Pets, Mind their Master: Custom MM Pet Controls
By
Inokis,
Posted on: 2009-04-18 21:04 in Player Guides
Replying so I can find this again.Pretty sure MM is gonna be my next toon.Just have to decide what to go with bots.And I know this is gonna be useful info when I make him.Thanks very well put together.
I go about it completely differently. I have my pets controlled by groups.
Group one is for my offensive bots. Battle Bots and my Assault Bot. I then have group 2 for my protector bots.
I use:
petcom_pow "Battle Drones" Attack Defensive$$petcom_pow "Assault Bot" Attack Defensive
petcom_pow "Protector Bots" Attack Defensive
petcom_all Follow Defensive
petcom_all Follow Passive
petcom_all Stay Defensive
petcom_all Stay Passive
Doc Mech-Nec (Exalted): 50 Bots/FF MM
Crey Radiation Tank (Exalted): 50 Rad/Rad Corr
Servers: Exalted, Triumph, Champion
Alts: 32
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You can do that as well, by using the controls for each type of minion. You will need more slots in your trays though, if you want to add those controls/macros.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
I much prefer using the number pad keybinds method:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showf...n=0&page=0
I can't imagine playing an MM without these! I love the level of control over my pets that I have with this option, from issuing orders to all pets at once to giving specific orders to just one pet.
I've been in team situations, for example, where a secondary battle was occuring outside where the main fight was going on and I was easily able to send one or two pets to assist the secondary battle while keeping the rest directly on me to fight the main group. I can put my pets EXACTLY where I want them without fear of them running wild, and I can quickly rope them in if I do send them off to prevent them from aggroing random groups.
The granular nature of the keybinds really maximizes your tactical options when deploying your pets as an MM.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by eltonio
This is over the top mental slavery.
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Note that I believe you can edit the icons created in this way, and give them custom abilities. (Such as controlling only a subgroup of minions) Then you have custom icons for those macros.
Exactly.
Once the icons are in your tray, you can edit them like any macro.
But, if you know you want one from the Pet display (say, from your Protector Bots), set them, and then drag into place. Done.
[ QUOTE ]
I much prefer using the number pad keybinds method:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showf...n=0&page=0
I can't imagine playing an MM without these! I love the level of control over my pets that I have with this option, from issuing orders to all pets at once to giving specific orders to just one pet.
I've been in team situations, for example, where a secondary battle was occuring outside where the main fight was going on and I was easily able to send one or two pets to assist the secondary battle while keeping the rest directly on me to fight the main group. I can put my pets EXACTLY where I want them without fear of them running wild, and I can quickly rope them in if I do send them off to prevent them from aggroing random groups.
The granular nature of the keybinds really maximizes your tactical options when deploying your pets as an MM.
[/ QUOTE ]
I tried using the numpad keybinds... and my hand came off the mouse.
I admit it, I'm a clicker. I'm also a "Saturation fire" type of person. If someone in the group starts a fight that's off to the side from where the artillery's going... it's their problem, or I'll get to it when MY spawn is down. If I break a bot or two off the main group, then that's less AoE damage downrange.
But that's more a playstyle philosophy than anything - I tend to keep the troops in "bodyguard" as often as possible, then 'bait' the spawns into attacking something (an acid mortar or a pair of seekers) and this usually triggers the bots into returning fire while the spawn is still fairly well clumped. I'll even fire off potshots with the laser rifle to pull mobs into an artillery barrage.
But for those people who don't mind standing still or are amazing with keybinds, binding your numpad to your pets is an amazing thing.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."
Perhaps after these several years, it was slightly misleading to label these 'numpad' binds, even though they are assigned in their basic form in the guide to the numpad, and the numpad was the original inspiration for the layout. I've referenced them more properly as a system or a design, for addressing the pet commands with a mind towards separation and completeness. However, as I also made mention in the guide itself, they don't have to be bound strictly to the numpad.
Essentially, the layout can be assigned to any keyset desired. There are some examples in the guide of this. The goal in doing this is obviously is to minimize hand-off-mouse time, or accommodate any other preferences the user may require.
In the end, whatever works for an individual is still probably best. Good luck! 
"When heroes fail, the Angels will save you."
MASTERMIND NUMERIC KEYPAD PET CONTROLS
HAMIDON NUKE RAID GUIDE
[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps after these several years, it was slightly misleading to label these 'numpad' binds
[/ QUOTE ]
I have to agree. Maybe it's just me, but if you define macros to do the same thing, it's the same thing, just macros. Of course, in my case I define macros to do what I want, then assign keybinds to them. But that just so they're easy to edit and customize between characters.
I think we all just take the given examples and come up with what works best for us, though.
* Setting Up the Controls *
OK, this might seem complicated, but it's actually fairly easy if you do it step by step.
1) Summon a pet, so you have a Pet Window.
2) Open your Power trays and move things around so you have 7 slots available (8 if you want a Dismiss button). I usually put all of these in one of my three primary trays.
2a) Delete the stock control icons in your tray. They're useless, and can actually cause problems with new masterminds that don't know what the commands are doing.
3) In the Pet window, click Options, then Advanced Mode.
3a) Select Show All Pets.
Above the pets you should see an "All <pet class>" and above that, All. There will be some tiny icons in the top right of the Pet Window.
4) Type "Pet_com_all aggressive". The "Stance" icon in your pet window for ALL your pets (the very top one) should turn RED.
4a) Drag that icon from the Pet window to your tray. If you right-click it, it should say "Petcomall Aggressive".
5) Repeat 4 and 4a for the following commands:
/petcomall defensive (blue icon)
/petcomall passive (green icon)
At this point you have your three Stance icons (Aggressive, Defensive, and Passive). Arrange them how you like in your tray.
Now, there's another icon next to these in the pet display. This is their current 'command'. These icons are all Yellow.
6) Type "petcom_all follow". You should see a right-facing arrow as the Command icon.
6a) Drag that icon to your tray. If you right-click, it will read "petcomall Follow"
7) Repeat 6 and 6a for the following commands:
/petcomall stay (Hand icon)
/petcomall goto (target icon)
/petcomall attack (target-with-crosshairs icon)
Now, you'll notice that each pet class and each pet also have these icons. These are the states they are currently in. If you drag THEM to a tray, they turn into orders for that pet class or that specific pet. This can be useful, but... most of the time we want to command everyone, so use the icons at the very top right of the pet window.
8) If you want a Dismiss macro, you have to create one - there is no 'state' icon when a pet is not present. Type:
/macro Bye "petcomall Dismiss"
Once you've done this process, it's really simple to set your MM up with commands that are far better than the three stock commands. If you want your pets to stay in one spot in Passive so you can pull a spawn without them charging in as soon as there's any return fire, you simply click the Stay and the Passive icons. If you want the pets to follow you in "shoot anything that moves" mode, click Aggressive then Follow.
-------------------
* Summoning the Troops *
If you're like me, you've probably run into the problem of too many commands, not enough tray space. So, what I do is move all my "Summon and Buff" powers to an unused tray, and then use a macro to switch to that tray when I need it (and another to switch back).
1) Remove your Summon commands from trays 1, 2, and 3. These are your three primary trays, and you probably want to keep these clear for stuff you use all the time (like the Pet Management stuff in the previous section.)
2) Decide which of your three trays you want to 'rotate' between normal mode and summon mode. I usually use the topmost tray (#3). Also, pick an EMPTY tray (I use #4) for your summon commands.
Include the quotes in the following commands:
==> IF you are using tray 1 (bottom), type
/macro Summon "gototray 4"
This will rotate the bottom tray to tray 4.
==> IF you are using tray 2 (middle), type
/macro Summon "gototrayalt 4"
This will rotate the middle tray to tray 4.
==> IF you are using tray 3 (top), type
/macro Summon "gototrayalt2 4"
This will rotate the top tray to tray 4.
3) Move the macro you just created to one of the other two trays. You'll see why in a moment. I usually put them in tray 2 (middle) on the far left. Clear a space next to it for the next macro by either deleting or moving a power.
4) Depending on which tray you chose above, type ONE of the following three commands:
(bottom tray restore)
/macro Command "gototray 1"
(middle tray restore)
/macro Command "gototrayalt 2"
(top tray restore)
/macro Command "gototrayalt2 3"
Move your Command macro next to your Summon macro. You now have two buttons to 'flip' one of your trays back and forth.
5) Click the Summon macro. You should see an empty tray. If there's stuff in the tray, then you might need to move it out or remove it.
6) Now, open your Powers window, and drag your Summon and your Pet Buff (equip, upgrade, train, etc) powers to this new tray. I usually put my three Summon powers starting with low-tier at the left and work to the right. This puts my first Buff power in slot 4, and the second buff in slot 5. If you're a lowbie, and don't have these powers yet, not to worry, you can always rearrange things later.
7) Go try out your new trays. You now have traded 5 powers that get used only sparingly for 2 commands, one to show those 5 powers, and the other to hide them.
An alternative method is to put the "Command" macro ON the Summon try, in the same position as the Summon button on the Command tray. That way you can click the same spot to 'flip' the trays back and forth. This method will only take one spot on each.
You can use this method to create other 'situational' trays. Examples would be: temp powers, costume change commands, RP macros, a "hide all weapons" macro that flips ALL THREE trays to where you can't see your powers or trigger them by mistake, or an alternative powers layout for a second build.
Questions? Ask away.
"City of Heroes. April 27, 2004 - August 31, 2012. Obliterated not with a weapon of mass destruction, not by an all-powerful supervillain... but by a cold-hearted and cowardly corporate suck-up."