Quick macro question

[Zikke]

Is there a way to bind one key to either use a ?ID or _ID whichever is in my inventory?

I have my ?ID autoinscribe with '@r0' and my _ID autoinscribe with '@u0' but I keep having to switch my actual macro to either z0 or u0. Is there any way to make it just use both or whichever is present?

Like "r0, if that fails then u0"?

[Derakon]

I don't have the game in front of me to check, but if Vanilla has a "unified use" command (that does appropriate actions for the item chosen, e.g. quaffing potions, reading scrolls, aiming wands, etc.), then you should be able to inscribe both items with the same inscription and, since staves come later in the inventory than scrolls, it'll only use the staff if you're out of scrolls. Of course, this isn't generally what you want. To my knowledge there's no way to attempt to use a staff, and default to scrolls only if the staff is out of charges.

[Magnate]

I don't have the game in front of me to check, but if Vanilla has a "unified use" command (that does appropriate actions for the item chosen, e.g. quaffing potions, reading scrolls, aiming wands, etc.), then you should be able to inscribe both items with the same inscription and, since staves come later in the inventory than scrolls, it'll only use the staff if you're out of scrolls. Of course, this isn't generally what you want. To my knowledge there's no way to attempt to use a staff, and default to scrolls only if the staff is out of charges.

And we don't yet have a unified use command - that's coming any year now ... (http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/51)

[Zababa]

I want to use this thread to ask whether three is a command which would repeat the last action. Occasionally, I want to shoot three or four missiles but don't want to care to create macros. I am learning to dive and my characters die too quickly, so it bothers me to set similar macros for every new character over and over again. But maybe there is a key I could press after I once type "f1'" (shoot the first missile at the nearest target) which would repeat that.

[Magnate]

I want to use this thread to ask whether three is a command which would repeat the last action. Occasionally, I want to shoot three or four missiles but don't want to care to create macros. I am learning to dive and my characters die too quickly, so it bothers me to set similar macros for every new character over and over again. But maybe there is a key I could press after I once type "f1'" (shoot the first missile at the nearest target) which would repeat that.

There is a "repeat last command" action but I never use it - I think it's 'n' - and I also think it's buggy (http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/966).

You can, however, save your macros and reload them for each new char, without having to redefine them all. This needs a lot more improvement, but at the moment the files user.prf and <charname>.prf are automatically loaded when you start. So if you save your generic macros to user.prf they'll always be available. If you don't mind keeping your chars with the same name, you can use the charname pref file as well or instead. Or you can save your own pref file and load it manually.

[Timo Pietilä]

You can, however, save your macros and reload them for each new char, without having to redefine them all. This needs a lot more improvement, but at the moment the files user.prf and <charname>.prf are automatically loaded when you start.

Also matching <class>.prf is loaded automatically. I have separate files for all classes, so that mage gets mage macros and priest gets priest macros and so on.

Makes gaming a lot easier.

If you know the syntax you can edit macro files with text editor directly, add comments etc.

[Magnate]

Also matching <class>.prf is loaded automatically. I have separate files for all classes, so that mage gets mage macros and priest gets priest macros and so on.

I have spent years trying to set this up and have never, ever got it to work.

[Timo Pietilä]

I have spent years trying to set this up and have never, ever got it to work.

That's weird. I have used those several years and it has always worked. You need to put them in /lib/user -directory. It used to be /lib/pref. (it might work from /pref too, but I know it works from /user. That's where game dumps your macro/keymap-files)

Just create new char for each class, define macros and dump them to <class>.prf, and you have a basic file set.

[Zababa]

Thanks for the information. the 'n' key looks fine, I'll watch out for some potential bugs.

I was used to suffix a generation number after the Name of my character like (Nimral_IV), which was why I had to meddle with macro and setting files over and over again. Now I tried what you say about leaving one name for every race/class combination I play, and reuse that dead character over and over again. It is a more convenient method, macros and settings are loaded automatically. In this case, however, I might spend some time on defining macros again.

BTW: Is it possible to change the class of a character which is based on a dead one? E.g. I load my dead hobit rogue for his son to use his father's monster knowledge but I want him to be a ranger or any of the other classes.

[Magnate]

Thanks for the information. the 'n' key looks fine, I'll watch out for some potential bugs.

I was used to suffix a generation number after the Name of my character like (Nimral_IV), which was why I had to meddle with macro and setting files over and over again. Now I tried what you say about leaving one name for every race/class combination I play, and reuse that dead character over and over again. It is a more convenient method, macros and settings are loaded automatically. In this case, however, I might spend some time on defining macros again.

BTW: Is it possible to change the class of a character which is based on a dead one? E.g. I load my dead hobit rogue for his son to use his father's monster knowledge but I want him to be a ranger or any of the other classes.

Yes it is. The game automatically offers you a character based on the previous one, but you can escape out of that and choose a different race and/or class.

When we added the name suffixes we didn't change the macro handling - when I get round to this, it will automatically load FooBar.prf for every character called FooBar X where X is any roman numeral. (See http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/671.)

[Zababa]

when I get round to this, it will automatically load FooBar.prf for every character called FooBar X where X is any roman numeral. (See http://trac.rephial.org/ticket/671.)

This sounds very promising. I am really looking forward to 3.1.3 Then I can write the generation numbers again.

[Timo Pietilä]

Now I tried what you say about leaving one name for every race/class combination I play, and reuse that dead character over and over again.

I mean that you should have warrior.prf, rogue.prf, ranger.prf, paladin.prf and priest.prf with macros that are appropriate for that class. Those are then loaded when you start your char based on which class it is no matter which name it has.

You can then have whatever savefile, character name, class, race etc. you choose and always have right set of macros. Much, much easier that way.

[buzzkill]

Thanks for the information. the 'n' key looks fine, I'll watch out for some potential bugs.

I use 'n' constantly. I assumed everyone did. Although it's functionality could be improved in a few situations, I've never seen it do anything that I would describe as 'buggy'.

[Jungle_Boy]

I also use 'n' all the time and I've never had any problems. What I did to create my macro files was just play a class then usually whenever i made a macro I would save it to both the name.prf file and class.prf this way I eventually created macro files for each class with the basic macros if it was a macro specific to the character I left it off the class file.

[Derakon]

I use 'n' constantly. I assumed everyone did. Although it's functionality could be improved in a few situations, I've never seen it do anything that I would describe as 'buggy'.

Likewise. It's very handy, particularly for re-firing ammo or spells at a not-yet-dead enemy. The only thing I'd describe as a "bug" with it is that I can't use it to repeatedly enchant the same piece of gear.