Visual doom indicator like some other FF games

[Alhanelem]

It wasn't until long after the first time I encountered doom that I realized that you don't see other people's doom countdown messages. You can call me whatever names you want for failing to notice this the very first time I ever ran into doom (a long time ago), but it made me realize that in many other games with doom effects, including the FF Tactics games and the Crystal Chronicles games, doom countdowns are displayed on the affected characters, which count down when their turn comes up (tactics) or in real time, even in multiplayer (FFCC).

Since we already have the ability to put damage numbers over character's heads, wouldn't it be nice if doom counters were visible in FFXI? I realized after that initial discovery that the reason for the lack of log messages for other players is simply because of the massive spam that would ensue. But an onscreen display would work just fine and wouldn't have that problem. I'm willing to bet Camate or another staff member will come in and say "This is too hard to implement" but figured I'd post it anyway. It would be a great help if you're attempting to remove doom from someone else.

[Sparthos]

Cmon, you know this is gonna get "PS2 limitations" already.

[Alhanelem]

Cmon, you know this is gonna get "PS2 limitations" already.

Not really, becaouse you could simply recycle the existing system that puts numbers over people's head. All that needs to change for the doom indicator is to have the number be a different color.

I'm going to pass on probability of change pessimism for once and fantasize about this.

[Rearden]

So pessimism for everyone's ideas but your own, got it.

[Alhanelem]

So pessimism for everyone's ideas but your own, got it.

Nope, you don't got it. But keep trying.

I'm not pessimistic about everyone's ideas. I've endorsed many suggestions on this forum, you're just too busy picking me apart when I don't to notice.

[MDenham]

I'd vote for having the digits for this as the highest-priority icon (in place of linkshell/bazaar/etc.), since I'm pretty sure there's room for 10 more icons of this sort even on the PS2.

[Alhanelem]

That's not a bad idea, though I've noticed that the name icon is rather slow to change from one icon to another (e.g. equip and unequip a linkshell, or empty and add something to the bazaar to see) so it might be too slow of a system for this.

[MDenham]

That's not a bad idea, though I've noticed that the name icon is rather slow to change from one icon to another (e.g. equip and unequip a linkshell, or empty and add something to the bazaar to see) so it might be too slow of a system for this.

Hell, even if it just displays a skeleton to indicate "THIS PERSON IS DOOMED, DO SOMETHING" it's fast enough for that, I think.

Though I can't say I've noticed it being terribly slow about updating that icon. Maybe a half-second lag at worst. I suspect it's based off the round-trip time between your client and the servers.

[Urthdigger]

You know, I've wanted for the longest time for us to get visual indicators of status ailments like we did in past FF games. Zzzs overhead for sleep, tinted green for poison, tinted grey for stone. That whole chestnut.

[Leonlionheart]

At the very least make the icon for doom have a count down

some of us like to see what damage we are doing with normal hits, and often those come so fast that they can block out the doom countdown.

So, instead of the curse icon, have 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Or 20~1.

Can use the same thing for the peiste's petrify count down, and it's not hard in the slightest to make/designate icons, specially as simple as numbers...