[Request] specific channeled ability set-ups

[Riiker]

Ok, so I've seen some other posts on here about channeled abilities and about how timings "could" be set up and some other ambiguous ideas got thrown out there.

What I'm really wondering is, what are you really good boxers specifically doing with your channeled abilities? :confused: I'd be curious to here from Apps, Msog2, and Chazz especially since I've pretty much copied all of your setups. I'd also like to know if you are just brute forcing it... ie waiting for that ability to finish before spamming your DPS key again.

Here are a couple of things that I've done:
1. set up the channeled ability to the quickbar with a hotkey to send that ability to "all". Then I just stop spamming while the ability is channeling to prevent interrupting it. It works if all of the toons have that ability on cool down, but it is a waste of DPS when one or two toons don't have that ability ready yet and they just stand there.

2. I've also set up a completely different DPS Spam hotkey that includes that specific channeled ability for one toon, while it DPSs the other 3 toons in my group. It is a super awkward setup that includes multiple steps so that the completion of like 10 steps will be the same amount of time at the channeled ability to cast.

I would really really like to get this figured out so that the only guys interrupting my channel is and enemy NPC or player.... not me.

Lastly, if nobody has a good set-up for this... I'd like to devote some serious time to comming up with a solution that will work. Just not willing to put research time into inventing something that already exists.

*edit* So I'm getting really close to perfecting my channel ability set up. Once I get it to work, I'll post my setup if there is any interest in it. I'm starting to suspect though that this is really easy and I'm the only one who finds it difficult.

*edit* All right... I've finally perfected my system!!! :D I had to add a bunch of key maps, but in the end my maps are still very versatile and allow for the use of channeled abilities while still being able to spam my DPS button! Maybe in a week or so I'll get around to making a guide, but in the mean time I'd still like to know if this is something people are even interested in.

Please reply to this thread if you are interested.

[talonness]

I would love to know your configuration ... I am still new to this and although have tinkered still trying to get things down

Ok, so I've seen some other posts on here about channeled abilities and about how timings "could" be set up and some other ambiguous ideas got thrown out there.

What I'm really wondering is, what are you really good boxers specifically doing with your channeled abilities? :confused: I'd be curious to here from Apps, Msog2, and Chazz especially since I've pretty much copied all of your setups. I'd also like to know if you are just brute forcing it... ie waiting for that ability to finish before spamming your DPS key again.

Here are a couple of things that I've done:
1. set up the channeled ability to the quickbar with a hotkey to send that ability to "all". Then I just stop spamming while the ability is channeling to prevent interrupting it. It works if all of the toons have that ability on cool down, but it is a waste of DPS when one or two toons don't have that ability ready yet and they just stand there.

2. I've also set up a completely different DPS Spam hotkey that includes that specific channeled ability for one toon, while it DPSs the other 3 toons in my group. It is a super awkward setup that includes multiple steps so that the completion of like 10 steps will be the same amount of time at the channeled ability to cast.

I would really really like to get this figured out so that the only guys interrupting my channel is and enemy NPC or player.... not me.

Lastly, if nobody has a good set-up for this... I'd like to devote some serious time to comming up with a solution that will work. Just not willing to put research time into inventing something that already exists.

*edit* So I'm getting really close to perfecting my channel ability set up. Once I get it to work, I'll post my setup if there is any interest in it. I'm starting to suspect though that this is really easy and I'm the only one who finds it difficult.

*edit* All right... I've finally perfected my system!!! :D I had to add a bunch of key maps, but in the end my maps are still very versatile and allow for the use of channeled abilities while still being able to spam my DPS button! Maybe in a week or so I'll get around to making a guide, but in the mean time I'd still like to know if this is something people are even interested in.

Please reply to this thread if you are interested.

[Riiker]

Well then it's settled. I'll try to get a guide posted this weekend or sooner if work and family can support.

[OldRod_KS]

I would be very interested!

I have two combos that I play mostly: Sage/Shadow and Marauder/Sorceror. I have all my healing/following/assisting/etc keys working just great, but my DPS keys are still giving me fits simply because of channeled abilities. So anything you can share would be great :)

[Riiker]

I'm really glad that there is some interest in this topic. I don't feel like the only one who didnt have some kind of workaround anymore. I'll start working on a guide tonight... hopefully I'll have something ready by saturday or sunday. Sorry to make you wait, but been really busy lately with work and stuff. Also, I'm really OCD when I make things like guides, so it takes me a little longer than most.

[balrog78]

I am using ISBoxer. There I make frequent use of "Do not advance to step for NNN seconds". Clicking the hotkey ingame for the channeled ability doesnt result in a stopcasting. I guess it will be difficult to make a generic guide. My default attack rotation which includes tank, healer and DDs has 11 steps and is very specific to my team setup. I use only one key for 90% of the fights.

[Riiker]

When I get off work, I'll post my setup and a brief guide on how to use it. It is a very versatile setup IMHO. Give me about 12 hours and I'll at least have my setup posted for people to look at.

[balrog78]

That would be great! Its hard to setup isboxer for a no-macro game like swtor :)

[Riiker]

Here is my setup. You should note that it is designed to be used in conjunction with the Character Configuration Tool: http://www.dual-boxing.com/threads/46640-SWTOR-Character-Configuration-Tool

I have both a 2man and 4man setup. I have included very detailed descriptions of my key maps using the "description" info boxes in ISBoxer so that should be able to hold you over until I can make a guide. My ingame keybinds are pretty much default with a few exceptions.

Follow = `
Target My Target = F6

Instead of changing your ingame keybinds to match mine, you can simply edit the variable keystrokes that I've setup to match your ingame keybinds.

Link to my setup:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/2mx3bk

I will post a guide soon for anyone who does not want to use my setup, but is still interested in how to set it up.

*edit - Does anyone know how to put images into these posts? I'm new to forums so I really have now idea. My first effort was pretty much a fail.

[balrog78]

Thanks for sharing your setup. I dont know sentinels. Which ability is the channeled one?

[Riiker]

Master strike. In step 2 I use a 3 second timer to turn the DPS key map back on for the toon that used the channeled ability.

[Norrin]

Someone else besides me used the little configuration tool. Nice.
I have been toying with setting a step toggles the default combat on and off so that channeled abilities don't get interrupted, but that is way more work than I wanted to put in lately.
Might just do that anyway.

[Riiker]

I love that program you made. It was always such a headache to try and figure that out just because I wanted to change one toon.

[OldRod_KS]

Master strike. In step 2 I use a 3 second timer to turn the DPS key map back on for the toon that used the channeled ability.

You can turn a key off for a few seconds? How do you do that? :)

I have my healing set up so when I mouse over my click bar, the assist function gets turned off, and then when I move my mouse away it turns it back on, but having a timer would be nice on these channeled abilities

[Riiker]

You can turn a key off for a few seconds? How do you do that? :)

First you establish an action step that changes the state of that key map to off.
Then you make a second step which changes the state back to on... but you click the little arrow down in the bottom right of the ISBoxer window to open the Action Timer Group window and make that particular step delay by the time you choose.

I would just load up my setup and check it out. Until I post an actual guide, you can load my .xml file. All of my mapped keys have really detailed descriptions.

[balrog78]

Nice, I didnt know about that timer. But I wonder how you deal with the following situation:

1. You are pushing the DPS button
2. You want to use Masterstrike which is channeled for 3s
3. Given you executed your DPS 0.5s ago, that means you have to wait at least 1s to execute Masterstrike (GCD) - but you are already hitting Masterstrike button
4. Given you go on smashing the DPS button

=> Your Masterstrike will start 1s late, means it will be interrupted after 2s of channeling

Or are you micromanaging that? You have 4 sentinels, so probably it is easier. But with mixed classes I cant imagine how I could handle it.

[Riiker]

The easiest way... Just keep clicking/ pushing the master strike button until it fires off. That way the timer will work correctly. I do stop spamming the DPS while I click my masterstrike. The longest that you are ever without spamming is .5 - 1 second which really isn't that long.

[balrog78]

Ok, the only problem there might be that it master strike button is spammed for too long and then you really might lose 1s. For example:

1. master strike is channeled, button is spammed until master strike is channeled for already 0.8s
2. DPS key is off for 0.8s too long, there is no GCD anymore after the channel, so these 0.8s are really lost

Of course if one is skilled enough to stop spamming master strike button once animation started, not more than 0.1s will be lost. But with mixed classes it is harder again. I am just thinking from my own perspective, I would probably miss it too often in hectic situations and 0.8s is really a lot when it comes to e.g. HK-47 in false imperator :)

[Riiker]

I'm def open to ideas on how to improve it. I'm still new to MMOs and SWTOR so I'm just scratching the surface of what is possible I'm sure.