User Interface Update?

[Alhanelem]

If I remember correctly, they mentioned changes up to and including an exposed API for legitimate Windower-style plug-ins.

Are you sure you're not confusing FFXI and FFXIV news?

[Corey]

if they can't implement a new UI with a new expansion at the same time, then wtf is happening?

doesn't it make sense to unfurl a new UI at the same time that you hope to be getting new subscribers!?

[Fusionx]

GE- It’s been mentioned that plug-ins might be supported with the new PC user interface. Can you tell us more about what tools will be made available to the community, what type of plug-ins will be allowed or forbidden, and if there will be some type of approval process?

SE- Using a tool we’re internally calling “Schemer,” we will be making it possible to freely customize and arrange existing functions with the graphics of your liking. We are currently looking into the overall approval process.

http://gamerescape.com/2012/07/25/ga...012/#more-3967

You can pretty much skin and arrange the UI, so it all depends on what information they make available.

[Phogg]

The only formally announced change to displayed items IIRC was recast timers on the upcoming additional macro panel. I think everyone jumped to conclusions about other possibilities like party TP based on this:

"User Customization Features
The window scheme and GUI scripts for FFXI will be released so users can design their own interface features."

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...User-Interface

I thought there may have been some mention of party TP/ally MP etc in one of the letter style posts but I'm not totally sure.

[Zhronne]

You'll have to source this.

About what? The chat box? Look for Tanaka posts about it when he was talking a bout the new UI.
And about new data displayed? There was a survay done by... Camate I think, or another community rep, where he told us which other data can be displayed on screen in addition to the ones already available, and asked us to voice our opinion concerning that list.
It's different from saying "we are definitely going to do that", but it's pretty clear that they are thinking/working to do something along those lines.

A higher resolution isn't really an imbalance because it's purely asthetic. 16:9 FoV is available on all platforms as far as I know, so there is no advantage in field of vision.

Tell that to people who need to heal alliance members, or to those who need to have a clear and better idea on what's going on in the battleground.
Have you ever played on an PS2? Have you ever played in 1080p? You'd clearly know what I'm talking of.
And I mean playing, not just touching the pad for a few minutes.
There's a lot of things you notice (and apreciate) only when you play extensively in both ways.

FFXI isn't installed on my SSD (I have one) because I don't think it will benefit. zones already load so fast that the performance gain doesn't matter.

It does, the difference it's not huge but it's there.
Worth putting on an SSD? Wouldn't say that, unless you have a big one.
But even so, what's the point you're taking? I'm a bit lost here.
Nobody said you should install it on your SSD, you're free to do whatever you want of course.
I was just saying it does offer an advantage to people who do.
It's the same if you have a high quality swedish cable line compared to a low quality DSL or a PSTN line.
It's the same if you're japanese and live close to the server.
Those are all aspects that create clear advantage to some players instead of others.

We did a Chocobo LS race some time ago.
The swedish guy with cable connection (who also happen to have the game on SSD) was appearing on the other side of the loading zones much faster than the rest of us. After a couple of zones he was way far ahead than everybody else.
Just an example of the fact there already are a fuckton of differences, you're just lying to yourself so that you won't have to go through the effort to change your opinion, barricading yourself underneath it.

SE couldn't care less about fairness and all that, they just wanted an excuse to avoid doing some things, just like they've been lying for years about not being able to do something, just to do it a few years after because they wanted to. ><
[/rant mode off]

But seriously, it's time they stop with the stupid and anachronistic excuse of being fair toward everyone, it's never been like that anyway, it was just a silly (and unfair!) excuse.

[Alhanelem]

http://gamerescape.com/2012/07/25/ga...012/#more-3967

You can pretty much skin and arrange the UI, so it all depends on what information they make available.

existing functions means you cant make it do something it doesn't already do, just make it look how you want it to look.

But even so, what's the point you're taking?

the point is you're trying to argue various advantages PC users have and I'm arguing they aren't really noticeable advantages. Me playing with the game on an SSD isn't unfair to people playing on the PS2. doing something like using windower to get MP and TP info is, because they don't have any way to display that information even though it's technically available to their client.

And about new data displayed? There was a survay done by... Camate I think, or another community rep, where he told us which other data can be displayed on screen in addition to the ones already available, and asked us to voice our opinion concerning that list.

Again, you need to source it. you're just talking out your behind until you provide a source (like an actual link, not a "he said she said").

The swedish guy with cable connection (who also happen to have the game on SSD) was appearing on the other side of the loading zones much faster than the rest of us. After a couple of zones he was way far ahead than everybody else.
Just an example of the fact there already are a fuckton of differences, you're just lying to yourself so that you won't have to go through the effort to change your opinion, barricading yourself underneath it.

What does this have to do with anything? Some swedish guy's internet connection is not within SE's control. Parameters of the game and the UI ARE within SE's control. you're comparing apples and oranges. It's SE's job to keep the game balanced across the people able to play it. Once that's done, everything else is up to the player. Sorry Mr.Sweden's connection is bad, but that's not SE's responsibility.

All the other major differences you've already cided are not imbalances. Resolution doesn't give an advantage, it's all about asthetics. Aspect rato settings are available on all platforms, so there's no difference in field of vision across them. Graphics settings are just that- graphics settings. They don't directly impact gameplay.

[Zhronne]

Me playing with the game on an SSD isn't unfair to people playing on the PS2.

Trust me, you playin on PC on an SSD with a very fast connection is a BIG advantage compared to people playing on a PS2 with a PSTN connection.

Again, you need to source it. you're just talking out your behind until you provide a source (like an actual link, not a "he said she said").

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...013#post309013
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...l=1#post294870
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/th...l=1#post295241

Again this is no official confirmation that these changes are going to happen, since it's work in progress and they can of course change their minds.
But I think it's pretty much to say they are at least seriously considering to do that.

What does this have to do with anything?

It's just an example to show the "being fair to everybody" is just a big fat lie.
The game has never been and it cannot be, they need to accept that a certain degree (within certain acceptable limits, of course) is unavoidable, and address things that way instead of always using the excuse "can't do it it's not fair" or "PS2 limitations".
Luckily they seem to have understood that, even if it took them 10 years...

[Dazusu]

Also, if I'm not completely remembering wrong

You are remembering wrong. They made no such estimate.

You'll have to source this. Never heard anything of the sort. I don't think they'd ever give us alliance TP/MP because it's not fair to the console players.

They have said several times that they are looking into doing this with the new UI. Start weeping console players.

Not like PC users can't already do it...

Trust me, you playin on PC on an SSD with a very fast connection is a BIG advantage

Not in this game it isn't. Zoning is no faster on SSD than it is on a regular mechanical SATA drive. That's what happens when you use shitty low quality textures. Remember these zones were made to load mainly into what small DRAM/RAM a PS2 has available. If your PC can't pull those textures from a mechanical drive in a hot second, you've got bigger things to worry about.

[Zhronne]

Zoning is no faster on SSD

It is? Test it with a low-end 5400 RPM UDMA33 hdd like the PS2 one and then an SSD and you'll clearly notice the difference.
Altough of course it's small, tbh it's barely noticeable (I have FFXI on my SSD and on my Caviar Black as well), but it's there.
There's a bigger difference with connection speed, the quality of your connection. You can easily test it by connecting with a low-end GPRS/EDGE/PSTN connection and then comparing it to a high quality cable line like those available in some countries.
There's also another difference in the overall latency if you play FFXI at your place or in Japan.
Have you ever been in Sekigahara? There are bars there where you can play FFXI for free. Have you ever noticed the huge difference there is when you use a JA and when the JA really goes off in the screen? When you interact with an NPC and the options are loaded up, when you zone and the time it takes for the items in your inventory to load up, the time it takes to sell/buy items from an npc, the time it takes to move an item from your inventory to your mog house.
There's a very noticeable difference and if you've been there and tested it you would know what I'm talking of.

Of course I'm not saying there is something exagerated like, say, 5 seconds difference lol, it's very small! But at the same time it's also clearly noticeable and I think it has a big impact when you play this game 4+hrs a day.

[Zhronne]

So Alhanelem you asked for the source, I gave you the source. Took me quite a bit of time to go through all the FFXI forums to look for those threads again. What's even more ironic is that you made posts in some of those threads as well, I have no clue how you forgot about them.

In before you write: "those are no confirmation at all, you're wrong, I'm right, those are no source blahblah"
I'm aware they can change their mind whenever they want, but I'd say from the amount of information we have in our hands atm we can say it's safe enough to believe they have pretty serious intentions about that all, to say the least.