[Flanteus]

plasticsurgeon

[Lunaryn]

Originally Posted by Ameroth

All of the above except the IME. I've heard that using the IME to display JP characters on an english client maybe dangerous because otherwise there is no way for the english client to output japanese, leading to the assumption that an english player typing in japanese is probably doing something against the ToS. Your call though.

Also, I use the recast plugin which is amazing.

I don't think they can check your platform trivially, but they can check your region. Each POL is totally compatible account-wise within the same region, but for instance only the POL for the region an account was created in can maintain that account even though all regions can log in and play FFXI with that account.

Note that only POL region matters. NA FFXI, JP FFXI, EU FFXI are basically all the same, you can connect any region's POL to any region's FFXI and you'll get language/regional stuff based on the POL region.

I regularly use JP POL with NA FFXI in order to use the IME. All in-game text save names of pcs/npcs/mobs and the zone name message upon entering is in Japanese this way.

Incidentally, said third party tool's IME plugin guide is actually one of the best English-language resources for setting Windows up to support JP POL, since there's essentially no real difference between what's needed to support JP POL and what's needed to support the plugin.

edit: Please note that I'm not suggesting that there's any reason they couldn't check platform trivially if they wanted to set it up that way, simply that I've seen no evidence that POL tracks and sends such information, whereas there's a fair bit of evidence that region is something POL's designed to care about significantly.

[Firewind]

The ones I always auto-load since they should have been in the game anyway:

DrawDistance (the game looks really pretty even if it makes some zones such as meriph strange)
Timestamp (So I can see what time it is mainly)
SSOrganiser (So I can can actually find my screenshots)


The ones I load if I feel the need to have them:

TParty (Because it display's the liiance's HP/MP/TP it's only really useful when I'm healing in an alliance which is never since I'm not in an EGLS)
Recast (Is useful since it saves a macro line but I don't find it necessary)
PlasticSurgeon (For when I ever feel like running around as an Elvaan or fishing as a Mithra)
Logger (If I'm not running a parser it can be useful)

[hexx]

Ive always played on consoles so never used any sort of plugin, kinda dumb to use them if you ask me. I count shadows and constantly check my menus to see recast timers tyvm

[Omecle]

Wincontrol (to move pseudo-full screen FFXI to my second monitor), DrawDistance at Lv.15, Recast and TParty.

[Aksannyi]

Originally Posted by hexx

constantly check my menus to see recast timers

See, that's a huge pain in the ass.It takes like four clicks to get into the menu where you can actually see your timer. And I can't cast something while I'm fucking around inside the god damn interface. It's so dumb.

[Armando]

DrawDistance. Self-explanatory.
TParty - Lets me be an opportunist Skillchainer even when people don't want to cooperate. Also lets me know with certainty when the mob's crossing over to the sub-25% HP region (which means an impeding TP move 9/10 times.)
TimeStamp - Just in case something that strikes me as odd happens, it never hurts to have the time at which the events happened.
Recast - Because I've been too lazy to turn it off. I actually find it somewhat annoying at times.
That other one with the Buff icon timers - same as above.

I'm just about ready to start resorting to Windower macros as I acquire more and more situational gear (elemental resistance gear, resist status ailment gear, Haste gear, Enmity gear, HP gear for Cure macros, etc).

[Omecle]

Armando also uses PosHack.

[Sabaron]

Originally Posted by Armando

That other one with the Buff icon timers - same as above.

It's called StatusTimer and it's ok, but Yarnball is more descriptive.

The one thing I found StatusTimer is useful for is duration of Weakness which Yarnball doesn't do. 90% of the buffs it times are just guesstimates, so it's not all that useful IMO.

[Volkai]

I was on PS2 and thus without opportunity to mess with Windower and its plugins for my first four years of playing FFXI. Early last year, I got a PC that could run FFXI. I will not say if I have or have not used Windower and/or any plugins.

However, if I had, they would probably -in theory- be...
TParty
Distance
Recast
TimeStamp
DrawDistance
SSOrganizer
ConsoleBG
Logger
StatusTimer
Silence
YarnBall
Precognition



in theory.


In reality it is irrelevant since I can't afford FF at the moment. *shakes fist at the economy*

[Shadowneko]

Originally Posted by Aksannyi

See, that's a huge pain in the ass.It takes like four clicks to get into the menu where you can actually see your timer. And I can't cast something while I'm fucking around inside the god damn interface. It's so dumb.

I use macro timers whenever I can. I started setting them to echo so only I see them...and they work good for sneak attack and trick attack(things with short cooldown times). I also use /recast alot for spells which helps too. When I played ranger abit I got really good making educated guesses as to how far away I should stand.

I've never cheated and I'll never install any bad plugins...I play on consoles alot but simetimes a PC or two but I can live without cheats XD

[Zoltar]

cheaters. lol

I'm assuming you use windower for these? or no?

[Nuriko]

I just have TParty, and I'm not sure why I installed it in the first place (it probably just came with) ... my main reason for installing Windower was the basic reason, being able to alt-tab out of full-screen. It was especially useful before SE's version, because it stopped my firewall/AV software from killing the game...

[hexx]

Originally Posted by Aksannyi

See, that's a huge pain in the ass.It takes like four clicks to get into the menu where you can actually see your timer. And I can't cast something while I'm fucking around inside the god damn interface. It's so dumb.

Its not dumb if you know to work it. I took the time to learn to navigate them menu's quickly and easily so I dont really struggle with them, and as Shadowneko said, macro timers also help =P

[Aksannyi]

Yeah, but do I really need that much more spam on my log? No. I already watch the log like a hawk. I tried /recast in my macros, and it slowed me down. Because not only does it lag slightly, it also takes up chatlog space where I might miss a critical mob TP move or status effect.

It does hinder my performance significantly. I have to run with very strict filters in order to perform at my peak. Everything we do is very fast-paced. I don't have time to fumble with clunky, unresponsive macros, or menus that, while open, block me from performing other actions, or really anything else that slows me down. Others in different situations might not need to perform at such levels, and that's fine, but when the tank is about to be petrified, I need to know about it so that it's gone as soon as it happens.

All these workarounds that people keep mentioning, so that they don't have to use Windower ... if those work for you, great. I've tried all this stuff, several times over. It doesn't work. This game cockblocks itself 99% of the time. The fact of the matter is, recasts should be visible on the screen, and so should MP of other members of my alliance. Among other things.

No one's gonna be able to sit here and convince me that I shouldn't be able to readily see my timers at all times, without having to hit a button. Even in WoW you can see how much time remains before an ability/spell is usable again, if not through timers but animations on the icons. To me, it's not that much to ask. SE should have hired Aikar and team a long time ago.