New Windows Version User Interface

[Camate]

Hello everyone!

I have some comments from Producer Hiromichi Tanaka to share in regards to some questions raised about the new UI.

As a PS2/XBOX360 controller user on the PC, I would like for it to continue to be possible to perform everything possible except for text entering.

If the new UI is targeted toward players who use a mouse and keyboard, please also allow the option to use the old UI.

Oh, I forgot to mention this. For those who are very comfortable with the old UI, it will be possible to choose between the new and old UIs.
※This is an either-or selection, so it would not be possible to use parts of the new UI.

• Continual Display of Macro Palette
In addition to the existing Crtl/Alt macro palette, there will be an option to use a three-rowed palette that is constantly displayed and utilizes the 1 – 0 keys as well as mouse clicks to activate macros.

I am interested in how controllers will work. In addition to R2 and L2, maybe you can press R2 and L2 together, or implement 2 rows of pallets for each of R2 and L2 (Alt pallet + New pallet, Ctrl pallet + New pallet)?

The new UI is geared for keyboard and mouse users, so these new pallets will only be implemented for keyboard and mouse use.

• Macro Recast Time Display
The macro palette will display the time remaining until each macro may be used again.

I do not understand this well. Is this a response to player requests to have recast timers displayed in the palette? How would this work with macros that contain multiple abilities/commands?

We have not finalized these details yet, but we plan on displaying recast timers for each macro palette. Also, if several commands with recast timers are registered on the same button, the longest remaining timer will be displayed.

This is good news! Maybe we can check this out around VanaFest? I’m excited. I know that it is right after a vacation, but we are here supporting you!

Also, I would like a frame to separate HP gauges for pets from the background. In areas with lots of sand, such as Abyssea, the color for the HP gauge must be very dark for it to be visible. It would be great if this can be fixed.

We are looking into a frame layout for HP gauge displays. We are also looking into customization for the size and graphics of the bar graph.

Please increase the number of lines for macros. There are 16 locations that gear can be equipped, so more lines are necessary. I would be happy with about 20 lines.

We have received this request many times before, but there are many issues with this, so we cannot look into this at this time. Similarly, we have no plans to transmit additional data besides what is currently being transmitted between the server and client. Our goal is to improve the operability of what is currently displayed in the current UI. We appreciate your understanding.

The chat filter will also be revamped, right? I hope the devs understand that when you try to display your party members’ status in the logs, songs, rolls, and double-up really clutter up the logs.

2 chat windows can be displayed, so it would be possible to filter logs by displaying only important information on one window.

Regarding chat filter categorization, we will look into categories that are universal across all platforms, so we would like to discuss this separately from the Windows only UI.

We will have to take the memory capacities for each platform into account, but please submit any feedback or suggestions.

I wish it would become possible to copy and paste!!!!!

This would be very difficult to implement, so we would like to prioritize implementing the UI first. Based on our workload after that, we may look into this.

[Zirael]

I wish it would become possible to copy and paste!!!!!
This would be very difficult to implement, so we would like to prioritize implementing the UI first. Based on our workload after that, we may look into this.

I'm intrigued, does producer Tanaka still use DOS? Copy/Paste is one of the staple PC functions since 1995 (that's almost 20 years ago...), if not earlier. And since we're discussing Windows GUI, this should be here long time ago. Oh, and please don't forget IME for non-JP people!
Also, I recall seeing some funny word-art from /shouts in the past with an obviously copy/pasted text, so it must be possible somehow.
Is it really very difficult to implement copy/paste? Sorry for asking this again, but I'm baffled...

[Zumi]

Oh, and please don't forget IME for non-JP people!

SE can't do this unless they pay MS for licensing fees for the NA and EU versions. The chances of that happening are slim to none given very few people with the NA version would use it.

[Zirael]

SE can't do this unless they pay MS for licensing fees for the NA and EU versions. The chances of that happening are slim to none given very few people with the NA version would use it.

Well, we might count ourselves damn lucky we don't play this game in black and white then. I'm sure technicolor been patented/licenced/trademarked somewhere in the past in the world.
Such excuses would be acceptable if we were to discuss colours of Mercedes cars only.

[Zumi]

Well, we might count ourselves damn lucky we don't play this game in black and white then. I'm sure technicolor been patented/licenced/trademarked somewhere in the past in the world.
Such excuses would be acceptable if we were to discuss colours of Mercedes cars only.

IME is a MS program SE can't use it in their games for free if they did MS would sue them. Being a Software dev them selves no way SE would put it in without going through the proper channels.

So they only paid to license the JP version to save themselves money. Nothing is going to change that.

[wildsprite]

IME is a MS program SE can't use it in their games for free if they did MS would sue them. Being a Software dev them selves no way SE would put it in without going through the proper channels.

So they only paid to license the JP version to save themselves money. Nothing is going to change that.

so what you're saying is, they don't pay a fee to use the language tools in EU? because that is all IME is a language tool about the same as the ones used in all of the EU countries, not really a whole lot different.

[Dragoy]

IME is a MS program SE can't use it in their games for free if they did MS would sue them.

While it's rather obvious what you are referring to, Microsoft does not own “IME”. I guess you are speaking of the Microsoft Pinyin IME? There are plenty of other Input Method Editors out there, free, and open source, such as SCIM and UIM (hail Linux, ha!), but that's irrelevant if you already do indeed have the IME bundled or otherwise acquired.

And as above, so below, using the bundled-with-windoze Microsoft IMEs does not require any extra payment, or do you really think every software there is has paid for it? For the consoles it's obviously a different story and this might be one reason why they did not look into it yet (because they couldn't do it for all the platforms but now the winds of change blow so perhaps they could look into this at last, for the users of the windows version, that is).

No, the IME is already built-into Windows for any program to use. The issue isn't that they have to pay MS, it's that on the PS2, the IME is different and does require a license, to a company called ATOK.

ATOK is the IME. The company is JustSystems. ^^;


On another note: Everything displayed in the logs of FFXI already go into test-files within FFXI folders so it probably shouldn't be overly difficult to enable Copy & Paste.

[hiko]

Oh, I forgot to mention this. For those who are very comfortable with the old UI, it will be possible to choose between the new and old UIs.
※This is an either-or selection, so it would not be possible to use parts of the new UI.

easy fix so gamepad user can use new UI: change the underlined/bolded part !

[Midorikaze]

SE can't do this unless they pay MS for licensing fees for the NA and EU versions. The chances of that happening are slim to none given very few people with the NA version would use it.

Count me among that small crowd. :P

Still, I don't get why/how one big corporation has this monopoly thing going on where only they have the rights to market their program that types in different languages. That's like a copyright on a human language. -_-;;;

[bungiefanNA]

SE can't do this unless they pay MS for licensing fees for the NA and EU versions. The chances of that happening are slim to none given very few people with the NA version would use it.

No, the IME is already built-into Windows for any program to use. The issue isn't that they have to pay MS, it's that on the PS2, the IME is different and does require a license, to a company called ATOK. It's about $60 a user. There's also the additional cost of tech support if someone accidentally hits the key combination to toggle the IME and has no idea how to use it, and is stuck in Japanese text input mode. They figure if you know enough Japanese to type it, you'll install the Japanese client and just read all the Japanese text there.