Messages

16

Off-topic / Re: Hardware upgrade ...

« on: June 16, 2023, 12:41:12 pm »

Looks like Apple pulled off a low-key coup at the WWDC that has flown a bit under the radar for gaming.
The next OSX version (Sonoma) that is due later this year looks like it is going to include an emulation kit for DX12 ... meaning that it becomes a whole lot easier to run windows games on apple silicon through emulation (and not needing to resort to Crossover or Parallels to do the job).

It'll be curious to find out if this means I'll be able to return to playing on Rebirth later this year ...

17

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: What went wrong with Mids' Reborn?

« on: June 07, 2023, 10:19:17 am »

Found a new problem with the updated Mids Reborn.
Tell me if you can see the issue.

18

Off-topic / Hardware upgrade ...

« on: June 06, 2023, 07:49:47 pm »

My current computer, a late summer 2011 intel chipped 27" iMac is finally reaching the end of life cycle for some of the electronic components (suspect the capacitors in the power supply are drying out their electrolyte after all this time), and I'm starting to see intermittent unplanned spontaneous reboots. I was wanting to hold out and wait for the M3 mac mini ... but it looks like my current machine won't be able to live that long (I'm already into "borrowed time" apparently). 

So I've plotted out what I want to replace my computer with, but the migration will mean that I'll need to step away from Rebirth for an indeterminate amount of time while I get everything set up on a completely new hardware set and get everything running (hello, Parallels emulation) so as to be able to run a CoH Launcher on apple silicon. Nice thing about the migration is that I'll be upgrading to a 5k Apple Studio Display, which ought to look SO MUCH BETTER than this ~12 year old screen and AMD 6970M GPU that's been abandonware for the past 7+ years or so.

The cut over will happen (probably) at some point next week, so if I'm not attending iTrials with Ku no Ichi for a little while ... that's probably why.

19

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: What went wrong with Mids' Reborn?

« on: June 06, 2023, 08:11:55 am »

I believe those are the correct levels for the extra slots for Health and Stamina. Levels 8 and 16, you get free slots for Health on Rebirth. Levels 12 and 22, you get them for Stamina.

Huh.
Wonder why that was "so wrong for so long" previously then?

RI3 patch notes: LINK

Guess that helps explain why importing any previous builds FAIL as hopelessly corrupt with data hashes that can't be parsed.

20

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: What went wrong with Mids' Reborn?

« on: June 05, 2023, 11:19:03 pm »

Clean loaded Mids again (just to be sure), and it looks like MOST of the issues have been addressed. I'm not seeing "triplicate enhancement slots" happening anymore which result in the last enhancement slot to place being Level 48.

This, however, is minorly concerning (still) ...



The correct numbers should be:

Health: 2, 9, 17
Stamina: 2, 13, 23

You know, like this ...

21

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: What went wrong with Mids' Reborn?

« on: May 31, 2023, 08:06:14 am »

Please update this post once a fix for the issue has been made available (so we know to go download the update).

22

General Suggestions and Feedback / What went wrong with Mids' Reborn?

« on: May 28, 2023, 08:26:30 pm »

So I clean loaded the new Mids' Reborn update and ... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

The levels to assign enhancements is really messed up.
The planner is showing extra freebie enhancement slots at 8 and 16 for Health (this is wrong).
The planner is showing extra freebie enhancement slots at 12 and 22 for Stamina (this is also wrong).
I have to place 3 slots at 9 (this is wrong).
I have to place 3 slots at 13 (this is wrong).
I have to place 3 slots at 17 (this is wrong).
I have to place 3 slots at 23 (this is wrong).
71 slots placed (correct) is reached after placing only 2 slots at 48 (this is wrong).

Rebirth 3.5.5 (Rebirth Issue 29, Volume 1 - DBVersion 2023.5.341)
Used in app update to current version.

Whatever is going on here, seriously BROKE something in the app.

23

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: E-Mail Test

« on: May 17, 2023, 08:15:37 am »

Received in SPAM @ Tue, May 16 at 8:33 AM.

24

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: E-Mail Test

« on: May 08, 2023, 11:06:25 pm »

No email received (checked spam folder, nothing).

25

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: Suggestion: Account Storage Chest/Vault

« on: April 04, 2023, 11:09:27 am »

Even something as simple as a "20 item inventory space" account share of items would solve a LOT of character to character transfers on a single account.

You don't need a 100 item space (like a Salvage Rack) to serve this purpose ... a 20 item inventory (that can be cycled by logging alts) would be quite sufficient.
Note that in-game email has a limit of 20 also, so it's not like an account shared 20 slot inventory space would be unbalancing. At worst, it would make mass transfers between characters on a single account FASTER to complete, without risking hitting the 150 in-game mails per day.

26

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: Malaise's outfit in the character creator?

« on: April 04, 2023, 07:39:11 am »

If you quote my post, you'll see the coding I used in order to make the image show up correctly.

27

Mastermind / Re: [v2.2] Ninja/Time Contrankermind Supremacy

« on: April 03, 2023, 02:54:28 pm »

Okay, first off ... obviously Contrankermind is a portmanteau of Controller+Tank+Mastermind ... so why do I make such a claim for my build?
Well ... because of how it plays ...

Owing to the multiple overlapping mix of soft controls (debuffing recharge, debuffing regeneration, debuffing speed, debuffing to-hit, immobilize, knockdown) as well as hard controls (mainly holds, although some stuns and confuse get thrown into the mix too) the combination of Ninja Primary and Time Manipulation Secondary winds up feeling suspiciously akin to playing a more "blast" oriented Controller (such as Fire, Gravity or Illusion) than some of the "harder controlling" powersets for Controller (such as Earth or Mind). The combination of Ninja/Time offers a wealth of overlapping options to RUIN SOMEONE'S DAY very convincingly ... but because it isn't "too heavily invested" into being a One Trick Pony™ the way some other powerset combinations can be, you're less likely to run into Kryptonite Corner Cases in which half (or more) of your build is completely worthless.

The flipside to all of that soft+hard control from Time Manipulation has been just how surprisingly EFFECTIVE Ninjas can be as "battle winners" when the Mastermind goes out of their way to leverage Bodyguard Mode (Defensive Stance+Follow) to extend the survival rates of Ninjas, who are notorious for having the life expectancy of pre-folded flimsy origami rice paper thrown into a waterfall. Without battlefield support from their (parent) Mastermind, Ninjas are just INCREDIBLY VULNERABLE when they've got aggro ... because everything hits them and they've got no resistances to speak of (so every hit maims them massively). Time Manipulation (especially once slotted up!) solves almost ALL of those survival issues.

• Debuffing Recharge makes Foes "skip a turn" (repeatedly) while you and your Ninjas keep piling the damage onto those Foes
• Debuffing Speed denies Foes the opportunity to "escape the Defeat Zone" (and helps prevent your Ninjas from running off)
• Debuffing To-Hit makes Foes "MISS" when they attack, negating the value of whatever attack(s) they attempt
• PBAoE Healing actually MULTIPLIES the value of your healing potential, because Bodyguard Mode shares damage with the Ninjas (who all regenerate too) and gives far more mitigation yield than would otherwise be possible

Add in a "ranged alpha strike" option starting with either Snap Shot/Aimed Shot/Fistful of Arrows to deal with packs of Minions, or a Time Crawl+Time Stop combo to take a Lieutenant/Boss out of a fight right from the start, or even a Distortion Field+Slowed Response AoE opener against a collection of Foes to "start them off badly" from the beginning ... and you've got a build plan that favors "taking lots of turns" while your adversaries have limited and curtailed options on how to retaliate. Even better yet, when they do retaliate, any alpha strike response will be directed at your Mastermind (not your Ninjas), which will share damage through Bodyguard Mode to your Ninjas, prompting your Ninjas to retaliate.

In actual gameplay, it often times feels like my Mastermind and Ninjas "just keep taking more turns" while my Foes are "debuffed into the ground" and barely get to take more than one turn of their own before they get mired into "skip a turn" territory ... during which time my Mastermind and Ninjas just lay waste to my Foes relatively quickly.

We Be Fast While They Be Slow. 



Even better yet, this "performance profile" isn't a result of any ONE singular factor taken in isolation ... but is rather the product of the holistic UNITY of the entire build successfully employed and integrated together as mutually reinforcing elements that yield a bewildering number of force multipliers. It's really hard to explain how it ALL comes together (in actual gameplay) inside of a forum post, since the Player Skill(s) involved do not easy translate into a pure text format like a forum post such as this one ... but it's really hard to deny that the potential for massively rewarding gameplay immersion and experience IS THERE.

As with all things Mastermind, there are a LOT of skills to master(mind) ... from situational awareness, mode shifting (attack, support, positioning, pet management, etc.) and even "battlefield management" that can turn a situation heading towards a rout into an overwhelming come from behind victory ... but the build plan I've finally settled upon (the [v2.2] here) does ALL of these things relatively seamlessly once the PLAYER has been "trained" with the necessary muscle memory experience to deploy the Bag o' Tricks this build offers most effectively.

Scrappers, by preference, love to "suffer" from Scrapperlock.
This Contrankermind Supremacy build offers a master class in ... Masterlock. 

During every combat, you're ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING, because you never have time to be just standing around admiring the scenery.
The best playstyle with this build is EXTREMELY ACTIVE and ENGAGING.
So for anyone who has ever thought that Masterminds were "boring" to play, because it meant nothing more than being a buffbot for your pets, making you a "spectator" during your own adventures ... the thinking behind this build plan might just be right for you.



Just this morning, I was able to reach Level 45 with Ku no Ichi, my Praetorian (who never left Praetoria) Mastermind.
In order to keep earning XP to reach Level 50, I either need to Exemplar to join lower level Praetorian alts while they level ... or ... I have to solo hunt Hamidon Seedlings in First Ward. Those are the only routes that remain for a Goldsider who remains Goldside to earn the experience necessary to finally achieve Level 50. Incarnate unlock @50 can be accomplished by an already Incarnate alt going to Ouroboros and purchasing an Alpha Slot Unlock Token, which can then be redeemed from in-game mail ... after which, Ku no Ichi will start making appearances at weeknight iTrials launching from Pocket D.

At the rate I'm gaining Levels now, Ku no Ichi might be in position to join iTrials starting next week. We'll see how it goes.

So if anyone with an alt leveling through Praetoria gets a tell from be asking if you want a "battle buddy to join you on your adventures" ... understand that teaming up for lower level content "reruns" is FAR more preferable to solo hunting Hamidon Seedlings in First Ward.

28

General Suggestions and Feedback / Re: Malaise's outfit in the character creator?

« on: April 03, 2023, 02:09:50 pm »

29

Mastermind / Re: [v2.2] Ninja/Time Contrankermind Supremacy

« on: April 02, 2023, 12:29:37 am »

From this foundation, I then load in my bindloadfile(s) for each alt.

For my Mastermind ... that means loading a "master" Ninja control file that uses "reserved" keys that don't get overwritten by sub-options in the various sub-files.  In my case, that is the Ninja.txt file which then controls which groups of Pets and/or individual Pets I'm wanting to address at any given time.

Ninja.txt

Code: [Select]

t bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+t bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaRoku.txt"
ctrl+t "petselectname Roku"
y bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+y bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaNana.txt"
ctrl+y "petselectname Nana"
u bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaGenin.txt"
shift+u bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaHachi.txt"
ctrl+u "petselectname Hachi"
g bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaJounin.txt"
shift+g bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaShi.txt"
ctrl+g "petselectname Shi"
h bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaJounin.txt"
shift+h bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaItsutsu.txt"
ctrl+h "petselectname Itsutsu"
b bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaAll.txt"
shift+b bindloadfile "./binds/NinjaOni.txt"
ctrl+b "petselectname San"
ctrl+4 "petselect 0$$powexecname Train Ninjas$$unselect"
ctrl+5 "petselect 0$$powexecname Kuji In Zen$$unselect"
lshift+lctrl+lbutton "powexecname Turbo Boost"
For whatever reason, my game client simply WILL NOT accept any additional commands being appended onto a bindloadfile command.  This means I can't do something like load a bind file AND execute a power function (toggle on, toggle off, execute, etc.) within the same keybind.  It just doesn't work for me.  For this reason, I have needed to get as bare bones basic as possible with my keybinds so as to ensure that my keybinds actually WORK on my game client ... rather than FAIL spectacularly and utterly refuse to work (or even load properly, as it turns out).



Using my common core keybinds (as shown in the previous post), I've settled upon putting my summoning/training powers into Tray 5 (so Control + 1-0) and my "leave the on toggles" (such as Time's Juncture and Leadership toggles) in Tray 6 (so Control + F1-F10). As you'll see down below, I use Control+X to dismiss pets (depending on the "command bindset" I have loaded at the time) so using Control+ to (re)summon and (re)train dismissed/new summons makes for the most ergonomic and easiest arrangement to coordinate one-handed.

In this particular instance, I've assigned the Control+4-5 keys for training, but with the added twist of automatically selecting the "topmost" pet in the pets window, casting the training power and then automatically deselecting the pet as a target. This automation helps with speeding up the process of training pets and returning to combat as quickly as possible (when necessary).


When it comes to naming of my Ninjas, I simply named them as ... numbers (in Japanese) ... even my Mastermind.

• Ku no Ichi (九の一) means literally "1 of 9" for my Mastermind ... but written as KunoIchi (くノ一), which sounds EXACTLY THE SAME to the ear, it literally means "Female Ninja" while also being the stroke order for the kanji used to write woman (女).  So yeah, multi-level linguistic pun in this context.
  
  
• San (三) is the number 3 ... is my Oni ... uses the B key.  The pun here being this makes him Oni-San ... for those who like their onii-san jokes.
• Shi (四) is the number 4 ... is my Jounin 1 ... uses the G key.
• Itsutsu (五) is the number 5 ... is my Jounin 2 ... uses the H key.
• Roku (六) is the number 6 ... is my Genin 1 ... uses the T key.
• Nana (七) is the number 7 ... is my Genin 2 ... uses the Y key.
• Hachi (八) is the number 8 ... is my Genin 3 ... uses the U key.

As for what happened to number 2 ... Ni (二) ... I deliberately leave that number (and pun potential) "unused" so it can mean anything anyone wants it to.  Ninjas are just mysterious that way, you know?

So that's how I named my Ninjas.  I've explained it this way so that anyone who is (still) reading at this point will be able to easily identify what they need to do a Find/Replace on when converting my bindloadfiles for their own use, either as other Ninja Masterminds (easy) or as other primary type Masterminds (a little bit more involved, but doable with some extra effort).

Also, just as an extra aside, I incorporated emotes that my Mastermind will "perform" whenever issuing any commands to my Ninjas.

• Attack emotes a Throat Slash.
  
• Goto emotes a Point.
  
• Follow emotes a Thow Confetti (to signal them with sparkles where to fall back to).
  
• Aggressive emotes a Bring It (as my Ninjas race to engage any hostiles nearby).
  
• Passive emotes a Stop.
  
• Defensive emotes a Get Some.
  
• Dismissal of Ninjas emotes a Buzz Off (and the Ninjas disappearing in their own puff(s) of smoke).

If you're adapting my bindloadfiles to other Mastermind primary powersets, you may want to edit which commands incorporate which emotes, and to do so you'll want to do a simple Find/Replace All with the desired replacement emote in all of the bindloadfiles you're using for your own command set.  I picked these emotes because they're thematic to a Ninja Mastermind, but feel free to get creative on your own if you want something else.

So these are the requisite bindloadfiles called for by the "master" bindloadfile of Ninja.txt above (there are 9 of them).

NinjaAll.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcomall attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcomall aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcomall goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcomall passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcomall dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcomall follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcomall defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "nop"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaGenin.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Genin attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Genin aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Genin goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Genin passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Genin dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Genin follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Genin defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Hachi$$petselectname Nana$$petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaJounin.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Jounin attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Jounin aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Jounin goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Jounin passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Jounin dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Jounin follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Jounin defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Itsusu$$petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "nop"
alt+y "nop"
alt+u "nop"
alt+g "nop"
alt+h "nop"
alt+v "nop"
alt+b "nop"
NinjaOni.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Oni attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Oni aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Oni goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Oni passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Oni dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Oni follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Oni defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname San$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname San$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaShi.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Shi attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Shi aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Shi goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Shi passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Shi dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Shi follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Shi defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Shi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Shi$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaItsutsu.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Itsutsu attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Itsutsu aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Itsutsu goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Itsutsu passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Itsutsu dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Itsutsu follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Itsutsu defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Itsusu$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Itsusu$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Itsutsu$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaRoku.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Roku attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Roku aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Roku goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Roku passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Roku dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Roku follow$$em fireworksparkle"
shift+c "petcompow Roku defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Roku$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Figh$$em alakazamt"
alt+g "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Roku$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaNana.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Nana attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Nana aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Nana goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Nana passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Nana dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Nana follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Nana defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Nana$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Nana$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Nana$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
NinjaHachi.txt

Code: [Select]

z "petcompow Hachi attack$$em slash"
shift+z "petcompow Hachi aggressive$$em bringit"
x "petcompow Hachi goto$$em point"
shift+x "petcompow Hachi passive$$em stop"
ctrl+x "petcompow Hachi dismiss$$em buzzoff"
c "petcompow Hachi follow$$em throwconfetti"
shift+c "petcompow Hachi defensive$$em kissit"
+v "petselectname Hachi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
+shift+v "petselectname Hachi$$powexecname Temporal Selection$$powexecname Smoke Flash"
alt+t "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Break Free$$inspexecpettarget Emerge$$inspexecpettarget Escape$$inspexecpettarget Liberate$$em alakazam"
alt+y "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Insight$$inspexecpettarget Keen Insight$$inspexecpettarget Uncanny Insight$$inspexecpettarget Sight Beyond Sight$$em alakazam"
alt+u "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Enrage$$inspexecpettarget Focused Rage$$inspexecpettarget Righteous Rage$$inspexecpettarget Furious Rage$$em alakazam"
alt+h "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Catch a Breath$$inspexecpettarget Take a Breather$$inspexecpettarget Second Wind$$inspexecpettarget Back in the Fight$$em alakazam"
alt+g "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Respite$$inspexecpettarget Dramatic Improvement$$inspexecpettarget Resurgence$$em alakazam"
alt+v "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Luck$$inspexecpettarget Good Luck$$inspexecpettarget Phenomenal Luck$$inspexecpettarget Amazing Luck$$em alakazam"
alt+b "petselectname Hachi$$inspexecpettarget Sturdy$$inspexecpettarget Rugged$$inspexecpettarget Robust$$inspexecpettarget Resistant$$em alakazam"
Now ... if you're still reading this, there's a few things I wanted to point out as little bits of clever conveniences built into these bindloadfiles, and how they inter(re)act with the ergonomics of the keyboard setup I'm using.



So the first thing I've got is that if I've got the All, Genin or Jounin files loaded/active, because those files all address multiple Pets simultaneously, it's simply not possible to use a keybind to issue an inspiration to a specific Pet, because you need to have a $Target chosen to send the inspiration to THAT specific Pet.  This is why I've got the Alt+(T/Y/U, G-H and V/B) keys doing this work of selecting the Pet and issuing the "largest" inspiration of that type available to that individual Pet automatically for me.  All I need to do is use the Shift+(T/Y/U, G/H or B) key combination FIRST to pick the Pet I want to send the inspiration to ... and then use the Alt+(T/Y/U, G/H and V/B) to send the right inspiration TYPE to that Pet.

Alt+T = Break Free
Alt+Y = Accuracy
Alt+U = Damage
Alt+G = Endurance
Alt+H = Heal
Alt+V = Defense
Alt+B = Resistance

I set things up this way so that it's at least easier to remember "what goes where" by grouping categories together as a mnemonic aid.

Break Free / Accuracy / Damage
Endurance / Heal
Defense / Resistance


Another thing that some people may notice about my bindloadfiles is ... what's going on with that +v key in there?

Well, that's a trick stolen from the Kheldian keybinds.

By setting up +v the way I did here, it's going to try to activate Smoke Flash on the down press of the V key, and then when you release the V key (if you don't let go of it "too fast") it will queue up Temporal Selection to activate next ... all with a single keystroke.

The idea here is that in a lot of situations (not all, granted, but a lot of them) I'd want to be using Smoke Flash as either an opener for a Pet about to take an alpha strike for me ... or because that Pet is in trouble and their green bar is dropping fast and something needs to be done to save them.  The Smoke Flash will Placate nearby $Targets and enable a critical hit on their next few attacks (for 10s) by a Ninja Pet, but I'm thinking that if I need to "rescue" them from too much aggro like that, they're almost certainly going to need more healing if I'm using Smoke Flash as an "Oh S***!" button.  What the +v keybinding does for me then is allow me to cause Smoke Flash AND Temporal Selection to be used on the same Pet with "one" keystroke ... assuming I've got that specific Pet's bindloadfile active so as to issue the keybind combo to THAT specific Pet.

Now ... granted ... in this current v2.0 build I skipped Smoke Flash completely in favor of other powers available ... but that might not always be the case for every build that wants to use these keybinds. So I've left the Smoke Flash "factor" in the binds just in case it could become relevant in an alternate build ... of if someone else wants to use these bind files as the basis for their own Mastermind and they simply want to Find/Replace the Smoke Flash power with something else.



Another thing that I'm sure anyone else playing with these keybinds will notice is ... I've built in emotes for my Mastermind to "do" while directing traffic around the battlefield.  I've even got a Throw Confetti emote (that actually throws sparkly bits up into the air) for telling my Ninjas to "heel" and follow me, so as to "signal" them from afar, if need be, on where the rally point is supposed to be.

Telling my Ninjas to attack involves a throat slashing emote from my Mastermind.

It took me a while to figure out what emotes I wanted to associate with what commands, but I eventually got it all worked out and tested (that took a long time!).


At any rate, I hope that this (updated) Mastermind Control Scheme of mine winds up being useful to other people besides myself, particularly since I've gotten a few PMs from people asking me for an update on the current state of play of my bindloadfiles for my Mastermind.  Well ... here they are.

Enjoy.  8)

30

Mastermind / Re: [v2.2] Ninja/Time Contrankermind Supremacy

« on: April 02, 2023, 12:28:10 am »

Bindloadfiles for controlling (my, specifically) Ninja Mastermind Pets, in case anyone wants to use my scheme as a starting point for their own Mastermind build(s).
But first ... I need to explain a few more things.

I know ... this is my shocked face.


So, first of all, I need to explain what my keyboard and mouse setup is, simply so as to make the ergonomics of my user interface is like.

I use a (wired) full keyboard Apple Keyboard (I'm a Mac user) ... and I use a dirt cheap/bare bones wired Logitech M100 mouse (two buttons plus scroll wheel). My keyboard looks like this:



This is my "common for every alt I play" default keybind file (keybind.txt) that I use as a kind of "common core" for building all of my control schemes around. I then have subsidiary keybind files that I use to "personalize" any modifications that are needed for specific characters and then load those files after starting with this basic core of keybinds.

My standard layout of trays in the UI is to have all 9 trays visible at all times in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, so I can "see everything all the time" that is in those trays. Makes it easier to put the same powers in the same places on multiple characters for increased commonality (and muscle memory of locations).

keybinds.txt

Code: [Select]

w "+left"
e "+forward"
r "+right"
s "+turnleft"
d "+backward"
f "+turnright"
space "+up"
shift+space "+down"
ctrl+space "nop"
q "powexectray 5 9"
shift+q "++autorun"
ctrl+q "powexectray 10 1"
alt+q "powexectray 10 9"
a "powexectray 6 9"
shift+a "powexectray 7 9"
ctrl+a "powexectray 8 9"
alt+a "powexectray 9 9"
1 "powexectray 1 1"
2 "powexectray 2 1"
3 "powexectray 3 1"
4 "powexectray 4 1"
5 "powexectray 5 1"
6 "powexectray 6 1"
7 "powexectray 7 1"
8 "powexectray 8 1"
9 "powexectray 9 1"
0 "powexectray 10 1"
F1 "powexectray 1 2"
F2 "powexectray 2 2"
F3 "powexectray 3 2"
F4 "powexectray 4 2"
F5 "powexectray 5 2"
F6 "powexectray 6 2"
F7 "powexectray 7 2"
F8 "powexectray 8 2"
F9 "powexectray 9 2"
F10 "powexectray 10 2"
shift+1 "powexectray 1 3"
shift+2 "powexectray 2 3"
shift+3 "powexectray 3 3"
shift+4 "powexectray 4 3"
shift+5 "powexectray 5 3"
shift+6 "powexectray 6 3"
shift+7 "powexectray 7 3"
shift+8 "powexectray 8 3"
shift+9 "powexectray 9 3"
shift+0 "powexectray 10 3"
shift+F1 "powexectray 1 4"
shift+F2 "powexectray 2 4"
shift+F3 "powexectray 3 4"
shift+F4 "powexectray 4 4"
shift+F5 "powexectray 5 4"
shift+F6 "powexectray 6 4"
shift+F7 "powexectray 7 4"
shift+F8 "powexectray 8 4"
shift+F9 "powexectray 9 4"
shift+F10 "powexectray 10 4"
ctrl+1 "powexectray 1 5"
ctrl+2 "powexectray 2 5"
ctrl+3 "powexectray 3 5"
ctrl+4 "powexectray 4 5"
ctrl+5 "powexectray 5 5"
ctrl+6 "powexectray 6 5"
ctrl+7 "powexectray 7 5"
ctrl+8 "powexectray 8 5"
ctrl+9 "powexectray 9 5"
ctrl+0 "powexectray 10 5"
ctrl+F1 "powexectray 1 6"
ctrl+F2 "powexectray 2 6"
ctrl+F3 "powexectray 3 6"
ctrl+F4 "powexectray 4 6"
ctrl+F5 "powexectray 5 6"
ctrl+F6 "powexectray 6 6"
ctrl+F7 "powexectray 7 6"
ctrl+F8 "powexectray 8 6"
ctrl+F9 "powexectray 9 6"
ctrl+F10 "powexectray 10 6"
alt+1 "powexectray 1 7"
alt+2 "powexectray 2 7"
alt+3 "powexectray 3 7"
alt+4 "powexectray 4 7"
alt+5 "powexectray 5 7"
alt+6 "powexectray 6 7"
alt+7 "powexectray 7 7"
alt+8 "powexectray 8 7"
alt+9 "powexectray 9 7"
alt+0 "powexectray 10 7"
alt+F1 "powexectray 1 8"
alt+F2 "powexectray 2 8"
alt+F3 "powexectray 3 8"
alt+F4 "powexectray 4 8"
alt+F5 "powexectray 5 8"
alt+F6 "powexectray 6 8"
alt+F7 "powexectray 7 8"
alt+F8 "powexectray 8 8"
alt+F9 "powexectray 9 8"
alt+F10 "powexectray 10 8"
shift+ctrl+1 "inspexec_slot 1"
shift+ctrl+2 "inspexec_slot 2"
shift+ctrl+3 "inspexec_slot 3"
shift+ctrl+4 "inspexec_slot 4"
shift+ctrl+5 "inspexec_slot 5"
shift+ctrl "nop"
tilde "targetcustomnear enemy alive$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Quantum$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Void$$targetcustomnext enemy alive Sapper"
shift+tilde "targetcustomnext enemy defeated"
ctrl+tilde "follow"
tab "target_enemy_next"
shift+tab "target_enemy_prev"
ctrl+tab "nop"
numpad1 "teamselect 1"
numpad2 "teamselect 2"
numpad3 "teamselect 3"
numpad4 "teamselect 4"
numpad5 "teamselect 5"
numpad6 "teamselect 6"
numpad7 "teamselect 7"
numpad8 "teamselect 8"
shift+numpad1 "petselect 0"
shift+numpad2 "petselect 1"
shift+numpad3 "petselect 2"
shift+numpad4 "petselect 3"
shift+numpad5 "petselect 4"
shift+numpad6 "petselect 5"
shift+numpad7 "petselect 6"
shift+numpad8 "petselect 7"
F11 say "Ready!$$emote thumbsup"
F12 say "$battlecry$$emote attack"
shift+F11 say "HELP!$$emote whistle"
shift+F12 say "RUN!"
enter "nop"
shift+enter "nop"
ctrl+enter "em point$$say $target sighted."
backspace "afk Sending tell…$$autoreply"
shift+backspace "afk Sending tell…$$beginchat /tell $target, "
' "afk Typing…$$startchat"
esc "unselect"
shift+[ "screenshotui 0$$screenshot$$screenshotui 1$$screenshot$$em {click}"
\ "menu"
delete "++first"
home "+zoomin"
end "+zoomout"
pageup "nop"
pagedown "sync$$reloadgfx$$camreset$$camdist 24"
; "em cellphone$$ah"
shift+; "em screen$$vault"
n "em cellphone$$windowtoggle contacts"
m "em drinkenriche$$map"
comma "em inspiration$$windowtoggle mission"
mousechord "+camrotate$$camreset$$camdist 24"
shift+mousechord "+camrotate"
rbutton "+mouselook"
mousewheel "powexecunqueue"
lalt "nop"
up "nop"
down "nop"
left "nop"
right "nop"
- "nop"
alt+- "nop"
/ "nop"
b "nop"
c "nop"
equals "nop"
alt+equals "nop"
h "nop"
lctrl "nop"
mbutton "nop"
p "nop"
ralt "nop"
sysrq "nop"
t "nop"
v "nop"
ctrl+v "nop"
x "nop"
z "nop"

The organization of these keybinds plays out like this.


First, there are the movement controling keybinds.



Rather than using a typical WASD setup for movement control by left hand on keyboard (yes, I'm right handed), I instead invert that into a WERD setup for movement control because of how much easier it makes the ergonomics of my (left) hand position on the keyboard.

• Left Ring Finger: naturally rests on the W key
• Left Middle Finger: naturally rests on the E key
• Left Index Finger: naturally rests on the F key

The advantage of this arrangement is that the F key on most keyboards (including mine) has a small raised bump on it for tactile feedback recognition of correct hand position (which is helpful in touch typing). That simple bit of tactile feedback helps keep my left hand in the right placement even when I'm looking up at the screen rather than down at my hands on the keyboard.

E/D are forward/back.
W is strafe left.
R is strafe right.
S and E are spin turns, but I almost never use them since I do most of my turn control using the mouse (better fine grained control using the mouse).
Spacebar is jump/fly up (and Shift+Spacebar is fly down)

Q and A get used as "throttle up/throttle down" in other games (that use a throttle), but here in City of Heroes I use Q/A to select movement modes (and autorun) with the shift, control and alt keys as additional modifiers.

In my tray 9 I put:

• Ninja Run (slot 5)
• Prestige Power Surge (slot 6)
• Sprint (slot 7)
• Prestige Power Slide (slot 8)
• Walk (slot 9)
• Jump Pack (slot 10)

If I've picked a Travel Power (such as Gadgetry: Jetpack) I'll put that power into tray 1, slot 10 (all the way over on the right in the bottom corner).

With the common core keybinds I've set up, this gives me the following combinations without needing to write new binds for every character:

• Q = Ninja Run
• Shift+Q = Autorun toggle on/off
• Control+Q = Travel Power
• Shift:Control = Turbo Boost
• Alt+Q = Jump Pack
• A = Prestige Power Surge
• Shift+A = Sprint
• Control+A = Prestige Power Slide
• Alt+A = Walk

Since the combination of Ninja Run+Prestige Power Surge (in my opinion, the most attractive looking prestige sprint power) often times winds up being my fastest mode of travel, I tend to default towards using it as a matter of routine, even when other options are available. I like using (actual) Sprint as my "stealth on demand" power once I've gotten a Celerity: +Stealth proc slotted into it because (actual) Stealth doesn't produce any light bloom or aura FX while the power is toggled on.


Next I've got my layout for (Foe) $Target selection and the binds for powers in trays, using these keys:



The combinations for the trays works out like this:

• 1-0
• F1-F10
• Shift + 1-0
• Shift + F1-F10
• Control + 1-0
• Control + F1-F10
• Alt + 1-0
• Alt + F1-F10

The tilde and tab keys get used for targeting of Foes, with different functions in combination with the Shift, Control and Alt keys again.

Tilde will target the nearest undefeated Foe.
Shift+Tilde will target nearest defeated Foe (useful for powers that require corpses).
Control+Tilde will toggle Follow of the selected $Target.
Tab is target next.
Shift+Tab is target previous.

Rapid targeting of Teammates is done via 1-8 on the numpad.
Rapid targeting of Pets is done via Shift + 1-8 on the numpad.
These functions can become quite relevant for rapid targeting of buffs and heals to teams.


Chat functions are largely sequestered over on the right hand side of the keyboard, as you can see here:

• F11 = Ready!
• F12 = $Battlecry
• Shift+F11 = Help!
• Shift+F12 = RUN

Tells chat is handled through the backspace/delete key (for getting "back" to people on private chat).

I use the apostrophe key instead of the Enter key to start chats, simply to avoid any "mode confusion" that can arise from using Enter to start a chat and to send text to a chat channel once I've finished typing.

Control+Enter is used to declare $Targets to whatever chat channel I've currently got set. I use this to announce Quantums/Voids for Kheldian allies to be aware of, along with other potential Foe hazards (so others I'm with know that I've got them).


Keyboard commands of menus and functions are broken out into binds in these locations:

• Page Down does multiple things ... including unloading graphics (to force garbage collection and a reload of the graphics buffer). It also resets the camera position to behind my character, 24 feet away, which makes for a decent "all around view" needed for PBAoE targeting and awareness.
• Home/End are the camera zoom in/zoom out keys
• Delete is the first person view toggle
• ESC is the unselect/cancel key (as usual)
• Backslash brings up the menu (as usual)
• Shift+[ is used for screenshots (automatically takes two screenshots per click, one with the UI off and one with the UI on)
• Semcolon brings up the Auction House (with an emote)
• Shift+Semcolon brings up the Vault (with an emote)
• N toggles the Contacts window (with an emote)
• M toggles the Map window (with an emote)
• Comma toggles the Missions window (with an emote)

As far as keybinds to the mouse go, they're fairly standard ... albeit with some nice refinements that I've only just recently perfected.

• Right Mouse Button = turn character and camera together while held down
• Left+Right Mouse Buttons together = turn camera independently of character and snap back to default position when released(!)
• Shift+Left+Right Mouse Buttons together = turn camera independently of character but do not adjust camera after release (good for glamour screenshots)
• Mousewheel rotation (any direction) = unqueue Power, useful for canceling a queued up Power that you've changed your mind about using

At the end of the keybinds.txt file there are a lot of "nop" assignments (meaning "no operation") that essentially unbind those keys to prevent them from calling their original default assignment functions. I want to be sure those keys are "unbound" in order for them to be made available when personalizing and tailoring the keybind setups of heavily UI dependent setups such as needed by Masterminds and Kheldians (and even to a more limited extent, some Soldiers of Arachnos as well).