[Suggestion] Consolidating Equip Macros

[Arcon]

And this thread just proves what an issue windower is. How widespread the plague is.

It's not an infectious disease. People don't get a case of the "Windowers". People choose to use it because they see the benefit in it. If people laugh at you for not using Windower those are the same people who'd laugh at you for any reason they can think of. It's a problem with the people, not with Windower.

Windower is not a problem, FFXI is the problem. Windower is one solution. Many people, including me, would prefer if the FFXI people got off their asses and improved FFXI to a point where Windower wasn't necessary, where FFXI would become its own solution. But I'm starting to think that time may never come.

You saying Windower is a problem because the people not using it are being left out of the goodies is like saying telephones are a problem because there's crazy people who choose not to use them and they're unable to communicate as well. Because that's what Windower essentially is: progress.

[FrankReynolds]

Its a fallacy to say an argument is flawed because the arguer is uncredable either you are attacking my argument, in which case you are doing it wrong, or you are attacking me, in which case there is no need.

I personally think it is unfair to call me worse than a cheater. If I was intentionally partying with people, making use of their cheating, but refusing to put my account at risk, then sure I could understand it. But I don't. I party with them despite their cheating, not because of it. Try and be a little nicer on the internet, calling a stranger who you know next to nothing about a hypocrite is not a nice thing to do.

According to your arguments about spellcast, I deduce that you think it makes people perform much better than they would without it. Which means that your LS would not be nearly as good without it. Which means that by extension, you did in fact choose your LS based on their use of it.

You could say people are personally attacking you, but that is only because you have used yourself in your argument. If you had said "joey the smurf is in an LS with cheaters because it's unavoidable", we would all be talking about what a hypocrite Joey the Smurf is right now.

As an aside, if everyone is using spellcast, and it is completely unavoidable to participate without teaming up with spellcast users, then who exactly is being harmed by it? It sounds like everyone is on equal footing. I find that very hard to believe by the way. I have been in numerous LS where almost everyone played on 360 and we frequently used xbox live chat during events. I found the linkshells completely by accident. It has never occurred to me to ask people what system they play on in game, without the topic coming up due to game crash issues, or chat features (IE "does anyone here use vent? or xbox live?").

[Tamoa]

It's not an infectious disease. People don't get a case of the "Windowers".

Oh god I lol'd, thank you!

[Jackstin]

I play with them because I like them. Initally I didn't know they used windower or spellcast or whatever. When I found out I didn't stop playing with them because I liked them. Spellcast doesn't negatively impact me every time it is used, I've never said that. But it does negatively impact me on a regular enough basis for it to be a handicap.

Now you are all saying that because I disapprove of it, I should give up LS and people that I'm attached to? Do you therefore wish to further marginalise anyone who does not support cheating? Or just me because I called the practice out?

I have not said I am better than anyone who cheats for a very good reason, it is the practice I disapprove of, not the people. So if you think I have implied something, then you are wrong. The worst I have said about the people is that they are cheaters, and even those personally attacking me have acknowledged that status.

And once again, if you wish to argue my opinions. Please feel free to, I have no problem with that. Turning against me personally is a horrible thing to do, especially after I have refrained from attacking anyone personally.

[Tamoa]

I actually fail to see how anyone using windower and spellcast can negatively impact your personal gameplay. Are you being crushed damage-wise by people who are able to swap all their gear by pressing one key, is that why you're so worked up over it?

If it was about bots and clipper, I'd understand. Windower and spellcast though? This I don't understand.

[Jackstin]

I actually fail to see how anyone using windower and spellcast can negatively impact your personal gameplay. Are you being crushed damage-wise by people who are able to swap all their gear by pressing one key, is that why you're so worked up over it?

If it was about bots and clipper, I'd understand. Windower and spellcast though? This I don't understand.

I've said this before. Personally I've been asked a couple of times to start using spellcast. Not a nice, hey this might help kind of way, but in a you need to do is to be a good WHM kind of way. Thats how I found out my current Ls used spellcast in the first place. I've also seen criticism of several other vanilla players a few times.

As I've said, I'm not hugely against windower usage, it is still cheating, but I can at least understand why people feel the need to use it. But spellcast isn't just full gear swaps. As I understand it you don't need spellcast for that. Spellcast is about exploiting the game to make it way easier than was ever intended. Poor game design is one thing, but being able to switch to precast, wait a set amount of time, switch to midcast, and then back to idle, all at the click of one macro, is quite another.

[Neisan_Quetz]

You don't need spellcast to do that.

Although it helps.

[cidbahamut]

So my original assessment that it's an issue of half-assing your gearswapping was correct.

[Tamoa]

If people tell you to use windower and spellcast, and you don't want to, tell them no? Shouldn't be harder than that, and if they won't shut up about it then just ignore them?

With the massive amount of highly situational gear that just about every job has available to them, I cannot fault anyone for using spellcast to be as efficient as they possibly can.

[Arcon]

Poor game design is one thing, but being able to switch to precast, wait a set amount of time, switch to midcast, and then back to idle, all at the click of one macro, is quite another.

It's not a design issue. Currently that's already possible with 0 timing skills, just by pressing buttons if you use the <wait #> directive cleverly. The only difference is the number of lines.

SpellCast actually does provide more advanced features, the "worst" of which would be conditionals. Change gear based on certain variables like time of day, day of week, current HP/MP, etc.