Okay, I hope you've done your Spellcast homework. And I hope you have at least some understanding of its basics. Why? I'm not going to hold your hand the whole time (and mostly also because your hands smell like canned vegetables and burnt rubber).
So let's begin!
Within a Spellcast XML file, there are two sections that we will be focusing on for this lesson: sets and rules. Sets are where you set up different types of gear sets for different situations. Rules are where you can equip those gear sets based on what you are doing. This may include casting spells/abilities, healing, engaged with an enemy or just idle (not healing or engaged). There's more to Spellcast that make it work, but let's just start with the basics.
Based on your gear sets, the rules section will predicate how you will switch between gear sets based on what you are doing. So before we get to the xml coding, let's get to know the armor you'll be equipping during typical situations.
Idle Gear
What you wanna wear while not resting, casting or engaged to a mob
main:
sub:
range:
ammo:
head:
neck:
lear:
rear:
body:
hands:
lring:
rring:
back:
waist:
legs:
feet:
Now repeat, the same for when your MP healing set, your melee/engaged set and your casting set. After you know what to equip for each situation, you'll be ready to update your your Spellcast XML file.
Okay, now pick a job that you wanna start with. Create a text file and name it as the job you'll be using it for with an .xml file extension. Save this XML file in the same location as the default.xml file within your windower/plugins/spellcast folder. For example, WHM.xml will be for your White Mage. Then between the gear slot tags below, just add the name of each piece of equipment for each gear set:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config debug="false"/>
<spellcast>
<sets>
<group name="Insert Full Name of Job|JOB 3 Letter Abbreviation" default="yes">
<set name="idle">
<main>Insert Idle Gear Item</main>
<sub>Insert Idle Gear Item</sub>
<range>Insert Idle Gear Item</range>
<ammo>Insert Idle Gear Item</ammo>
<head>Insert Idle Gear Item</head>
<neck>Insert Idle Gear Item</neck>
<lear>Insert Idle Gear Item</lear>
<rear>Insert Idle Gear Item</rear>
<body>Insert Idle Gear Item</body>
<hands>Insert Idle Gear Item</hands>
<lring>Insert Idle Gear Item</lring>
<rring>Insert Idle Gear Item</rring>
<back>Insert Idle Gear Item</back>
<waist>Insert Idle Gear Item</waist>
<legs>Insert Idle Gear Item</legs>
<feet>Insert Idle Gear Item</feet>
</set>
<set name="melee">
<main>Insert Melee Gear Item</main>
<sub>Insert Melee Gear Item</sub>
<range>Insert Melee Gear Item</range>
<ammo>Insert Melee Gear Item</ammo>
<head>Insert Melee Gear Item</head>
<neck>Insert Melee Gear Item</neck>
<lear>Insert Melee Gear Item</lear>
<rear>Insert Melee Gear Item</rear>
<body>Insert Melee Gear Item</body>
<hands>Insert Melee Gear Item</hands>
<lring>Insert Melee Gear Item</lring>
<rring>Insert Melee Gear Item</rring>
<back>Insert Melee Gear Item</back>
<waist>Insert Melee Gear Item</waist>
<legs>Insert Melee Gear Item</legs>
<feet>Insert Melee Gear Item</feet>
</set>
<set name="healMP">
<main>Insert MP Healing Gear</main>
<sub>Insert MP Healing Gear</sub>
<range>Insert MP Healing Gear</range>
<ammo>Insert MP Healing Gear</ammo>
<head>Insert MP Healing Gear</head>
<neck>Insert MP Healing Gear</neck>
<lear>Insert MP Healing Gear</lear>
<rear>Insert MP Healing Gear</rear>
<body>Insert MP Healing Gear</body>
<hands>Insert MP Healing Gear</hands>
<lring>Insert MP Healing Gear</lring>
<rring>Insert MP Healing Gear</rring>
<back>Insert MP Healing Gear</back>
<waist>Insert MP Healing Gear</waist>
<legs>Insert MP Healing Gear</legs>
<feet>Insert MP Healing Gear</feet>
</set>
<set name="castgear">
<main>Insert Casting Gear</main>
<sub>Insert Casting Gear</sub>
<range>Insert Casting Gear</range>
<ammo>Insert Casting Gear</ammo>
<head>Insert Casting Gear</head>
<neck>Insert Casting Gear</neck>
<lear>Insert Casting Gear</lear>
<rear>Insert Casting Gear</rear>
<body>Insert Casting Gear</body>
<hands>Insert Casting Gear</hands>
<lring>Insert Casting Gear</lring>
<rring>Insert Casting Gear</rring>
<back>Insert Casting Gear</back>
<waist>Insert Casting Gear</waist>
<legs>Insert Casting Gear</legs>
<feet>Insert Casting Gear</feet>
</set>
</group>
</sets>
<rules>
<action when="Idle" type="equip" set="idle"/>
<action when="Engaged" type="equip" set="melee"/>
<action when="Resting" type="equip" set="healMP"/>
<action when="PreCast" type="equip" set="castgear"/>
</rules>
</spellcast>
Once all this is done. Start up Windower/FFXI. Change to the job you created a Spellcast xml file for. Throw all the gear that you mentioned in the xml file and head outside.
Now let's start with some Spellcast command basics:
Type out each command in your chat log:
/sc load [name of job-specific XML file]
This should load up your Spellcast XML file for your job.
/sc set idle
This should equip your idle gear set.
/sc set melee
This should equip your melee gear set.
/sc set healMP
This should equip your MP healing gear set.
/sc set castgear
This should equip your casting gear set.
Did it all work? I hope so! Not let's try it in action. Try engaging a mob. Try resting for hp/mp. Try casting a spell. Have fun!
