Thread: Droid's Combo-button Mastery

This is an AHK script (www.autohotkey.com) that will introduce a new functionality for performing Warden masteries.

Masteries can be accomplished by pressing and holding the first button, then the second. Eg, to perform [13], you hold down the 1 button, then press 3.

This means that you can perform all your masteries with just single presses of 1,2, and 3.

I tried to include some dummy-proofing code whenever I could to keep it from hijacking the keyboard in any unintended ways. This should only noticeably affect keyboard behavior while LOTRO is active, but you may notice some side effects if you forget to disable the script upon leaving LOTRO, or upon changing characters. Side effects will only occur if you press 1 2 or 3, and then press another key before you completely finish pressing the number, ie if you're typing fast, or spamming commands with the 1 2 3 keys on one of your non-Warden alts.

This is still largely untested and BETA so use at your own risk It may also take some "getting used to" as far as remembering to fully release keys, but I think it should still be fairly intuitive and quick to learn, and give you probably the ideal and most intuitive way to queue up masteries.

Updated 21Apr12 with new version! Includes double-tap functionality: doubletap 1 for your 11 double builder, etc. for 22 and 33, and doubletap 44 to activate your saved Battle Memory skill.

This new functionality will give a slight (0.11s) delay when typing 1, 2, 3, or 4 in the chat box in-game, so be aware to pause just a beat if you're typing those numbers.

Code:

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.


#UseHook

#IfWinActive The Lord of the Rings Online
{
3 & 1::
Send [31]
return
1 & 3::
Send [13]
return
1 & 2::
Send [12]
return
2 & 1::
Send [21]
return
2 & 3::
Send [23]
return
3 & 2::
SendRaw [32]
return

1::
KeyWait 1
KeyWait 1, D T0.11
if (!ErrorLevel)
 send [11]
 else send 1
KeyWait 1
return

2::
KeyWait 2
KeyWait 2, D T0.11
if (!ErrorLevel)
 send [22]
 else send 2
KeyWait 2
return

3::
KeyWait 3
KeyWait 3, D T0.11
if (!ErrorLevel)
 send [33]
 else send 3
KeyWait 3
return

4::
KeyWait 4
KeyWait 4, D T0.11
if (!ErrorLevel)
 send [BM]
 else send 4
KeyWait 4
return

+4::SendRaw $
+3::SendRaw #
+2::SendRaw @
+1::SendRaw !
^4::Send ^4
^3::Send ^3
^2::Send ^2
^1::Send ^1
!4::Send !4
!3::Send !3
!2::Send !2
!1::Send !1
}

Instructions
-Install AHK (www.autohotkey.com)
-Start a new txt file in Notepad and copy the code to it
-Change the text in brackets to whatever in-game hotkeys are assigned to your masteries. Recommended you assign your masteries to obscure hotkeys like } or <. Remove the brackets themselves as well.
-Save the file as *filename*.ahk
Make sure you actually change the extension and dont just make it *filename*.ahk.txt
-Doubleclick the file to activate the script whenever you log on to your Warden
-Right click the green "H" icon in your System Tray and click Exit when you log off to avoid side effects

Advanced users

To change it to work with numpad keys instead of the regular number keys, just change "3 & 1" to "NumPad3 & NumPad1", etc.

Warden Tanking just became incredibly easy.

+ Rep and Cooky for your awesomeness.

<3 it's Shield flavored.

EDIT: So to edit the placement of my masteries on the keyboard, I just have to edit those last 9 lines to NumPadWhatever?

EDIT2: nvm, I'm an idiot xD I'll just... uh, follow the directions you gave us then. Derp.

Or I could just use normal keys and just do it manually....

Originally Posted by Mysterion

Or I could just use normal keys and just do it manually....

Arrg, new options, boo! Git of mah lawn!

New wardens may like this. Ive personally gotten so used to my skillbar setup that i dont think ill even try. I like the concept tho

I use this but slightly modified it so it only affects the 1/2/3 keys when the game window is active... I know you are probably thinking (there is already an IfWinActive command so it should already do that), but in the original script, if you leave it running and lotro isn't your active window, you'll notice that if you try to type 1/2/3, the keys are only registered when they are released, not when they are pressed down, which really annoys me.

Code:

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
#Warn  ; Recommended for catching common errors.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.

#UseHook

#IfWinActive The Lord of the Rings Online
{
1 & 2::
Send +1
return

2 & 3::
Send +2
return

3 & 1::
Send +3
return

3 & 2::
Send !3
return

2 & 1::
Send !2
return

1 & 3::
Send !1
return
}


#IfWinActive The Lord of the Rings Online
{
1::Send 1
2::Send 2
3::Send 3
+3::SendRaw #
+2::SendRaw @
+1::SendRaw !
^3::Send ^3
^2::Send ^2
^1::Send ^1
!3::Send !3
!2::Send !2
!1::Send !1
}

I use shift+1, shift+2, shift+3 for sp-sh, sh-fi, fi-sp, and alt+1, alt+2, alt+3 for sp-fi, sh-sp, fi-sh, so modify accordingly.

Thanks Faz, that is a better format. I didnt realize you could nest hotkeys within an #IfWinActive condition, I thought the condition had to be nested in the hotkey

Extended, so that now 1+space is sp-sp, 2+space is sh-sh and 3+space is fi-fi. Excellent idea by the way droid. You can really focus on the gambits now, instead of searching for the right button.

Code:

#NoEnv  ; Recommended for performance and compatibility with future AutoHotkey releases.
#Warn  ; Recommended for catching common errors.
SendMode Input  ; Recommended for new scripts due to its superior speed and reliability.
SetWorkingDir %A_ScriptDir%  ; Ensures a consistent starting directory.

#UseHook

#IfWinActive The Lord of the Rings Online
{
1 & 2::
Send 4
return

2 & 3::
Send 9
return

3 & 1::
Send 7
return

3 & 2::
Send 6
return

2 & 1::
Send 8
return

1 & 3::
Send 5
return

1 & Space::
Send 0
return

2 & Space::
Send ß
return

3 & Space::
Send ´
return
}


#IfWinActive The Lord of the Rings Online
{
1::Send 1
2::Send 2
3::Send 3
+3::Send +3
+2::SendRaw "
+1::SendRaw !
^3::Send ^3
^2::Send ^2
^1::Send ^1
!3::Send !3
!2::Send !2
!1::Send !1
}

Originally Posted by Mysterion

Or I could just use normal keys and just do it manually....

What is actually the best option to improve your reaction, timing and speed.

The AHK script bugs out at the 3+3 mastery so I've reverted to my old NumPad format (switched it to my right hand so I'm using QWE > ASD > ZXC for 1 2 3 > 12 21 31 > 13 23 32 respectively) and it appears to be working more or less fine.

I'm having muscle-memory issues with my left hand, but now I can kite with my mouse

Originally Posted by MrKeks

What is actually the best option to improve your reaction, timing and speed.

Practice. The masteries option you choose is really just a matter of taste. You're going to eventually learn them by muscle-memory, so you stop thinking in terms of keypresses and just think in terms of gambits. Its whatever is most intuitive for you.

I just wanted to provide another option, the one I thought would "make the most sense", especially for new wardens transitioning from manual to masteries, since this uses the exact same keypresses they already were using. Some older Wardens get really ornery and defensive about their favorite masteries option, though

Originally Posted by SharadSun

The AHK script bugs out at the 3+3 mastery so I've reverted to my old NumPad format (switched it to my right hand so I'm using QWE > ASD > ZXC for 1 2 3 > 12 21 31 > 13 23 32 respectively) and it appears to be working more or less fine.

I'm having muscle-memory issues with my left hand, but now I can kite with my mouse

Which one? I'm assuming the latest version posted...but what was the bug? You gotta be more helpful than that

And how do you backpedal while you're kiting, if you're using mouse-move with your right hand and builders with your left?

Left thumb moves direction, mouse turn and access to every quickslot bar with one button press or combination of two for other bars.

Edit: Oh and once you are used to it you can use it on other non warden classes or other games.

Originally Posted by Mysterion

You Sir just dropped many rungs on the ossum scale of da rings. Chuck that junk out and do it the old way please.

Originally Posted by Mysterion

Left thumb moves direction, mouse turn and access to every quickslot bar with one button press or combination of two for other bars.

Edit: Oh and once you are used to it you can use it on other non warden classes or other games.

Why not just go all the way with it...

Originally Posted by Mysterion

Shoot O_O

I actually use that mouse =p the "1" and "4" buttons are for left strafe, the "3" and "6" are right strafe, and "2" and "5" are Forward and Backwards respectively. I use the last six for the "Ins Home PgUp" and "Del End PgDn" : on Warden, my JoDF/Hampering/ShieldPiercer and Never Surrender/WotW/somethingelse (on my LM I use it for my debuffing Lore skills and some basic Pet commands, on Minstrel it's my Anthems).

That'd explain my ability to strafe, no? :3

Originally Posted by droid

Why not just go all the way with it...

Still better than tapping 3 multiple times to fire off a mastery. I just map the speed pad like a numpad and I have access to everything I'd need on the warden and still get to use my mouse with my left hand.

I'm such a noob, can't get this to work. Don't understand what to write or where to get the masteries to work and stuff...

Originally Posted by Vorbias

I'm such a noob, can't get this to work. Don't understand what to write or where to get the masteries to work and stuff...

You did download the autohotkey program, right? That's necessary, this isnt a script that works within the LOTRO client or anything

1 & 2::
Send 4
return

These three lines are the core of the script. The first line tells you what buttons you press. The second line tells you what happens when you press the buttons. Dont change the first line if you dont know what you're doing. Change the second line to whatever your keymap is. Repeat for all 6 masteries.

For example, above, if you press 1, then 2, the script will output "4". In-game, you'd want to put all your masteries into hotbar slots with hotkeys assigned to them. Lets say you assign your [12] mastery to the hotkey Shift-9. You'd change that "4" in the script to "(", which is what you get when you press shift-9, to look like this:

1 & 2::
Send (
return

You can also look in the AHK documentation to find out that !9 is Alt-9, ^9 is Ctrl-9, and +9 is Shift-9, so this would do the same thing:

1 & 2::
Send +9
return

After that, just save the document as an .ahk file, open it when you're in LOTRO, and it should automatically convert your keystrokes into the appropriate mastery buttons.

Originally Posted by droid

You did download the autohotkey program, right? That's necessary, this isnt a script that works within the LOTRO client or anything

1 & 2::
Send 4
return

These three lines are the core of the script. The first line tells you what buttons you press. The second line tells you what happens when you press the buttons. Dont change the first line if you dont know what you're doing. Change the second line to whatever your keymap is. Repeat for all 6 masteries.

For example, above, if you press 1, then 2, the script will output "4". In-game, you'd want to put all your masteries into hotbar slots with hotkeys assigned to them. Lets say you assign your [12] mastery to the hotkey Shift-9. You'd change that "4" in the script to "(", which is what you get when you press shift-9, to look like this:

1 & 2::
Send (
return

You can also look in the AHK documentation to find out that !9 is Alt-9, ^9 is Ctrl-9, and +9 is Shift-9, so this would do the same thing:

1 & 2::
Send +9
return

After that, just save the document as an .ahk file, open it when you're in LOTRO, and it should automatically convert your keystrokes into the appropriate mastery buttons.

Thank you! I did download the program and everything, didn't quite get how the hotekeys worked though, now I do! Thanks alot! +rep

I'm using this now. Works great. Still not terribly happy that I have to keep watching my cooldowns. Hopefully i'll get past that eventually and it will become more natural.

Now I need to work on my plugins and interface!

BuffBars, Palantir, TonicBars.

Never roll without those.

TonicBars can set up giant icons that are easier to see than the tiny runts on your toolbar. In fact, I made my toolbar miniscule and set everything up between the two bars of my Palantir, so I have a spaceship-like panel of everything I need.

I have my gambit builders set on my NumPad and my Masteries set up on my regular 1, 2, 3 key's it helps a lot when im lagging and i need to get a quick conviction off

Any idea why this would not work on LotRO specifically. When I load the scripts it seems to work fine in notepad, word, excel etc... just not lotro.

I tried removing the lotro requirement in the script, using the 32-bit version instead of 64 bit, running lotro in a window, saving as different code (ansi, unicode) and nothing seems to work for me

Originally Posted by danno8

Any idea why this would not work on LotRO specifically. When I load the scripts it seems to work fine in notepad, word, excel etc... just not lotro.

I tried removing the lotro requirement in the script, using the 32-bit version instead of 64 bit, running lotro in a window, saving as different code (ansi, unicode) and nothing seems to work for me

Did you make sure to include the #UseHook command? LOTRO naturally blocks simulated keypresses...the #UseHook, I think, makes it so the AHK keypresses look "real". Or something like that. I'm not entirely sure, but you absolutely do need it or you'll get exactly what you're describing, where it works fine but doesnt seem to do anything in LOTRO

If it's still not working, try running the script as administrator.

Originally Posted by droid

Did you make sure to include the #UseHook command? LOTRO naturally blocks simulated keypresses...the #UseHook, I think, makes it so the AHK keypresses look "real". Or something like that. I'm not entirely sure, but you absolutely do need it or you'll get exactly what you're describing, where it works fine but doesnt seem to do anything in LOTRO

I copy pasted the 2-3 scripts from this thread and nothing

Originally Posted by Fazlee

If it's still not working, try running the script as administrator.

That was it! Wow I can't believe that worked. "Try running as administrator" is kinda like a tech support csr telling you to make sure your computer is on, and usually does nothing. But this time it actually does something.

Thanks alot!


can't believe I didn't try that first...

Updated the first post with a new version for anyone who uses the script.

New functionality including double-tap double-masteries, and BM activation! Aside from javelins, you can do your whole rotation with 4 buttons again.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to droid again."

Autohotkey is wonderful and thanks for the script.

One caveat is if in the future Turbine modify lotro in such a way that it breaks autohotkey, I will have to relearn the gambits the hard way. But I think the possibility is very small

Can you kite with this setup? Moving forward is possible with run lock, but moving sideways will be awkward I'd think.

yeah I can strafe and fire off gambits easily (if strafing right, index finger holds D and I use middle and ring finger for gambits, if strafing left, ring finger on A and middle and index finger for gambits).

I write function for my battle praparation. I hope it will helpfull to you. Just press 1 on you numpad and anjoy.

Code:

Numpad1::
Send ^5
KeyWait, 5, D T2

;Shield Tactics
KeyWait, 0, D T0.3
Send ^0
KeyWait, 7, D T0.3
Send ^7
KeyWait, 3, D T0.6
Send 3
KeyWait, 3, D T1.8

Send ^5
KeyWait, 5, D T2

;Shield Mastery
KeyWait, 9, D T0.3
Send ^9
KeyWait, ], D T0.3
Send ]
KeyWait, 3, D T0.6
Send 3
KeyWait, 3, D T1.8

Send ^5
KeyWait, 5, D T2

;Conviction
KeyWait, (, D T0.3
Send (
KeyWait, ), D T0.3
Send )
KeyWait, _, D T0.3
Send _
KeyWait, ], D T0.5
Send ]
KeyWait, 3, D T0.7
Send 3
KeyWait, 3, D T1.8

Send ^5
KeyWait, 5, D T2

;Dance of War
KeyWait, 0, D T0.3
Send ^0
KeyWait, 0, D T0.3
Send ^0
KeyWait, 3, D T0.6
Send 3
KeyWait, 3, D T1.8

Send ^5
KeyWait, 5, D T2

;War Cry
KeyWait, ], D T0.3
Send ]
KeyWait, 3, D T0.6
Send 3
KeyWait, 3, D T1.8
return

Checking back in on this thread...

Originally Posted by Elldir

I write function for my battle praparation. I hope it will helpfull to you. Just press 1 on you numpad and anjoy.

Thanks for the addition

I want to add a couple thoughts to that, though - I had trouble writing a good prebuff macro, because latency varies so much from machine to machine, and from session to session. Any macro I wrote that executed reliably, even with occasional lag, executed so slow that it wasnt really worth it. You'll have to adjust all your KeyWait T values to customize it to each individual's machine and average connection, or else your macro will occasionally drop a builder and mess everything up - and there's no killswitch built into that macro if it does....

Also, if you're going to do a prebuff, it should go DoW/WC/SM/ST/DoW/WC/Conviction. Conviction is the shortest duration, so it should come last, and the second DoW/WC will refresh the durations while applying the upgraded version of the buff.

Originally Posted by droid

Also, if you're going to do a prebuff, it should go DoW/WC/SM/ST/DoW/WC/Conviction. Conviction is the shortest duration, so it should come last, and the second DoW/WC will refresh the durations while applying the upgraded version of the buff.

Hi,

my English is not so good DoW ? means

Thx

Dance Of War

Thx - Kriegstanz in Germany :-)

ive been meaning to give this a try. currently im a clicker but id like to be able to use more masteries. generally i only use them for EoB, warcry or boot maybe. i just dont have that synergy flowing where i know by instinct whats on CD and what to use in what order to maximize their use for buffs/heals, so i generally just find myself clicking away at the builders most of the time.