New Windows Version User Interface

[Hiromichi_Tanaka]

Greetings, adventurers.

As announced in the FFXI 2012 Roadmap, an extensive user interface overhaul is currently in development for the Windows version of FINAL FANTASY XI. Today, I would like to take this time to outline some of changes we have in the works for the UI of the Windows version of FFXI.

• Multi-window Mode
  Users will be able to open and manipulate multiple windows.

• Layout Customization
  Users will be able to drag UI elements with the mouse to new locations, which will be saved for future gaming sessions.

• Multiple Log Windows
  Users will be able to open multiple log windows and apply different filters for each one.

• Font Vectorization
  TrueType fonts will replace the current bitmap fonts.

• Continual Display of Macro Palette
  In addition to the existing Crtl/Alt macro palette, there will be an option to use a three-rowed palette that is constantly displayed and utilizes the 1 – 0 keys as well as mouse clicks to activate macros.

• Macro Recast Time Display
  The macro palette will display the time remaining until each macro may be used again.

• Individual Magic/Ability Icons and High-Resolution Status Effect Icons
  A new set of detailed high-resolution icons will be introduced, with new icons added for specific magic, abilities, and status effects.

• Macro Palette Icon Display
  Users will have the option to display icons for magic and abilities contained in macros.

• User Customization Features
  The window scheme and GUI scripts for FFXI will be released so users can design their own interface features.

• Drag-and-drop Equipment Interface

Other, more technical modifications are also under development that will eventually culminate in an overhaul of the entire user interface.

As previously announced, we are planning to make it possible for area maps to be brought up at all times, which would be implemented in advance of the more comprehensive UI overhaul described above. More information on this will be forthcoming, so please check the forums periodically.

[Dragoy]

Greetings, adventurers.

よろしくー
Hail, and well met!

As announced in the FFXI 2012 Roadmap, an extensive user interface overhaul is currently in development for the Windows version of FINAL FANTASY XI. Today, I would like to take this time to outline some of changes we have in the works for the UI of the Windows version of FFXI.

• Multi-window Mode
  Users will be able to open and manipulate multiple windows.

• Layout Customization
  Users will be able to drag UI elements with the mouse to new locations, which will be saved for future gaming sessions.

• Multiple Log Windows
  Users will be able to open multiple log windows and apply different filters for each one.

• Font Vectorization
  TrueType fonts will replace the current bitmap fonts.

Very nice adjustments indeed! Not sure if anything more can be really said about those.
They simply seem great.

• Continual Display of Macro Palette
  In addition to the existing Crtl/Alt macro palette, there will be an option to use a three-rowed palette that is constantly displayed and utilizes the 1 – 0 keys as well as mouse clicks to activate macros.

I am certain that I am not the only one thinking that, is it simply not possible to have more lines for a single macro?

• Macro Recast Time Display
  The macro palette will display the time remaining until each macro may be used again.

• Individual Magic/Ability Icons and High-Resolution Status Effect Icons
  A new set of detailed high-resolution icons will be introduced, with new icons added for specific magic, abilities, and status effects.

• Macro Palette Icon Display
  Users will have the option to display icons for magic and abilities contained in macros.

Again, don't think I have anything specific to say about these.
Simply awesome, one might say.

• User Customization Features
  The window scheme and GUI scripts for FFXI will be released so users can design their own interface features.

This is most definitely something no one expected to happen, and will be one of the things mostly anticipated from now on!

Very interesting indeed.

• Drag-and-drop Equipment Interface

I'm quite OK with the current equipment interface but this does not seem like a bad idea either.
Now if there only were more space for all that equipment...

Other, more technical modifications are also under development that will eventually culminate in an overhaul of the entire user interface.

As previously announced, we are planning to make it possible for area maps to be brought up at all times, which would be implemented in advance of the more comprehensive UI overhaul described above. More information on this will be forthcoming, so please check the forums periodically.

While many users will be disgruntled for no “major” content releases (and which many were not even expecting any longer), I personally am very interested to see through these changes alone, not to mention the other announced adjustments.

Keep up the good work!

さらばだ！

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

I am certain that I am not the only one thinking that, is it simply not possible to have more lines for a single macro?

What they mean is "We're re-creating XIV's Action Bar within XI." It's the macro buttons themselves organized in three rows, not that the macros have three lines of commands each.

In fact, in general, most of what was listed can be summed as "Aspects of the XIV interface are being implemented in XI."

[Arcon]

In fact, in general, most of what was listed can be summed as "Aspects of the XIV interface are being implemented in XI."

Which is an incredibly good thing. Just yesterday I would have bet good money that SE would never, not in a million years, do anything remotely like this. I am very glad that I was so very wrong. This is possibly the greatest update I've heard of since I started playing. The UI has always been my worst enemy in FFXI.

[RAIST]

What they mean is "We're re-creating XIV's Action Bar within XI." It's the macro buttons themselves organized in three rows, not that the macros have three lines of commands each.

Yeah, I'm a bit curious over the implementation of this because of how it's laid out in the post:

•Continual Display of Macro Palette
In addition to the existing Crtl/Alt macro palette, there will be an option to use a three-rowed palette that is constantly displayed and utilizes the 1 – 0 keys as well as mouse clicks to activate macros.
•Macro Recast Time Display
The macro palette will display the time remaining until each macro may be used again.

Got the impression the new pallette macros will be the ones showing the cool down timers. With SE's way of programming, these may wind up being single line only so they can track the timers. Otherwise, there would be some mish-mash in the logic for tracking the timer to display if you call multiple abilites in succession and they have different cool-down timers.

Maybe I'm overthinking it...but I'm thinking it would be more for simple, repetitive actions. Will be a nice addition even if they are limited to just one line though. Would give us a place to stick the simple macros instead of taking a button in the longer macros pallete array and give us more flexibility. Simple things like attack/retreat/release macros for pet jobs, item use macros, etc.

[Rohelius]

In fact, in general, most of what was listed can be summed as "Aspects of the XIV interface are being implemented in XI."

In fact ALL of these features are in Guild Wars 1 since 2005.

Having enjoyed them since then in GW i gotta say its good to see FFXI catching up more.
More then anything the user scripts release interface customization and separate chat logs display is the most cool thing to come to FF.

Good job!

[Jile]

I am certain that I am not the only one thinking that, is it simply not possible to have more lines for a single macro?

Since we're doing a Windows-only group of updates, Please for the love of Altana, please, freaking please give me either native script support for macro utilization or 40+ lines in each macro.

At the bottom of a macro, give us a little *add line* button, so we can keep adding lines appropriate to the macro in question.

I'm a long time BST and I still, to this day, press three macros to swap out my CHR+ set before a charm, with a further three to swap my gear back. (Yes, people still use charm >.>)

I want to be able to swap out literally every single piece of gear, use a job ability, swap all the gear back with a single macro press.

[JiltedValkyrie]

I am stunned and excited!

[Godofgods]

This is awesome. For quite a while iv had to listen to ppl complaining that Dev workers weren't actually doing anything. This should help shut them up.

I'm definitely interested to see how this is going to work out.

(now if only they'd give the taru npcs some stools to stand on...)

[Kaisha]

So how much longer before you allow multiple instances of XI open natively, and the XI client itself not hogging the keyboard regardless of its window state?