Faster Equipsets

[Panda2013]

I was just wondering if there were any plans to make the equipset action faster or so that it doesn't fail if it it tries to equip a set right after the other. Currently if I try to make a macro using equipsets for a spell with pre cast and after cast, the 2nd fails. I Can't really take advantage of a fastcast set if you have to put waits inside the macro using that set...

[Grekumah]

This topic was previously discussed within another thread (http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/43761-Gearset-swaps-are-too-slow?p=521052&viewfull=1#post521052). As we have mentioned before, the speed at which equipment sets are changed is set to the fastest possible setting.

Feel free to review the thread and see what strategies other players have suggested.

[Panda2013]

I see. I think something else is happening then, it might not be speed. When I equip a set it's immediate and I am able to cast spells in that set. However, if I try to switch to a spell within a second, the second equipset wont fire. This is very strange because the first set is already completely loaded. So it's not really about speed, but the delay that comes after equiping the set that's the issue . Maybe it's something to do with macros. I'm not really sure because it even fails for things like this:

/equipset 81 /*cure precast*/
/ma "Cure IV" <stpt> /* used to target party member and the rest of the macro WONT fire until I press enter
/equipset 82 /* cure aftercast*/
The second set won't equip despite the fact that I need to press enter in order to activate the 2nd half of the macro.

Edit: More!

Something else that is interesting. I've been testing this for a while now. If I do something like this:
/equipset 81
/equip ring1 "Dark Ring"
/equip body "Geomancy Tunic"

It all executes! I could add as many lines after and it will work. Something is weird... Maybe we should just get more macro lines....

[Kraggy]

This topic was previously discussed within another thread (http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/43761-Gearset-swaps-are-too-slow?p=521052&viewfull=1#post521052). As we have mentioned before, the speed at which equipment sets are changed is set to the fastest possible setting.

Feel free to review the thread and see what strategies other players have suggested.
The fact that a well-known and widely-used third-party add-on has had this ability for years would imply your devs aren't as capable as those of that third-party, wouldn't you say?

Sure, it's against your TOS but it has features you're claiming aren't possible.

[Dale]

I see. I think something else is happening then, it might not be speed. When I equip a set it's immediate and I am able to cast spells in that set. However, if I try to switch to a spell within a second, the second equipset wont fire. This is very strange because the first set is already completely loaded. So it's not really about speed, but the delay that comes after equiping the set that's the issue . Maybe it's something to do with macros. I'm not really sure because it even fails for things like this:


The same thing happens to me.

If I try to equip a new set too soon after a previous one I'll get an error and the macro misfires. Which really doesn't surprise me because the whole gear swap thing has always felt clunky and unwieldy to me. Seems more like an aberration than an intended part of the gameplay. I also know players who quit this game because they got tired of dealing with it.

They should really just re-design the whole system and how it works. This idea of having to constantly change my clothes during combat has never appealed to me.

[Mefuki]

I disagree. I don't want FFXI to become a shallow, simple game by removing equipment sets. I don't know why anyone would want the game to become more "streamlined" (read:boring) in this way. Things like equipment sets and, for the most part, ignoring the strict definitions of the DD, Tank, Healer triangle, are what makes this good. It's what makes this game have depth in a sea of shallow, same-y games and MMOs.

That would be like what SE did with FFXIII, overly streamlining the RPG experience until it was barley an RPG anymore. I don't want to get a helmet that has STR+2 and be done with it, except when helmet +1 comes along with STR+3. That's boring. I want situational gear and incomparables with tons of differing attributes and effects.

To me, asking SE to remove the gear swap system is like asking them to just do away with depth and just let us hit things until they fall over. Like asking your D&D DM, "We don't really need all these options, do we? Can't we just walk forward and say, 'I attack the monster'"?

[Ramzi]

I see. I think something else is happening then, it might not be speed. When I equip a set it's immediate and I am able to cast spells in that set. However, if I try to switch to a spell within a second, the second equipset wont fire. This is very strange because the first set is already completely loaded. So it's not really about speed, but the delay that comes after equiping the set that's the issue . Maybe it's something to do with macros. I'm not really sure because it even fails for things like this:

/equipset 81 /*cure precast*/
/ma "Cure IV" <stpt> /* used to target party member and the rest of the macro WONT fire until I press enter
/equipset 82 /* cure aftercast*/
The second set won't equip despite the fact that I need to press enter in order to activate the 2nd half of the macro.

Edit: More!

Something else that is interesting. I've been testing this for a while now. If I do something like this:
/equipset 81
/equip ring1 "Dark Ring"
/equip body "Geomancy Tunic"

It all executes! I could add as many lines after and it will work. Something is weird... Maybe we should just get more macro lines....

I'm no expert WHM or anything, but what's the point in equipping a pre-cast set when the macro you execute will change gear as soon as you execute it, ensuring your precast is not factored in at all. I assume your pre-cast is a fast cast set. Why not do a macro like this:

/ma "Cure IV" <stpt>
/equipset 81
/wait 1
/equipset 82

Why wouldn't this work? With a 1 second wait, the spell should still be casting as the macro switches to your cure pot set. Maybe I'm missing something.

[Segagamer]

I'm no expert WHM or anything, but what's the point in equipping a pre-cast set when the macro you execute will change gear as soon as you execute it, ensuring your precast is not factored in at all. I assume your pre-cast is a fast cast set. Why not do a macro like this:

/ma "Cure IV" <stpt>
/equipset 81
/wait 1
/equipset 82

Why wouldn't this work? With a 1 second wait, the spell should still be casting as the macro switches to your cure pot set. Maybe I'm missing something.
With it set up like that, the FC gear will equip after the spell started casting, so you don't get the benefit of reduced cast time.

[Panda2013]

Yup it's as Sega said. If you don't equip it before it won't be factored in. With merits and gear, cure is instacast for me which is why the wait is a bit of an issue...

[Ramzi]

Ok, I don't macro in FC gear, so I wasn't sure. I figured the equip switch would go off before the spell actually started due to animation lag, etc.

[Ryujess]

This topic was previously discussed within another thread (http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/43761-Gearset-swaps-are-too-slow?p=521052&viewfull=1#post521052). As we have mentioned before, the speed at which equipment sets are changed is set to the fastest possible setting.

Feel free to review the thread and see what strategies other players have suggested.

You have to setup the macro like this...
/equipset 81 /*cure precast*/
/ma "Cure IV" <stpt> /* used to target party member and the rest of the macro WONT fire until I press enter
/wait 1 or /wait .5
/equipset 82 /* cure aftercast*/

You may get away with <wait .5> I would need to be at home to test, but the current System Must have a wait between every equip-set change, I spent hours getting this correct. In most cases wait 1 works every time, and sometimes you can use wait .5 like ..
/equipset # <wait .5>
/ws "name" <wait 3>
/equipset #

You may even getaway with putting it on the same line as Cure... Example /ma "Cure IV" <stpt> <wait .5> as it wont stop you from casting when you select the party member it will give the system the time it needs to catch-up.

I would be more sure if i was at home lol.

[Dale]

I disagree. I don't want FFXI to become a shallow, simple game by removing equipment sets. I don't know why anyone would want the game to become more "streamlined" (read:boring) in this way. Things like equipment sets and, for the most part, ignoring the strict definitions of the DD, Tank, Healer triangle, are what makes this good. It's what makes this game have depth in a sea of shallow, same-y games and MMOs.

That would be like what SE did with FFXIII, overly streamlining the RPG experience until it was barley an RPG anymore. I don't want to get a helmet that has STR+2 and be done with it, except when helmet +1 comes along with STR+3. That's boring. I want situational gear and incomparables with tons of differing attributes and effects.

To me, asking SE to remove the gear swap system is like asking them to just do away with depth and just let us hit things until they fall over. Like asking your D&D DM, "We don't really need all these options, do we? Can't we just walk forward and say, 'I attack the monster'"?

Removing the gear swap system wouldn't make players just walk forward and say "I attack the monster". Gear swaps don't add any extra abilities or spells - except in maybe a few limited examples. They just allow players increase the effectiveness of the abilities and spells they already have. So the complexity of this game's combat system would still be in-tact.

What makes this game more strategic than other MMORPGs is the sheer amount of abilities, spells, and different ways to play each job. Gear-swaps can be used to supplement this. But it's not solely responsible for this game's excellent combat system. The versatility of how they designed their class system is.

But anyway - I don't really have a gripe with allowing players to collect gear and use it to enhance different effects. I actually like this in fact. My gripe is with how the current system functions - which is just an annoyance to me. Having to constantly change my clothes all the time after this spell or that ability is just irritating. Especially when it doesn't even work well and errors are always popping up - as this thread demonstrates.

I would prefer a passive tree or something with a list of abilities and spells we could link gear to increase their effect. That would be cool, and a much better system IMHO. Because when I'm fighting something I want to concentrate on what I'm doing and react to the battlefield as it occurs. Not worry about rather my equip macro kicked in and I'm wearing the right clothes before I cast something.

[Seillan]

Removing the gear swap system wouldn't make players just walk forward and say "I attack the monster". Gear swaps don't add any extra abilities or spells - except in maybe a few limited examples. They just allow players increase the effectiveness of the abilities and spells they already have. So the complexity of this game's combat system would still be in-tact.

What makes this game more strategic than other MMORPGs is the sheer amount of abilities, spells, and different ways to play each job. Gear-swaps can be used to supplement this. But it's not solely responsible for this game's excellent combat system. The versatility of how they designed their class system is.

But anyway - I don't really have a gripe with allowing players to collect gear and use it to enhance different effects. I actually like this in fact. My gripe is with how the current system functions - which is just an annoyance to me. Having to constantly change my clothes all the time after this spell or that ability is just irritating. Especially when it doesn't even work well and errors are always popping up - as this thread demonstrates.

I would prefer a passive tree or something with a list of abilities and spells we could link gear to increase their effect. That would be cool, and a much better system IMHO. Because when I'm fighting something I want to concentrate on what I'm doing and react to the battlefield as it occurs. Not worry about rather my equip macro kicked in and I'm wearing the right clothes before I cast something.

Exactly. Those are my thoughts as well. Collecting different sets of gear and utilizing them in certain situations is really cool actually; it's just how they are utilized that seems annoying. To be honest, it's one of the biggest deterrents I had about even starting back up in the game. With the equipment sets thing it doesn't seem like it would be as bad at least, but I'd still prefer something like what Dale suggested. Being able to just link gear to certain skills would give the same result without having to use the arduous swapping mechanic. It also wouldn't be subject to the same delays, so it would elimate that problem as well. (Keep in mind I still don't have any first hand experience with the gear swapping system, so these are all just observations I've gathered from my time on the forums and such.)