Question - DanNet & Zerotier for the group. Have question about group MA via internet not using KA

[shu]

Version of KissAssist.mac?

11.005

When did your problem start?

Not a problem it is a question.

Character Role?

1. PullerTank

What class is having this issue?

1. Warrior

How often does this issue occur?

Always

If I understand the PullerTank flag it allows buffers to cast buffs on the PullerTank when he is in range. If the PullerTank is not using KA how does it work?
I really hope it is not necessary for the PullerTank to run KA. Any input is appreciated.

 

[vsab]

It's a fairly normal use case for people to run the main tank and/or puller manually (I do) and they get buffs just fine.

A buffing class using KA will buff anyone in group and in range during it's buff cycle regardless of whether they are using KA or not (or another player). IIRC KA simply targets the character to see the buffs they have on them and writes which buffs they've just done to a file.

 

[Dragonslayer]

What vsab says. For my understanding the Roles do control the behavior of the char using kissasist themself. They have no influence how other chars behave toward you.

 

[shu]

So the only advantage of the puller using the puller flag is for that char to receive buffs as soon as he returns to the group? Is that correct?

I have read some comments somewhere that if your group is via internet and you are using DanNet and something like Zerotier the refresh
time on the common buff file is 60 secs.
I don't see why it would be that slow in our situation. My son and I live in the DFW area with fiber optic. 300 Mbps for me and 1 Giga bit for my son. We both have SSD internal and recent multicore CPU.

 

[vsab]

Oh you mean the puller flag in the group role, not the PullerTank role in KA? I don't think that does anything in KA, I think KA only looks for the Main Assist role for any functionality (e.g. if you set heals/buffs only to land on the MA).

The PullerTank KA role makes that character automatically go out and pull mobs and tank them. It has nothing to do with buffs.

Buffing tends to happen out of combat -KA will check what's happening right now and will do stuff in pretty strict order. Like, sometimes my buffers will be buffing and my puller gets a mob in camp. Shit happens; it's automation software. I tend to put short term buffs in the DPS section as that gets triggered with a mob in camp.

KA doesn't rely on Dannet for buffing- many people simply can't use Dannet. For different geo locations I thought most people used EQBC instead anyway, no need to set up a peer to peer network. And tbh, two sets of boxers don't even need to have that connection UNLESS you want to issue commands to their PC using EQBCS/Dannet, in which case why bother having the other person there (unless you're just using their hardware and they are AFK I guess).

If you're experiencing lag it might be worth just ditching the P2P network and/or Dannet, it *might* be that Dannet is taking a long time over the network and causing pauses etc?

 

[shu]

Vsab it has always been my understanding that DanNet/Zerotier is needed for a buffer to have a common buff file that includes
chars via internet. Can you explain why that is not needed?

Without a common buff file that includes chars via internet and checkbufftimer set to 10 the buffer will cast buffs on chars across internet every 10
seconds because the buffer does not know what buffs are currently on the chars outside of LAN. Is that not true?

 

[vsab]

Pinging @ctaylor22 who maintains KA12 but probably knows how KA11 worked, and may be able to shed light on KA12 behaviour in this respect.

Vsab it has always been my understanding that DanNet/Zerotier is needed for a buffer to have a common buff file that includes
chars via internet. Can you explain why that is not needed?

Because KA targets players to check their buffs when no file is present, it's the only way you can tell if you don't set up Dannet observers and KA has never been dependent on Dannet to be functional. (there was also another plugin that I think Modbot uses - mq2netbots that can broadcast buffs but KA doesn't use it.)

Without a common buff file that includes chars via internet and checkbufftimer set to 10 the buffer will cast buffs on chars across internet every 10
seconds because the buffer does not know what buffs are currently on the chars outside of LAN. Is that not true?

I can't imagine why it is true, but I can't test it with another player over t'internet as my guildies don't know I'm a "cheater". I'd have thought the buffer would just write the buffs to the buff file it has locally. It may well check the characters every 10 seconds, but pretty sure it'd not re-buff a buff they already have.

Just tested: Deleted all buff files (the KA one and the character ones), turned off EQBC and Dannet in KA and unloaded the plugins. Also unloaded mq2kissbuffs on tank just in case. Ran KA11 on my cleric with target clear, run nothing on my tank and the cleric targetted him and buffed him up. This is all local, of course, but not using eqbc/dannet at all. Then removed buffs from tank manually, cleared target on cleric and the cleric buffed him up.

 

[Knightly]

MQ2KissBuffs isn't what writes to the buff ini. The buff ini is done in the macro itself. KissBuffs was what CWTN wrote to get KA to buff characters that were not running KA, but it's not maintained anymore.

You can recreate the test you're trying to create by using two different computers. You won't be able to recreate it on the same computer without splitting into two macroquest directories (since the buff file would exist).

Not saying that the test is bad, just that it's harder to compare behavior locally.

 

[ctaylor22]

If you are in the same group as the caster, then nothing(Buffs file, DanNet, ...) is needed. If you are outside of the group of the Buffer, then your character has to be on a list, that the buffer can search through for buffing Additional characters.
Sources used as a list would be: KissAssist_Buffs.ini file, MQ2DanNet ${DanNet.Peers[zone]}, ExtendedBuffList list.