Creating custom "Attack Patterns"

akistos

I think it would be a great idea (and streamline gameplay) to allow players to actuvate multiple abilities with one key press.

For instance, I use Emergency Power to Weapons, Cannon Rapid Fire II, and Torpedo High Yield, and Wing Cannon Overload one i've melted my target's shields. Often it takes several seconds to activate those abilities, but if I could string them all together and bind it to say, "control+4" I could activate all those abilities as y personal attack pattern

Saving time means more blowing stuff up and that makes me happy

voporak

+1 to this.

Something like:
Giving it our own name, like say Alpha Strike (I'll use my own for an example).
Choosing which powers activate with it, say, APA, APB, CRF, GDF, TF, TT, FOMM, and subspace jump.
A special section is created under options>keybinds for custom keybinds.
Maybe a little symbol customization for recognizable symbols on the tray.
It gets put in the drag to tray powers window.

tcostik

I don't use them, so I could be wrong, but can't you already do something very similar with keybinds?

maxvitor

Keybinds do not allow you to create a string of commands and have it execute with a single keypress, this was deliberately implemented to prevent players from creating a push one button to win command. You can bind multiple commands to one key but you are required to push that key repeatedly to step through each command in the string.

tpalelena

maxvitor wrote: »

Keybinds do not allow you to create a string of commands and have it execute with a single keypress, this was deliberately implemented to prevent players from creating a push one button to win command. You can bind multiple commands to one key but you are required to push that key repeatedly to step through each command in the string.

How can you do that? Still sounds useful.

maxvitor

The tutorial thread here is called Keybinds For Dummies. There are also a number of websites that detail how to do it.

tpalelena

maxvitor wrote: »

The tutorial thread here is called Keybinds For Dummies. There are also a number of websites that detail how to do it.

Thank you!

Though those command lines do look darn hard to understand... I'm not a coder.

dalnar83

There is a program with which you can easily create Macros for STo and just load it to the game. But I have forgotten its name.

Edit: Ah found it, god bless stickies in PvP section

http://www.ifes.us/STOKeyBind/index.html

the1tigglet

maxvitor wrote: »

Keybinds do not allow you to create a string of commands and have it execute with a single keypress, this was deliberately implemented to prevent players from creating a push one button to win command. You can bind multiple commands to one key but you are required to push that key repeatedly to step through each command in the string.

keypad and gamepad macros do that tho. So it's all in your gear.

I personally say no to this because we already have too much on the attack patterns as it is having too much power in one place. Before they can do something like this thiey'd have to separate the attack patterns and evasive patterns into separate skills (like they should be) so that people can't make a secondary Iwin button that uses the Iwin buton that's already there.

Then maybe.

frtoaster

maxvitor wrote: »

The tutorial thread here is called Keybinds For Dummies. There are also a number of websites that detail how to do it.

That post is kind of out of date. In particular, it has the wrong execution order for concatenated commands. The following PDF is more up-to-date:

http://www.ifes.us/HowToKeybind/Star%20Trek%20Online%20Key%20Binds.pdf

You can also try the wiki. It has a more recently edited version of the post above:

http://www.stowiki.org/Guide:_Keybinds

frtoaster

tpalelena wrote: »

Thank you!

Though those command lines do look darn hard to understand... I'm not a coder.

It's not actually coding. Keybinds don't have conditional branches or loops.

maxvitor

The big thing that people should remember is, putting too many things in a one keystroke automated macro means you wait, big time for the sequence to complete, every function has a cooldown and some actually share cooldowns, the game doesn't queue keystrokes, it ignores keypresses for functions in cooldown. There will come times when you want to execute a function out of sequence from your scripted macro but thanks to the macro, the function you may desperately need is stuck in a shared cooldown caused by one of the functions activated in your macro. Then the magic I win button becomes the suicide button instead. This is the major pitfall of using game gear automated macros.

The keybind system in game requiring you to press the key for each step allows you to stop at any point should you choose to execute a function directly out of the order defined in your keybind sequence, you are not locked into a sequence that could get you killed when the situational requirements vary rapidly.

akistos

Wow! so much useful information. Thanks guys, i'm gonna get started

shadow71

From the moment this game came out I ventured outside of the rank of macro and strings (all that noise). From beta I decided to find a way to use my keyboard, flightstick and headset together. What I found after so many hours of tweeking the game itself is I give my ship a command through my headset for example: Shields up, Rotate Shields, or Rapid Fire and my ship follow my commands. I use three programs to gain success for this, instead of using that option that PW/Cryptic set up within the options which I find totally useless. I use my Logitech joystick application, I use a voice command program which is on everyone's computer called Speech Reconigtion. With SR you have to teach your computer to understand your voice so you have to go through a short tutorial. Next you go to Microsoft and download a program called Microsoft Macro. What the macro does is bridge your speech from your voice to SR to the game. It will only help you if you used small term words to activate a power on your UI. The only problem I have with this set up is when I get a new ship and my UI gets switched around so I have to set back and start my layout back over. I wish that Cryptic would figure out a way to lock the AIs within their stations so the powers will not move around. This problem have not accured lately being that now I am max yet on another toon. With my Joystick, keybinds and voice commands I have so much fun with this set up of mine.

for those who are interested here is the link for microsoft macro

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13045


Have any questions hit me up within game @kage71

agentnice

Part of any game is skill. If all you need to do is press one button to do 4 things, it's not exactly a skillful act. The reward for accomplishing the act you're attempting is negated if all you have to do is press one button. Even if you always win, does it really matter? If they implemented a Win Button, would you really want to use it? At what point is it OK to say "*TRIBBLE the skill required. I want this to be easy." I say keep it how it is, learn your keystrokes, and execute them masterfully. If you can do that and still win, then you *deserve* to win and it will feel that much better because you *used your skills* to accomplish that crazy train of abilities you had to execute.