Zugg Software :: View topic - need advice on how to be faster than balance catching

Novice Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 32

Greetings. I'm asking for advice if coding that is worth the time. Now the question for you gurus is actually, is it worth it to try to supersede it or just stick with balance catching? Below are lines from log so you can see for your self. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ping of my comp is between 180-200, for what I read that it should be worth it to code in a way that does not wait on balance line to appear on my screen.

Now I started testing with simple usage of macro with following:

garrote @tar;#TEMP {you have recovered balance} {#ALARM +2.800 {garrote @tar}}

now in my tests I figured out that there are several constants:

time between pressing macro and line appearing on my screen - cca 0.200 (rougly)
time when alarm fires and line sends it -- cc 3.000 (rougly)
time between alarm hitting on my screen and garroting line appearing on my screen - cca 0.200 (rougly)
(examples of log bellow)

time needed when using catching the balance line 0.350 (roughly)
(examples of log bellow)

Now the variable is balance retuning instead of 3.000 it ranges from 3.100 - 3600, which rather messes up my catching. It goes from exact catching the balance to being late 0.300 to being faster 0.200

FIRST EXAMPLE WHEN IT MISSED

/23:23:42.015/ You must regain balance first.
/23:23:42.328/ H:267 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:30.921/ H:299 M:343 E:1398 W:1619 <eb db> tar is Fox
/23:23:42.328/ A bushy tailed fox opens a gash in your arm with a skillful blow.
/23:23:42.343/ H:244 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:42.343/ You have recovered balance.
/23:23:42.593/ H:244 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db> drink health
/23:23:42.593/ outr toadstool
/23:23:42.609/ eat toadstool
/23:23:42.781/ You take a drink from a winged horse shaped sinn vial.
/23:23:42.781/ The elixir heals your body.
/23:23:43.015/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db>
/23:23:43.015/ You remove 1 toadstool, bringing the total in the Rift to 151.
/23:23:43.296/ H:298 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db>
/23:23:43.296/ You quickly eat a toadstool.
/23:23:43.312/ You feel your health and mana replenished.
/23:23:46.531/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db> garrote Fox (PRESSED MACRO)
/23:23:46.734/ You slip behind a bushy tailed fox and garrote her with your whip.
/23:23:46.734/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/23:23:47.171/ H:299 M:343 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:47.171/ You howl as a bushy tailed fox hacks into you.
/23:23:47.171/ Your steelweave surcoat completely absorbs the damage.
/23:23:47.515/ H:299 M:340 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:47.515/ You may drink another healing elixir.
/23:23:49.062/ H:299 M:340 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:49.078/ You may eat another toadstool.
/23:23:49.546/ H:299 M:340 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db> garrote Fox (ALARM SENDS LINE)
/23:23:49.734/ You must regain balance first. (HIT ON TARGET)
/23:23:50.046/ H:299 M:340 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:50.046/ You have recovered balance.
/23:23:52.234/ H:299 M:340 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db>
/23:23:52.234/ A bushy tailed fox opens a gash in your arm with a skillful blow.
/23:23:53.265/ H:277 M:340 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db> garrote Fox (PRESSED MACRO)
/23:23:53.453/ You slip behind a bushy tailed fox and garrote her with your whip.
/23:23:53.468/ A bushy tailed fox gives a last, feeble gasp as her windpipe is crushed.
/23:23:53.468/ You have slain a bushy tailed fox.
/23:23:53.484/ A small pile of sovereigns spills from the corpse.
/23:23:53.484/ Balance Taken: 3.00s

SECOND EXAMPLE WHEN IT MISSED

/23:04:45.421/ H:299 M:343 E:1398 W:1619 <eb db> tar is Jackrabbit
/23:04:46.234/ garrote Jackrabbit (PRESSED MACRO)
/23:04:46.453/ You slip behind a jackrabbit and garrote him with your whip.
/23:04:46.453/ You have scored a staggering blow!
/23:04:46.453/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/23:04:48.906/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:04:48.921/ Back legs vaulting him off the ground, a jackrabbit scratches you in vain.
/23:04:49.265/ H:289 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db> garrote Jackrabbit (ALARM SENDS LINE)
/23:04:49.468/ You must regain balance first. (HIT ON TARGET)
/23:04:49.812/ H:288 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:04:49.812/ You have recovered balance.

FIRST EXAMPLE WHEN IT WORKED FINE

/22:33:49.171/ garrote Cow (PRESSED MACRO)
/22:33:49.390/ You slip behind a caribou cow and garrote her with your whip.
/22:33:49.406/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/22:33:50.468/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/22:33:52.109/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db> garrote Cow (ALARM SENDS LINE)
/22:33:52.281/ You have recovered balance.
/22:33:52.609/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db>
/22:33:52.609/ You slip behind a caribou cow and garrote her with your whip. (HIT ON TARGET)
/22:33:52.625/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/22:33:52.625/ H:299 M:343 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/22:33:52.625/ A caribou cow turns her back to you, then kicks you in the chin with tremendous
/22:33:52.625/ force.
/22:33:55.296/ H:264 M:343 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/22:33:55.312/ You have recovered balance.

SECOND EXAMPLE WHEN IT WORKED FINE
/23:23:32.109/ garrote Fox (PRESSED MACRO)
/23:23:32.312/ You slip behind a bushy tailed fox and garrote her with your whip.
/23:23:32.312/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/23:23:35.125/ H:299 M:340 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db> garrote Fox (ALARM SENDS LINE)
/23:23:35.187/ You have recovered balance.
/23:23:35.562/ H:299 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <eb db>
/23:23:35.562/ You slip behind a bushy tailed fox and garrote her with your whip. (HIT ON TARGET)
/23:23:35.562/ Balance Taken: 3.00s
/23:23:36.421/ H:299 M:343 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:36.421/ With a flit of its tail, a caribou cow dashes northward.
/23:23:37.015/ H:299 M:343 E:1396 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:37.015/ You howl as a bushy tailed fox hacks into you.
/23:23:38.234/ H:267 M:343 E:1397 W:1619 <e- db>
/23:23:38.234/ You have recovered balance.

Novice Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 32

ok, I need to edit my macro a bit.
This is the right macro: garrote @tar;#ALARM +2.800 {garrote @tar}

Now, I tried alarm values from 2.000-3.000 with some or no effect. My ZMud is doing close to alarm value but it seems to have little effect on the Server.

Wizard Joined: 11 Jul 2002 Posts: 1265 Location: USA

Keep in mind that if your ping time is 200ms then your commands will take roughly 200ms to get to the server.
Then the server has to process the command and return with another 200ms delay best case.

So for a perfect case scenario you could, probably will, still take more than 3.4 seconds between each attack if you trigger balance.

Also, making temporary triggers is not a good idea here. Why not do something like this.

Make a permanent Alarm that turns itself off after triggering. I forget the exact syntax so you might have to play a bit.

#alarm garroteA {*2.6} {garrote @tar;#t- garroteA}

Then put #T+ garroteA in the alias.

Increase the time a little at a time until it works.