Solution to "blinking"

[Windblade]

I haven't partied much since <stpt> came out. I wasn't even aware of it until I read this thread, so I'll give it a try. I just hope I can still use <stpt> with the F1-F6 keys. I've been using F1-F6 and <t> macros.

And if you want a solution to blinking, how about this: Set up all gear changes so there's a 30-second wait before the gear change actually takes effect. That's the solution. Just put a stop to gear swaps. Gear-swapping is silly, anyway, from a game-world realism point of view. I know that infuriates those of you who perhaps cannot accomplish anything without six changes of clothes in your inventory, but it's incredibly unrealistic in battle: "Oh, wait I have to change my shirt and boots before I use this special ability." Do you think that in a real-life battle against a monster, the monster would wait for you to change clothes before using weapon skills or abilities? While you're standing in front of a vanity mirror admiring your change of rings, earrings and gloves, the monster would have his mouth around your head, ready to take a chomp.

So yeah. I like the idea of a 30-second wait for gear changes to take effect. If I have to wait 30 seconds to use a water tank or a warp cudgel, why not implement the same wait for STR+5 and DEX+7? Seems like basic stat boosts are more important than when you can use a water tank.

[Sarick]

So yeah. I like the idea of a 30-second wait for gear changes to take effect. If I have to wait 30 seconds to use a water tank or a warp cudgel, why not implement the same wait for STR+5 and DEX+7? Seems like basic stat boosts are more important than when you can use a water tank.

Elemental stave's beg to differ. Why would you want to punish players who utilize the benefits of multiple pieces of gear. I play RDM, swapping a staff is not only logical its critical to the jobs effectiveness most of the time. I see that when I cure a 15-40% cure light affinity bonus really is useful. It can also be just as harmful if I need to cast sleep or another darkness based ability.

As I stated before the blinking is caused by visible armor swapping. It has nothing to do with the stats being altered. If the visible swaps can be set to filtered on the client then problem is SOLVED. I cannot stress this enough, if the gear swaps visible updating can be filtered the issue is fixed.

I think that the the development team is over thinking the issue. They think we want visible gear swapping and no blinking. If the client is forced to update the visible gear appearance the game engine can't fix the blinking because the core process unloads and reloads the visible data. This is what the developers say can't be fixed. They might change their point of view if someone actually tells them "What if you allow the players to disable the visible gear updating while in combat or in general on the client end" they might see a solution does really exist. It's unfortunate that this concept is beyond translation or downright ignored.

It's sad, People don't think outside the box where creative geniuses excel. It's like the issue where the zones are limited in the core engine. Has anyone thought of splitting the world up into multiple clients that use the same engine? It's not that hard to unload the client and load another one for another part of the world and expand it. Things aren't as impossible if you have creative minds finding solutions.

Stop assuming in all these limitations are legitimate, Storage etc have all been proven to have work a around if solutions are found outside the box. The 30 second limitation you proposed will hurt the game design and punish players when less destructive solutions are available.

[Laciante]

like Glamdring said, most equip swapping isn't necessary, and the blinking was originally implemented for the purpose of punishing gear swapping. It's understandable to forget this when we are expected to gear swap, and have macros that subvert it, but I think it's still relevant: If you want to play at the peak of perfection, use everything at your disposal (gear swaps and macro'd spellcasts)

[Rya]

Note: This is probably the first time I've posted without reading the whole thread... but my vision is blurring. Sowwies

I saw a lot of: "I can't target to cast on people."

But what about: "I can't target to locate people." ?

Someone did mention distance for AoE SCH buffs, but there are a number of things that require you to be aware of distance from targets, and especially with 18+ people, you might not know exactly where PT#2's BRD is or whatever. Perhaps the quickest way to size up someone's distance is to target them (such as via PT list) and lock-on.

Yes, you can "target" him with <stpt>/<stal>, or by typing:
/ma Paralyna Bardvark" (awesome name btw)
...but you still don't know if he's in range.
-- Or what direction to run in, if you get SE's patented Red Text of Almost!

So, now if you can't tab/arrow/xyz through the list (esp. due to blinking), then you would need to type:
/ta Bardvark
...but that seems time-consuming doesn't it?


Still, <stpt> & <stal> were the best thing ever when they came out, and I pretty much barfed my delicious tasty beverage all over my computer screen when I read the update notes, due to excitement. Needless to say, I use them both religiously, all day every day, on every job, for every ability, constantly, forever. They're the bestest! Thanks SE!

Sidenote: If you try to lock-on right when someone blinks your cursor away, you ANNOYINGLY heal! (takes forever)

[Windblade]

Elemental stave's beg to differ. Why would you want to punish players who utilize the benefits of multiple pieces of gear.

It's not punishing them. It's fixing something that never should have been there. Why not replace blinking with an animation of that character changing clothes? That's what they're doing: changing clothes right in the middle of a battle. And if one MUST carry five body armors, sixteen rings, five pairs of boots, etc... just to have success in a fight, then the monster is overpowered. Selecting armor and weapons should be about finding a good balance. Get more attack or less defense. Get less defense or more attack...but taking a bunch of gear so you can change it all out for every move you command....well, I understand that's what some people want to do. I actually do it, myself, sometimes with rings, belts, and neck pieces. But it wouldn't bother me to sacrifice it if it means characters stop blinking. And again, I also wouldn't mind if gear swapping remained as long as the player's character actually has to be animated physically changing his gear, during which time he would NOT be hitting the mob....but changing clothes.