Strategy - A little gem I found in the MQ2 change notes

[Incognito]

I was reading through the change notes and I found where a couple of yrs back they stated:

12 October 2008 by ieatacid
- Added BuffDuration to target type. It takes the buff name or number as a parameter and returns a ticks type.
- Added to Group TLO: string MainTank, string MainAssist, string Puller
- Added to groupmember type: bool MainTank, bool MainAssist, bool Puller

I have been looking at old MQ2 docs and never ran across these gems.

Now wait a minute you say, I already know those... Ok fine. However I have been trying like the dickens to find an easy and elegant way to temporarily halt my puller so I could AFK, or finish some long casting buff that the puller needs who otherwise runs outa range for the next pull before it fires, or stop and reload KA on another toon (say my main) or whatever.

So maybe MainTank, MainAssist and Puller aren't earth-shattering on their own... Alas I was going through the KissAssist code to verify that the multitude of previously unpublished aliases are actually implemented so I could update the KA wiki factually when I came upon the /backoff cmd. Again, you might say, but Incog, that's been there, you new? Well yes, after a long hiatus I feel new, but the point is, in testing /backoff in the field, it does exactly what I was looking for: an easy and elegant temporary halt to pulling without /mqp or /end which have their own inherent potential problems.

Now combine my two discoveries, and you get toggled on a hotkey:

//bct %{Group.Puller} //backoff

I think it's kinda cool.

Hit the Thanks, daddy needs a new pair of krono

 

[eqmule]

More people should read Changes.txt it contains info about every important addition to mq2 and unfortunately a lot of it never makes its way into the wiki.

 

[Frimp]

good find!

 

[Incognito]

Now that I am multi-boxing a full 6 man grp I am learning via trial and error about toon management. Using my initial find (as mentioned above) I have streamlined additional hotkeys. Instead of hardcoding ToonName in my hotkeys (like for who to assist - who to start KA as puller etc) I use the following:

/bcga //mac KA9 Assist ${Group.MainAssist}

And

/bct ${Group.Puller} //end
/bct ${Group.Puller} //tar ID ${Group.MainAssist.ID}
/bct ${Group.Puller} //mac KA9 Puller

I usually fire up my puller in Assist mode until everyone is buffed and ready. Then when its time to lock and load the hotkey also has an /end cmd to drop it out of Assist Mode before firing in Puller Mode. I also have the target command since I still need to assist someone. It is all generic.

Using Group.Puller and Group.MainAssist (even Group.MainTank) allow me to create hotkeys that are generic (meaning not hard coded to a particular ToonName). All I have to do is assign the grp roles by right clicking grp members in the grp window and BAM the rest is handled generically. I can change roles on the fly and relaunch KA using the appropriate hotkey. This substantially reduces the number of hotkeys I need since I don't have to remember which tank I logged on, or which puller, or even their names since their names are not used and I'm not changing hotkeys according to who I logged on. With 2 hotkeys I can manage the whole bloody team.

You all have shared my growing pains so I figure you should also share my victories.These hotkeys kinda coincide with Toon Management stuff that came up in my Multibox Traveling - Toon Control thread.

- - - Updated - - -

Had some issues with //tar ${Group.MainAssist} (pet) so I am going with //tar ID ${Group.MainAssist.ID} instead.

- - - Updated - - -

Tank doesn't like it, needs Tank designation, so need a 3rd hotkey...

Currently using for the Tank:

/bct ${Group.MainAssist} //mac KA9 Tank

I have found the Tank needs no target (therefore no //tar cmd). Could also do an //end if a mac is currently running. Still trying to figure out a way to get all 3 (puller, tank, all the rest: assist) on one hotkey; meaning loading all toons with KA with a single command without hardcoding groupmember[x] or names (or using roles in the INI)... but am using the 3 hotkeys in the meantime. Spent too much time on it and have other things to concern myself with.

 

[hoosierbilly]

More people should read Changes.txt it contains info about every important addition to mq2 and unfortunately a lot of it never makes its way into the wiki.

Reading the changes is one thing... Remembering them is something else entirely. I actually started a marco called Notes, it contains examples of all the really useful or neat codes that I don't want to forget, but don't use often enough to remember.

 

[Incognito]

Yeah, inevitably I scan through them only to see something I needed a month ago and didn't know at the time, or found another way but woulda been nice to have avoided the time it took to do so haha.

 

[Meistro]

Not able to check this but might work (maybe):

Line 1:/bcga //tar ID ${Group.MainAssist.ID} //KA9 assist
Line 2:/pause 20, /bct ${Group.Puller} //end
Line 3:/bct ${Group.MainAssist} //end
Line 4:/bct ${Group.MainAssist} //mac KA9 Tank
Line 5:/bct ${Group.Puller} //mac KA9 Puller

Maybe could adjust the pause to give your group significant time to buff....just an idea.

 

[Incognito]

That might work, outa RC for the day, thx Mate! I'll play with it...

- - - Updated - - -

Coupled with stuff found in Raz's Every Day Automation thread, and Stuff Found Here my eyes are being opened to a whole new lvl of automation. I had read this stuff before but it wasn't pertinent at the time since I was mainly molo-ing. Now that I have a full 6 box grp, things are...a bit different...