RFC on Third Tray Keybinds


9783_Dollar_Man

 

Posted

In a future issue/patch to be named later, you will be able to open the to show three rows of powers. This has been oft-requested by the people who use tray macros as well as shape-shifting folks.

Today, the number-keys execute powers in the main tray. Left alt+number executes powers in the second tray. We'd like to provide the same kind of thing for the third tray.

Regrettably, we have already bound the shift+number and ctrl+number keys to other things. A brief in-house survey showed that almost no one used these keystrokes. (Also, our system does not support multiple shift keys; we cannot bind lshift+lctrl+5, for example.)

In today's binds, the shift+number keys select your teammates. The ctrl+number keys makes the main tray hop to the given tray number. Of these two, we think the ctrl+number combination is less used and is less generally useful-- especially if we provide a third tray.

So, we are considering a change to the default bindings to use left control for the third tray, if few of you are using these binds today. The lctrl+number keys would work on the third tray like the lalt+number keys work on the second tray. Making this change this will remove the tray-switching keystrokes (except for the = and - keys which will still rotate through the trays).

Of course, the slash commands for changing the tray will still exist. You will be able to bind them yourself. In addition, we will add a keybind profile which works just like it does now.

(Further, to promote use of the teammate keystrokes, we are planning on putting small numbers (like the ones in the tray) next to your teammates' icons in the team window.)

What do you think about this change to the default binds?


 

Posted

I like it so far...


 

Posted

Shift-# is used very, very frequently by anyone who needs to heal or buff teammates, or even just to use recall friend. Please leave that one alone.

As for ctrl-#... I don't use it all that much, and most of the time when I use it it is by accident and I have to figure out why my tray got switched. I would not mind seeing that combination being used for a third tray.


 

Posted

I'm ok with changing the default binds.


 

Posted

/em CHEER!!!!

Glad to hear you guys are working on this!!!


 

Posted

Love it.....


 

Posted

What are you doing wasting time posting about this when you can be implimenting this!!

And no, I have no problems in changing the default key binding of <CTRL>-#. As a matter of fact, the <CTRL>-# would make more sense with a thrid tray, rather than cycling your lower tray.

Cyclone Jack


-= idspispopd =-

[size=1]Arc ID: 3155 - Project Prometheus (Seeking Feedback, now with less invalidation)[/size]

 

Posted

I do occasionally use shift+num to select team-mates, but not very often. I can see how a dedicated Empath or FFer might use them far more frequently than any of my characters do, though.

I never use the ctrl+num bind, though. So far I've never played a character that's given me cause to.

Cheers,

~R~


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
I do occasionally use shift+num to select team-mates, but not very often. I can see how a dedicated Empath or FFer might use them far more frequently than any of my characters do, though.

I never use the ctrl+num bind, though. So far I've never played a character that's given me cause to.

Cheers,

~R~

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes we do.

Neither do I.


@bpphantom
The Defenders of Paragon
KGB Special Section 8

 

Posted

From the description of the proposed changes, I'd say it looks good.

The CRTL key doesn't flow as nicely under the hand as the ALT (on my keyboard anyhow) so it would be slightly more cumbersome under battle conditions, but I expect the 3rd try to be less frequently used under those conditions anyhow. Besides, there is no better alternative I can think of.

So, overall, run with it. No arguments here.


 

Posted

I like the proposals. I certainly rarely use the ctrl+num binds, but I do use the shift+num binds quite frequently - as a FF Defender I often spend my time buffing every teammate in order every 4 mins and if I'm chugging back some juice with my mousing hand when that happens, it's nice to be able to do the whole thing on the keyboard. Of course, whatever the change, a player can set their own binds if they don't like the defaults.

I especially like the idea of adding little numbers to the team list. Counting teammates during AV fight = brain hurting.


 

Posted

Sounds good to me.

But can we also have /slash commands to switch the alt tray and ctrl trays as well? Only /prev_tray_alt and /next_tray_alt exist for the alt tray currently. I'd really like to see a /goto_tray_alt as well as a /goto_tray_ctrl, /next_tray_ctrl, and /prev_tray_ctrl.


 

Posted

I must say that sounds promissing thus far. I'm pleased to see you guys are working on things of this nature too. One other thing that I'd personally appreciate is if there was the ability to change the ctrl+mouse click to make a power be on auto-click. I personally have my alternate left straif button set to be the right ctrl button. As a result anytime I'm straif'ing to the left in battle and click on a power I either get an error message saying that the power isn't auto-clickable or I switch my auto-click onto another power that I didn't really want to have be on auto. Is there any chance you guys could do something to fix this? make it so that making something being on auto-click uses an ubscure button plus the mouse click instead of the ctrl buttons? The ctrl buttons do get used for other stuff and it appears that the Devs are looking at finding another use for the Ctrl buttons with this change that would make using that key more active and I would personally appreciate having a less used button to set the auto-click so I'd not have to worry about anything not working the way I want it to during a battle with those devious villains that plague the city.


 

Posted

GO. FOR. IT.


50 Fire/Dev | 50 AR/Dev | 50 Ninjas/FF MM | 50 Bots/Dark | 50 Kin/Rad |
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"Rare is the man so noble that he will always give thanks for that which is freely given." -Jock_Tamson

 

Posted

as long as rctrl toggles the third tray it sounds good to me.


 

Posted

I love this idea.

Is it possible to allow this as an option for people who are not a fan? Eg, jsut a setting in Options to switch back to the current behavior.

Thanks for listening for this stuff.

As an aside, I think a -lot- of people would like the third tray even -without- binds to use powers. Many players I know use a mouse to choose what they need anyway for a lot of the powers, so....

Any problem with simply adding in the 3rd tray and leave the binds pending? Or give us the bind commands to do it manually if we'd like (powexec_tray_power 3 1 or whatever, team_select 6), and have the offical decision go through whenever.


 

Posted

Sounds reasonable, especially if /bind commands allow re-mapping all of the old and new features.

What might make this change go over easily is the ability to highlight (visually) one of the three trays... For example:

/bind lalt "highlight_alttray"
/bind lctrl "highlight_tray3"

This means that when someone is getting used to the 3-tray scheme there is some visual feedback for which powers they can activate if they press a number key.

So, with my bindings, I press the left control key and tray 3 glows more brightly until I release it.


 

Posted

[ QUOTE ]
In a future issue/patch

...

The lctrl+number keys would work on the third tray like the lalt+number keys work on the second tray.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do it! do it now!


 

Posted

Nice to hear about the third row.

I never use ctrl+number to switch trays. ctrl is bound to jump for me anyway...

Thanks.


Phantom Rose: Ill / Kin / Psi
Soleau: Ice / Icy / Ice / Core: Ice / Fire / Pyre / Wind / Eclipse / Flare / Corona
---------------
Solo Space

 

Posted

I use a mouse to select powers from the trays (or have certain powers bound to keys). I've never even used Shift+num or Ctrl+num, so I'm all for using Ctrl+num activating a third power tray.

Really, I just want a third tray for all of those macros I made.


Dungeoncleaners! (ID#125715): Slay the Adventurers! Rescue the Monsters! Return the Treasure!
Peppermint Cat-- Lv50 Mewtant Ice/Eng Bls

 

Posted

I'm all for this.


 

Posted

FWIW:

I use the shift-# to select teammates *all the time*. When I need to cast a heal it beats the heck out of finding them with my mouse or some other technique (note: you may have provided some other way and I just don't know about it).

I have never -- not once -- used the ctrl-# key to hop to a given tray.

So. There you have it. In short, I like your proposal. Actually, I love it. I've been wanting that 'third' tray for a long time.

-RC


 

Posted

I like it!

FWIW, as an empath I use the shift+number keys constantly. When casting buffs and heals it's faster to use those to quickly select the right teammate, so I'm glad those aren't changing.

And putting numbers on the team positions is an inspired idea...on a big team I've been known to accidentally heal position 6 instead of position 5 when things get tense.

I've never had cause to use the control+number keys, but I'd love to get quick access to a third tray, so I like this solution. At one point my level 27 defender had five temporary powers, and those two trays were very crowded. (And I won't spoil the surprise, but the temp power you get from the level 25 contact in Striga is really cool!)

Thanks for the heads-up, Poz! I'll let you get back to coding it now.


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Posted

I'm the guy that uses the Ctrl+# to switch trays.

Go ahead and rebind them; I'll adapt.

<gives permission>