How Gear Swapping Works: Simple Macros for the Simple Minded

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Originally Posted by Aver

Sup, WHM since late 03 chiming in. Yeah, I have every idea what I'm talking about, since I've done it all from ground HNMs all the way to lolAbyssea and everything in between.

So I second my previous post. If you're slacking in your curing, gtfo whm. I don't want to see you on it.

(Yes, I know people get one-shotted and lag spikes happen. That IS beyond your control. Everything else is not. Stop eating your cheese sandwich and focus.)

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I agree with this, besides if someone is getting "One-shotted" No WHM was gonna be able to save them anyways.

Another hint for the gear swaps:

If you are worried about the spelling or abreviations,you can use the autotranslate to help. First, open your inventory. This is required, as the {Item} autotranslate is limited to items you have recently viewed, and you need to force the items in your inventory into the list. Bring up the autotranslate menu, scroll to {Items}, and open the list. It should be the last category, so I just press up and I'm there. This will refresh your ability to auto-complete items when typing them in.

When making your equipment change macros, type in the first few letters of the item name and bring up autotranslate. Be sure to note, this uses the abbreviated versions. Many of the empyrean/relic/artifact armors have the first word shortened, so be sure to know what abbreviations are used for those. Pick the autotranslated name of the item, and then put quotation marks around the item name. The quotation marks are required. Unless the item name is one word, but use them anyways for consistency.

Make sure that you spell /equip correctly and use the appropriate slot in
/equip slot "Item Name"

Whenever you change an equipment swap macro, test it out to make sure that each line that you changed or added is working.

Edit:
One last note--if you are changing both rings or earrings to the same type of item, separate the lines if possible. If the lines are consecutive, the macro will try to equip the same ring to both slots, and one of the equipment swaps will fail.

Instead of
/equip body "WS body"
/equip ring1 "Pyrosoul ring"
/equip ring2 "Pyrosoul ring"

Use
/equip ring1 "Pyrosoul ring"
/equip body "WS body"
/equip ring2 "Pyrosoul ring"

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Originally Posted by Rosina

I would suggest to clean the guide up a bit to make it easier to understand and remove the spoilers. Also had videos to SHOW gear swaping AND that other macro targeting s9o those can see it actually works. Actions speak louder then words. If you can edit the title, If you wanna help try to be less condencending.

Some of the replies though are pretty rude if not false. And some make my wonder why people take this game super seriously.

Pro tip: if you wanna make a guide, understand what the guide is for, who the guide is for. And for what type of product. Game guides should be a fun read. Not electronic instrustions, like the old joke comment of vcrs.

to be honest I never did any of this stuff mentioned hear, and I never had a problem. Typically as dnc I out cure the whms/ healers in the party. It really is all about fast reflexes but also lag can play a role.

Also there is a difference between being "good" and over complicating things.

Anyway as I stated decent guide. Thank for writing it. :)

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If you want concrete examples as to why changing gear mid battle is useful, look at any mage class. Say you want to nuke something down, the magical damage staffs provide a 30% damage increase and 10% magical accuracy bonus. Let's say without this bonus your nuke on a particular mob hits for 3,000 (just a random damage example). If you swap to using the magical damage staffs for each element, your nukes will increase to 3,900 damage. That's a noticable difference. Now whether your reactions are fast or slow it doesn't matter that 30% increase still applies to both types of players.

Similarly healing magic has a staff that increases cures by 22% meaning on a (another random example) 900 hp cure would be increased to a 1,098 cure by swapping in that gear. The effect is multiplied more if you swap in other gear to further boost the %.

Just keep in mind that whatever set you are using as a static set can also be used by players who swap gear. The difference is that when the situation changes say they want to max their ws damage, the swappers can change in gear to max the damage at that situation. They can gear up exactly as you do and do the same thing that you do but with the flexibility to switch to another layout that maxes their performance in every category. That means they can attack at the fastest possible rate they can at any time they want, deal the highest possible damage per ws at any time they want, have the highest rate of evasion at any time they want, etc... they aren't limited in any way sans their ability to hold multiple sets. On a 4 second delay weapon 25% haste will hit approx. 1,200 in an hour vs 900 with 0% haste. It's all mathmatical there are no exceptions to things in this game that are dictated by static numbers.

Note: No one is telling you how to play or that you have to play a certain way. They are merely telling you that if you do this you will perform better which is a cold hard fact. If you choose to play a certain way that's a choice, but you can't say 4>6 and not expect to be corrected on it. That said drop it, move on, don't drag this topic into another fight.

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Originally Posted by Aver

Sup, WHM since late 03 chiming in. Yeah, I have every idea what I'm talking about, since I've done it all from ground HNMs all the way to lolAbyssea and everything in between.

So I second my previous post. If you're slacking in your curing, gtfo whm. I don't want to see you on it.

(Yes, I know people get one-shotted and lag spikes happen. That IS beyond your control. Everything else is not. Stop eating your cheese sandwich and focus.)

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^ I have always used a controller in ffxi and have healed just fine with it.

Heck at one point in my ffxi life I decided it would be a good idea to do the whole dual box madness (F THAT NEVAR AGAIN, and not 'cause I sucked it just gave me headaches trying to split my brain especially since at the time I was main assist in dynamis), and I would use the keyboard (on the pc) for my melee, and a controller (on ps2) for my healer.

Controller is not that bad. I think people assume the opposite when they just simply aren't used to it. When I first started on the keyboard for my melee dualboxing it was a nightmare for me 'cause I wasn't used to it. But I was patient until it became insanely easy.

I aim impressed by this guide, just looking at it. It's nice to see someone really trying to help educate folks without shoving it down their throats! You put out a guide that offers suggestions, as well as pertinent examples, and honestly it's very well written out.

I would like to make my own suggestion though, just to supplement it.

Don't waste a slot with a WS macro. Gear? Sure, go for it. For a controller I can see it a bit more but as a keyboard player I think it's silly. Honestly, it's easier to ctrl+w for your weapon skill menu, select the weapon skill and boom. Best part is that the cursor works on a "memory" function, so you can just hit it and hit enter rather than scrolling to the weapon skill every time. For a controller it's a bit more complicated since I imagine you have to navigate to Abilities -> Weapon Skills -> WS Name but that's a guess as I don't use one. :P

The only reason I say this is because sometimes macro palettes get full quite quickly (I'm looking at you, my RDM/BLM/BRD/SMN ;~; ) and as a result every saved slot helps.

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Originally Posted by Kensagaku

Don't waste a slot with a WS macro. Gear? Sure, go for it. For a controller I can see it a bit more but as a keyboard player I think it's silly.

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Another suggestion is that if you have empty space in the macro just add the weapon skill on to the end of that.

Line 1 - Gear change
Line 2 - Gear change
Line 3 - Gear change
Line 4 - Gear change
Line 5 - /wait 1
Line 6 - /ws "Ukko's Fury" <t>

The wait line isn't even strictly necessary, I just prefer to have it in there to make sure all the gear swaps are reqistered.

Don't even need wait lines anymore! <wait 1> at the end of a gearswap line works just as well. :P

Line 1 - Gear change
Line 2 - Gear change
Line 3 - Gear change
Line 4 - Gear change <wait 1>
Line 5 - /ws "Ukko's Fury" <t>

Ok, serious question. Is <wait 1> recommended for lengthy gear changes in WS macros? Is there a potential that the WS will activate before all the gear has been adjusted? Just one of those odd little things I keep forgetting to ask.

Oh man, I totally forgot that they changed that, thanks for the reminder.

I don't really think so. I don't remember getting issues in switching gears unless my comp lagged. Aside from lag though, it's easiest to put a wait after the last one so a gear piece or two doesn't get cut off.

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Originally Posted by Rayik

Ok, serious question. Is <wait 1> recommended for lengthy gear changes in WS macros? Is there a potential that the WS will activate before all the gear has been adjusted? Just one of those odd little things I keep forgetting to ask.

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This will pretty much never happen. Ask any Monk with a large Chakra Macro. I've always received the expected amount of HP without any /waits or delays in between my gear swaps and my Chakra activation.

Theres only one case I know of a wait would help any is drg af/+1 legs it takes a sec or 2 for the 10/15% HP to kickin with your wyvern other then that its doesn't matter. Thats the only time wait would be used and if your soloing the extra HP healed is not worth the wait.

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Originally Posted by Aver

Sup, WHM since late 03 chiming in. Yeah, I have every idea what I'm talking about, since I've done it all from ground HNMs all the way to lolAbyssea and everything in between.

So I second my previous post. If you're slacking in your curing, gtfo whm. I don't want to see you on it.

(Yes, I know people get one-shotted and lag spikes happen. That IS beyond your control. Everything else is not. Stop eating your cheese sandwich and focus.)

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How does targeting someone directly instead of using stal or stpt have anything to do with slacking on curing? Targeting them directly is faster than stpt or stal. Are you saying you never have anyone die mid-cure ever?

Just clarify for me here, how does the way you target someone have anything to do with "slacking on your cures". Also please clarify, HOW exactly do you slack on cures? If you aren't curing someone instantly when it's necessary then you are failing.

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Originally Posted by Romanova

^ I have always used a controller in ffxi and have healed just fine with it.

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But you'd still be better on keyboard.

I'm sorry, but I wasn't insulting anything it was a lay out critique

Though I may not be the best typer, I am a decent lay out artist. And the guide is good, though I personaly will not use it. But for me it is hard to read with some of the clutter and "spoiler" tabs.
Personally, keyboard vs controler is just personal opinion. I'm quick when it comes to cures. And I tend to use the correct cures. And this is via a controler.

To jump the gun and lable everything I say as an insult. Maybe you should compare with the Actual insults people made. Such as the "funny" thread topic. Honestly if you wanted a good joke title. I woulda gone "Gear Swapping for Dummies" like those guides you find for just about eveything.

Sorry I tend to have a type A personality when it comes to page layout. You should see my Linkshell Rules for my LS in ffxiv.

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Originally Posted by Kimara

macro their name. Fixed!

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That's a solid method. Except you still have to use arrows(on controller dpad) to move over to the macro instead of just ctrl 1 2 3 4 5 6 with direct method.

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

But you'd still be better on keyboard.

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not if they have faster relexes. :) I out cured whms before it is all on what you're looking at, lag and for fast you react. But thanks for the heads up, just do not force us into play styles we are not confortable with. And by that i mean insulting us over 2 seconds. It is a game the hole "slacking in cures" mindset is trashy to read when it comes to this being a game.

Remember:) this is a video game, not a work place. Being anel over silly things makes the game unfun.

Pretty awesome guide to help with gear swaps. I'm still relatively new and don't have much in terms of gear yet, but I will be using this and looking at other suggestions once I have a ton of gear. Thanks for the guide. :)

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

That's a solid method. Except you still have to use arrows(on controller dpad) to move over to the macro instead of just ctrl 1 2 3 4 5 6 with direct method.

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To me it's much faster than using a keyboard but that's because I've been using a controller for 6 years. I'm sure if I used a keyboard for that long I would be faster with it. It's kind of the same thing to me as me saying you have to move your hand to the 12345, or you have to press the key. It's really all muscle memory for me too, I don't have to look to know where it is in other words.

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Originally Posted by Rosina

not if they have faster relexes. :)

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Assuming equal reflexes obviously, direct keybinds are going to be faster than stal and stpt. Not by much of course, but every little bit counts.

@Rosina

This isn't FFXIV. Take that part of the discussion elsewhere. I know you're trying to compare the layouts but let's focus on the task at hand rather than flouting ourselves, shall we? I'm glad you're all organized and whatnot, but we're not talking about you in this thread so please don't derail it. Instead we're focusing on offering macro advice for those who could benefit from it. No defenses/insults/ohmygodwhyareyousomeans from you, please just either contribute or leave this thread alone. If you want to fight it out, put up your dukes in a thread that wouldn't be vital to new players looking for advice.

That aside, it wasn't a necessary critique, nor did it actually contribute to the guide. The layout is organized into simple sections that are easy enough to identify, and with a little work can easily be implemented into any melee job. Mages can learn from it too, though they'd simply have to learn how to piece theirs together into a different sort of coherence so that they can locate their macros simply. The spoilers could be replaced by quotes but really it's meant to sort of block off the beginning and the end of the the macro lines. Ascetically it looks pretty good, honestly.

Now let it go, so we can work on improving this guide for people who actually use it. You don't use gear swaps, as you said, so I don't see why you're going to insert your presence in here anyway.

Edits because I got ninja'd on posts:

More @Rosina, first of all. You really can't stop just saying "I'm good!" can you? Really. I mean every post is some justification of your "skill". You can cure faster than a WHM? Good for you, DNC abilities are instant and WHMs have casting time, even if it can be reduced.

@Keyboard vs Controller talk - I believe that everyone can play in their own way; a person who's used to a keyboard, I imagine, would be terrible at a controller at first. I know I would and I'm a big-time gamer with controller reflexes, but it's a sorta different reflex that I've got to get used to for FFXI. The same would probably be the opposite for someone going from controller to keyboard - it's difficult to get adjusted to the playstyle quickly. Once you get used to either method, I'm sure it's still fairly quick. Often enough I can't tell the difference between the two.

Can we stop with the pansy controller and keyboard are both okay I love you you love me talk? When can we be really hardcore about this and admit that the few milliseconds you save by using keyboard make it superior?

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Originally Posted by Rosina

I'm sorry, but I wasn't insulting anything it was a lay out critique

Though I may not be the best typer, I am a decent lay out artist. And the guide is good, though I personaly will not use it. But for me it is hard to read with some of the clutter and "spoiler" tabs.
Personally, keyboard vs controler is just personal opinion. I'm quick when it comes to cures. And I tend to use the correct cures. And this is via a controler.

To jump the gun and lable everything I say as an insult. Maybe you should compare with the Actual insults people made. Such as the "funny" thread topic. Honestly if you wanted a good joke title. I woulda gone "Gear Swapping for Dummies" like those guides you find for just about eveything.

Sorry I tend to have a type A personality when it comes to page layout. You should see my Linkshell Rules for my LS in ffxiv.

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prz criteke the layout of my thread on hear. i am not vry good wit layouts and i am internested in ur onion of it.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...y-2010-Paladin

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Originally Posted by Rosina

Pro tip: if you wanna make a guide, understand what the guide is for, who the guide is for.

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The title is very clear and precise. Simple minded people do not use gear swaps. Therefore, the guide is for the simple minded.

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Originally Posted by Rosina

But for me it is hard to read with some of the clutter and "spoiler" tabs

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You have to click the "spoiler" button. It becomes much easier to read after that :)

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

Can we stop with the pansy controller and keyboard are both okay I love you you love me talk? When can we be really hardcore about this and admit that the few milliseconds you save by using keyboard make it superior?

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I would have to agree with you that millaseconds are defiantly saved on a keyboard using common sense. Thats why I never stated that one was faster than the other :3 I said I'm faster with a controller <3. Can we still love each other?

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

Can we stop with the pansy controller and keyboard are both okay I love you you love me talk? When can we be really hardcore about this and admit that the few milliseconds you save by using keyboard make it superior?

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Assuming windower for access to the ALT/Ctrl+F1-f6 Keybinds, yes. In a console+keyboard setting, curing people outside your party but inside your alliance, you are likely a little bit better off scrolling through the <stal> list with a d-pad than the arrow keys.

Everyone knows you'll be curing faster and reacting better with Windower+Keyboard though. The personal acclimation argument is akin to using a TI-84 over an HP calculator. Being familiar with one doesn't make it superior, just better for you at the present time. However, you're always better off in the end by training yourself to use the superior machine.

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

Can we stop with the pansy controller and keyboard are both okay I love you you love me talk? When can we be really hardcore about this and admit that the few milliseconds you save by using keyboard make it superior?

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If I can cure while we're fighting AV with a controller, those milliseconds mean absolutely nothing in this game. It's strictly about preference. I will be slower hitting the f1 button because I am more comfortable using the controller. I don't think you can train me to me more comfortable with a keyboard as I don't even use it for WoW outside of chat.



in the end though it doesn't matter because by your logic my g13 is greater than a keyboard anyway because of the easy button layout so me > you. :P

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Originally Posted by DebbieGibson

How does targeting someone directly instead of using stal or stpt have anything to do with slacking on curing? Targeting them directly is faster than stpt or stal. Are you saying you never have anyone die mid-cure ever?

Just clarify for me here, how does the way you target someone have anything to do with "slacking on your cures". Also please clarify, HOW exactly do you slack on cures? If you aren't curing someone instantly when it's necessary then you are failing.

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I'm saying if you keep people topped off and pay attention to HP, after a certain point in the game that situation should never come to light. I'm not talking about Kazham and a goblin coming in and DA'ing your junk to the ground, because that's not where we are in the game anymore. Solace+Cure3/4*/5/6/Regens/Cura if you so happen to be in range (which you really shouldn't, but that's another story). With the amount of EZMode thrown at whms these days, short of an instacast meteor wiping your face, there's really no reason to have someone die.

CIV* italicized because I'll leave that up to the user. For trash mobs, who cares. If it counts and we're not in abyssea where Allure/MM is gonna save you, please use discretion.

edit: Hay, G510 ftw :D

Rosina, you play the game in the way you find fun, you've repeated this over and over and over and we get it, you can stop saying that now, ok?

This thread wasn't made so you could chime in to tell the OP his post layout isn't good enough (it is btw), or that you won't be using this guide (we all know that you don't gearswap so why would you?), or constantly remind us of how good you are. This is a GUIDE for people that aren't very familiar with macros, and a place to offer advice and ask questions about macros. Not your personal diary or blog where you whine about how mean people are and proceed with your usual insults, veiled as they might be (very thinly veiled though).

To the OP: it's a nice guide and I do wish there was a way it could be stickied. Thank you for taking the time to put it together and posting it.

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Originally Posted by cidbahamut

I'd like to point out that you can also "stack" macros so they're all layered on one position in the macro palette by making use of the follow syntax: /macro set #

This lets you jump around to different lines in your macro book, so you can have a setup that looks like this:

CTRL 1 (first line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/macro set 2
CTRL 1 (second line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/macro set 3
CTRL 1 (third line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/Ja MurderTown <t>

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holy cow... i was beginning to think i was the only person that used em that way, in the past ive tried explaining that type of application to others but they never got it...

Very nice guide, thank you for taking the time to write it up OP. :)

Controller vs keyboard.....Controller for me since I have used one for over 5 years, but if you're used to a keyboard then fine. It's all up to your personal preference.

Thanks everyone for the input ^^

And who found the guide difficult to read? I designed it specifically so it was easier to understand. >.> Going to add in some people's ideas now.

It's an nice template to start with, and customize as you see fit. Just remember you have multiple banks you can flip to easily with a quick key combo, so you can duplicate key macros to the same locations and have one section for the situational stuff. This can allow you a little more flexibility in the template (ie, not having to have the evasion macros in your main bank if you aren't relying on them much, and want to put something else in those spots and put the evasion macros in an alternate bank).

But for initial set up, it's a really nice baseline to work off of.

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Originally Posted by RAIST

But for initial set up, it's a really nice baseline to work off of.

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That's the point ^^

Yeah... wish I had thought of making a default template like that years ago. Some of my jobs are completely flip flopped from eachother....can't be arsed to get them lined up. Takes me a few minutes when I job change sometimes to get re-oriented. I have a seperate bank for each weapon class on some jobs...I'll be damned if I'm gonna rearrange every one of WAR or NIN's weapon banks... lol. Maybe one day if I'm REALLY bored.

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Originally Posted by Rosina

I would suggest to clean the guide up a bit to make it easier to understand and remove the spoilers. Also had videos to SHOW gear swaping AND that other macro targeting s9o those can see it actually works. Actions speak louder then words.

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The "spoiler" button is to make the guide take up less space. If you want to see the macro, click the button >.> It's not hard. (Also goes with the theme of macro clicking ;P)

I don't have the time to buy a capture card or record myself clicking buttons. This would also defeat the purpose of the guide, I am attempting to help people make their own basic macrosets to try themselves. In that sense, it would be your action speaking louder than what I've written here.

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Originally Posted by cidbahamut

I'd like to point out that you can also "stack" macros so they're all layered on one position in the macro palette by making use of the follow syntax: /macro set #

This lets you jump around to different lines in your macro book, so you can have a setup that looks like this:

CTRL 1 (first line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/macro set 2
CTRL 1 (second line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/macro set 3
CTRL 1 (third line in macro book):
/equip stuff x5
/Ja MurderTown <t>

This lets you swap out a full 15 pieces of gear and execute your spell, Weaponskill or whatever with 3 keystrokes. If you run out of space in a single macro book you can switch between them using: /macro book #

Happy macro building.

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Cool, I was aware of that feature but never thought to actually set up macros in that way.


I'd like to add my own tip as well for my fellow summoners.


Rather than macro individual pacts, it's better to group them all.

For example, I have "Celestial" for CTRL 1 on my 2nd pallete with the following.

/pet "Predator Claws" <t>
/pet "Rush" <t>
/pet "Chaotic Strike" <t>"


and so on, and I end it with a /recast just in case I miss the little blue numbers telling me how much time is left. Same deal goes for the Terrestial Avatars, Healing Wards, Defensive/Offensive Wards blah blah blah.

It's also very handy for some jobs to make 1 or more /recast macros (unless you use windower - I consider it cheating personally but w/e, not here to judge people) that does nothing but /recast for all your relevant JAs.


For example on my main SAM I would have:

/recast "Mediate"
/recast "Sekkanoki"
/recast "Sengikori"
/recast "Konzen-Ittai"


etc etc. It's a good idea to have a different one for different subjobs too, like for /DNC I would have included /recast "Curing Waltz III" or Bergressor for /WAR.


The only things I hate are that you can't force one macro to directly trigger another, and that regardless of what you name your Macro Books, you can never use /macro book command and input the name of the book - it always must be the corresponding number.

For that reason, I have them labelled 01WAR 02MNK 03WHM and so on, going on the order they appear (from left to right, top to bottom) in the Jobs menu.

Please don't get this thread locked over your illusion that everyone is attacking you.

And how can't you click the spoilers tabs?

Melee1
/equip head "Charis Tiara +2"
/equip neck "Charis Necklace"
/equip body "Charis Carasque +2"
/equip hands "Dusk Gloves +1"
/equip legs "Charis Tights +2"
/equip feet "Charis Toeshoes +2"

Melee2
/equip back "Atheling Mantle"
/equip L.Ear "Brutal Earring"
/equip R.Ear "Suppanomimi"
/equip L.Ring "Rajas Ring"
/equip R.Ring "Angel's Ring"
/equip waist "Twilight Belt"

That's the first 2 "spoilers" in my guide. Should be enough to get you started, if you choose to try it.

Edit: By the way, my Angel's Ring is augmented with +5 accuracy and -2 enmity, which is why I use it in the first place.

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Originally Posted by Zatias

The "spoiler" button is to make the guide take up less space. If you want to see the macro, click the button >.> It's not hard. (Also goes with the theme of macro clicking ;P)

I don't have the time to buy a capture card or record myself clicking buttons. This would also defeat the purpose of the guide, I am attempting to help people make their own basic macrosets to try themselves. In that sense, it would be your action speaking louder than what I've written here.

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i mean record the game stuff. Like using fraps or stuff. More or less to how dmg or heal increases between gear swaping and not gear swapping. You guys can ask what I mean if it isn't obviouse and if your on a ps3, you can't click those spoilers. This guide is for gear swaping using macros. What does that have to do with how the macro layout is or how you press buttons. That is why to me it is hard to read.
so question for ya. Is this guide on gear swaping? or Macro placement/ use from a keyboard point of view?

you can "click" on the spoilers just like any other hyperlink--I just opened them by using only the keyboard and not my pointer by just tabbing until my focus was on the spoiler link, and hit enter or spacebar. Never browsed on a console, but I would expect it would follow similar mechanics--if you can click a link to a website, you should be able to click the spoiler tabs.