New server that is actually policed, 1 time transfer

[Jerbob]

The best way to get square to do something is to show them it works, so they can steal the idea with minimal effort.

It's not rocket science or a new concept. They don't need to steal any complicated idea. They already have the framework in place for /tell filters. It's a little bit arrogant for us as players to assume that SE needs tool authors to instruct them how to apply a regular expression.

What they do need is for people en-masse to highlight that something needs to be done. And again, I'm not saying that always works, because it doesn't. But not saying anything is worse.

The idea that tool usage is the best way to spur on game development is nonsense. People who are using tools don't need SE to create those tools again because they already have the functionality they want. When those people are in the majority, any effort from the minority to ask for features is going to be ignored simply by rule of numbers.

[Alhanelem]

It's not rocket science or a new concept. They don't need to steal any complicated idea. They already have the framework in place for /tell filters. It's a little bit arrogant for us as players to assume that SE needs tool authors to instruct them how to apply a regular expression.

What they do need is for people en-masse to highlight that something needs to be done. And again, I'm not saying that always works, because it doesn't. But not saying anything is worse.

The idea that tool usage is the best way to spur on game development is nonsense. People who are using tools don't need SE to create those tools again because they already have the functionality they want. When those people are in the majority, any effort from the minority to ask for features is going to be ignored simply by rule of numbers.

It's harder than you think to create a filter that suppresses RMT without also suppressing some amount of legitimate chat. And this is an important consideration because you won't know if your message wasn't sent.

Also: Yes, tool users may already have the functionality they want, but they can still encourage them to make that functionality available to everyone. Not everyone is so selfish.

[Alhanelem]

I was trying to illustrate that I can't do this more quickly than 1/second, which is the limit enforced by equipsets and results in several frustrating limitations. Nevertheless, I appreciate you drawing my attention to this in case I didn't know.

I've legitimately never found this to be a significant issue. It can't really be a lot faster than this given the server update rate.

• Use obis and other situation-specific latent effect gear without having to create entire additional macro sets, books and equipsets for every possible combination.
• Have my macros operate differently depending on my subjob, my current HP, MP and TP, etc etc.

This stuff can be done without tools by just using more macros. Not saying GS doesn't make it easier, because it does, but the goal of the above points can still be achieved without GS.

Use more augmented items of a certain type than I have equip-compatible inventories, or store these items in the same inventory

You got me there, but I question the number of people for which this is actually an issue (or SHOULD be an issue). I suppose if you want to be a hyper min max perfectionist, you could make a cape for every ability weaponskill and/or spell but that's just ridiculous overkill and not in any way necessary. I do have more than one cape for some jobs, but for others, it really just does not matter enough. I can't imagine legitimately needing more than five (4 wardrobes and inventory) for any job.

Have my gear swap as expected when I accidentally press two macros too close together.

This is probably a bug, honestly, not a design decision. Or a more legitimate tangible result of the 1 second limitation- but this can also be avoided by simply not pressing wrong buttons. A player skill issue, more than anything else.

Use /equipset in conjunction with /equip and not end up with flip-flop behaviour.

Have never had an issue like this, but maybe you can give examples that would occur regularly for ordinary players and not just the top 0.1%.

Automatically reapply non-overwritable buffs without manually cancelling them

The point is that you can do these things manually without tools, so saying "can do them automatically with tools" doesn't negate the point. The point is, you can still perform these tasks without tools, it just might be less convenient.

These tools are used, in the majority of cases, because it makes their in-game lives better, not because of any perceived gameplay advantage like "more dps" or some kind of instant win button or what-have-you. i.e. virtually no-one is doing this with the objective of harming another player or to make themselves better than another player- the focus is entirely on improving one's quality-of-life experience.

[Jerbob]

I've legitimately never found this to be a significant issue. It can't really be a lot faster than this given the server update rate.

My understanding is that people routinely use what is effectively a /wait with 0.5 seconds - often significantly less - quite successfully. 0.5s may seem irrelevant, but it allows whole new sets of spells to be pre-cast with fastcast gear. It's significant because it allows whole new sets of equipment to be used with spells.

This stuff can be done without tools by just using more macros.

Theoretically yes, but let's consider an example of a job that makes heavy use of obis - BLM. If I want to use obis, I have to make completely different sets of macros for each nuke I want to cast. Let's say I have macros just for tier III - VI nukes, and -ga III - ja AoE nukes, of all elements - restricting some options, but not too unreasonably. That's eight sets of macros. I have to have both Stone >> Thunder freenuke and Stone >> Thunder magic burst macros on each set. Now I have to duplicate that entirely for obi use. That's 16 sets of macros. Switches to those sets barely fit on my "home" macro pallet - completely infeasible if I need some of the other bread-and-butter mage macros available, as well as switches to other groups of spells such as self-enhancing, enfeebles, cures.

Certainly, there are ways to do this, such as stacked macro set switches, but they all involve flipping through two, three or more sets to find the spells I want. Each set adds a delay, and each set flip can fail to complete properly if activated too quickly in succession. This all adds up to be a noticeable inconvenience. Add in the variable lag of the interface caused by graphic lag, which makes the necessary delay in macro presses itself variable, and the chances of making a mistake with stacked macro switches increases. And if I poorly judge this variable timing as WHM, and it takes me a couple of seconds to resolve, someone dies.

This is one example where streamlining with tools improves performance. Now add in all the other little tricks that people can do with macros and it builds up to become a very significant overall increase to proficiency.

You got me there, but I question the number of people for which this is actually an issue (or SHOULD be an issue).

This is what I mean when I mention a ceiling in effectiveness. For some tool use I can usually make do in some sort of hacky, less effective, error prone way. I'm still not as good as the cheaters, but I can cope. But I can't be the best - it's impossible. Part of the fun of this game is squeezing the most one can out of everything a job can do, even if it's not what the job is designed for. I know that's not something everyone enjoys, and I absolutely respect that, but the fact remains that someone who is cheating can absolutely do things I just can't. That's absolutely unfair.

I would also argue that no one person should be in a position to judge what "should" be an issue in terms of trying to optimise one's performance. We all play differently, and that's great, but asserting that someone is playing the optimisation game "too much" is no different to someone condemning another player because their main enjoyment of the game comes from HELM activities.

but this can also be avoided by simply not pressing wrong buttons. A player skill issue, more than anything else.

I agree that it's a player skill and dexterity issue, but it's a skill that cheaters don't need to possess to the same level. They've removed a skill requirement from a certain level of play. That's cheating.

Have never had an issue like this, but maybe you can give examples that would occur regularly for ordinary players and not just the top 0.1%.

Firstly, even if cheating only benefits the top 0.1% then it's still cheating. I'd argue it's almost worse; when new content is released, it often caters to the most proficient players. If they cheat to increase the ceiling, then only the cheaters get to access that content (or some part of it).

Secondly, let's revisit the BLM example. If I have an equipset for nuking, and a Quanpur Necklace that specifically enhances Stone spells, then I have two options: I waste two equipsets, one for Stone and one for other nukes, or I /equip the necklace in the Stone macro after the equipset. If I cast two Stone spells consecutively, one will /equip the necklace and one won't. I'm not sure why, but this is how it works.

This is a problem for any spell that uses niche, spell-specific or situation-specific gear. Cursna is another example, as are obis. I can either sacrifice precious equipsets, which are limited, or I can deal with half my spells landing with reduced potency, or I can use another equipset in-between to "reset" the process, adding at least 1s of delay. Or I can cheat with a tool, removing this entire layer of complexity.

You could certainly argue that this is a bug that needs fixing, and I'd agree, but I'd also question why it hasn't been widely reported to SE. The answer is that so many people cheat that they don't even know this bug exists.

The point is that you can do these things manually without tools, so saying "can do them automatically with tools" doesn't negate the point. The point is, you can still perform these tasks without tools, it just might be less convenient.

I have tried to argue that convenience affects performance, and that lots of small conveniences significantly affect performance. Anything that I can replicate without tools is more difficult, more time consuming, or more resource intensive for me. In a challenging battle, time and difficulty matter. Without tools, my resources are limited. And, of course, there are things I just can't do at all.

virtually no-one is doing this with the objective of harming another player or to make themselves better than another player- the focus is entirely on improving one's quality-of-life experience.

Let's assume that you are correct and that no-one is using tools (including gearswap) deliberately to enhance their performance. I absolutely don't believe this is true, given what I have consistently read on community sites, but I can't prove it in a meaningful way, beyond inviting people to check these community sites.

Whether someone intends to damage the game or be better than a legitimate player is irrelevant. The consequences of their actions are what matters. First and foremost, making the game easier is cheating because it's unfair, and I'd argue that's reason enough to condemn people who are cheating. If that's not an important consideration, however, then consider the effect on game development. When the top tier of players are all cheating, the top challenges of the game will cater to the cheaters. When the majority of the players are all cheating, the majority of challenges in the game will cater to the cheaters. This game becomes a game driven by the achievements of cheaters. Those that don't cheat have to compete in an environment that is the product of cheating. That is absolutely unfair, whether the cheaters intend it or not.

[Jerbob]

You should very much make use of the addon that blocks all of that.

This is an excellent example of seemingly innocent addons potentially affecting the game to the detriment of legitimate players!

Before everyone starts hammering "reply with quote", in this unique instance I'm not going to claim that people using the addon are cheating and gaining an advantage in the game (be sure to bookmark, that won't happen often). I also understand the desire to block out this nonsense as quickly and efficiently as possible, because I am also sick of it.

However, if only a very small number of people complain about this nonsense, because most of them can't see it, SE aren't going to update their own chat filter to block it. Voila - addons having a material effect on game development to the detriment of everyone else!

Yeah, unfortunately they probably won't do that anyway, I'll readily accept that. But if the majority are using tools to block it, they definitely won't. And, of course, everyone who's completely oblivious to the spam is much less likely to complain about the infestation of RMT to the STF. Again, I'm not claiming that'd cause SE to fix the problem, but by ignoring it they definitely won't.

I'm not gonna get ranty about this one, but I do think it's an excellent example of a principle that applies to a lot of the cheating that takes place.