ISBoxing EverQuest

[Ualaa]

A suggestion.

Linking back to this document, from each of the others would make finding the 'Table of Contents' easier.
That or making the main document a Sticky, if Lax is willing.

[firescue17]

Thank you for the input. I will add a linkback to the different sections.

I've loaded your template in ISBoxer to look over it.

I was hoping to see what hot keys you use for executing certain actions, but I don't see any hot keys assigned. Ex. I press Q for everyone to perform?

I realize it says it's a template so am I to assume that not everything is defined, or do you point and click and don't use hot keys?

It would be nice to see a real example of using this template to pull and kill a mob, and maybe healing.

If you use this, how do you use it? I don't see any abstract key maps like "Pull Mob", "Casters Kill Target", etc. Or a more familiar example would be from the default config "DPS Rotation".

Also, do you give your Characters class names to make the template more flexible for like being able to use a Bard by any name and have it function the same?

Thx

[firescue17]

Some of these questions I'm going to defer until I have time to answer them thoroughly. It will only cause more confusion. The guide sort of stalled out over the last two months due to A) real life issues and B) I was stuck on a problem which I have since solved; however, it required re-engineering the entire structure of the profile. I'm in the process of running final tests and will be getting back to the guide as soon as that is done. Suffice it to say the real life issues have gone in my favor and I have a new super-duper computer with which to make videos in addition to write-ups.

I was hoping to see what hot keys you use for executing certain actions, but I don't see any hot keys assigned. Ex. I press Q for everyone to perform? I realize it says it's a template so am I to assume that not everything is defined, or do you point and click and don't use hot keys?

I run everything off of actual Keypresses. I don't use the mouse for anything but looting as there is no other way to do it. The template purposefully avoids assigning hotkeys. Everyone is going to have their own preference and age old habits of what key does what, what they use the mouse for, different hardware with different amounts of buttons, left-handed / right-handed-ness, etc. With that said, the Hotkeys I use are my G15 keys and the Home Row. The G15 is the equivalent of "Always On" in the QSW; since they're not used for typing, then never have to be turned off. The Home Row Hotkeys are the equivalent of "Combat Hotkeys." They are off by default, turned on with /assist and then off either with Tab or on their own using a Timer Action.

It would be nice to see a real example of using this template to pull and kill a mob, and maybe healing.

These are coming soon(tm) based upon the above. In addition to expanding the EQ Template; I have a rough draft of a new Menu Guide also. I'm really excited about the projects I have in the works, but I keep getting distracted by the ISBoxer syndrome "You know what would be cool if ..."

If you use this, how do you use it? I don't see any abstract key maps like "Pull Mob", "Casters Kill Target", etc. Or a more familiar example would be from the default config "DPS Rotation".

The reason you don't see it is it's not there yet. This is the issue I was stuck on prior to real life intervening. In addition to re-engineering the entire profile, I'm trying to make it plug-in to the QSW.

Also, do you give your Characters class names to make the template more flexible for like being able to use a Bard by any name and have it function the same?

I do both; however, the class Virtualization is very limited and essentially only applies to buffs (Do Buff HP to Class-DRU, Do Buff HP to Class-CLR, etc.). If you are going to do anything more advanced than 1 -> All w/Current, 2 -> All w/Current with combat in EQ it requires virtualizing on the Character level. The reason for this is due to the sheer volume of AAs, Clickies, Discs, Spells, Worn Equipment etc. Using some rough math: 16 classes with 10,000 AAs each. Say 200 of them are special activated abilities, I dunno, maybe 3000 of them affect the activation time, the cooldown reuse, or the duration of said AAs, Discs, and Spells.

Even if you have two characters of the same class, they may not be the same level. If they're the same level, they may not have the same spells. If they have the same spells, they may not have the same AAs. If they have the same AAs, they may not have the same use, reuse or duration on any number of Abilities, Discs, or Spells. If those are the exact same, they may not have the same clickies to thread, the same Breastplates with duration extensions. The list just goes on and on.

This is great information, and I appreciate the amount of work you've put into this. I've been a noob for a few weeks now, and I've done the typical "just make it work for now" stuff; the basics like grouping, follow, assist (all from any active window).

I'm currently using window stacking, and for now plan to assign quick hot keys to switch windows until until I'm comfortable that I can get the whole group to do pretty much what I want from a single window.

Anyway, as I started thinking about trying it with other games, I knew I would need to go in this direction. Much of what you have already done is stuff I was dreading, because I knew to get the flexibility and functionality I wanted I would need to do a similar setup. A simple example is when I was looking at my mapped keys that used keystrokes and strings, just like any programmer, when you see repeated parts you realize you really need to take those out and "call" them for consistency and flexibility.

So I was thinking you pretty much had a lot of the foundation done, and it's a matter of setting up my own key maps to create the more abstract "do this" when I press this hot key.

See, to me, your config makes more sense than the default config that is given. You've pretty much rebuilt the structure which is the same conclusion I was coming to as I thought about how I would do it. LOL, I know what you mean about working on something like this, it's never done, and with so many variables in EQ1 I think the best anyone could do is get the most common items in a structure, and then people will have to build off that.

I'm still wondering if using BRD to reference a character is going to be a problem, because I haven't thought through or checked on how I would manage a group with let's say 3 mages. Like you mentioned, they'll likely have differences so it could be problematic just having 3 MAG char under Characters, and then performing actions that only reference the Char MAG.
I'm going to look at it more, but I would think just leaving the char names in there and using ATG classes to perform common actions. It would seem I could still add another or new char and add them to the appropriate ATG. I'll look at it more.

Thx

Can we please get this guide stickied Moderator?

This def belongs at the top of this forum or the Pro Config forum. I should have found this day one when I was wondering about the capabilities of ISBoxer and how I should structure it.

Been using ISBoxer to play 3-5 chars in everquest for over a year now. Love it! Recommend it to everyone! Now I'm getting to content which requires better control of my set. I know this is the way to do it but I can't seem to make the first step. My long term goal is to get to running 6 chars but it's going to require better understanding of ISBoxer and possibly better computer components.

what I'm currently doing: using 10 "always on" key maps linked to the first hotbar so that I can have ten buttons that will have all 4 chars do something. Then I'm clicking over to other character windows to do other things. This alone is so unbelievably superior to alt + tab but I'm trying to take it to the next level.

This is my profile http://www.privatepaste.com/5b195f44a6

Can anyone point me in the direction to bridge what i'm doing with what Firescue17 is demonstrating here?

Thanks!

***************update**************

So I figured out what I was missing. I had to bind the keys in the game. Go to Alt+o, keybinding, then associate all the hot bars with key strokes. I was trying to do this through ISBoxer but it needs to be done for each character in EQ.

[Ualaa]

You don't necessarily need to switch windows for basic play.

You can execute a mapped key (or menu or clickbar) from any window.
If you click over for a specific action, you can hotkey a mapped key to perform that action.



My setup is likely not terribly advanced yet.
I've been doing EQ I for a couple of weeks now.
I basically have four lower toons who are leveling, with an out-of-group Druid & Bard nearby.

I am using the AY-CotF user interface, with the downloaded configuration file (rename to YourCharacterName_YourServerName.ini).
That gets me an absolutely identical configuration, on every toon.
I created a set of socials, which on my other toons do almost nothing aside from act as placeholders.
On the Druid (who is the healer), the socials basically...
/target SoAndSo
/pause 4
/cast 3
There are three socials per character (Quick Heal, Normal Heal, Big Heal) and two more sets for the pets.
With the potion of companion amnesia, the two mage pets have fixed names so the social doesn't need to be edited constantly.

You could probably set up a Menu to duplicate this... but I am familiar with Repeater Regions from my time within World of Warcraft.

On my G15 keyboard, I have G7 (Mage 1), G8 (Enchanter) and G9 (Mage 2) set for Assist & Pet Attack.
I have the key below, G10 for (Mage 1), G11 (Enchanter) and G12 (Mage 2) set for Assist & /pet Qattack.
So, from any window I can send the two mage pets to targets or to targets in a specific order; once the Enchanter is charming, ditto.

My setup isn't really all that complex, nothing like the one presented here.
But the important parts (Healing) and (Pets --> Tanking) can be managed from any window.

Thanks for this, will be using this template to setup a new box team and was getting a little overwhelmed so using this template as a starting point.

[soulsare]

just letting you know your template needs a minor tweak u left out necros under the class and character template sections