Command To Change Multiple Pieces Of Gear

20 sets can do a lot. Of course if switching out like a ring or two, you can always use the old method of making macros, but this will help a lot with big stuff like WS, pre-cast sets, ect.

A Packet is an incoming data burst that influences behavior within the programme IE: Incoming Data - Equip body.

It appears rather than just having 1 packet for all 16 slots, it will more likely be 16 individual commands to equip the armor (think of 1 command as 1 packet).

If they made it a ID for All the slots thats 1/16th the data and in theory less lag. (Over simplified but the easiest way to explain it i think)

I think just having 20 sets isnt really a problem. Looking the interface to make a set, it seems so intuitive and fast. Just need to "equip" a few pieces to make a set. Should take just few secs to create a full set from naked.

Best update ever. Seriously, thank you SE.

Not arguing, legitimate question on my end. In my example above "set1" should be precast that's equiped when you start to cast. "set2" is effectively midcast because it's equiped AFTER the casting started, right? Or is that not true since it's too fast? I get that an AFTERcast would require a wait, but I usually prefer a manual macro to reset gear instead of aftercast.

Also I'm not sure what the other person meant about using <stnpc> to avoid a wait?

I believe you will need wait even to activate the midcast gear. Using <stpc> or <stnpc> will automatically produce a delay.

When you use <stpc> or <stnpc> you macro command automatically break the sequence to wait you input before processing the next line. If you dont use neither this or wait, i think the game doesnt process a line. I once use a single macro to swap ws gear, ws comand and right after swap tp piece. I remember that didnt work. I ended with ws gear after the ws, meaning the tp swap was ignored, iirc. It was solved after i insert a wait after the ws command.

This will be a nice addition to the game and I hope everyone, including myself, will take advantage of it.

Mostly this, but a little more:
When you equip a piece of gear right now, one chunk of data is sent (4 bytes header, 4 bytes content, 3 content bytes used). It looks like this:

Now, as far as scaling.... when you equip two pieces of gear, two chunks are sent (total of 8 bytes header, 8 bytes content, 6 content bytes used). When you equip 16 pieces of gear, 16 chunks are sent (64 bytes header, 64 bytes content, 48 content bytes used).

These chunks are assembled into UDP packets, which are sent out to the server. Assuming a 256 byte maximum packet size, this means that changing 16 pieces of gear takes up half of the packet with the current system. Is that a problem? Maybe for GearSwap, where it's possible to change 16 pieces of gear in precast (128 bytes), do an action (16 bytes), and then change 16 pieces of gear in midcast (128 bytes) all in the same UDP packet (16 bytes over, so the last 2 pieces of gear wouldn't swap). No one has ever reported a problem that indicates this is really an issue, but I doubt that such intense swaps are regular.

With the Sets idea, SE will either maintain the same 128 bytes per 16 pieces of gear or make a new type of chunk that has only one header (4 bytes) and 48 bytes of content (or 64, if they are lazy and preserve the trash bytes). So now instead of 128 bytes (half a packet) it would only be 52 bytes (20% of a packet). Much more efficient, and it means that there's no chance GearSwap would ever have maximum UDP packet size issues.

The other options that were suggested were:
1) A new type of chunk that just sends a set identifier, so your set would be stored on the server as set 1 and this packet would send an 8 byte chunk that's basically just its ID number. This is unlikely / not going to happen because SE has said these sets will not be stored on the server (iirc).
2) SE doesn't add a new packet and just makes the client generate 16 equip packets per equip set command. This is honestly probably the most likely. SE is lazy and will take the easiest route in any given situation.

SO does either way impact console users negatively or just users utilizing gearswap?

The consoles issue is how much incoming and outgoing data can it handle before it crashes, as it stands XBOX has a major limitation on this and seems to freeze randomly (not all).

This is not an issue for either in terms of Packet sizes, its just a potentially better system for both systems.

And I think 20 sets is woefully insufficient for anyone who plays more than a couple jobs. Any DD worth anything will have, at a bare minimum, 5+ sets. Standard TP, Acc/hybrid TP, DT-, idle/regen, a WS set or two. Any mage will have a similar number of bare minimum sets too: precast/midcast, enfeebling, fast cast, idle/regen, cures.

Then you add more complex job-specific requirements: THF SA/TA gear, RNG or COR snapshot/preshot, COR quick draw or phantom roll (and roll-specific gear), RUN lunge, BLU spell sets, DNC or /DNC waltz sets, PUP or BST pet-focused sets, etc.

I guess it lets people do full TP/WS sets, and that's better than nothing for vanilla/console players... But I have over 20 sets for my COR alone: TP, Acc, like 5 different WS, idle, DT-, several different roll sets, QD, snapshot, ranged, /mage, etc. That doesn't even account for the other 8 jobs I play regularly.

Can't really imagine this is much motivation for any Windower user to switch to official gear sets though.

This is the first piece of news I've seen in a long time that really made me reconsider picking up the FFXI habit again. Even though I'm PC, I really don't like using 3rd party ***, towards the end of my time playing FFXI, staying competitive or even competent without 3rd party tools was a lot more effort than I was willing to put in.

Users using the vanilla client cannot send equip commands quickly enough for it to matter before this command was introduced. So it would not affect them.

The console issue is actually purely a problem with RAM amount. They do not have enough.

I dont think it was ever bring here that the new system would eclypse gearswap. Its pretty obvious gearswap is more robust, but new system is pretty user friendly, and that in some extent compensate the need of erasing some gearsets to implement others.

The radio in my toaster has more RAM than my PS2.

...and that is why they cannot expand the autotranslate dictionary.

The PS2's RAM is fast, but it is small, 32MB iirc. Pretty damn impressive with the speed for '99 though.

There isn't. However..


A lot of those gear sets still easily fall within the range of a standard 5 line macro, and many more can be done with a basic complete set and 1-4 additional slot changes. Creative use of the system could easily give you a pretty large step up in usability for non-Windower users.

Only trick is getting users to put in the effort to make good use of what's available. Even with GearSwap, it may be 'easier', but you still have to spend a lot of time going through your gear, matching up with the needs of every individual action, and possibly adding in spreadsheet comparisons to pick out the best pieces of gear for every single thing you do. That's a lot of time and effort per job, and many people just don't want to do all that work, period.

I'm going to assume he meant you only need 20 sets for certain jobs (like war or mnk) cuz 20 isnt sufficient for jobs like blu cor or dnc

It sure was a fun time waster though.

20 total, but will increase to 100 in future if no bigger ***happens.

Stuff is experimental yet.

to be fair, i use /lockstyle. but i also actually do gearswap, i lockstyle in a set that i like the look of lol like my toci's harness. i mostly use it to make it easier on the whitemage so the target thing doesnt go away.

i was honestly happy when i read this update so i cant wait to see how it works.

With <stpt> and <stal>, blinking should never be an issue you actually account for. I can think of one time in the last couple years when I had a targetting issue from someone blinking, and it was a command line D2, not a macro.

Where the *** is my mini map.



Only 20 sets makes this seem like a grandiose birthday cake that is insidiously filled with ***. I hope there is more to come.

SE commented on the 20 item sets cap. They said they will watch server load and increase in September.