Guide - MQ2Dannet User's Guide - Moving from EQBCS to Dannet

[toadwart]

TLDR; At the most basic level, if you want to know which commands to use in place of eqbcs commands, here are the most commonly used Dannet Variants of EQBCS commands that I use, plus the new ones specific to Dannet:


Edited: 211031 to correct dgz->dgze
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-
Longer explanation:

What is the difference between EQBCS and Dannet from a less technical user perspective:

At the base level, both systems perform the same basic functions for a user, allowing communication and commands between different characters logged into the game at the same time, assuming all are using MQ2Dannet or EQBCS, and accessing the same communication channels. MQ2Dannet allows for some additional functionality, and requires less setup. Dannet also in my experience suffers less from lag issues using multiple toons, and tends to be more functional for command issuance.

I decided to install DanNet and start to switch over from EQBCS due to frustration with EQBCS and resource problems as EQBCS always started failing on me after running for awhile. Here’s the process I went through, and while I got it working, there was much confusion. So I thought I’d post a little brain dump of what I followed/found/questioned. (After I wrote all of this of course, Dannuic tells me there’s a readme file on github, go figure! That helped me with a few confusing points and 2 missing commands, but I’m not going to throw this out, so I’m still posting it!)

Both DanNet and EQBCS can be run concurrently, so you can transition commands over to DanNet until everything is moved and you’ve trained yourself to quit typing /bc commands and double slashes(//). In the meantime, you can use both interchangeably. Granted this could cause some confusion as the commands are not exactly linear, although close. I find myself typing a mishmash of commands sometimes, and trying to figure out which command syntax I need isn’t always intuitive for me.

1. I started with the guide that gSe7en posted in the forums labeled “How to ditch that rubbish EQBC and get with the times with the sexy MQ2DanNet”
   • First of all, I disagree with his obviously negative Nickelback bias, but I never claimed to have an ear for music. I just like what I like, and it’s pretty eclectic. No comment on Bob Ross, he’s cool.
   • Seriously helpful post to get started, although I’m still finding the transition complicated and confusing.
2. Help files and information on commands are very limited with the plugin, hopefully this post will assist there, and maybe Dannuic will add some more documentation with time.
3. Dannet, like EQBCS will transmit commands to a variety of recipients:
   • An individual toon by name
   • All of your in game group members using the plugin except yourself
   • All of your in game group members using the plugin including yourself
   • Everyone using the plugin, regardless of grouping status, if you’re connected, you’re seeing the command
     • Additional Dannet Scenarios:
       • Everyone using the plugin is also added to some pre-defined ”Dan-Goups” hereafter referred to Dgroup to differentiate from in-game “group”
         1. Each character will be auto-added to a Dgroup for:
            1. All
            2. Class
            3. Group (in-game group)
            4. Function (tank/melee/caster/priest etc)
            5. Zone
         2. The user can also create temporary, or permanent Dgroups for each character to be added to as well.
            1. For instance, I created a bunch of mules on some FTP accounts, and some of them hold tradeskill supplies and some hold defiant armor. I created and added each of those toons to a set of new permanent Dgroups called TS and Defiant respectively. Now, I can issue a command to each group of characters to do something without having to have them grouped in game. So I log all of the TS mules in, give my TS materials to those toons, and say I want to log them off but keep the defiant armor holders online. I can issue a command from any toon in game: /dgex ts /camp desktop and just the TS tagged toons log out, but the defiant grouped toons remain in game.
4. I tried to make a cheat-sheet of command comparators up above, and here are some notes and clarifications:
   • /dgt can be used to send a message to one of the Dgroups, for instance, I run 3 berserkers, and they all autojoin a group called [ber] as a function of dannet by default.
     • I can do /dgt ber <message> and the berserkers only would get a message sent to them. This is informational only, not command execution
     • Without a defined Dgroup it sends to the [all] group by default
   • /dte is a message to a specific character, not a Dgroup.
     • Again this is message only, not commands
   • /dex sends a command to a specific character to execute a command, similar to /bct.
     • Does not work with a group target, only a character name
   • /dgex will send a command to a Dgroup, but exclude the character sending the command, even if they are in one of those defined groups.
     • /dgex ber /sit would make all berserkers in the ber channel sit. This will also sit all berzerkers regardless of computer on the network, so if you have two groups running and you want to issue commands locally to just the berzerkers on one computer, I'd recommend using /djoin commands on the berzerkers to make a berzerker channel just for that computer, and adjust hotkeys for that group accordingly. It's no fun to issue commands on one computer and realize the zerks on the other computer just took off running to pok from wherever they were before.
   • Caveats/Variances/Comments:
     • Single / in front of the command, not //
     • Example: /dex dufus /sit
     • Tell to execute a command for a Dgroup: /dgex <groupname> /command
     • Tell to execute a command for your in-game group: /dgge /command
     • Tell to execute a command for your in-game group and including yourself: /dgga /command
     • /dgga vs /dgae is the same differentiator as /bcga vs /bcaa, it’s everyone in group including self, vs everyone in the communication service including self.
       • As a warning, /dgae will send to everyone connected to dannet, even on other computers on the network
   • Additional commands not found in EQBC:
     • /dgre and /dgra for raid execute and raid+self execute
   • Can’t find a help command listing available commands for the plugin.
     • /dghelp – no Bueno!
     • /dnet gives a few parameters to toggle, but no command list
     • Example usages (/dnet <command>):
       • 
     • /dnet by itself will list a few toggle-able flags
     • /dnet info will give you a list of groups and members
     • /djoin <groupname> will either join or create a group, adding “save” to the end and that character will auto-rejoin next login to that group, otherwise it’s forgotten on logging out.
       • There is no feedback when you create a new group and join it with this command, but a /dnet info will list the new group and member
       • No /djoin remove command – /dleave instead
       • Very helpful command if you want to be able to send tells to a select set of characters that don’t fit one of the pre-defined lists. For my purposes, one of the key times I use it, is if I have a Dgroup for my out of group characters, and I can send them tells to come to me, camp, etc separate from the group only versions that are part of the group window when using mq2labels.
     • /dleave <groupname> will leave the group you’re part of, if you are actually in that group
       • No feedback when done, but /dnet info will list current groups.
       • Use the save variable after the command to make the change permanent (/dleave foobar save)

New with Dannet that is separate from EQBCS, and further adds flavor and enhancement to it’s functionality, especially when used in conjunction with macros and plugins are the dquery and dobserve options. I must do more futzing with these before I can post some usage examples, though at my base level of understanding I believe they allow you to assign another toon's TLO information such as percent hps to a variable that you can query without using the entire string.

If I've made errors please let me know so that I can correct them.

 

[Sum1]

TLDR, but I skimmed it. I appreciate you putting this together!

 

[jande]

Appreciated, now to motivate myself to actually use it.

 

[Dozecar]

I'm interested in this because I've had some long sessions and I've gotten in the habit of closing eqbc server and restarting it, but itd be nice to not have to do that, or have a wipe remind me that I needed to.

I do have a question though, how does this work across multiple machines? Is there any additional setup?

 

[dannuic]

I'm interested in this because I've had some long sessions and I've gotten in the habit of closing eqbc server and restarting it, but itd be nice to not have to do that, or have a wipe remind me that I needed to.

I do have a question though, how does this work across multiple machines? Is there any additional setup?

As long as your machines are on the same subnet, there's a good chance it will just work. Sometimes you need to specify the interface (with /dnet interface), which would only be a one time thing unless you have a setup where your interfaces are changing.

 

[Dozecar]

They are on the same subnet. However I'm not a programmer and I remember just enough of my cisco networking classes to fuck things up and not fix them without having to google.

with the dnet interface I would then specify the ip address of the other machine (I assume on both since this is p2p) ? Do I need to specify the port as well?

Another new question, Several plugins talk to the server, (echo I believe it's called.) for instance, mq2feedme States on the active client Mq2feedme:: Consuming -> Fresh Fish, but more importantly, several KA Ini are set to use bc for certain messages. Is there a command I can add to the KA ini to continue this? or will it just automatically default to using dannet?

 

[Dozecar]

ok I'm doing something wrong. I did dnet interface and the ip of the other computer for all 6 and got the response mq2dannet: set interface to 192.168.x.x but when I issued a command with dgae /camp only those on the same computer did so.

Using windows 10, and eqbc works fine.

 

[dannuic]

You don't specify the IP directly, you specify the interface (like "Ethernet") that accesses the correct subnet (192.168.255.255 or whatever). After you do that, you need to unload and load dannet to restart the networking thread and rebind the interface, and when you execute /dnet interface you should see your selection indicated by an arrow. So something like this:

/dnet interface Ethernet
/plugin mq2dannet unload
/plugin mq2dannet
/dnet interface

 

[toadwart]

As for the KA situations using EQBC, there's no simple fix right now. you can edit the KA macro itself and make it use dannet instead, but you need to know what you're doing, and catch all of the calls. The same is probably true for other macros/plugins as well. On the bright side, I know that CTaylor has been working on converting KA to make use of either system, depending on what you have available, but it's not finished yet, as there're a few conflicts to work out as yet. There's nothing stopping you from running both for now, as I do, and then those items requiring EQBC still run while all of the new commands go through dannet. I've as yet had absolutely no need to restart the EQBC server since I started using dannet, and allowing only those few minimal required macros and plugins that still rely on eqbcs to continue to do so. I'm about 95% converted for all of my issued commands now, with KA and maybe a plugin or two still requiring EQBC natively.