Priority targets - quite possibly the most useful macro you will ever make.

We've all been there. Facing Malta and not seeing the Sapper, running an ITF and trying to pick all of the Surgeons out of the crowd, flying over a huge open world map looking for the uniquely named boss. These are just some of the cases where being able to click a button to auto-target something of a certain name would be useful.

That's where this little button comes in to play!

/macro PT target_custom_next enemy alive <name>

Whenever you click that it will target the next closest enemy that is alive and has the name you selected.

When you're doing content with a priority target, simply right click the macro and select 'edit' which will pop up a text box with the macro's current command line, and change the name in it.

Doing an ITF make it target_custom_next enemy alive Surgeon

Malta? target_custom_next enemy alive sapper

Freakshow? target_custom_next enemy alive stunner

What if you always want to target the closest such enemy?

That would be target_custom_near enemy alive <name>

While this macro is obviously super beneficial for strong single target killers, it can be great for just about anyone. In the thick of a melee sometimes it's hard to pick out your targets. Debuffers with anchor'd debuffs (Rad and Dark for example) can use it to pick the strongest foe out of a crowd every time

An interesting thing you can do, is even make it look for multiple types of foes with one click:

/macro PT "target_custom_next enemy alive Surgeon$$target_custom_next enemy alive Sapper$$target_custom_next enemy alive Stunner" or whatever you may like.

You could even open the macro up with target_enemy_next which would then make the macro target the next enemy if there were nothing within range with any of those names.

The editing makes this a lot of work, I wish that target_enemy_boss and target_enemy_lieutenant was a thing. target_enemy_near is essential for any melee.

I typically don't have a problem targeting that special enemy, it's keeping target on him. With my Scrapper, I have most of my attacks prefaced with target_enemy_near so if one of my allies knocks my current target out of range, I can just keep fighting and automatically select whoever's closest (and that's usually someone else in range). But often I'll target a boss or lieutenant and start working on him, only to have one of his minions edge closer and "steal" my targeting despite the boss still being in range. I wish I could flag target_enemy_near with something that tells it to only do it if my currently selected target is no longer in range.

The editing makes this a lot of work, I wish that target_enemy_boss and target_enemy_lieutenant was a thing. target_enemy_near is essential for any melee.

It takes like 10 seconds to edit the macro, just when you're doing a mission where you have a type of foe you need to target. Doesn't really count as 'a lot of work' to me, but YMMV.

I do really wish that target_enemy_rank was a thing, too. That would be super useful for several characters I play. I'd probably bind tab to target_enemy_near$$target_enemy_lt$$target_enemy_boss which, if the command worked, would try to target a boss, if there was no boss it would try to target a lt. if there was no lt, then it would target the nearest enemy.

Macro's are really easy to edit - just right click the Macro button and click edit...

/macro HV "target_custom_next enemy alive sapper" is great for Malta...now I am going to face Sky Raiders...right click/edit the HV button and just replace the "sapper" with "engineer"...done.

The only challenge I have is that my fingers are accustomed to finding targets using the keyboard...so I would need a bind...and those are harder to edit...

Macro's are really easy to edit - just right click the Macro button and click edit...

 

/macro HV "target_custom_next enemy alive sapper" is great for Malta...now I am going to face Sky Raiders...right click/edit the HV button and just replace the "sapper" with "engineer"...done.

 

The only challenge I have is that my fingers are accustomed to finding targets using the keyboard...so I would need a bind...and those are harder to edit...

You COULD dirty hack it.

/macro target "bind tab target_custom_next enemy alive sapper" >.>

Macro's are really easy to edit - just right click the Macro button and click edit...

 

/macro HV "target_custom_next enemy alive sapper" is great for Malta...now I am going to face Sky Raiders...right click/edit the HV button and just replace the "sapper" with "engineer"...done.

 

The only challenge I have is that my fingers are accustomed to finding targets using the keyboard...so I would need a bind...and those are harder to edit...

 

You COULD dirty hack it.

 

/macro target "bind tab target_custom_next enemy alive sapper" >.>

I don’t even know if that would really work, but I do love the idea of it (and will test it) that you get +1

Now when Shenanigunner comes along...you are on your own :)

(Just teasing ya, Shenanigunner!)

I still continue to use on all of my alts the following:

"targetenemynear$$targetcustomnext alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext alive Void$$targetcustomnext alive Cyst$$targetcustomnext alive Sapper"

The editing makes this a lot of work...

Yes, especially in combat. I tinkered with variations of custom/name targeting for a while before just giving up; like chained commands, the game just doesn't want it done.

The Grapple bind works for me in nearly all cases: /bind G "target_enemy_near$$follow"

For melee types and non-squishies, it immediately locks you onto the next target. Even for blasters and defenders, a quick G-S combo locks you on and keeps you from moving into hurt range.

I'm not sure there's any 'better' option until targeting by enemy level is implemented in the custom command.

I still continue to use on all of my alts the following:

 

"targetenemynear$$targetcustomnext alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext alive Void$$targetcustomnext alive Cyst$$targetcustomnext alive Sapper"

I had that bind, but did a TF last night with a peacebringer named "Quantum <something>", and half the time it would target him instead of an enemy quantum. It was super annoying. I'm going to try making it "targetcustomnext enemy alive Quantum" to see how that works. Not sure if there's a line length limit.

Not sure if there's a line length limit.

There is, around 256 characters, I think. I ran into it trying to create control macros for the attributes window (open and close certain lines for different alts). Having those slash commands be extra-long, along with the line-item names often being long, didn't help. I can only fit about five items into any one bind/macro string, especially to turn them off.

(I think I put in a ticket asking for shorter synonyms, but it's not exactly the highest priority.)

There's a limit to the number of binds in a file, as well, right around 240, but it's been difficult to pin down, as files close to the limit will sometimes throw errors and sometimes won't. It's an interaction between existing binds that are not overwritten and those being loaded, and it's erratic.

The editing makes this a lot of work...

Yes, especially in combat.

I don't really see there being much need to change it more than once a mission, definitely not on the fly in the middle of combat.

Maybe it's simpler than it looks. The endless flexibility of the control interface is one of the joys of the game. :)

Love it.  I think you can combine this with bind load file to make it longer.  I haven’t tried it yet though

Update.

Character count for the below code is 175.

"targetcustomnear enemy alive$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Void$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Cyst$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Sapper"

Love it.  I think you can combine this with bind load file to make it longer.  I haven’t tried it yet though

No, there are limits on how long an individual bind command can be. You can sometimes load over-long ones and have them work, but saving will truncate them and I believe restarting the game will do so as well.

I haven't experimented to see how long a bind will be retained in an active session. I know I ran into limits with those damned mega-word attribute window commands, even in trying to use it within a single session.

Update.

Character count for the below code is 175.

"targetcustomnear enemy alive$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Void$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Cyst$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Sapper"

Many thanks! This thread reminded me of this bind that was a real lifesaver back on my Live WS. I will make sure to spread the word, as I am fairly certain the default bind for Tab is “targetcustomfar leastrelevant“

What I have always done is /bind numpad0 target_name "sapper", and changed the name based on what I want to target.  This requires ten seconds of setup based on whatever you are fighting, but does not occupy a valuable power tray slot.  I use the rest of the numpad for banter binds, and I really ought to write a guide to adding snappy banter to your fighting sometime. 

In another thread, another forum user posted this:

/bind [key combo] "beginchat /bind [second key combo] /target_custom_next

 

This is what I use. So I hit the first keybind, which sets up the chat window to then type: [target name]"

 

Don't forget the last quotation mark to close the command. Then your second key bind is ready to target what you want.

Could be super useful, especially if you alter it to:

/bind [key combo] beginchat /bind [second key combo] "target_custom_next enemy alive$$target_custom_next enemy alive"

Then just add the enemy name before the quotation.

My scrapper, I did it a little different:

/bind lshift+tab beginchat /bind tab "targetenemynear$$targetcustomnext enemy alive"

So when I hit shift+tab it brings up the chat box to fill in the target. When I hit tab, it targets the named thing if there is one, or the nearest foe on screen if there isn't one.

Back in the days of the Live game, I hd a popmenu for all of this stuff.  Invoked it with a macroed button, and then I could select which ones I needed.

I seem to recall the ones I had deemed as annoying enough to make the list were:

-Sapper

-Surgeon (the Cimeroran guys)

-Quantum/Void/Cyst

-Cairns

-Quartz

Back in the days of the Live game, I hd a popmenu for all of this stuff.  Invoked it with a macroed button, and then I could select which ones I needed.

 

I seem to recall the ones I had deemed as annoying enough to make the list were:

-Sapper

-Surgeon (the Cimeroran guys)

-Quantum/Void/Cyst

-Cairns

-Quartz

Are you talking about Custom.Window or something else?

No sir, I'm talking about popmenu.  It took me like a year in between when my buddy showed me this command, and when the lightbulb went off about how damned useful that is.

Here is a popmenu guide from the old live forums.    I’ve just started reading about this myself.  It looks exceedingly useful for sure

https://web.archive.org/web/20120905181021/http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=136343

I tried adding the following line to my keybinds file to serve as my quick key for changing the priority target name.

CTRL+NUMPADENTER "beginchat /bind NUMPADENTER "target_enemy_near$$target_custom_next enemy alive ""

When I press CTRL+NUMPADENTER in game, though, it gives an error because all it sees is the part between the first two quotes (i.e. beginchat /bind NUMPADENTER ). Is there any way to get the keybind file to treat the second and third set of quotes as text rather than the start/end characters of the bind. Like an escape character or something?

Without going into too much detail I fiddled with this a LOT but never got it to work the way I want. I subsequently found a less optimal but otherwise sufficient solution but I wanted to appeal for help to see if I could find a solution using the original implementation above.

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 7:38 AM, AboveTheChemist said:

I tried adding the following line to my keybinds file to serve as my quick key for changing the priority target name.

 

CTRL+NUMPADENTER "beginchat /bind NUMPADENTER "target_enemy_near$$target_custom_next enemy alive ""

When I press CTRL+NUMPADENTER in game, though, it gives an error because all it sees is the part between the first two quotes (i.e. beginchat /bind NUMPADENTER ). Is there any way to get the keybind file to treat the second and third set of quotes as text rather than the start/end characters of the bind. Like an escape character or something?

 

Without going into too much detail I fiddled with this a LOT but never got it to work the way I want. I subsequently found a less optimal but otherwise sufficient solution but I wanted to appeal for help to see if I could find a solution using the original implementation above.

The game doesn't have any way of embedding quotes inside another set of quotes inside these sorts of commands.