New "Macro Strings", Macro's Reborn!

[kingfury]

**POST REVISED(APR/7/2011)**
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The Macro String: (Cover Art)

Description:
"Macro Strings" would forever change the way Macro's are used in FFXI by drastically changing the way gear swapping Macro data is called when players use them via the Macro Palette during play. This drastic change would be accomplished by "stringing" together the current 18-line Macro data used to completely change all of the current player's gear and assign them a "String Title" that would then be usable to reference all the macro lines of data at once. The String Title would occupy only one Macro data line, and yet house all the information of a 18-line Macro. This would vastly change the face, efficiency, and power of Macros like never before should this be implemented.

*EDIT* This system would only allow the input of equipment (armor, weapons, ammo, etc.), so to safeguard against possible automation-like macros that would create endless loops. Below, there are 2 really great similar concepts that would offer even simpler alternatives to implementing such a system for those that are less experienced in the art of Macro creation and management, and I would opt to also allow the option of imputing the information manually via a "Strings menu" or something similar, for those that have become experts over the years. Even though it wouldn't technically be necessary with the alternative concepts ("Fashion Moogle", and "/Equipset Command"), having the ability to quickly edit a single macro line with a newly acquired piece of gear on the fly could be intuitive. Based on the possible functionality, however, equipping the new gear and just hitting a "save/update" button would effectively cancel the need for manual input functionality all together, so it would be based on the most intuitive/time saving option in the long run. If new options were to appear that would help players distinguish similar named gear for instance(Example: Having two different "Atlas +2" Great Axes in your inventory at the same time), with new macro syntax, it would definitely help to type it in manually via a Strings Editing menu.

Unlike the other Macro enhancement request in the past that called for more Macro data lines, which would further tighten the noose that is the PS2 limitations; this proposed system is not necessarily adding "more" Macro data lines, but instead adding a new way of managing and calling macro data. Akin to adding new folders which contain list data that can be titled and commanded to perform the nestled list data actions via the macro palette.

System Mechanics:
For example, a WAR setting up his/her macros to quickly equip gear to be used for Raging Rush would be able to create 3 separate macros to do so. In this example, however, the WAR will be setting up the macros using the Macro String system.
-Possible Navigation/Creation of Macro Strings
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Placing String Macros within a Macro:
With the Macro Strings created and named, now would come the easiest part. Simply entering the Macro String's title into the desired Macro line would effectively call all the Macro String data at once. The line data would appear as this:

/Macro String <"Macro String Title 1">
Or this:
/macrostring <"Macro String Title 1">

In this example, the WAR would be using 3 separate Macro Strings on 3 separate Macro lines to swap in the gear for Raging Rush, then using Raging Rush, and finishing off the macro by swapping into full TP gear.
-Entering Macro Strings-1

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**EDIT**Macro String Groups**
*EDITED OUT OF ORIGINAL POST, BUT NOTED HERE*

Additional Notes:
Per each String category, there would be a String Title limit of 20 (could be as low as 10 if necessary). So an example would be: Under the Warrior String Category, there would be up to 20(or 10) String titles. To avoid any potential bloating of the system due to Titling the Strings.(Thanks to Tsukino_Kaji's feedback)
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Saving the String data to the Servers would be an option for storing this information.(Thanks to MarkovChain's feedback)
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Macro Book, and Macro Set change:
Also, on a side note, would it be terribly hard to let the "/macro book" and "/macro set" commands receive a similar face lift as the /wait command got with the "<wait ##>"? It would be super great to have that last macro line be used for actually commanding something or including that last piece of gear vs only housing /macro set ## or /macro book ##.

Example:
/equip Ammo "Ravager's Orb" <macro set #>
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This also:
/macro book ## <macro set ##> (since if you want to jump to another book and set you need to take up two macro lines to do so)

Macro Syntax/Internal System to differentiate Same Named gear(Ex: Augmented/Trial Weapons)
Possibly add a simple method of differentiating same named equipment/weapons with macro syntax or internal system corrections. Currently, if a player has two or more of the same named augmented trail weapons within their inventory and wish to select a specific one using macros, the error message "You were unable to change your equipped items" pops up. There is no way to do this using macros, so without manually swapping in the equipment/weapon via the equipment menu, you're stuck.

Going the syntax route, perhaps allowing players(or the system could do this automatically) to add 3-4 letter short descriptions similar to macro pallet titles would help.
Example:
/equip Main "Atlas +2 (PDT)" - For the Phys. dmg. taken GA and:
/equip Main "Altas +2 (EVA)" - For an Evasion GA
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Going the Internal solution route, creating internal tags that the macro system would recognize when using the "Tab" button to pull up the "auto-translated" name of the weapon/equipment.
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Cool alternatives/Similar concepts:
-Selzak's idea ("Fashion Moogle") (Post 1),(Post 2)
-Tamarsamar's idea ("/Equipset Command")

Closing:
I'm not a programer, but I've seen the Dev Team produce some amazing feats over my years of playing FFXI, and this (at least in my mind) would be easy prey to tackle Of course this is just a suggestion for making things better/more efficient, so if my ambitions are too high with this proposal, then maybe it will serve as a bridge to newer thinking and approaches to the subject of improving Macros for all. Thanks /

[Rambus]

Hmm if I understand right are you saying it would be like this

I want to have all tp gear in alt 1
alt 1:
/equip string 1 (insert string 1 name)
/equip string 2 (insert string 2 name)
/equip string 3 (insert string 3 name)


then alt 2 ,3 , 4 be the places for the string?
*alt 2 first line:
/??? "string reference 1"
/equip head "XXX"

i am a bit confused

[Rezeak]

This is just another way for a macro to call a macro but it would fix alot of problems i have have but i would prefer a way to save my gear sets

For example
I put my tp gear on and save as tpset
then i could use /equip tpset
rather than the 10 lines that i need

[kingfury]

Hmm if I understand right are you saying it would be like this
I want to have all tp gear in alt 1
alt 1:
/equip string 1 (insert string 1 name)
/equip string 2 (insert string 2 name)
/equip string 3 (insert string 3 name)
then alt 2 ,3 , 4 be the places for the string?
*alt 2 first line:
/??? "string reference 1"
/equip head "XXX"
i am a bit confused

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Close ^^ you would indeed be able to plug in individual Macro String lines like: /macro string <"TP Gear 1"> and equip up to six pieces of equipment just from that one line.
The next option would be to equip all your TP gear with one String Group line: /macro string <"TP Gear (1-3)"> and use up to 18 macro lines. ^^/

[kingfury]

This is just another way for a macro to call a macro but it would fix alot of problems i have have but i would prefer a way to save my gear sets
For example
I put my tp gear on and save as tpset
then i could use /equip tpset
rather than the 10 lines that i need

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Yep ^^ And players would be able to save "String Categories", and "Macro String Groups". The Categories would separate your WAR Strings from your other job strings, while your saved String Groups would save all your different types of gear set Strings.

[Rambus]

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Close ^^ you would indeed be able to plug in individual Macro String lines like: /macro string <"TP Gear 1"> and equip up to six pieces of equipment just from that one line.
The next option would be to equip all your TP gear with one String Group line: /macro string <"TP Gear (1-3)"> and use up to 18 macro lines. ^^/

I do not know if the game can do /macro string <TP Gear (1-3)> that 1-3 seems it would have problems being read.

I can see this though:
/macro string <TP Gear 1>
/macro string <TP Gear 2>
/macro string <TP Gear 3>

[kingfury]

I'm sure the brains at SE could figure it out it's only programing a few characters to interpret "(1-3)" as "Title 1", "Title 2", and "Title 3". If they can program magic storage in the smallest corners of the game, I'm sure they could handle this ^^/

[Rambus]

I am not even sure if they can let man made titles like that let alone a range but can see what they say i guess

[kingfury]

I kind've see it as simple list data contained in a "folder"(the folder being the Macro String)... so something similar like the process of naming your own folders. Once you title the folder, you could program it to just "Play" whatever is inside the folder once you call that title into action(ex. hit a gear swap macro during play). I know I've read about this functionality somewhere in my past, I just gotta find where lol.

Then, the whole "Title (1-3)" thing would be like nestled folders all with list data contained in them. Since they all have similar naming conventions, the programing would just "Play" them in numerical order until it reached the final folder.

Nothing is impossible!! lol

[Selzak]

It's definitely within the game's reach (the basic code for something like this would take all of a couple of hours), but I think the first problems that would arise would be:

1) Exploitation
2) Complexity (on the user end)

I like the idea a lot, but from an objective standpoint I just can't see it fitting into the game.

Another way to handle this would be some kind of Moogle service where they took "snapshots" of what you're currently wearing. Instead of adding a whole new series of code for us to manipulate, a Moogle could take "snapshots" of what you have on and let you name them (up to a finite amount) to use in macros.

You could go to the Fashion Moogle wearing nothing but subligar, have him take a snapshot of you, name it "Nakey", and then use /equip snapshot "Nakey" to revert to that equipment set. If any single piece of equipment from the snapshot is not available when the macro is used, it would fail. If you had the subligar in your bag, it would make you "Nakey" wearing only subligar. I think something like this might be a lot easier to implement.