Auto activation: Rage and PB

So, I'm really wanting to make a SS/SR Brute; I really like SR because I've just recently gotten into Defense-based sets, and Super Strength just has some awesome damage potential with perma Rage + Fury giving you some massive ST damage.

Problem being, both Rage and Practiced Brawler are click powers which need to be set to auto, and I can only set one power to auto-activate. So, I've been looking through my options, and I've come up with.. two, it seems.

1.) Make a Keybind (and/or macro) which sets Rage to Auto-activate, and then activates Practiced Brawler. I believe I'd still have to click it every two minutes to ensure Practiced Brawler is refreshed, however.

2.) Someone else suggested to me that Icould try to keybind the activation of the powers --Rage and/or Practiced Brawler--with movement keys, i.e., they're activated any time I move (or jump, or what-have-you). If it worked properly, it'd ensure they're pretty much always auto (as long as I'm actually playing, which is the only time it really matters). I would probably do it so PB is set this way, and leave Rage on Auto-fire, as Rage I'd want to double-stack moreso than PB.

Can someone tell me which is the better option, if #2 is even possible like I'm thinking? Has anyone else come up with some other convenient way of maintaining multiple click powers (like Domination and Hasten), which have to be refreshed as soon as they're up?

I know this suggestion isn't auto. Bind both to one key. One power activates upon pressing the key, the other when the key is released.

Here's an example from the Kheldian Binds sticky that activates Orbiting Death and Inky Aspect:

/bind [key] "+down$$powexec_toggleon orbiting death$$powexec_toggleon inky aspect"

Keep in mind that quickly tagging the key may not get both to activate, it takes a "deliberate" pressing. Sorry that it's not auto...but I figured it's worth considering.

A third point is that with SS/SR will you not be taking Hasten? A third clicky power to complicate things?

I would be reluctant to bind anything to a movement key, because the one time you need PB against an AV you wont be moving and it won't fire.

I would set PB on auto (Since that saves your life) and just watch for rage, if you monitor damage in Combat Attributes you will be able to tell fast enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggelakis PrincessDarkstar: "RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH SOMEONE IS *WRONG* ON THE INTERNET!"

The damage debuff only lasts 10 seconds. It's not that big of a deal. Switch to low damage attacks that have some other aspect (Jab or Boxing, for instance, for Stun chances) for 10 seconds and then let loose a KOB once the damage crash ends.

The only possible worry is the endurance crash, which can be mitigated by Recovery and blue insps.

I just wouldn't put Rage on auto. Mez protection clicks are the only things I do put on auto.

I appreciate the responses!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpittingTrashcan I stopped here, because it is not necessary to set Rage to auto, and can even be detrimental. Firing Rage more often will let you stack Rage, but it will also lead to more frequent Rage crashes. It is also extremely noticeable when Rage crashes, especially if you monitor your damage bonus: a big red -9999% is hard to miss. I have always activated Rage manually, and recommend that you try doing the same.

1.) It removes the Defense crash of Rage (which, as SR, is of obvious importance to me).
2.) It double-stacks the Damage buff shortly (which is awesome, when timed right for a crazy-damage KoB or Footstomp).

While I appreciate you trying to warn me of the downsides (having the damage crash more often is annoying), I'm aware of how it works and am intending to stack it moreso to avoid its crash that would lower my defense.

That said, I am not sure about Hasten; in fact, I usually skip it. While an awesome power, I'm bothered enough trying to find a way to not have to hit a key to get two powers to activate. In order words, I end up forgetting to use it and then end up with little reason to actually take it. =P I might consider it later in the build, but it's not something I'm worried about planning for right now.

I would rather set Rage to auto-fire than Practiced Brawler from the simple fact that there is really no reason to ever double-stack PB. I'm not going to PvP that much (I hardly ever do), and with so much defense it's very, very, very unlikely I'll ever have so many mez's applied to me that they'll get through a single application of PB; add to that that it costs 10 end base and I don't plan to slot end red in it (unless I end up with so much recharge that I don't need to slot it for that at all--maybe with Hasten! ;P), and it means I only want to make it perma, not ever double-stack it, since there's no benefit for doing so (while there is for Rage).

Is that the only reason you wouldn't put PB to a movement key, however? If it's a simple case of staying active, I like to move around alot (even against AV's, who stand there and hit you), so I don't think that'd be as much of an issue.

I bind Rage to V, same as I bind buildup/aim. It is easy to hit there.

As an SR with PB on auto it's not like you have a lot of armor set management where pushing rage everytime it is up is really difficult to do...

Personally I'd be more interested in being able to bind a click mez and hasten both as autos, but ymmv.

Here's a summary of this thread:
OP: "Does anyone have tips on properly cooking my steak? I keep overcooking it"
Everyone else: "PFFFT! Why are you eating steak?! Steak is gross and bad for you! Eat chicken instead!"

Anyway, there's no way to do what you want short of getting one of the special macro keyboards (which may be against the ToS, not sure). The first option is indeed pointless because you still have to press the button every however often to refresh the power that isn't on auto. So then why not just leave the one power on auto and press the button for other power like normal?

Option 2 could work but I think will play havoc with your combat if you move around a lot while fighting, since every time you move it will remove whatever attack you have queued and then queue up whatever power you have bound. Essentially you will be removing your ability to queue up attacks.

You're pretty much stuck with one power on auto and you just have to remember to click everything else.

Haha.

Thanks for the help, Galactiman. I think that's the conclusion I've come to, since I don't own that kind of keyboard anyway. Appreciate the help. =) I'll end up just leaving Rage on auto and clicked PB anytime I see the icon flash.

You could always activate PB only when Rage has crashed, it's not as if you'd be doing much anything either.

Since both of them have a duration of 120s, you can time it by first activating Rage, waiting for a few seconds, then activate PB.

When Rage crashes, that's your cue to hit PB again.

I usually manually click PB because there are times where an extra attack would've been better. Just a timing thing, give or take a few punches.

Option 3: Convince the devs to change click mez protection toggles so that they work like break frees. Then you wouldn't need to put PB on auto.

I would be all for haveing 2 auto casts. Cant see it being game breaking...