✧✦The Art of Chat Spamming!✦✧

[r0y]

I've been refining my macros for running various things (trials, TFs, iTrials, etc) and really wanted to minimize my effort, as I love to be lazy.

 

So as it is, like many who run things, I have a custom window / popmenu with all the "spam macros" at the ready, across all toons.  I even setup (usually) my interface so they all fall into tray 4 and 5 (which are empty floaters, I use all 9 trays, btw).  So when I click the specific event I'm recruiting for, it loads in the macros, and I then have to:

1. Manually change the chat channel (say, LFG)
2. Press the appropriate macro
3. Manually change the chat to another channe (a cross-server TF channel)
4. Press same macro
5. Manually change to yet another channel (another custom cross-server channel)
6. Press same macro

As things fill and I need to reduce, I repeat the above with the next macro (LF7M becomes LF6M, etc. to keep it simple here).  So wouldn't it be nice to either:

• Build into the macro, bindloadfile specific for "the next channel" then wrap to the first when hitting the last.  (Ugh, tedius)
• Build into the macro a system command for changing the active chat channel (Oooo, better)

What I found so far is:  /chat_set and /tab_select:

Chat_Set is what I *want* but it does not do it for server-wide, nor cross-server channels.  I would LOVE for HC/SCORE to look into replacing the goofy 1-letter code for zone-channels with an actual string that can be anything that exists, ofc.

Tab_Select is what I *have* to use (so far).  I have separate tabs for each of the three channels I advertise on, and I make a macro for each:

/macro LFG "tabselect LFG$$chatset a"

This will set my active tab to the "LFG" (named it that) tab which only includes "Looking For Group" and the "/chatset a" sets the chat channel to that tab's default (thus, /lfg).

 

Repeat with cross-server ones, too, and I'm good to go.

 

But I am still clicking a tab/chat macro, then clicking a recruitment macro; go to the next tab/chat macro, etc. etc.

 

I tried playing with /tabnext and /tabprevious, but results were no bueno.

 

Anyone have similar uses or macros for this?

Edited June 25, 2020 by r0y

[Peacemoon]

I’ve seen you using these macros in game and did wonder how you did it! With the little boxes that get filled as your team fills? It looks very slick.

[Ironblade]

2 hours ago, Peacemoon said:

I’ve seen you using these macros in game and did wonder how you did it! With the little boxes that get filled as your team fills? It looks very slick.

Oh yeah!  I recall seeing those.  That is pretty neat.  I didn't remember who did it, though.

[r0y]

Yes, I love the retro 80's style "progress bar" I do on Everlasting when recruiting.

 

Such as:

Spoiler

Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓░░░░░░░→7 spots to fill!
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓░░░░░░→6 spots to go...
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓░░░░░→5 spots left.
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓▓░░░░→½ full - 4 spots left!
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓▓▓░░░→3 Spots left!
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓▓▓▓░░→Only 2 SPOTS left!!
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░←LAST SPOT!  This could be YOU!
Numina TF (35-40, 36 merits, <1 hour) ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓→FULL!  Thank you all!

 

Lately, I was toying with the idea of using stars instead of the boxes (e.g. ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ for 2/8 filled) but it didn't have the impact (the "art" of chat spamming, as it were).  Although the 4-point stars might be better (e.g. ✦✦✦✧✧✧✧✧ for 3/8 filled).

 

Some other nice unicode that seems to render well:

Spoiler

ⓡⓄⓨ spam

hearts:  ❦ ♡ ♡ ♥ ❤
stars:  ☆ ★ ✪ ✵ ✯ ✭ ✰ ⚝ ❉ ❋ ✺ ✧ ✦
music:  ♮ ♭ ♮ ♯ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

 

Though, really, the only decent heart is the solid-white (last one):

░▒▓█❤HAMI♡RAID❤█▓▒░

 

They render much better here than in-game.  Also, I replaced the default font with something else (can't recall the name) but it has serif capital i's (I) distinguishable from lower L's (l)

 

[Morinmoss]

On 6/25/2020 at 6:43 PM, r0y said:

I even setup (usually) my interface so they all fall into tray 4 and 5 (which are empty floaters, I use all 9 trays, btw). 

 

I'd really like to see a screenshot of your UI.  Is your resolution high and UI scale low to fit all those bars on screen?  (This is not a jab @ you, I am really curious!)

Edited June 29, 2020 by Morinmoss
Bold for emphasis

[r0y]

11 hours ago, Morinmoss said:

 

I'd really like to see a screenshot of your UI.  Is your resolution high and UI scale low to fit all those bars on screen?  (This is not a jab @ you, I am really curious!)

 

It is a large (32") screen (2560x1440 or 2K).  I find I prefer the "magnification" of a 2K monitor over a 4K monitor (which has to scale interfaces, generally speaking).  Anyway, screenshot here:

Spoiler

 

Tray 1:  Primary spam powers (I play via keyboard mostly, only using the mouse for movement, looking, etc as needed)

Tray 2:  Secondary spam powers (generally, buttons 1-5ish and ALT+1-ALT+5ish are my most activated)

Tray 3:  Toggles (though travel stuff takes up the last 2 in each tray... those are keybound)

Tray 4:  First empty/macro tray

Tray 5:  Second empty/macro tray  (last 4 macro's are for changing the active window/setchat)

Tray 6:  Rarely-used click powers and Auto powers (I use /bind w "+forward$$powexecauto Hasten" etc for multiple auto-binding)

Tray 7:  Badge Popmenu (from these forums, maintained by @ROBOKiTTY) and my different UI layouts - #1: smaller (monitor 2, left), #2:this layout, #3:mapping/badging (just macros using /wdwfileload <path\name>)

Tray 8:  Teleport & Utility bar (reveal, rez, etc)

Tray 9:  Utility bar (though I usually have Envenomed Dagger and/or Vengeance in slot 1/2)  Custom macro's, etc. 

 

Also, as you can see, I detached my enhancement tray (upper left corner) and moved my target and health/info stuff around so it's all in one easy-to-see area.  I left the mission/contact window in the top-center, and the chat is widened.  I also replaced the default chat font.

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by r0y

[r0y]

I know... I need help.  Just remember, I do have over 40 incarnated level 50's, so as much consistency with power/macro placement between them that I can get, the better.  Same for binds.

[Morinmoss]

Thank you for the screenshot!  Definitely in awe of your setup.  I was expecting a jumbled mess or only a square inch of space to view your character/the world, but its so organized!  The Health/Stam/Rage bars at the bottom I probably like the most; makes me want to try something like that since i'm always looking there anyway (have my 1-2-3 bars there bottom centerish.)  And the map?! I never have the map open, yours is almost like a RTS game 😛

 

Again, thanks for sharing your UI setup. Very cool 🙂