PSA: WARNING, DO NOT SAVE KEYBINDS. EVER.

[BlackSpectre]

Until the bugs in the new keybinding system are smoothed out, I HIGHLY recommend that players avoid the "Save to Default File" button in the Keymapping tab in options and refrain from using the /bind_save slash command. Saving your keybinds will often erase the entire keybinds.txt file, wiping your custom binds from existence.

 

Also, DO NOT SWITCH PROFILES. Pick one and stick with it. If you switch profiles twice, your custom binds will no longer work. Hopefully, you didn't save your binds in game because you will need to reload your custom binds.

 

Otherwise, binds appear to be working normally. 

[Marshal_General]

I haven't had a problem with it so far.

[Greycat]

/bind_save filename will give them each an individual filename. No overwriting happens unless you name them the same thing.

 

Very useful when setting up a mastermind (or Peacebringer.) I have binds I still have from live... they work just fine.

 

And when you're talking profiles... are you talking about multiple builds or accounts? Since I just swapped between two different accounts with characters I use binds heavily on (MM and WS) and they were just fine.

[CFIndustries]

I've been using a custom set of keybinds for years that explicitly "nop" the defaults I don't want to accidentally use. I never save keybinds to a default file, each alt gets a named file.

 

What exactly changed? I haven't noticed any of my alts acting wierd so I assume my existing keybinds survived the issue? Did the changes over-write stuff?

 

I mean if it did, then I guess I'd need to save-out one set of defaults from a new alt (before loading mine) and see what the big deal is and modifying my custom ones appropriately?

[PeregrineFalcon]

Oh man, this new bind system really screwed things up.

 

It sure is a good thing the devs added this to the release candidate just days before sending it live instead of, you know, having it on test server long enough for people to actually test.

[Digirium]

The only times I have used BSF is to compare with the default to see what bindings were added or changed.

 

Nowadays I do not even do that; I have a reset file that uses UnbindAll, applies my own custom bindings and a PopMenu that loads character specific bindings from files that I maintain. To me it is systematic and therefore reliable. If I have been away from a certain character I can check the files to see what binding does what and pick it up again.

 

I do not really know what was modified in Page 7 but when anything is changed/developed there needs to be test cases.

[WanderingAries]

This is why many save their binds either to specific names or even archive them into other places just in case something bad happens.

[BlackSpectre]

The Keybind Profiles are in that drop down list at the top of the Keymapping tab of the Options window. It has nothing to do with accounts. Apparently, the drop down list was always there, it's just that no one paid any attention to it (there's at least two good reasons for that, but I won't get into it). I know I didn't think about them at all until Page 7 hit.

 

Profiles are different sets of binds. You select one profile and you have its set of binds. You select another profile, and then you have its set of binds instead. For example, let's say I have 2 profiles: Ranged and Melee. If I select the Ranged profile, my F key will be bound to "target_enemy_near", but if I select the Melee profile the F key will be bound to "target_nearest_enemy$$follow". 

 

Right now at Homecoming, the keybind profiles are just different sets of default binds:
Launch - the default binds as they were when the game started (Issue 0)
Joystick - the recommended set of binds for game controllers
Classic - the default binds before Page 7
Modern - the new default binds when Page 7 hit

 

I've ony been able to see the binds in the Classic Profile and the Modern profile. There's not much difference. 32 changes in all, but most of them are innocuous. Here's what is different about the Modern default binds compared to the Classic default binds:

 

ctrl+0 "powexecserverslot 10"
ctrl+9 "powexecserverslot 9"
ctrl+8 "powexecserverslot 8"
ctrl+7 "powexecserverslot 7"
ctrl+6 "powexecserverslot 6"
ctrl+5 "powexecserverslot 5"
ctrl+4 "powexecserverslot 4"
ctrl+3 "powexecserverslot 3"
ctrl+2 "powexecserverslot 2"
ctrl+1 "powexecserverslot 1"

 

shift+0 "powexecalt2slot 10"
shift+9 "powexecalt2slot 9"
shift+8 "powexecalt2slot 8"
shift+7 "powexecalt2slot 7"
shift+6 "powexecalt2slot 6"
shift+5 "powexecalt2slot 5"
shift+4 "powexecalt2slot 4"
shift+3 "powexecalt2slot 3"
shift+2 "powexecalt2slot 2"
shift+1 "powexecalt2slot 1"

 

shift+f1 "teamselect 1"
shift+f2 "teamselect 2"
shift+f3 "teamselect 3"
shift+f4 "teamselect 4"
shift+f5 "teamselect 5"
shift+f6 "teamselect 6"
shift+f7 "teamselect 7"
shift+f8 "teamselect 8"

 

mousechord "+forward$$playerturn"

 

leftdragworld "+camrotate"
mbutton "+camrotate$$camturn"
w "+forward$$playerturn"

 

These last 3 support a kind of gameplay that leaves the camera completely detached from the character. In my opinion, those commands are more useful in PVP than anywhere else. They are an improvement I think.

 

The Modern profile moved the "powexecalt2slot" commands from CTRL+# to SHIFT+#
Moved the "team_select" commands from SHIFT+# to SHIFT+F#
All to reduce finger strain and make room for...

 

And added the "powexecserverslot" commands as default bindings for the first time to CTRL+#

All the rest of the default keybindings are the same between the two profiles.

 

So really not too much difference between the 2 profiles. I haven't tested the new mousechord binding yet (when you press and hold both the right and left mouse buttons at the same time). So I'm not yet sure if it's an improvement over "+mouse_forward" or not.

 

 P.S. Oh! I forgot to mention one other change. You can no longer save a list of all your keybinds, nor save the default keybinds. You end up with a file that contains only your custom binds, or a blank file. 

 

Edited March 1 by BlackSpectre
added space between lines

[Krimson]

I haven't tried making a new toon yet. If I do, will binds get messed up?

[nihilii]

It's too late for me, saved it all. It doesn't seem to have erased anything!

But if it does, for someone in the same situation as I am... You could just log on an old character with the right binds, and then save *those* binds to the default file once the bugs are fixed, right?

[The Chairman]

7 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

It sure is a good thing the devs added this to the release candidate just days before sending it live instead of, you know, having it on test server long enough for people to actually test.

 

Hey, now, not everything can be as perfectly executed as the tip changes...

[BlackSpectre]

12 hours ago, Krimson said:

I haven't tried making a new toon yet. If I do, will binds get messed up?

Not at all. When you make a new toon the game's default keybinds will be loaded onto your character. If you have any custom binds in your keybinds.txt file, then they will be loaded too.  If you don't, then you'll just be using the game's default binds.

 

 If you have a lot of custom keybinds saved in keybinds.txt, it would be a good idea to make a copy of it and store it somewhere else on your computer for safe keeping. 

Edited March 2 by BlackSpectre

[BlackSpectre]

12 hours ago, nihilii said:

It's too late for me, saved it all. It doesn't seem to have erased anything!

But if it does, for someone in the same situation as I am... You could just log on an old character with the right binds, and then save *those* binds to the default file once the bugs are fixed, right?

Maybe. It depends on whether or not the server retains your custom binds until then. There are many variables that could wipe them from the server. Look inside your keybinds.txt file, if there are custom binds in there, copy that file and save it somewhere else on your computer for safe keeping. 

[tidge]

Can someone explain why my settings, specifically the power timer countdown choices keeps resetting for all my characters, and if possible what is the path forward to resolving it?

 

FWIW: I have macros and binds set up for most of my characters. I *may* have saved a default bind file somewhere.

[BlackSpectre]

5 hours ago, tidge said:

Can someone explain why my settings, specifically the power timer countdown choices keeps resetting for all my characters, and if possible what is the path forward to resolving it?

 

FWIW: I have macros and binds set up for most of my characters. I *may* have saved a default bind file somewhere.

The best way forward would be to re-post this question in the Help & Support section of the forum, or send in a petition while in game (/petition).

 

My thoughts? Unless you have a bind or something that keeps loading in old options.txt settings, they shouldn't reset. I haven't played much since Page 7 hit, been doing a lot of other things, so don't have any personal experience to share. Sorry.

[Lunar Ronin]

7 hours ago, tidge said:

Can someone explain why my settings, specifically the power timer countdown choices keeps resetting for all my characters, and if possible what is the path forward to resolving it?

 

FWIW: I have macros and binds set up for most of my characters. I *may* have saved a default bind file somewhere.

 

I've heard similar things, and they're all from players using Tequila or Sweet Tea.  If that is the case for you, try the Homecoming Launcher.

[Shenanigunner]

On 3/1/2024 at 2:01 PM, WanderingAries said:

This is why many save their binds either to specific names or even archive them into other places just in case something bad happens.

 

You can no longer save a complete set of binds; only those you change.

 

Everything else is swept up into a single, meaningless, "key_profile" setting. (Which doesn't even use the same terminology as the menu.)

 

The entire, longstanding, extremely useful/tutorial method of save/examine/change/load is completely broken in favor of being able to select between three all but identical profiles and one for joysticks.

 

But it's a good thing profiles named "Classic" "Modern" and "Issue 1" tell us everything we need to know about their contents!

 

 

Although I was informed in no uncertain terms that "this breaks nothing, nothing I tell you!" it means that comprehensive grasp of the key bind set, beginning experimentation with it and even coherent management by experienced binders is now all but blocked. You have to start bllind, with no list of the exact binds used (especially the ones that are not listed in the menu), and then climb a fairly steep learning curve, to do what last month was a much easier, newb-friendly, pro-supporting system.

 

Yeah, I think it's broken. But y'know, that's just an opinion. What do I know, after only 19 years of investigating, documenting and sharing the possibilities of a system that can improve the gameplay and QoL of just about every player. And is now (for no really good or useful reason) boxed and firewalled to be much more difficult to learn and use.

 

 

Edited March 4 by Shenanigunner

[WanderingAries]

Sounds like it from what I'm reading. I didn't see the update (elsewhere) until after posting initially.

[Sunsette]

After some experimentation to try and fix some odd bugs I was dealing with, it looks like the new keybind save format has an issue where it struggles to wipe a preceding overwrite sometimes and your overwrites for a key conflict. I had to manually clean some of my bind files to remove duplicate entries.

[Lunar Ronin]

17 hours ago, Shenanigunner said:

Everything else is swept up into a single, meaningless, "key_profile" setting. (Which doesn't even use the same terminology as the menu.)

 

FWIW, while the new keybinds system does have some issues, the "key profile" setting isn't meaningless.  It lets all of my new characters immediately use the Classic profile, instead of defaulting to the Modern profile and having to go change that on every character.

[Sunsette]

And likewise made it very simple for me to turn my existing binds to modern immediately. 

 

Though I think shenanigunner means that an end user can't understand what that means and is not able to easily hack the controls it switches.

[PeregrineFalcon]

I actually have 2 keybind files that I load with all new characters. First is for the basic keybinds I use on all characters. Second is for the travel power. There's actually several different versions of the second depending on which travel power and which version of sprint that character is using.

 

I don't save the binds to the default file though, I have a named file that I load. Is this going to be a problem going forward with this new "system"?

[CFIndustries]

I do the same thing PeregrineFalcon, and am curious as to a firm answer as well.

 

So far it doesn't seem to be an issue on existing alts or new alts. My load file was based on a complete export of parameters previous to the change, complete with me putting "nop" on default binds I didn't want to use. So am hoping since everything is explicit when loading these files it essentially reverts to all the old default binds with my custom ones on top.

[Sunsette]

23 hours ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

I don't save the binds to the default file though, I have a named file that I load. Is this going to be a problem going forward with this new "system"?

 

I've seen no issue with backwards compatibility with pre-existing bind files, only some issue with how new bind files are auto-created by the game.

[Herotu]

I agree with the OP. 

 

Someone... and please forgive me, I can't recall the name, did a very in-depth website all about keybinds in CoX. It's an amazing example of dedication, but the keybinds weren't to my taste. It was all things like rolling text files and such, so if you press a button it did something and then switched to another file so when you press the key again you get something different. All very clever, but like I said, not to my taste. It took forever to reset everything.

 

[edit] Looking at the responses, I see the name now, it was Shenanigunner.

Edited March 16 by Herotu