Need to rely on 3rd-party programs/notebooks to gather

[Morzy]

I dont rely on 3rd party. I memorize all nodes generally but keep in mind this depends on how much i gathered them, it takes time. Heck,even the reduction nodes. Write it down if you like but the best 3rd party program is your mind.

[PirateCat]

How are they hard to find?

They're not, assuming you've memorized when they spawn. I have, personally, for a lot of the common ones (need astral silk? Do MIN favors in Mists and BTN favors in Hinterlands, collect astral moraine at CWH at 5 AM and seventh heavens in Mists at 5 PM) but an in-game notation feature would be helpful for people who haven't gotten there yet and for the ones you don't need to go for all that often (I feel like getting back into relic crafts. When did cypress logs pop again?)

In the immortal words of Henry Jones Sr.: "I wrote it down so I wouldn't have to remember!"

[Alisi]

My problem is that I don't think it makes sense to have to go on programs outside of the game or keeping a notebook IRL to be able to gather unspoiled nodes.

You don't need to rely on a third party program or even a notebook. Just have this website open: http://ffxivclock.com/#/.

Half the page shows the time, the other have has a list of all unspoiled nodes stuff. You click on the ones you want to track and it'll sound an alarm when it's that time. You can have this in the background so it's not really like separate program or anything. Plus you can have the alarm go off 1, 2, or 3 ET hours before so you have enough time to get there.

Well, i suppose this wouldn't be useful for those who aren't on a comp. =/

[Silverbane]

You don't need to rely on a third party program or even a notebook. Just have this website open: http://ffxivclock.com/#/.

If you run with two or more monitors*, that's not a bad option. Also available is Garland Bell, part of Garland Tools. Garland Tools is my go-to information resource for crafting and gathering. Once you learn how to use it, it is incredibly liberating.

*my wife runs 3, I run 5.

[Alisi]

snip

Why would you have to run more than one monitor? It sounds a beep, a clear alarm, and it can be set to go off once or continuously (as well as having three options for the sound.) As long as I have the sound on, I hear it. When it goes off and I'm not in the game, the page automatically switches over to that so I can't miss it. I think you can set it to switch you out of the game and onto the page. Either way, there's really no need for more than one monitor. I'm on a laptop. It doesn't mess with my game at all.

[Silverbane]

Why would you have to run more than one monitor?

It's been so long since I used a system with only one monitor (i.e. my Surface Pro 3) for anything but note-taking , I've probably forgotten how.

The advantage you get from a second monitor is pretty high, and most recent PCs, including most laptops, support running two displays at once.

[Scy]

It's really not that bad. It's challenging for one to prioritize what nodes you want to hit. In 3.0 you can't hit them all like you could pre 3.0. Second, if they were available all the time then the mats wouldn't hold the same value(assuming you're selling not collecting). If you were collecting and they were up all the time you would cap in a very short time. It's fine the way it is. In 3.0 content you have easy nodes, nodes with hidden mats at random slots, and rare hidden nodes. It's a nice balance.

[Lyzern]

You don't need to rely on a third party program or even a notebook. Just have this website open: http://ffxivclock.com/#/.

Half the page shows the time, the other have has a list of all unspoiled nodes stuff. You click on the ones you want to track and it'll sound an alarm when it's that time. You can have this in the background so it's not really like separate program or anything. Plus you can have the alarm go off 1, 2, or 3 ET hours before so you have enough time to get there.

Well, i suppose this wouldn't be useful for those who aren't on a comp. =/

I didn't specify third-party *websites* but it was implied. For those who prefer to play in Fullscreen, on console or like me, who just don't like to break immersion, this whole thing makes gathering crappy.

[Lyzern]

It's really not that bad. It's challenging for one to prioritize what nodes you want to hit. In 3.0 you can't hit them all like you could pre 3.0. Second, if they were available all the time then the mats wouldn't hold the same value(assuming you're selling not collecting). If you were collecting and they were up all the time you would cap in a very short time. It's fine the way it is. In 3.0 content you have easy nodes, nodes with hidden mats at random slots, and rare hidden nodes. It's a nice balance.

Not my point. I was talking about the need to have to break immersion from the game in order to see info that the game should show you, and I believe it should show you after you gather the items, because if you can write it down and memorize it, then there's no reason for the game to hide it from the UI.

[MStowastiqVahlshdeh]

I like notepad jotting down/writing of things like that, reminds me of gardening in xi, I think its fun. It isn't required though, just convenient. I'd say the most inconvenient thing is forgetting that I have my game clock on Eorzea time. lol