Windower... Can Anyone Tell Any Pro Or Con??

gms dont care about windower, and im confident the majority of them would capitulate with what im saying here >.>
theres basically only one way to get caught/banned using it, and thats using it to actually cheat. windower by its self is nothing, its the plugins/how you use them that will get you caught up.
no one cares about you being able to see party tp, or the distance between you and the mob, more than 5 macro lines for 16 gear slots.. ***that should have been updated into the game ages ago anyway.
yeah maybe it was fun/cool to have to call out tp in party chat when the cap was 50, but 7 years and 50 million skillchains later, it would be pretty f'ing annoying still HAVING to do that..
only windower ppl gettin banned are ppl that use plugins to map hack, fish/craft bot, claim bot.. really anything at all that will in some way shape or form affect other peoples games..
everyone and their mother openly talks about windower around our server, whether its helping someone else out, or just casually mentioning somthing. /tell, /say, /shout, for a long time now ive not noticed anyone affraid to talk about it. personally, id say just forget about ppl getting banned already.

I would bet most GMs that play on PC probably use windower themselves, unless they have access to a special POL/FFXI client for their own personal use.

Blurr raises a valid point, I typically prefer to use players with access to both Windower and Ventrilo for events and hnm camps than people who are limited to xbox only. Windower isn't 100% necessary, but once you start appreciating all that it has to offer, you wonder how anyone plays FFXI without it.

I highly doubt you would get banned due to using windower itself. However, using any of the 3rd party plugins, some of which come preloading, is grounds for a ban.
No matter how safe you think you are, and how little the GMs care, if headquarters decides to thin the servers by banning 3rd party app users, you're on the chopping block. That said, simply don't be stupid about it. Don't run around shouting "I use windower!" in game. Use it for yourself, and just play. You don't need to convert others to using Windower, so keep your mouth shut.

Also, windower only makes good players better. Bad players just suck worse. I recommend learning how to play, possibly taking a job to 75 without windower, before you use it.

Windower is rly a nice tool and has a lot of functions that makes you better cooperating with your friends, no doubt. A big con for me tho is that i sometimes just feel it kills the atmosphere of the game. I just have to see one the activation of of the plugins and it makes me type /shutdown. Besides that... what the ppl before said.

Ps.:I just went into some WotG areas and turned the background sound on after 2 years.... was awesome XD

I dl windower once because i liked the idea of unlimited macro lines. but either im just plain stupid...or im plain stupid D:

coz making the macros and keybindings and what not was too advanced for me ._.

In my opinion, any melee not using scripts for macros does not own the right gear. My SAM at 75, even not having sea and sky on the char, has 7-9 gear swaps for WS, it is just too damn difficult to use 2 macros to gear swap to WS, then to swap back to a build set using 2 macros. With a BLM however, any PC user not using scripts is an absolute moron. Why hassle with setting up 60 different macros with only having 6 lines, when taking into consideration the massive gear swaps any half-decent BLM would have. Sorcerer's Tonban, Elemental Obi's, Staff swaps, ring swaps if you own a MND build for Stoneskin and such, and not to mention an HMP set, where you should have at least 6 swaps alone for that. Any good BLM runs 40-65 pieces of gear, and using 6 lines would kill your macros immidiately. To any BLM that has windower and does not use the /console exec scrips, I would very highly suggest you learn how to set those up, and use them. Believe me, it makes a world of a difference.

I'm a BLM main... been that way for 3 years. I manage just fine without windower scripts.

Don't insult everyone who doesn't need it simply because you do.

Windower is fine if you feel the need to swap 30 pieces of gear to cast a spell. That's cool, and I respect your dedication to making your spells land the best they possibly can.

However, to those of you that land spells just fine with 5 gear swaps, or even (Gasp!) manually swapping a gear piece or two then hitting a macro before casting, bravo.

Windower simply makes swapping gear easier. It isn't absolutely needed, and by no means are you a moron if you don't use it.

Try 65-75 pieces and that's when I am leaving some stuff in my MH/Satchel (ie not bringing elemental skill to a merit party). If I wanted do be ready for anything then that would require towards 90 spaces (and I'm not even that well geared as BLM).

Most slots have 5+ items, most of which are needed for just 'normal' activities.

Simply but, without windower it is almost impossible to play any job to it's full potential (although 'book' and 'set' commands help a lot).

Okay, maybe not everyone is a moron for not using it if they have it. Perhaps a poor choice of a description. I find it a rather great convenience to myself, and my LS members by using /console exec, especially on stuff like Sandworm, especially when you land KA. I just find it too difficult to hit 3 macros for gear swaps, especially if you are having to stun, and no i do not just cast stun without a dark magic set. I suppose I am just anal about how to play BLM. If you are capable of playing BLM without having to use /console exec scrips, then I applaud you. When you are having to nuke, dispel, enfeeble to /assist the RDM's, and rest quickly, I just find it far easier with scripts. To each their own I suppose.

I've only had BLM75 since July, and I didn't play during August or September. Even though I lack much of the nicer BLM gear, my "basic" BLM still leaves town at 67/75 inventory. I'm not sure how I would've handled it all without Windower, scripted macros, and now easing into Spellcast. I leveled two macro and gear intensive jobs in THF and BRD before using Windower, but a job like BLM is just a different animal entirely.

I did try using /book and /set commands when I wrote an event-BRD macro palette, but I quickly stopped using it. Those commands will strand you in bad places within the palette if a one macro within a sequence fails to fire. Even adding a "Home Row" macro didn't keep me from writing off the palette as a failed experiment.

I agree, having the ability to script long chains of gear swaps would be very helpful sometimes. I tend to stagger spell macros with bits and pieces of gear swaps and will cycle through roughly 3-4 macros when casting AMII or a tier IV, just to switch into my MAB set. It's not efficient, nor would anyone who just sat down to play my macros know what the hell they are doing, but it does work.

Lag, the great equalizer... it'll kill me one day, I'm sure :)

I looked at my scripts and here's what I run:
Full BLM /equip script, changing on the fly so I don't have to stop 12 times while gearing. Cure script, with MND build (yes even as blm I cure). Dark Magic gear swap, Enfeebling Magic gear swap. I have an Ice, Thunder, and Wind swap set for weather nuking, a Sorcerer's Ring swap set (with a script in the same macro to auto change to sorc swap and right back to nuke set). A stoneskin script, and of course, the most important for any mage, a /heal script with 11 gear swaps. Only slots I do not own HMP for are ring, range, and ammo.
I am about like you are, i run 60-65 pieces of gear (don't have an exact count as I cannot log in at this time to count it). Doing these macros without use of scripts would be nearly impossible for me. Not quite sure how people do manual changes, and do it with 6 slots per macro, but if they can, they are far better than I am.

yea....try to avoid using windower macro since sometimes i am fixing a PC and i am force to play on PS2 ;; even though only using 6 macro line for gear swap....i cannot maximize my DoT or my Ranged ACC + ranged ATK unless taking more macro spaces :< .....if only thats my sam....i cannot imagine when i start getting the good stuff of blm and when i get real serious blm......more hMP gear....haste mix with dark magic+(drain,aspir and stun) INT gear(for elemental debuff)...and etc T^T

I used to have to run the 6 line macro setup on BLM, as I used to play on 360. After coming back to PC, I could never do it again. As with BLM gear, when you're running HMP, Sorc Swap, MND set, enfeeble set, nuke set, weather set, enhance set, it kills the macros, but with books it really isnt as bad as it used to be. I've been a BLM for going on 3 years, and never once did it occur to me to actually consider a haste build for Dark Magic. Thanks to you, now I am going to have to work on a haste/dark magic build when I go back to playing, just to see if its actually worth it :D I like the idea though, so seriously, thank you for mentioning it.

Is there a guide that I could follow to set them up?

It's simple, really.

Just do it like this:

1. Make a folder within the scripts folder in your Windower directory. Name it whatever you want, but I choose to name mine by jobs / general / etc.
2. Make a .txt document within that folder.
3. Set it up as you want.
4. Type /console exec Folder name/txt document name w/o the .txt in the macro.
5. Enjoy.


For commands within the text document:

input comand you want followed by a ;.
For equip macros it will be: input /equip head "Walahra Turban";
For ws macros it would be: input /ws "Asuran Fists" <t>;

If you want to /wait within the script, you use pause.
/wait 1 = pause 1;

You always need the ; at the end of the line.

Scripts are quite easy to set up. I'll even be nice and give you an example of mine:

input /equip main "Aquilo's Staff";
input /equip ammo "Phtm. Tathlum";
input /equip head "Selenian Cap";
input /equip neck "Elemental Torque";
input /equip ear1 "Novio Earring";
input /equip ear2 "Moldavite Earring";
input /equip body "Igqira Weskit";
input /equip hands "Zenith Mitts";
input /equip ring1 "Tamas Ring";
input /equip ring2 "Diamond Ring";
input /equip back "Rainbow Cape";
input /equip waist "Penitent's Rope";
input /equip legs "Mahatma Slops";
input /equip feet "Wizard's Sabots";
input /equip sub "Wise Strap";

Now keep in mind, this is a BLM setup. As Tbest said, every line must end with a ; regardless of its command. Just put it in a text document in the script folder, with your gear you want to equip, name the file. Macro line would read /console exec "insert text document title here.txt". You do not need the quotes as far as I have been told, I use them as a force of habit. The quotes ARE needed for equipment names.

Funny thing about the scripts... Is you can make a script that is pretty much auto-pilot for your character for a given period of time. >.> Not that I'd ever do that.... <.< >.>

Auto-Pilot is no fun, especially as a BLM. Cannot afford to not be paying attention to stuff, especially when stuns are called for. The lovely thing about the scripts for me is it allows me to combine 2 macros into one. /console exec "SwapSet.txt" /wait 2 /console exec "Nuke.txt" /equip main "Insert Staff Here" /ma "Insert Spell Here" Eliminates the use of having to hit 2 different macros to get sorc. ring swap in, and allows for worry free casting, and knowing you have the correct gear on. Thats assuming you have the right script set to run.

Yeah, you wouldn't use it in most situations... But, you can use them for farming, skilling, etc. Just tap the macro and walk away. :P

Meh, I couldn't really see myself bringing 65-70 items around for just 1 job. I have my main nuking set which imo is above average...although with all the elitest and e-peen these days it might not be considered above average anymore lol. I bring AF body, Iqgira head and legs, and enfeebling torque for bind, grav, sleep II, sleepga II, and sleepga. I bring AF pants for Dark Magic, and Errant body and Heirarch belt for resting. Last thing I carry is Ice and Thunder Obis and Relic Pants. All of my enfeebling and drk magic macros put on the required gear and staff, and my nuking macros put back the pieces I swapped out. During Ice or Thunder day I change the Waist and Pants lines in the spells to match the days and I'm good to go. I think I do a very good job as blm in the events I do (mostly dynamis and limbus).

*Shrugs.* I like the ability to switch out 16 pieces of gear with one macro.

With some pieces on BLM, you can get away with not carrying them. I carry everything I ever need on BLM all the time, only because I have the inventory space. It's not even about being an elitist or an e-peen thing, it's just how I am. I have dumbed down my enfeeble set because I rarely have to use them anymore, damn RDM are quick as hell about keeping them up. You run basically the same setup macro wise I do (if you run scripts). Saves a ton of time and bs of making sure you gear swap out of enfeebling gear back to nuke gear before the nuke hits. For me, my HMP set is the most important, 11 swaps in all, +28 overall. Missing Oracle's stuff for HMP, but still respectable. Just depends on whether you have a RDM to refresh or not. If you don't, you learn to run massive HMP. Just depends on what a BLM feels like carrying with them though. I wont knock you for not running the amount of gear I do, it's your preference, as long as you can stick sleeps and nuke like mad, youre doing your job right.

Awesome! Thank you guys! :D

Yeah, no problem.

No Problem, just glad to help.

Not buying a PC just to play FFXI. Hate Windows, anyway.

I guess you won't be playing XIV then. >.>