Binds/Macros for feeding pets Inspirations

[Alarion]

   I was asked how one could improve dropping Inspirations on MasterMind pets and after giving it some thought and research I wrote the following for anyone with the same questions. I've included the very simple stuff as well since I don't know the level of the reader. Of course everywhere I've put a bind combination (e.g ALT+P ) you can change it to any other convenient key or combo that you prefer.

   Also at this point I will recommend a document I found that covers so much more of the technical aspects of playing CoX; it's the Tech document at www.shenanigunner.com and is very, very good.

   I usually prefer binds but any of these can be converted to a macro by replacing the '/bind <key> <command>' with '/macro <ToolTip> <command>'. The shenanigunner document also goes into making macros with the actual power images on them instead of grey buttons, and also insta-casting targeted AoE powers (like summoning pets) so it is a one-click process with no delays.

/macro_image texturefile <Tooltip> <command_string>

so    /macro_image BeastMastery_SummonDireWolves Dire Wolf "powexec_location 0:20 Summon_Dire_Wolf"

 

   To do those kind of binds you will need the document at Google Sheet for Macro Images (big thank you to whomever was responsible) because the texturefile name often does not exactly match the power name command in the game itself. (Make sure you look on Tab 4 - POWERS.) For example, the Teleportation powers 'Recall Friend' actally comes out as Teleportation_TeleportFriend instead to get the correct icon.

 

The following binds can be used by individually copying and pasting them into the chat box for the ones you want (and before you use ANY new binds I recommend making a copy of your current ones by using /bind_save_file <path><filename>) So for example /bindsavefile C:\CoH\MM\Mastermindname.txt and those can be loaded with /bind_load_file <path><filename>. All underscores (_) and case (Capitalization) are ignored. Also, please remember, if you are copying and pasting these binds into a file to group load, that you MUST remove the /bind at the beginning of each line. Loading from a file is handled by the /bindloadfile command.

1/    This following bind sets ALT+P to cycle through your pets that are alive. This seemed like a better choice than creating a set of binds for each pet by name, which in addition to making too many would break if you changed a name. I've also shown it as a macro for people who prefer that.

•  /bind ALT+P "target_custom_next mypet alive"
•  /macro NxtPet "target_custom_next mypet alive"

 

2/    To take inspirations for my character I use the following common binds. Each one starts from the RIGHT side (the smallest inspiration) and continues through the bind until the command matches an inspiration it can find in your tray. If you prefer taking the largest inspiration first, then the order would need to be reversed with the largest of each type at the end of the command and the smallest at the beginning. There is no cooldown so you can repeat as fast as you like, which is why I start with the smallest.

 

• /bind F1 "inspexec_name RESURGENCE$$inspexec_name DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT$$inspexec_name RESPITE"
• /bind F2 "inspexec_name ESCAPE$$inspexec_name EMERGE$$inspexec_name BREAK FREE"
• /bind F3 "inspexec_name UNCANNY INSIGHT$$inspexec_name KEEN INSIGHT$$inspexec_name INSIGHT"
• /bind F4 "inspexec_name RIGHTEOUS RAGE$$inspexec_name FOCUSED RAGE$$inspexec_name ENRAGE"

 

and so on for whichever inspiration types you want.

 

3/    An alternative (less effective in my opinion) is to stack the inspirations in the order you want them and then activate the bottom slot a number of times. This method cannot take into account new inspirations that may drop during an ongoing battle and so quickly becomes outdated but some prefer it.

 

• /bind F1 "inspexec_tray <row> <column>"
• /bind F1 "inspexec_tray 1 1"

 

4/    And this is where the problem with the pet inspirations binds or macros comes in. There is a bug in the code somewhere so that, if you have different levels of an inspiration, anyone who tries to stack pet inspirations the way we did for our character (in section 2) will when it's activated: 

• it will LOOK like it has taken both the first low level inspiration AND the mid-level inspiration (if you had one). Check your and your pets buff bar.
• it actually it uses only the mid-level one and makes the low-level one invisible.
• the slot for the low-level 'used' is unusable. This will only clear up if you manually move an inspiration to that slot, forcing it to redraw, or going to another map/zone. Try dropping an inspiration on the empty space. 

 

The second problem with pet inspirations is that unlike characters in section 3, pets cannot be fed inspirations by slot numbers. There's no such command. (Why not?)

 

5/    One method is to feed the pet by name, without the ALT+P bind, which is slightly faster since you don't have to target the pet but requires many more binds/macros and memory work so I've only listed a few examples for them below and don't recommend this method. (Note the Left and Right options on the chord keys to get six key inspiration options).
    so /inspexec_pet_name <inspiration> <pet_name>

 

• /bind LSHIFT+F1 "inspexec_pet_name RESPITE Dire Wolf"
• /bind LALT+F1 "inspexec_pet_name BREAK FREE Dire Wolf"
• /bind LCTRL+F1 "inspexec_pet_name INSIGHT Dire Wolf"
• /bind RSHIFT+F1 "inspexec_pet_name ENRAGE Dire Wolf"
• /bind RALT+F1 "inspexec_pet_name LUCK Dire Wolf"
• /bind RCTRL+F1 "inspexec_pet_name CATCH A BREATH Dire Wolf"

 

And then the same thing again for each T2 pet and each T1 pet on F2 and F3 combinations. I just don't think it's worth it. Additionally it makes for some very awkward finger combinations if you keep one hand on the mouse the way I do.
    
6/ Which means that we're left with my semi-preferred option to feed pets by bind/macro, although it's not as simple or as complete as I'd like as if we had a command to feed pets directly. So the following is what I'm now using on my MMs. From Step 2, I take the F1 bind for using an inspiration on myself and then I add the three inspiration sizes in ascending order to the chord keys to feed the pet.

 

• /bind F1 "inspexec_name RESURGENCE$$inspexec_name DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT$$inspexec_name RESPITE"
• /bind SHIFT+F1 "inspexec_pet_target RESPITE"
• /bind ALT+F1 "inspexec_pet_target DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT"
• /bind CTRL+F1 "inspexec_pet_target dramatic RESURGENCE"

 

So this method has all Heal inspirations on F1 combinations which, since it's the same as F1 for personal use, should be easy to remember. And the same four binds would be used for F2 (Break Free, etc.) and F3 (Accuracy) and F4 (Rage) etc. combinations.

 

• /bind F3 "inspexec_name UNCANNY INSIGHT$$inspexec_name KEEN INSIGHT$$inspexec_name INSIGHT"
• /bind SHIFT+F3 "inspexec_pet_target INSIGHT"
• /bind ALT+F3 "inspexec_pet_target KEEN INSIGHT"
• /bind CTRL+F3 "inspexec_pet_target UNCANNY INSIGHT"

 

So in use the above bind sets would be used either in combination with the /bind ALT+P "target_custom_next mypet alive" from section 1, or by selecting the appropriate pet with your mouse. Select pet to feed, Press SHIFT+F3 (for small accuracy) and SHIFT+F4 (for small rage) and so on if you have others. Pressing ALT+F3 and ALT+F4 uses a medium size inspiration.

 

If they can fix the code so that the the pet inspirations will 'drop through' to the first available size that would be a BIG quality of life improvement! Please do let me know of any errors I've made or any suggested improvements.