Melee while casting?

[Greatguardian]

If you were to go back and find the Dev response as to why Pining Nocturne does not stack with Addle, I think you'd find that there is a lockout on actions being performed during a spell regardless of inaction in between start cast and end cast checks.

Could that lockout be removed? That's unlikely. Why? Because it was likely locked out for good reason, in the initial game design/engine/structure, and even if they could screw with it (which I don't believe they can), the consequences could be disastrous.

Even if, and this is a HUGE if for the sake of entertaining your assertions, it was functionally possible to remove the coding lockout on actions being performed mid-cast for spells only, there likely isn't a single person still on the Development team who would know how to do it. Straight up. Most developers just work with a toolkit. They're not core programmers. The people who wrote FFXI's engine 10 years ago are long since fired or reassigned. On top of that, FFXI runs with an in-house engine. It's not something like Unreal where they can just find an SDK or a random new employee with experience working with it. The know-how to fundamentally alter anything at the engine level has been gone for a long time.

Don't forget that the casting time reduction limit was raised to, what, 87.5%? 82%? Something outrageously high. The majority of the delay during casting is not between the start cast and end cast checks, but in the mandatory delay between actions.

What's wrong with spontaneity charges?

[Seriha]

While I have no doubt the people working there now aren't all the same as 10 years ago, I'm going to give a professional gaming company a bit more credit on the code end when it comes to adhering to standard coding practices with documentation and comments embedded in the source code. I don't extend as much faith to the people dictating what is to be coded, but I'm basing that more on things like the recent interview and seeming disconnect between the devs and the players.

As for Addle and Pining Nocturne, from the perspective of adding Slow/Elegy to the mix, a mob doing nothing for 10+ seconds at a time (while being easier to Stun or just let shadows eat a single target) is something that certainly makes them less threatening. As is, we have no idea if they've ever entertained the Combat Caster concept and deemed it an impossibility. From the perspective of gauging processing overhead, I figure someone attacking at capped haste would be competitively taxing computationally, if not more, to what I outlined in my last post.

I'd actually be curious to see their reason for the global delay on actions, since it's something that adds up against hybrid classes. This would also be a factor if introducing charges to Spontaneity. Without knowing how many we could hold and how fast they'd recharge, however, I won't comment further. They're different paths to a similar destination in giving the RDM more possible swings over time, but part of me wants to be greedy and just say, "Why not both?"

[Zerich]

you all know that DRK would get this 9002 years before RDM would

[Sp1cyryan]

RDM? SE gave you a mediocre dagger and sword skill, gravity/gravity II that does not stick on anything of decent importance, and the amazingly rather ineffective spell of temper. While at the same time shooting down hastega, cure V, and various other ideas. What else more could you ask for?!

[Shadowsong]

Circle peg, square hole. That's what I see with everyone's responses (except a few people trying desperately to educate)
You give them more credit to have better code? This is a game designed 10 years ago, with PS2 coding in mind. It doesn't matter if you think it SHOULD be able to be changed, it CANT.

Stop pulling the RL card please, it degrades the entire thread. People obviously wouldnt be poasting if they had no programming experience at all (as misguided as some of the posts are). However what I am noticing is some people are confusing vanilla, classroom programming to high end MMO game engines.

And if all the logic in the world doesn't convince you, how about "SE just doesn't give a shit", because that would probably be the answer if it was possible.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

you all know that DRK would get this 9002 years before RDM would

You are aware, were this possible it would exist for all jobs. I mean really, use your brain.

[Seriha]

Circle peg, square hole. That's what I see with everyone's responses (except a few people trying desperately to educate)
You give them more credit to have better code? This is a game designed 10 years ago, with PS2 coding in mind. It doesn't matter if you think it SHOULD be able to be changed, it CANT.

Stop pulling the RL card please, it degrades the entire thread. People obviously wouldnt be poasting if they had no programming experience at all (as misguided as some of the posts are). However what I am noticing is some people are confusing vanilla, classroom programming to high end MMO game engines.

And if all the logic in the world doesn't convince you, how about "SE just doesn't give a shit", because that would probably be the answer if it was possible.

Sorry, but coding doesn't mold over like a loaf of bread. Languages come and go in part due to the technology they're built for, sure, but all have their foundations in mathematics and logic. Two plus two does not equal five in Japan, much as we sometimes wonder what the devs are thinking. Same goes from PASCAL to C++. MMOs are, rather simply, graphical MUDs. These existed long before PS2s and hardly perform advanced scientific calculations, even on a mass scale. And even then, this function has nothing to do directly with the PS2's limitations. So, yeah, we get it, you're mad we're not rolling over for your hero's gospel. Evil retard meleeRDMs blahblahblah ruining FFXI.

[Zerich]

You are aware, were this possible it would exist for all jobs. I mean really, use your brain.

Read the thread, they were talking about gaining this ability through a job-trait. I didn't know that all jobs had an innate "Magic attk/def. bonus" "Dual Wield" "Treasure Hunter" "Fast Cast" "Auto Refresh" and "Attack Bonus" (to name a few) trait.

In summation, "no u."

[CapriciousOne]

I generally have you blocked and a whole of others but I occasionly view it anyway to entertain myself so the feeling is mutual. None the less you cant deny that there is a clear hierarchy of events between job traits and skills like shield, guard, evasion. The player is "reacting" so to speak based on those same checks you mentioned. I say the player reacts because of the simple fact that there is animation for it when it occurs. Shield activates the player animation raises the shield in blocking motion etc for example. In coding speak after the checks are done the function calls are clearly returning a value to another procedure that determines whether to run the animation for blocking with a shield, parrying, or complete evading the attack or do nothing at all and allow the attack uncontested.

Though even still with all that noted I dont see this as a reality giving the insistence of keeping with old visions and many of the points made later in the thread like many of the original programmers of SE proprietary engine either being fired, retired, or even dead. It is often difficult to come in on somebody elses baby and pick up where they left of or improve upon what they have established without a good consultation with those involved without some serious implications.

In any case I dont see this happening for the simple reason that in most games magic is seen as a function of high intelligence and as such requiring total concentration. In addition cast usually utilizes the hands in the effort to help concentrate the power of the spell being cast and as such would reduce the concentration level of the spell as well as the damage done once it is cast. Now that in itself may be a solution in implementing this feature and allowing spells cast to suffer a damage penalty when trying to physically attack while it is being cast. It wont be popular but it would logically make sense and be "realistic" so to speak.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Read the thread, they were talking about gaining this ability through a job-trait. I didn't know that all jobs had an innate "Magic attk/def. bonus" "Dual Wield" "Treasure Hunter" "Fast Cast" "Auto Refresh" and "Attack Bonus" (to name a few) trait.

In summation, "no u."

I don't care if the topic opening thread wants otherwise, my point stands. If SE added this, it would be available to ALL jobs. This is a UI issue, not something they just decided not to add.