PSA: how to have both Hasten and Domination/Practiced Brawler/etc on auto.

[Sovera]

I made this for my dom, and then thought of posting on all the sub-forums for more people to be aware of it, but, not sure how welcome it would be to cross post the same topic so many times. So I will just post it here so it pollinates across the boards by word of mouth.

 

 

 

Edit: This is me returning a few months later. I will change the contents with what I learned in the meanwhile.

 

 

I kept forgetting to use Hasten as soon as it was available, and I could see this was going to be a problem, so I researched (for way too long, it's almost four AM) and finally got something going that does not involve autohotkey or autohit.

 

 

 

Part one:

 

Edit: The problem with the movement keys was that they activated twice. Once on pressing and once on releasing. This made the original system unreliable since we would tap the movement key, Hasten would light up briefly but too briefly to activate, and then it would return to Domination. The solution to this was creating an 'empty' first file for the first key down, and the actual file with the power we want to auto.

 

 

Create a directory where ever you'd like, but remember its path. In my case I just added a Binds folds to CoH so the files would not be lost in the clutter. So, for me, this is C:\games\CoH\Binds but you do you. If you use a different path remember to alter all the binds.

 

 

In it create a file called Forward.txt. Place inside: w "+forward$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward2.txt". Notice how this is empty? It's so when we press the key nothing will happen, but on release it will call Forward2.txt.

 

Now create another file and name it Forward2.txt. In it place: w "+forward$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward3.txt". Now we're cooking with gas! Unfortunately it will require two more files to achieve the same effect of before, but the auto system will be a *lot* more reliable.

 

So now we repeat the steps and create Forward3.txt: w "+forward$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward4.txt" and Forward4.txt: w "+forward$$pow_exec_auto domination$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward.txt"

 

 

Now, inside the game, do:

 

/bindloadfile c:\games\coh\binds\Forward.txt

 

Now, whenever you move you will alternate between Domination and Hasten. It's still not perfect but getting there.

 

 

 

But, you might ask, what if I'm just sitting there fighting a bag of HP safely hovering and not having to move. Won't it meant the skills will stop alternating? Well, I'm glad you asked it since it shows we are on the same page.

 

 

Part two:

 

Edit: While the original system worked it was not polished enough for the advanced option further below.

 

What we do here is pick the skill we know we will use the most. For me it is my strongest hit, the one I always initiate combat (start with strongest hit, use second strongest, use weakest to fill for the strongest to be back up). For a Stalker it might be Assassin's Strike, for example.

 

Create a file and name it Ranged.txt. in it place: 3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged2.txt". Replace 3 by any other key you will use for your attack of choice that will cycle the autos.

 

Then create Ranged2.txt and place in it: 3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto domination$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged.txt".

 

 

 

Simple as. When ever we fire up a skill we fire the skill and alternate the autos. I made this for my AoEs in case I'm spamming those on a pack instead of using my ST skills on a bag of HP.

 

So in my case, I did aoe.txt: lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe2.txt" and aoe2.txt: lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto domination$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe.txt"

 

Don't forget /bindloadfile c:\games\coh\binds\ranged.txt and /bindloadfile c:\games\coh\binds\aoe.txt.

 

 

 

Edit: The advanced option lays in using these files to combine inspirations. While we level it is useful to have neat little rows of purples and greens, but once at max level with our defenses securely in place there is hardly a need for this and we can make better use of having a tray filled with reds. What we can do is make use of the files we created to add this, but, due to the fact that a bind can only have 255 characters we are forced to split the original files into multiples.

 

So we go back to the Forward.txt file and turn it into: w "+forward$$inspcombine catch_a_breath luck$$inspcombine Insight Enrage$$inspcombine Respite Enrage$$inspcombine Luck Enrage$$inspcombine Catch_a_Breath Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward2.txt"

 

Forward2.txt becomes: w "+forward$$inspcombine Keen_Insight Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Dramatic_Improvement Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Good_Luck Focused_Rage$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward3.txt"

 

Forward3 becomes:  w "+forward$$inspcombine Emerge Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Rugged Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Uncanny_Insight Righteous_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward4.txt"

 

Forward4 becomes:  w "+forward$$pow_exec_auto domination$$inspcombine second_wind Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Sturdy Enrage$$inspcombine Break_Free Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward5.txt"

 

And due to the character limitations we are forced to add a Forward5.txt to have the rest of the inspirations:  w "+forward$$inspcombine rugged good_luck$$inspcombine Resurgence Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Phenomenal_Luck Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Take_a_Breather Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward.txt"

 

I turned off Breakfrees and Awakens at the P2W vendor.

 

Combine this with /bind F1 "inspexecname resurgence$$inspexecname dramatic_improvement$$inspexecname respite" to eat greens where ever they may be in the tray, and /bind F2 "inspexec_name Righteous Rage$$inspexec_name Focused Rage$$inspexec_name Enrage" to do the same but with reds.

 

This can be added to the Ranged.txt and AoE.txt files as well, as long as the 255 character limit is respected thus having to break down the files into multiples.

 

The discerning reader might have notice how this allows for the cycling of Destiny and Hybrid incarnates as well, and indeed it does though they ought to be used more when needed, but, in the name of laziness (isn't it this a lot of laziness in the first place just to combine insps and not having to remember to click on hasten and domination?) then yes, respect the 255 character limit and add to the files.

 

 

Edit: Caveat to the system. The Forward option will now work fine anywhere, anytime, but the attacks will toggle and detoggle the auto if spammed. They will also queue the auto *after* the attack, so if queuing attacks without a break the auto will never go off even as they alternate.

 

 

Enjoy o/

 

 

Edit: I will add my current files so people can see what I am using on my Sentinel.

 

Spoiler

w "+forward$$inspcombine catch_a_breath luck$$inspcombine Insight Enrage$$inspcombine Respite Enrage$$inspcombine Luck Enrage$$inspcombine Catch_a_Breath Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward2.txt"

 

w "+forward$$inspcombine Keen_Insight Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Dramatic_Improvement Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Good_Luck Focused_Rage$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward3.txt"

 

w "+forward$$inspcombine Emerge Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Rugged Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Uncanny_Insight Righteous_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward4.txt"

 

w "+forward$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$inspcombine second_wind Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Sturdy Enrage$$inspcombine Break_Free Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward5.txt"

 

w "+forward$$inspcombine rugged good_luck$$inspcombine Resurgence Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Phenomenal_Luck Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Take_a_Breather Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\forward.txt"

 

3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$inspcombine Insight Enrage$$inspcombine Respite Enrage$$inspcombine Luck Enrage$$inspcombine Catch_a_Breath Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged2.txt"

 

3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$inspcombine Keen_Insight Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Dramatic_Improvement Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Good_Luck Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged3.txt"

 

3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$inspcombine Emerge Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Rugged Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Uncanny_Insight Righteous_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged4.txt"

 

3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$inspcombine second_wind Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Sturdy Enrage$$inspcombine Break_Free Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged5.txt"

 

3 "powexec_slot 3$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$inspcombine Resurgence Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Phenomenal_Luck Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Take_a_Breather Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\ranged.txt"

 

lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$inspcombine Insight Enrage$$inspcombine Respite Enrage$$inspcombine Luck Enrage$$inspcombine Catch_a_Breath Enrage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe2.txt"

 

lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$inspcombine Keen_Insight Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Dramatic_Improvement Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Good_Luck Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe3.txt"

 

lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto hasten$$inspcombine Emerge Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Rugged Focused_Rage$$inspcombine Uncanny_Insight Righteous_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe4.txt"

 

lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$inspcombine second_wind Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Sturdy Enrage$$inspcombine Break_Free Enrage$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe5.txt"

 

lshift+2 "powexec_slot 7$$pow_exec_auto kuji-in_rin$$inspcombine Resurgence Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Phenomenal_Luck Righteous_Rage$$inspcombine Take_a_Breather Focused_Rage$$bindloadfilesilent c:\games\CoH\binds\aoe.txt"

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by Sovera

[SirCowdog]

Clever use of macros. I never would have thought to bind activation of abilities to movement keys.

 

However, won't this interfere with the queuing of other powers during combat?  I suppose it's better than resorting to 3rd party programs or hardware to activate abilities, and will take some practice to get used to.

[Sovera]

It does not, but I've noticed the triggering of the auto can be delayed if we are spamming keys and keeping the queue busy.

[KnightSoul]

It does not, but I've noticed the triggering of the auto can be delayed if we are spamming keys and keeping the queue busy.

That's normal behavior for auto powers though.  Nice use of binds and macros.  Cheers!

[justicebeliever]

I have a couple of comments/questioms

 

First, this is very clever and thorough!

 

Are  there really a lot of situations where you are unlikely to move forward in battle that made you add this to not just the W, but the a/d as well?

 

Do people use A/D alot?  I hardly do, most just some combination of Q/W or E/W...but maybe this was intentional?

 

The only downside is that you will lose the ability to ever set auto-fire on any other power for any situation unless you are remaining still.  I’m thinking fighting a fire in SC, blowing up a prison door or some other high hp target.  For the latter it might not be difficult to stay still, but I wouldn’t want to lose the control to switch it up.

 

Again, very thorough.

[Marshal_General]

Is there a way to use this without the auto toggle? Say I want to keep hasten on auto, but have the others fire off while in combat when I fire my attacks?

[justicebeliever]

Is there a way to use this without the auto toggle? Say I want to keep hasten on auto, but have the others fire off while in combat when I fire my attacks?

 

Are you saying you want to keep the auto "Hasten" part, but switch in a different power to fire (not auto) for the Domination part?

 

[KnightSoul]

Is there a way to use this without the auto toggle? Say I want to keep hasten on auto, but have the others fire off while in combat when I fire my attacks?

As long as one of your oft used prompts triggers auto-hasten you should be able to mix in all sorts of powers just using the auto bind.  You'll just miss perfect hasten once in a while if you leave off with the wrong auto.

Otherwise try replacing the toggle command with a powexec_name command and it will attempt to fire the power right away.  Though that should have the downside of triggering the womp-womp noise every time you move.  Pairing it with another power activation probably won't work though, I believe the system just goes with the last command in that case (see all the travel power binds).

[Marshal_General]

Is there a way to use this without the auto toggle? Say I want to keep hasten on auto, but have the others fire off while in combat when I fire my attacks?

As long as one of your oft used prompts triggers auto-hasten you should be able to mix in all sorts of powers just using the auto bind.  You'll just miss perfect hasten once in a while if you leave off with the wrong auto.

Otherwise try replacing the toggle command with a powexec_name command and it will attempt to fire the power right away.  Though that should have the downside of triggering the womp-womp noise every time you move.  Pairing it with another power activation probably won't work though, I believe the system just goes with the last command in that case (see all the travel power binds).

I use the Speed on Demand binds from City Binder, so I would have to set any auto powers to my attack chain. I am hoping this eorks better than my first attempt at doing so.

[Sovera]

Edited the original with improvements.

[Extor Prime]

Very nice set of macros.

 

I do hope that devs would eventually allow more than one autopower (if that is at all possible).

[SmalltalkJava]

Nice work OP!

[FM5]

This is great. Thank you for taking the time to write it up.  With multiple buffs having to be pressed every 60-120 seconds, it was getting annoying.  

 

I like the movement one more than the power one because the buffs stay up better between fights and I'm not possibly starting a fight without buffs.

 

Having one button alternate for two buffs isn't a big deal, but it can delay the buffs.  I move quite a bit, so I put one buff on Forward, one on Turn Left, and a third on Turn Right.  Works great.

[Shenanigunner]

This is a great post, worthy of tidying up into a guide.

 

I added a section on this technique to my Guide, simplifying the explanation and examples for both types of movement bind (auto-fire and toggle-up), based on another discussion and some past work on the idea. (I haven't written anything on the farming-support idea of Insp combining, though.)

 

A couple of points:

1. While writing the rolling bind files can be a little tedious, it does work fine, with (as far as I can tell) zero impact on movement, gameplay or activation delays. The idea of putting different powers on different keys really isn't necessary, and does limit the options. The rolling-bind option can manage... a dozen or more powers if needed.
2. As long as you remember that it's forward-march that keeps these powers up, it's not hard to give W extra taps, even when you're just standing around. You can run through a cycle of 5 or more binds in a few seconds without moving more than a few feet.
3. The firing order of powers using this can be erratic, for no reason I have been able to pin down. It's rarely a simple matter of them firing in the order the files roll over. (I think it's mostly activation times and too-quick taps of the W key, but not entirely.) So trying to set this up with a precise 'firing order' is probably fruitless. (And not necessary, as far as I can think the idea through.)
4. Keep in mind that this did not work for some good stretch of the game revisions. I remember trying it fairly early, then trying it with the collaboration of another bind guy, and not being able to make autofire powers work in any overlapping fashion. So... this technique could go back in the dustbin with changes (deliberate or coincidental) in the command parsing process. And we'll regroup and move on. 😄

 

ETA: if you find writing and editing bindfiles a chore, I have one and a half words for you: Notepad++. Free, great, manages multiple files like a champ, keeps your whole file set open for quick open-edit-save-close-load operations. Takes only seconds to load and use even while the game is waiting.

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Shenanigunner

[Sovera]

53 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

1. The firing order of powers using this can be erratic, for no reason I have been able to pin down. It's rarely a simple matter of them firing in the order the files roll over. (I think it's mostly activation times and too-quick taps of the W key, but not entirely.) So trying to set this up with a precise 'firing order' is probably fruitless. (And not necessary, as far as I can think the idea through.)

 

Mind that it's not the key press down activating a bind and then releasing the key activating the next bind. It's why I have an 'empty' file as explained above.

[Shenanigunner]

53 minutes ago, Sovera said:

Mind that it's not the key press down activating a bind and then releasing the key activating the next bind. It's why I have an 'empty' file as explained above.

 

Hmm. Good point. I use empty files for my rolling chat binds but only to space them out (so every activation doesn't trigger a chat quote). I don't think I've ever had rolling binds activate on key release. Must experiment...

 

What I'm seeing is more "skips" in the sequence, where Keypress 1 activates power A, but Keypress 2 does nothing, then Keypress 3 activates power B. I think that's due to activation times but haven't nailed it down.

 

I also see a weird bug when using multiple auto-fire powers. I use the W bind to fire Rage, then to fire Hasten... and the green ring skips back to Rage. Every time. I don't think the command parser really likes multiple powers on autofire; it might be more effective just to call the click powers with ...name. Autofire becomes moot in this scenario.

 

[Sovera]

2 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

 

I also see a weird bug when using multiple auto-fire powers. I use the W bind to fire Rage, then to fire Hasten... and the green ring skips back to Rage. Every time. I don't think the command parser really likes multiple powers on autofire; it might be more effective just to call the click powers with ...name. Autofire becomes moot in this scenario.

 

That part is definitely the keypress down/keypress release issue. Try to test in game and press your key deliberately. In my experience this is how the skips happened since I would tap movement, Hasten would light up briefly, but before it could go off I would release the key and the bind would move on.

[Shenanigunner]

49 minutes ago, Sovera said:

That part is definitely the keypress down/keypress release issue. Try to test in game and press your key deliberately. In my experience this is how the skips happened since I would tap movement, Hasten would light up briefly, but before it could go off I would release the key and the bind would move on.

 

That's it. Using blanks took out all the bugs, and I suspect not using ...auto helps, too. Great info, thanks.

 

So [1] use a blank file in between each power-activating one, and [2] ditch powexecauto for just powexecname. There really isn;'t any reason to drag the auto quirks into this kind of a setup, other than the very minor advantage of leaving one (1) power autofiring.

 

ETA: activation times still hold things up, if you tap W while Rage or whatever is firing. No worries, it just hits on the next pass.

 

Gad, this fixes SO many alt/gameplay issues! May its functionality remain unbroken. 🙂

 

I added a bonus: bind powexectoggleoffs for all these powers to some useful key (I use CTRL+U), along with a powexec_abort to undo any leftover auto-fire. That lets you kill all the auras, buffs, flames, lightning, and movement stuff in one whack, which is often convenient.

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Shenanigunner

[Sovera]

3 minutes ago, Shenanigunner said:

 

That's it. Using blanks took out all the bugs, and I suspect not using ...auto helps, too. Great info, thanks.

 

So [1] use a blank file in between each power-activating one, and [2] ditch powexecauto for just powexecname. There really isn;'t any reason to drag the auto quirks into this kind of a setup, other than the very minor advantage of leaving one (1) power autofiring.

 

Gad, this fixes SO many alt/gameplay issues! May its functionality remain unbroken. 🙂

 

I added a bonus: bind powexectoggleoffs for all these powers to some useful key (I use CTRL+U), along with a powexec_abort to undo any leftover auto-fire. That lets you kill all the auras, buffs, flames, lighting, movement stuff in one whack, which is often convenient.

 

There are two advantage in using powexecauto.

 

- One is that if we place teo powers in the macro only one will go off. The auto works around this.

- The second is just QoL which is that if the power is not yet recharged we get the 'whoom' sound that can get tiresome pretty fast. The auto does not cause this.

 

If you prefer to only tap W the first is no longer a problem and the second can be removed with the auto moder or or in the sound silencer forum thread.

 

Other than that, yep, glad you got it working 😄

 

 

 

Toggleoff needs its praises sung more. Things like double clicking the Jet Pack and putting it on cooldown by accident, or being able to just spam a key to activate Flight and Afterburner without having to be careful to untoggle Fly or, heaven forbid, put Afterburner in cooldown as the team hares off.

 

I have my Fly set up like this for example:

BUTTON4 "powexectoggleon afterburner$$powexectoggleon fly"

 

Can just spam button 4 on my mouse and it will only toggle on those two powers.

 

CTRL+BUTTON4 "powexectoggleoff afterburner$$powexectoggleon hover"

 

Can spam this and Hover will toggle on and stay on. No need for a toggleoff for Fly since Hover does this automatically.

[Shenanigunner]

32 minutes ago, Sovera said:

There are two advantage in using powexecauto.

 

- One is that if we place teo powers in the macro only one will go off. The auto works around this.

- The second is just QoL which is that if the power is not yet recharged we get the 'whoom' sound that can get tiresome pretty fast. The auto does not cause this.

 

Weak workaround for getting two powers into one bind/macro. Simply using ...name or ...toggleon works, just requires one tap per power. I wouldn't try to put long-term click powers in a multiple macro for several reasons. But whoom... can't disagree!

 

And yes, ...toggleon and ...toggleoff are literally game changers for those fussy powers and foolproof binds.

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Shenanigunner

[balor]

These are great and thank you for returning players we can't remember everything.