Guys, i may have an answer to annoying assist keys.

[Snowy42]

I've been using a scripting program for some time now called AutoHotKey. This program is a fantastic program for doing a LOT of things, a few people use this completely for multiboxing with nothing else.

But i've come up with something that i think MIGHT work... And if it does, it's going to be awesome!

Don't you hate clicking on a target and then having to click an assist macro to get your alts to target your target? Or, don't you hate having to write a macro for EVERY ability just to say '/assist focus' then cast the spell?

I might have the answer!! What if, every time you clicked the mouse it would make your slaves assist you? Say you run up to an enemy, the leader clicks on them and the leader and all slaves target the same enemy, viola!

Do you guys think this would be a good thing to have? or would it be annoying/useless? Let me know, because i might be able to do this!

[Ualaa]

If you can toggle it on and off, then its decent.

Most of the time, you'd want the slaves to auto assist the main.
But sometimes, you'll want sticky targeting, where they don't change unless you tell them to.

I can duplicate this already, with IS Boxer.
Basically, if I put the key on an FTL DPS Key, then pressing the key (straight wow spell, no macro) has the slaves first assist and then do whatever they have on the same key.
While it's easy enough to make another mapped key, which does not do the FTL Assist Me action, I could as easily make a toggle which disables that mapped key, making it impossible for the slaves to auto assist when I press an FTL DPS Key.

Worst case scenario, you'll be providing an extra tool, one which some will get a use out of and others not so much. But more options are almost always better then fewer choices.

[Snowy42]

What if it only worked if the user was holding Alt or shift or something like that? a Key that usually sits around the users hand.

And if this is already available on IS Boxer, maybe it could be something that can be implemented into PwnBoxer

[Janus]

Originally Posted by Snowy42

I've been using a scripting program for some time now called AutoHotKey. This program is a fantastic program for doing a LOT of things, a few people use this completely for multiboxing with nothing else.

But i've come up with something that i think MIGHT work... And if it does, it's going to be awesome!

Don't you hate clicking on a target and then having to click an assist macro to get your alts to target your target? Or, don't you hate having to write a macro for EVERY ability just to say '/assist focus' then cast the spell?

I might have the answer!! What if, every time you clicked the mouse it would make your slaves assist you? Say you run up to an enemy, the leader clicks on them and the leader and all slaves target the same enemy, viola!

Do you guys think this would be a good thing to have? or would it be annoying/useless? Let me know, because i might be able to do this!

I would be very careful about any scripting that would have the potential of bypassing intended key presses by the game client, as they will be considered automation by the Warden and might lead to headaches. You want to be very careful walking that fine line.

[Snowy42]

Originally Posted by Janus

I would be very careful about any scripting that would have the potential of bypassing intended key presses by the game client, as they will be considered automation by the Warden and might lead to headaches. You want to be very careful walking that fine line.

Well all i would be doing is setting something like '0' to the targeting macro, then make my mouse press 0 as well as normally clicking

[Janus]

Originally Posted by Snowy42

Well all i would be doing is setting something like '0' to the targeting macro, then make my mouse press 0 as well as normally clicking

If you're doing this with one mouse click, you're bypassing an intended click. At least that's how I understand it.
I would post on the official forums (customer service) and make sure it's ok

[Snowy42]

Good idea... thanks for the heads up. Once i get internet at home again i'll get onto it!

If IS Boxer can do it though, why couldn't i do it this way?

[Ualaa]

Auto Hot Key has been around for a long time. If you're physically at the keyboard and pressing your keys, you won't have an issue with this.

As far as automation goes, the concern is in pressing one key now. And having that same key execute a step in 3 seconds and then another step in 8 seconds and then more things down the road, without any further input from the user.

A mapped key or hotstring, which first assists a given toon and then presses another key, all on one press from the user is fine. Blizzard is 100% okay with multiple key strokes (all at once) from a single input. It is the delaying until later, or automatic looping which will get you into issues. The whole FTL assist method basically has the user press one key, it references the FTL Key to determine who to assist based on where the input came from, and then executes whatever spell/ability. Tens of thousands, if you look at all the software that does this or can have it implemented (Keyclone, GameCommanderPro, Pwnboxer, IS Boxer, AHK, HKN, Octopus, CloneKeys, etc), have been using this functionality for years without issue.

There would be no issue against this as far as the GM's, Warden or Blizzard is concerned.

[Snowy42]

Ah good! So no delay means no worries basically! :P

Because really, this is the same thing as making a macro that casts two abilities at once (of course one has no GCD). It's just two keystrokes at the same time!

[Ualaa]

No unattended play is the big thing.

If everything that happens is a direct result of something you pushed, released or clicked, and the output occurs at the time you give the input, then you're fine.