Create Group (invite/follow)

I'm a new user trying to get some sort of basic functionality working in EQ. Autofollow/assist was easy enough, now I'm trying to get my setup to form a group by sending out the invites, and them being accepted.

Using this thread as a guide/walkthrough, I've had no success whatsoever. The only behavior at all I've been able to to identify from this is that if I hit the Hotkey that initiates this procedure enough (i.e. spam it because of frusteration?) then each boxed character will eventually invite my Main Atleast that was some comic relief.

Here's what I have...anything you can think of that might be my problem would be greatly appreciated:

[firescue17]

There is a bug/feature/limitation between ISBoxer and EQ which limits this method to a 15 character output including the "/", spaces, and "Enter."

Which is why this thread uses the new paste from clipboard for the Character Name.

At the very least, your Shaman's name is too long for the old method. I can't see the other Character's names in the screenshots.

Also, spamming it bound to jam things up (from the above thread):

NOTE: In order to avoid latency issues, the Variable Keystroke to accept an invitation must be on a completely separate Keypress from the text string used to Invite the Character. More often than not, Invite actions using Keypress Down: /invite <Character>, Keypress Up: <Accept Invitation> will result in a failed Invite as the receiving Member attempts to accept the Invite prior to the communication traversing the network. Using "Do Not Advance for .5 seconds" on Mapped Key Steps appears to be the sweet spot for Group Invitation accuracy.

There is a bug/feature/limitation between ISBoxer and EQ which limits this method to a 15 character output including the "/", spaces, and "Enter."

Which is why this thread uses the new paste from clipboard for the Character Name.

At the very least, your Shaman's name is too long for the old method. I can't see the other Character's names in the screenshots.

Also, spamming it bound to jam things up (from the above thread):

NOTE: In order to avoid latency issues, the Variable Keystroke to accept an invitation must be on a completely separate Keypress from the text string used to Invite the Character. More often than not, Invite actions using Keypress Down: /invite <Character>, Keypress Up: <Accept Invitation> will result in a failed Invite as the receiving Member attempts to accept the Invite prior to the communication traversing the network. Using "Do Not Advance for .5 seconds" on Mapped Key Steps appears to be the sweet spot for Group Invitation accuracy.

Thanks, I didn't realize the guide I was using was outdated. I'll try to use the one you linked, which I did see, but I'm also trying to avoid injecting so much information into ISBoxer and not getting anything functioning back out.

There's a wealth of information in all your posts which is pretty awesome, just to much for me at one time. I'll see if I can just focus on your single group section in there and get something out of it. Thank again!

[firescue17]

Your welcome.

It's not so much outdated as Lax put in the clipboard function so it's "better." Save for the 15 character limitation, either way will work.

but I'm also trying to avoid injecting so much information into ISBoxer and not getting anything functioning back out.

I can certainly appreciate that. My profile is thousands of hours "Ya know what would be cool if ..."

I've tried categorize and break things down into bite-size sections; please ask if anything is vague or unclear.

Your welcome.

It's not so much outdated as Lax put in the clipboard function so it's "better." Save for the 15 character limitation, either way will work.

but I'm also trying to avoid injecting so much information into ISBoxer and not getting anything functioning back out.

I can certainly appreciate that. My profile is thousands of hours "Ya know what would be cool if ..."

I've tried categorize and break things down into bite-size sections; please ask if anything is vague or unclear.

Well, after almost 4 hours and no progress, I ended up just making a social in EverQuest on my main character that invited each boxed character. Then I just turned on Repeater and hit Ctrl+I from main character and the group was formed. Took less than 20 seconds.

This is totally not the way to effectively do a create group function nor the way I wanted to do it, but I was getting frustrated.

Here's what I have that didn't work. First, I'll state what I did, and then what it did when I hit the Hotkey from the Main Character window at the end. Note: I only took screenshots of some of it, as Invite MAG is the same as Invite SHM (except for the characters name, of course).

First, I made a new Mapped Key to mimick the Paste function. Basically i Just copied your screenshot, Firerescue, and made it send the Keystrokes for "/", "Ctrl+V", and then "Enter".



Then, I wanted to send an invite to my Shaman, in Slot 2.





And then finally, accept a invite on the Shaman. All this is suppose to do is hit a Key Variable I made, to do "Ctrl+I". It's the same as my original post. Real simple.



Finally, you can see the this is all Key Mapped into "SendInvites4Box" with a Hotkey of Ctrl+F12.

When on my Main character Slot 1, and I hit this Hotkey, here is what happened:

1) Nothing. I waited awhile, nothing got typed in, nothing got sent to any boxes, no invites had gone out, no invites had been accepted. I assume nothing at all happened.
2) If I hit it again... things get interested. Slot 2 (my Shaman) will invite my Main Character. I guess after the second time I hit Control +F12, my Shaman in Slot2 hit Ctrl+I. How it invited my Main character, who knows.
3) If I hit it again, my Mage, in slot 3, will then invite my Main character. Lol'ing yet?
4) Finally, if I hit it a 4th time, my Bard, in Slot 4, will invite my Main Character.

I'm sure there is some sort of pattern here, but I just can't make any sense of it whatsoever.

I'd really like to get -= THIS=- approach to forming a group rather then a static macro in EverQuest... so, does anything jump out at you ?

From a newbie's perspective, here what I think is happening:

The Key Variable I made to do the "Ctrl+I" is doing its part, which is why all my characters are Invite my main character each time I hit the hotkey, once at a time.

So this would probably work if I figured out why the other characters aren't getting sent invites. If I got that to work, then I'd just have to hit Control F12 about 5 times to get everyone in group?

[firescue17]

When on my Main character Slot 1, and I hit this Hotkey, here is what happened:

1) Nothing. I waited awhile, nothing got typed in, nothing got sent to any boxes, no invites had gone out, no invites had been accepted. I assume nothing at all happened.

Thank you for pointing this out; I need to clarify this in the write-up. Did you set CTRL-V as the Paste from Clipboard Hotkey inside EQ: options -> Keys -> All? It is empty by default.

2) If I hit it again... things get interested. Slot 2 (my Shaman) will invite my Main Character. I guess after the second time I hit Control +F12, my Shaman in Slot2 hit Ctrl+I. How it invited my Main character, who knows.
3) If I hit it again, my Mage, in slot 3, will then invite my Main character. Lol'ing yet?
4) Finally, if I hit it a 4th time, my Bard, in Slot 4, will invite my Main Character.

If you look in EQ Options -> Keys -> Commands, you will note the keybind says "Invite/follow." Follow in this case is referring to accepting an outstanding Invitation. This keybind has dual function inside EQ (and why I chose the particular name I did for the Variable Keystroke inside the ISB Toolkit):

1) It sends an invite to a TARGETED Character;
2) It accepts an outstanding invitation sent from another Character

If my first assumption is correct, that you didn't set a hotkey for Paste from Clipboard inside EQ; there is nothing being pasted and hence no invite for your boxes to accept. At which point the command is going to fallback and try to send it's own invite from the Boxes. I suspect your Boxes had your Main targeted and therefore each Box was attempted to Invite it's "TARGET," which coincidentally happened to be your Main.

You've also inadvertently stumbled into another issue which I have addressed; although I have gotten to the portion of the write-up where I explain it. My disband key is as follows:

Step 1; Keypress Down: <Target F1: Self>
Step 2; Keypress Up: Disband

This makes each Character target itself so I know exactly who their Target is in the event the new Invites lag out.