was in the 50s so he hasn't had the pleasure of trying to use profiler macros in Dynamis with 60 other people or in Dragon's Aery with 200 other people. (although I'm sure there are some rigs that could do it, the majority of people would experience lag issues similar to what I did)

Honestly, if you don't utilize windower macros, I wouldn't recommend this keyboard. At least until SE decides to officially support it and allows direct command input instead of chatlog input...Unless you want to spend $70+ to access your normal SE macros with one button instead of two. I know I probably wouldn't have bought it if I'd known all this ahead of time. :x

[Feba]

Re: Logitech g15

Even on the PC the Logitech programmable keyboards require the software to be installed so it's not exactly a stealth nerf

Software which is free to download from logitech's site AND comes with the keyboard itself, which are both legal as far as SE is concerned, and you basically have an external macro/botting program, which is fully endorsed by SE.


If you're telling me they want to keep it equal across all consoles, with the benefits each one has, you're blind.