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(3.6) Creating basic macros & inscribing items, predefined macros ----------------------------------------------------------------- Macros are absolutely obligatory, you _will_ need them, so read this carefully and if something isn't explained well, ask your fellow players to clarify. In turn-based single-player rogue-like games you always have enough time to press "q" (quaff a potion) followed by the according inventory slot, for example b) (if there is a potion of cure critical wounds in the second inventory slot). However, TomeNET is multiplayer and real-time. This means you don't have enough time to look at your inventory and search the correct letters for items which you might need *this instance* to avoid certain death. Often situations get hectic, for example if all of a sudden dark-elven warlocks come around the corner while you are engaging a pack of wolves, then you need kind of a panic button that quickly transports you out of trouble. To comply with this need, a macro system has been implemented, allowing you to program freely choosable keys of your keyboard to perform a series of other keypresses or commands when pressed. These macros can also interact with certain items of your inventory by using "item inscriptions". You can inscribe items (with the '{' key) as often as you like to. To remove an inscription again, use the '}' key. Note that there is a fast method to create macros: The Macro Wizard. If you don't want to dive into macro creation too much, just use it instead to easily create macros for you. Press % to enter the macro menu and then z to start the wizard, which will guide you through macro creation in easy steps. Don't forget to 's' save your macros afterwards. The game will suggest a filename that is your character's name with an attached '.prf' suffix, you should just press ENTER key to accept that suggestion, as this will make the macro file automatically loaded whenever you log on with that character. See (3.7c) for more info on the macro wizard. Predefined macros: ------------------ There are also a few predefined macros on some keys, so you can use these right from the start without creating any additional macros of your own. Some require you to inscribe an item to use with it (press '{' to inscribe): Key Purpose of the Macro The macro Inscription itself on the item(s) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ F1 fire with ranged weapon at closest target \e)*tf- (you can inscribe your ammunition: != to pick it up automatically) F2 quaff a potion inscribed @q1 \e)q1 @q1 F3 quaff a potion inscribed @q2 \e)q2 @q2 F4 quaff a potion inscribed @q3 \e)q3 @q3 F5 read scroll inscribed @r1 \e)r1 @r1 F6 read scroll inscribed @r1 \e)r2 @r2 F7 read scroll inscribed @r1 \e)r3 @r3 F11 throw item inscribed {bad} at closest monster \e)*tv@bad\r- {bad} F12 use any kind of item. \e)*t/1- @/1 If it's a ranged magic device then use it on the closest hostile target. (Your magic device ability determines your chance of successfully using a magic device, so it won't take you too many tries to activate, see (7.10)) ; Guide search :/?\s [ Repeat last chat input :^P\r X Swap equipable items inscribed @x0 w0 , Reply to last private message :+: For example warriors will start with a potion of berserk strength. It is very typical for newbies to completely forget about using it. So first thing you can do is to press '{' key to inscribe the potion, when prompted type in this inscription for it: @q2 Now whenever you press the F3 key (compare the table above) your character will try to quaff a potion inscribed @q2, which will be your berserk strength potion or any other potion you inscribe @q2, for example a speed potion. Note that only the first item that matches the inscription is used, so you cannot drink multiple potions at once this way by inscribing them all in the same way. If your character finds (or buys) a scroll of phase door, just inscribe it @r1 and voila, likewise you will be able to phase by pressing the F5 key then. Now the F11 key macro actually throws an item that is inscribed "{bad}" at the closest monster. This can be used to throw bad potions that you don't want to drink and that can't be sold at monsters, to possibly affect them negatively. And the most tricky one maybe, the one on the F12 key: It works with any kind of item. If you inscribe food @/1 then pressing F12 will eat it. If you inscribe a potion or scroll, then it will quaff or read it. But to make the most use of it, you probably want to inscribe a magic device you find, like a wand or a staff. If used with wands (or other items that require a target), this macro will automatically target the closest monster. --- Continuing about manual macro creation.. A quick note about inscribing items: Inscriptions aren't just used for macros, but also just for yourself to help you remember properties of an item. Inscriptions don't just help you to remember the abilities of certain items, they can also interact with the macro system and other aspects of the game. Chapter (0.3) has a list of important inscriptions. Usually if you want to quaff your potion of Heroism or read a scroll of Phase Door, you would press keys 'q' 'c', q for quaff, then c for third inventory slot for example, or 'r' 'd' (r for read, then d for the fourth inventory slot, if your scroll resides here). However, if you just picked up another potion, your inventory order might be changed and you had to remember the new positions of your vital potion and scroll. Now we are going to create three macros that will instantly quaff the potions or read a scroll of recall, no matter where in the inventory they exactly are, on a single keypress! Inscribe the potion of Heroism "@q1", the scroll of Phase Door "@r1" and the potion of Cure Light Wounds "@q2". It should look like this now: b) a potion of Heroism {+,1} {@q1} c) a potion of Cure Light Wounds {+,1} {@q2} d) a scroll of Phase Door {+,1} {@r1} Now we will create macros that make use of these items. Invoke the macro menu by pressing '%' key. Then choose "(a) Enter a new action" and enter the following two characters and press Enter: q1 Now choose "(h) Create a hybrid macro", then press the F1 key. Now enter a new action, this time q2 instead of q1. Create another macro, this time hit F2. Then Enter the third macro, r1, and choose F3 key. Have your TomeNET client save the macros to a file on your hard disk, in your TomeNET directory at \lib\user by choosing "(s) Save macros" and entering a filename, or simply confirming the shown default file name which is the same as your character (recommended!). Now if you press F1 you will automatically quaff the potion of Heroism, F2 for Cure Light Wounds and F3 to read the scroll. You are ready to enter the dungeon now. If you still have some spare money, buy a flask of oil to fuel your lantern if it runs out, as well as some rations of food in case you get hungry. The next time you log on, you may load your previously saved macro file by invoking the macro menu again ('%'), choosing "(l) Load macros" and entering the filename. If you saved the macros to the same name as your character, they will be automatically loaded, saving you that hassle. An even simpler way to create macros is the 'macro wizard' described in (3.7c). The macro recorder: ------------------- Note that instead of entering an action string (such as 'q1' or 'r5'), the macro menu also provides a 'macro recorder', which when invoked will record all your key presses until you enter the macro menu again. Then the keys you pressed will be the default action that you can directly bind to a trigger key by choosing normal, command, or hybrid macro. Note that while it is probably overkill to create macro hotkeys for items which aren't as important as healing or teleportation, inscribing them can still be helpful because it allows you to easily access them. Example: You inscribed your flasks of oil @F1 . Now if your lantern is running low on oil you just type the keys 'F' (to fill) and '1' instead of having to search your inventory for the correct slot letter the oil flasks reside at. Same goes for other items that aren't used in time-critical situations during combat but nevertheless regularly, like scrolls of identify. If two items have the same inscription, for example Potions of Cure Critical Wounds @q1 and Potions of Healing @q1, the item which is above the others in your inventory is chosen. So in this example you'd first use up all CCW potions, then use the healing potions because CCW are located above healing potions in your inventory. You can uninscribe items with the '}' key. Loading macros automatically: ----------------------------- If you save your macros to a filename that is the same as your character's name and add a '.prf' at the end, it will be automatically loaded as you join a game with your character, which is very helpful! Example: If your character is named 'Kinkan', save the macros to Kinkan.prf to have them loaded automatically. Note: If you're using a Linux version, remember that the file system is case-sensitive, so don't save your macros to 'kinkan.prf' since your character actually starts with a capital 'K' or the file won't be loaded. Make sure the filename and character-, class-, race- or trait-name are exactly the same ('Dwarf.prf', 'High-Elf.prf', 'Ranger.prf', 'Enlightened.prf'..). Another option is to save the macros to a file named 'global.prf' (all lower case letters). This is a special macro file that will always be loaded, for all characters of yours. You can also save macros to <racename>.prf, to <classname>.prf and to <traitname>.prf, like Warrior.prf to have them being auto-loaded on all characters of that class/race/trait. Last but not least, characters that change shape (Mimicry) can autoload macro files that depend on their form name (in addition to their character name) by naming them '<character name>^<form name>.prf' eg "Gandalf^Greater Balrog.prf". Priority order (latter one overrides prior one): These files are meant to store client options and configuration, you should NOT use them for macros: ----------------------------------- pref.prf (global for all OS and users on the system) *.opt files (client options configuration files, ending on ".opt") pref-<operating system>.prf (loaded if under the specific operating system) graphics-<operating system>.prf OR font-<operating system>.prf OR graphics-<dimensions>.prf OR font-<dimensions>.prf (loaded if using graphics / ascii font on the specified system) user-<operating system>.prf (loaded if under the specific operating system) These files can be used for saving your macros to without problems: ------------------------------------------------------------------- 'global.prf' (is always loaded for any character the player logs in with. be sure to use all lower-case letters, not 'Global.prf'!) <race>.prf (for the specific race) <trait>.prf (for the specific trait, particularly useful for Maiar) <class>.prf (for the specific class) <character name>^<form name>.prf (for that character and its current form) <character name>.prf (for the specific character the player logged in with) It is recommended to use only race/trait/class/character/character+form preference files for storing your macros. Command macros: --------------- Command macros are only executed if the game isn't currently waiting for a specific input, for example "quaff which potion?" or while you're typing chat messages. That means they won't "disrupt" any other command which is currently being run. This is convenient for keys which you use in chat, but can be dangerous if you define vital macros as command macros. It is recommended to make your most important macros normal macros or at least hybrid macros (for example a "panic key" macro). Command macros don't work in shops. Hybrid macros: -------------- Use 'create hybrid macro' instead of 'create normal macro' in case you don't want the macro to appear on hitting the corresponding key in a normal chat message (for example useful for '-' key so it won't prevent you from inscribing your Word of Recall scrolls). Hybrid macros still work within input requests such as "quaff which potion?", just not in STRING INPUT such as chat lines, polymorph-codes or money amounts. Hybrid macros don't work in shops. Delete macros: ---------------- If you accidentally bound a macro to a key which wasn't free, for example the key 'r' which is used to read a scroll, you can reset the key by -pressing % to invoke the macro menu -choosing '(d) - delete macro' -pressing the key wich you want to reset.
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