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Playing FFXI the OLD WAY?Follow

#102 Feb 24 2017 at 11:45 PM Rating: Good
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It's not so much that I "pretend that it doesn't exist", it's more that I would rather not do it at all, or if I absolutely must, do it sparingly.

It's not because I don't believe in the benefits, but again, it's more about the logistics and the extra button presses and re-learning how to actually play all over again (I make heavy use of the in-game menus and text commands, I always have done it this way).

I actually find the game's macro system to be very lackluster. It doesn't respond as well as I would like (half of the time, it takes nearly half a second for the macro buttons to display, keypresses do not always process, macro execution can be interrupted last I checked, and more issues).

They improved it by adding things like Gear Sets, and I hear that you can have macros switch books for you and I even thought of a way to make a decent macro set up, but I just don't like using macros.

I wish we could have an option to always have macros displayed on screen like hotbars in other MMOs, and assign number keys to them so one doesn't need to hold ctrl or alt to use them.

But, with the skeleton development crew we got now, I'm not really holding my breath for any kind of improvement like that. If it happens, that would be awesome. If not, well, I wouldn't be surprised in the least.
#103 Feb 25 2017 at 7:31 AM Rating: Good
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Something like that probably died when they gave up on the UI revamp when the test server was still a thing.

Personally, I agree the whole gear swapping thing is stupid from the perspective of immersion and tedium. And while I never got into Spellcast or Gearswap type add-ons, I still maintained a web of text binds that essentially function as the gear set system does now. Also still find it easier to use than XI's equivalent since I divided my jobs into folders with aliases for specific actions (rdm_mnd_enf_acc.txt as an example of RDM MND-based enfeebles focusing on accuracy over potency) where getting a new piece of gear just means pulling that up and tweaking the slot. Not limited like the game is, either, which easily happens if you want to play more than 2-3 jobs at a high level. The system also has the benefit of responding faster, allowing for some conditionals via clever alias use, and gives way more than ctrl/alt 1-0 to work with.

Unfortunately, you're going to have people who think the system is a good thing because it demands people farm more mobs, thus play more, to better gear themselves. Personal reality in that is it just extends the conflict of who deserves what in scenarios where a given item's acquisition is up to RNG and can't be acquired solo. Lost count of the various PUG groups I've done over time where things dissolve before everyone gets what they're after, sometimes being on the losing end of that, and knowing that just getting the opportunity to take a crack at the RNG again would be a long time coming. And this is even before factoring something like congestion at a pop spot.

Otherwise, doing something about it just feeds more into my desires for crafting and gear customization that no MMO to date has really encroached upon because the raiders have to have the final say in anything.
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#104 Feb 25 2017 at 7:58 AM Rating: Good
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I wish we could have an option to always have macros displayed on screen like hotbars in other MMOs, and assign number keys to them so one doesn't need to hold ctrl or alt to use them.


You can set Windower up to do that for you. Though I'd recommend against modifier-free activation unless you want to be firing abilities while you're typing a number into the chatbox.

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And while I never got into Spellcast or Gearswap type add-ons, I still maintained a web of text binds that essentially function as the gear set system does now.


I tried a couple times to wrap my brain around Spellcast and Gearswap and it just didn't take. I understand how they can be really powerful tools, but they're just a bit too unfriendly for me right now.

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#105 Feb 25 2017 at 8:44 AM Rating: Good
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Though I'd recommend against modifier-free activation unless you want to be firing abilities while you're typing a number into the chatbox.


That's why the windower version won't work for what I want it to do... I want the macro/hotbar thing to only accept number inputs while the chat box is NOT active, like any other MMO.

Again, this is not something windower can do I don't think.

And yes, I know, there was that new UI thing, but they more or less scrapped it when the development team got dumped down to a skeletron crew and funding for development on the game was basically taken away, etc.

I know they want to focus on XIV, but you know, there are still a decent chunk of people who'd love to play XI, and I bet a decent chunk more who would play if they would improve the game a little more, seems kinda silly to just toss the whole game aside just because they don't feel like working on it anymore....
#106 Feb 25 2017 at 8:51 AM Rating: Good
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That's why the windower version won't work for what I want it to do... I want the macro/hotbar thing to only accept number inputs while the chat box is NOT active, like any other MMO.

Again, this is not something windower can do I don't think.


I want to say there's a way to do it with creative use of the compact keyboard layout and Windower aliases. I'm not sure it's really worth the hassle though.

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I know they want to focus on XIV, but you know, there are still a decent chunk of people who'd love to play XI, and I bet a decent chunk more who would play if they would improve the game a little more, seems kinda silly to just toss the whole game aside just because they don't feel like working on it anymore....


I agree, but since they can't even bring themselves to give XIV a big boy budget, I doubt they have the will to actively develop both games at the same time.
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#107 Feb 25 2017 at 8:59 AM Rating: Good
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Callinon wrote:

I want to say there's a way to do it with creative use of the compact keyboard layout and Windower aliases. I'm not sure it's really worth the hassle though.


Sadly, not really. Not really wanting to go all over the place tweaking the thing. And Yes, I know technically SE won't go after Windower users... but I'm leery of activating addons for Windower. I use it ONLY for the Borderless Window mode, and absolutely nothing else.

That, and I've seen youtube clips of people with some of the addons activated, and the on-screen stuff that windower places on your screen looks.... ugly because it doesn't mesh well with the game's classic UI. It looks very out of place and I'd think it would be distracting.

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I agree, but since they can't even bring themselves to give XIV a big boy budget, I doubt they have the will to actively develop both games at the same time.


I just have to wonder what is going on in their corporate headquarters. They are sitting on two assets that rolls in constant money every month, but yet they don't really feel like putting effort in to grow it better. They just let it sit there, seemingly out of pure laziness because "they don't feel like it" or some similar reason.

Meanwhile, they are doing stupid stuff like throwing millions upon millions at graphical (but linear) eye-candy games that offer little replayability. Could never understand why Japanese companies do this, why they let IP they own just sit and collect dust and barely put forth any effort, despite the sheer popularity of some of them.

But then I suppose, Japan isn't the only place that does this... with, you know, that whole Half-life 3 thing and all. But then HL3... I'd have to ask myself... I wonder if it wouldn't end up being another Nukem Forever? lol. But still.
#108 Feb 27 2017 at 7:58 PM Rating: Good
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I'd say it's ultimately the same hubris that affects Blizzard and titles like Diablo and WoW. They know they've got some people hooked simply on brand recognition, some nostalgia, and character(s) investment. Icing on the cake being those who keep playing solely for friends even if they're not really into the game(s) anymore. Since they've grown fat on those past successes, motivation to maintain that same momentum just kind of petered out. Meanwhile, you'll find some F2P games here and there, who if they had the same potential budgets, would be much more formidable despite their own fanbases.

Either way, I've long since been of the mind that money XI generates should go to XI first and foremost. Sadly, XI suffered to XIV during WotG and a little prior. I'd even look to Trion and Rift where the latter suffered to the production of other titles they took in under their umbrella. There's arguably a balance where, nowadays, titles that aren't one-offs shouldn't be juggled against other projects by a studio.
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#109 Mar 21 2017 at 6:47 PM Rating: Good
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Lyrailis wrote:
Zackary wrote:
You wouldn't want to play on the 75 era private servers anyway, they're all abysmal.


Kinda like WoW "classic" private servers.

People hoot and holler about wanting "Classic" servers, but then when they get down to the brass tacks and such a server is set up and they log on and after a couple hours once the nostalgia wears off and they find themselves wishing they had (insert feature here that was added later), they wind up going "Meh..." and they log off and log back on the official servers.

Then they'll go "Yeah, but I want Classic but yet I want you to add the QoL changes that were made over the years!" despite the fact this would be 1). A massive undertaking that simply isn't profitable for the company and 2). Would cause all sorts of balance and dissonance issues as these things slowly came to be over time.

And even if they DID have all of these things, there's still the grind aspect. Pure Grind and Repetition was the way to go 15+ years ago, but it just isn't today.

So many games (including the game's official servers) out there offer far less grindy solutions and what a lot of people don't have, is extra time to waste repeating the same robotic actions over and over again.

Then someone will pop up and say "OK, make it like Classic, but relax the grind a little."

Well.....ok, relax the grind how much? And how many people are going to agree on how much to relax it? What about aforementioned balance and dissonance issues, where you'll see that the game appears to be balanced around one thing, but it was changed without the other thing being changed to suit it?

Well, it goes back and forth until people just pack up and leave and go back to the official servers, because face it: the guys designing the game have degrees in game design otherwise they wouldn't BE a game developer at a Triple-A company. We might not all agree with their game design decisions, but hey. Given how the game has survived all these years and managed to climb and claw itself out of a pit, and several testimonies I've seen online all agree that today's FFXI is a lot more playable than yester-year's FFXI, and I know I personally find myself doing less waiting and repetition and more time playing and enjoying the game.

Edited, Feb 7th 2017 7:59am by Lyrailis


Nope, not going back ever again, at least where i am i don't have to deal with ********* controlling the AH, and people are really friendly, with anything, heck they even shout in the LS when X NM is up and if anyone need it... did that ever happen here? no uh?

So no, im not going to reactivate my account, if its even there anymore, don't wanna deal with the awesome customer service... and im kind of poor now, cant pay =/
#110 Mar 22 2017 at 8:43 AM Rating: Excellent
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Nope, not going back ever again, at least where i am i don't have to deal with ********* controlling the AH, and people are really friendly, with anything, heck they even shout in the LS when X NM is up and if anyone need it... did that ever happen here? no uh?


Unless you're doing cursed armor or Level 100+ crafts, nobody cares about the AH these days. And nobody "controls" it, the only thing "controlling" the AH is the fact the game spews gil at you left and right these days, which is what is causing the inflation. However, given that many items are so easily obtainable, it's laziness and impatience (or, rather, instant gratification) that fuels the AH these days. Laziness you can exploit all the way to the bank if you don't mind putting in the work that others won't.

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So no, im not going to reactivate my account, if its even there anymore, don't wanna deal with the awesome customer service... and im kind of poor now, cant pay =/


So, if you can't pay, you have decided it upon yourself that you deserve to play even if you can't pay? lol. I wonder how that works in the minds of people like you. That's basically the mindset of a common thief... "I can't/won't buy this, but I deserve to have it anyways, so I'm gonna just take it without asking".

Basically the same principle and mindset.

Does "Self-Entitlement" cover that? Not 100% sure.

EDIT: This is assuming you've posted this referring to private servers and why you play on them. If you do not play on a private server and don't play the game at all, then this does not pertain to you. It does, however, pertain to any person who uses financial reasons as to why they basically steal the game to play on a private server.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2017 10:47am by Lyrailis
#111 Mar 22 2017 at 4:27 PM Rating: Decent
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Lyrailis wrote:
Quote:
Nope, not going back ever again, at least where i am i don't have to deal with ********* controlling the AH, and people are really friendly, with anything, heck they even shout in the LS when X NM is up and if anyone need it... did that ever happen here? no uh?


Unless you're doing cursed armor or Level 100+ crafts, nobody cares about the AH these days. And nobody "controls" it, the only thing "controlling" the AH is the fact the game spews gil at you left and right these days, which is what is causing the inflation. However, given that many items are so easily obtainable, it's laziness and impatience (or, rather, instant gratification) that fuels the AH these days. Laziness you can exploit all the way to the bank if you don't mind putting in the work that others won't.

Quote:
So no, im not going to reactivate my account, if its even there anymore, don't wanna deal with the awesome customer service... and im kind of poor now, cant pay =/


So, if you can't pay, you have decided it upon yourself that you deserve to play even if you can't pay? lol. I wonder how that works in the minds of people like you. That's basically the mindset of a common thief... "I can't/won't buy this, but I deserve to have it anyways, so I'm gonna just take it without asking".

Basically the same principle and mindset.

Does "Self-Entitlement" cover that? Not 100% sure.

EDIT: This is assuming you've posted this referring to private servers and why you play on them. If you do not play on a private server and don't play the game at all, then this does not pertain to you. It does, however, pertain to any person who uses financial reasons as to why they basically steal the game to play on a private server.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2017 10:47am by Lyrailis


Apologies, i left the game a very long time ago, i have no clue how the economy is right now, i did play the game for 8 years when i decided it was enough, game changed so much i didn't like the way it was taking.

I admit that i gave it a go for a "classic " server, but it was just for pure nostalgia, and it was fun, playing the game as it was in 2005 or so, but in the end i just stopped, im not going to commit myself to play a game for that long again.

I hope i made myself clear to people like you.
#112 Mar 22 2017 at 8:25 PM Rating: Good
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I hope i made myself clear to people like you.


You read my edit, right?

I made it clear that if you are not one of the players playing on classic servers and using financial situations as an excuse, then what I said did not pertain to you at all.

No need to take it personal.

Edited, Mar 22nd 2017 10:25pm by Lyrailis
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