OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Confirmed!

[Yeargdribble]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

Amazing and awesome. Who says Square-Enix doesn't listen to its users?

I think I'd still say so. It has taken 3+ years for them to hear our plead.

I think this could lead to some serious backlash. Much of the hardcore community (which is really a sizable amount of the playerbase) has gotten used to their windower with features like TParty for the sake of not spamming "Zomg!! I have TP!!" in Ventrillo or worse, in PT chat. In addition to that, most RDMs, BLMs and BRDs (as well as some other jobs) almost rely on extended macros to save them from having to hit 4-5 separate macros to put their gear on between different things (full enfeebling, dark skill, elemental skill, damage sets).

I think this official windower will lead to a crackdown in the old windower usage. While it will be less severe, I think SE will still be shooting themselves in the foot to start targeting non-official windower users just yet. They could end up destroying and alienating a significant part of their players and really hurt subscription numbers. I think it would benefit them to pay attention to some of the other features players want from the old windower as well. It's ridiculous for a SMN to need a stopwatch next to them to calculate between their BPs. It's ridiculous to fill up PT chat with TP calls. It's also ridiculous to have such short macros in a game where the differences in gear are so slight and changes of entire wardrobes of situational gear are required for many endgame activities.


Also, considering how bad of an emulation FFXI is already and how lazy the programmers have been thus far, I expect something about the official windower to be botched with full cynicism.

[Neomage]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

I'm getting mixed feelings about this. I'm very glad that SE is implementing this feature, but I wonder if they will start banning Azaril's users now. I don't care much about seeing pt TP, but the alliance MP that comes with it is almost a nesessity for me when it comes to LS events. On the other hand, I haven't started using extended macros yet but I'm comming pretty close to using them, and though I'll use SE's windower just because it's official, I wonder if this will make it more difficult later on...

[Vyuru]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

Mixed feelings here as well. This, and the whole pick your server thing, would have been really nice back around when FFXI first started as so many people asked for them back then.

Still, it should be interesting to see how they do it. It doesn't happen often but it is irritating to see someone use a WS as soon as I have 100%tp and have expected me to have opened the SC for them.

[Akashimo]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

Wooot! *plays funky celebrating music and DDR to celebrate* Now only two concerns, will they at least inclued an update to see our Alliances' mp? TP not nessary, mp a must like in previous statements. Lastly, think they'll add the hp percentage underneath the target's HP bar?

[Karinya]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

Why would they?
A better question would be, how many will dump the windower and use the official windower that doesn't support all those 'extensions'?

I would expect very, very few.

Most of them didn't run illegal hacks to surf the web while LFG; most of them ran illegal hacks to cheat. Seeing a target's exact HP percentage, your party members' TP or allies' MP and TP is convenient, but it's against the rules of the game as defined by SE and gives you an unfair advantage over players who *are* playing by the rules and that makes it cheating. That's been obvious for months or years now; the people who are cheating know they are cheating and are doing it anyway. I don't really expect them to change.

This might open the door for banning more cheaters with less possibility of catching a semi-innocent, though, which would be a nice step forward.

Another possibility is that at the same time as they introduce the official windowed mode, they might change the client in a way that breaks the old windowers. If they do that and anyone goes out of their way to find a new version of unofficial (i.e. cheating-enabled) windower, then they REALLY deserve what they get and I hope the STF won't hold back from giving it to them.


I wonder if it will be possible to change between windowed and full-screen modes while running? I wouldn't want to run in windowed mode all the time but it would sometimes be nice to be able to look up something on Campsitaurus, Vana'diel Atlas, FFXIclopedia etc. without logging out, which I can't really do since my old computer died. And then there's the people who don't know how to disable their virus protection or other pop-ups, or the windows key, who would probably like to stay in fullscreen most of the time but not crash when they accidentally change modes.

[Effedup]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

SE introducing an authorized windower is a huge step in the right direction, and I'll take what I can get. I mean, having the tools that are in the current windower is cool (I don't use windower so I can't comment on their actual "need"), but I'm sure there's people out there that get by just fine without them...I haven't had too many issues with people spamming TP% in party chat, most peeps I've partied with give a shout once or twice when they are close to 100% or slightly over. Have never been in a full alliance, though, or done endgame activities, so I guess I could see how it could be annoying...

tp/mp meters, longer macro's, etc aside...I'm just happy I'll be able to open I.E. while I'm playing to check something on ffxiclopedia or the skillchain calculator without walking back and forth between my gaming rig and my media center. God I can't wait ^^

[Vyuru]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

having the tools that are in the current windower is cool (I don't use windower so I can't comment on their actual "need"),

I saw a screenshot that one of the people who used to be in my LS took (he and his wife quit awhile ago) it was insane, distance caculator, exp chain timer, map of the area faded out on the main screen so you can see where you are going, a totally wicked shadow counter, and other stuff I can't remember.

Needed? The only thing I can think of would be the shadow counter, and even then you can manually count shadows yourself.

Neat and nifty? Oh yeah.

Knowing alliance members mp is important since it lets you know when it's safe to sit down to regain mp, and as a whole judge how the fight is going, that should be added. Knowing the tp on the other hand, is not needed, that is what macros are for. And honestly if it is that important to you to know what is going on without typing, you could use some voice chat system like Vent to talk to each other. Setup channels for each group that interacts with each other so you aren't spamming the voice channel.

There are only a few instances I would want a windowed mode. One is while fishing, mining, harvesting, crafting, etc, where I'm not doing anything really important, and I might want to be doing some unimportant but slightly time consuming work while I play. The other would be looking up maps or camp sites on the campsitaurus, because I can't get the maps for some of these areas, and I don't go there often enough to remember the area.

I think some of the windower peeps would stop using it, but I think alot of people are using the windower as an excuse to have access to hacks, and I doubt that they would stop.

[Taskmage]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

Why would they?
A better question would be, how many will dump the windower and use the official windower that doesn't support all those 'extensions'?

I would. I just wanna alt-tab.

It's really great that this stuff is being implemented now, but I also agree with some of Yeargdribble's cynicism and the sentiment that this should've happened a long time ago.

[Neomage]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

I will probably use SE's windower for a while just to see how it plays. If I can get around fine without it, that works for me, but if I end up needing(not wanting, but actually needing) extended macros and alliance MP, I'll have to go back to azaril's... I mean, a WANT to use SE's windower, but things get hectic enough as they are... If I end up having to use 4 macro sets just for equipment swaps I'll have to go back to Azaril's. Otherwise I'll stick with SE's. I have to agree this si a wonderful setp in the right direction, if SE keeps this up I'll be the first one getting their new MMO instead of merely considering.

[KamuroIshigami]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

I think I'd still say so. It has taken 3+ years for them to hear our plead.

Our pleads and feedback was not unheard before, it was just that until recently there was not much direct feedback response from them that they have received our feedback. Now, there will be a confirmation either way regarding it.

So do not mistake their response now for them not listening before; they were listening and reading, just they didn't say anything directly back.

[Vyuru]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

So do not mistake their response now for them not listening before; they were listening and reading, just they didn't say anything directly back.

True, but it would have been nice to see a, "Hey, we know ya'll want this and we're working on it, but no idea when we can implement it" message. I understand it takes awhile to program things and get the graphics right and get everything working smoothly, I guess it's more the lack of communication from SE that irritates me.

[Murphie]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

I would use SE's windower in a second. I don't need extended macros, to see my party members' TP or to see how far I am from my target.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

A lot of this seems underwhelming, like some very small changes to things that don't have problems at all (linkshells for example).

SE is doing a lot of streamlinging to processes that might seem insignifigant or irrlevant to you, but it doesn't change the fact that these changes are needed. No matter how small any of the future changes seem, they will have a profound impact on how the game is played.

[Omniblast]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

While a official windower is great, I'd rather see them update the engine with better graphics, and a higher frame rate. I don't like to be limited to 29 fps, and would really like to see the graphics in 60 fps, with additional details when you zoom in.

[DurkaDurka]

Re: OFFICIAL FFXI Windowed Mode Support Announced!

All these pouring of GOOD news about FFXI... Is SquareEnix being desperate about people leaving the game for other MMO's? Who knows, but this and not being able to solo is the reason I temporarly left it.