Autoattack updates
 

I see the updates on Test for autoattack control and quest indications on NPCs. I'm working out the XML for them. Here's trial versions of the target window and default persona window, the other persona variants aren't done yet.

These'll probably only work on Test, I'm not sure but I'd expect they'll cause errors on Live until the game changes go in.

NB: these are completely untested as yet.

Persona appears OK. The quest-update icons in the target window, the XML appears OK but the graphics elements in images/widgets02.dds obviously aren't there. I'll look into that, see if I have the software to update the textures.

Wouldn't it be better to wait for a compare of test and live? As we normally see before we start seeing updates?

Its possible there will be new dds files for the quest update iccons. I don't know because I haven't updated test in ages I just watch for compares/replaed/new info here.

That's what I'm doing: diffing between live and test to see what's changing, then checking my changes on Test. Hence why my note that these changes will only work on Test right now. With a little luck, I'll have all the changes already accounted for when they finally go live and I won't have to actually be working on XML the evening after the update.

I'm also keeping track of the changes between baseline (taken the last time Profit was updated) and current live default UI. I'll post trial changes here so people can test them on Test, but nothing is final until I see the diffs appear on live and I can check to see that what I saw on Test is what's actually showing up.

One reason I want to stay ahead: patches normally go up on Tuesday. My guild raids on Tuesday. Frantically scrambling to fix a broken UI with 30 minutes to go until raid... not my idea of fun.

The option is really just a shortcut to the slash command (whether it uses the slash command in the code or not). So there really shouldn't be anything changed from now to Live, but maybe cosmetic UI stuff.

A new option pull-down in the persona window to control it. There's also changes to the mercenary tab to show when you can't have a mercenary in a zone (those are already in Profit), and changes to the target window to show a new icon when NPCs/mobs can update a quest. The last is the one I really want to play with before it goes live.

The merc change already went in, or at least it was on test back when GU63 was still being tested.

And yes I realize there was UI changes, I'm just saying any further changes probably won't break your patch, as it would most likely just be cosmetic tweaks to default UI.

*edit* And ugh... why jam more stuff in the target window. Can't they follow suite like other games and put it floating next to the mobs name above their head :(

I've downloaded the files and will try them on Test. I will ignore live for now since today's patch notes indicate that the changes have not hit live yet.

Tknarr: Your guild raids on patch day? The nerve of some people. I'll try to remember that, however, so I can try to test potentially risky fixes before you need to go off and do something distracting.

I actually think the chance of seeing a change that really breaks the UI (and/or crashes the client) is very low. SOE changed their code some time back to fail more gracefully when a UI presents something that just can't work. We may see weirdness on-screen, or get a message that our UI isn't right, but we should be able to keep playing.

The bit I'm still wrangling with is modifying widgets02.dds to get the transparency right. I'm going to get the character window variants updated for the autoattack option first, one of the red names said they wanted to get it into the next hotfix. Photoshop and DDS options can take a number and get in line.

I found working with dds files much simpler with gimp than with photoshop. I prefer photoshop for everything else.

Silat

Have to agree there. I haven't done much work with dds files, but Gimp handles them well.

Never had much trouble with DDS in photoshop, but I don't think you're "required" to use DDS in eq2, it's just been the standard for a while.

Thanks, that solved the problem with getting the transparency right to avoid nasty black bumps around the edges. I normally worked with Gimp, I just hadn't gotten around to setting it up on the Windows system.

looks like the auto attack feature is going in live tomorrow. Has the Large version of the persona been updated?

Are the file that tknarr posted for dowload, ok to use?

Not yet, just the default one. I'll update the others this afternoon and send them up to be put on the updater.

OK, I'm confident of the default and large persona windows, haven't checked alignment on the small variant yet but if someone wants to test them here's the zip of what I've got ready for the updater.

Ok installed the large version went to options and theres no auto attack setting there. Installed the default went to options and its there below the hide achievements check box. Reinstalled the large window removed the uisettings file to see if it was due to size being saved and still no auto attack drop down anywhere to be found even scrolled down as far as I could and still don't see it.

The location might be bogus, although with the large variant there shouldn't've been any difference. Or it might be a bug I've gotten: if you're using a variant it won't download and unpack the zipfile until you go in and reselect that variant. I'm betting on my having gotten the location/size wrong, though. It'll be up on the updater tomorrow at the latest, though, barring something exploding overnight.

OK, got it sorted and tested all 3 variants on my system. All three are displaying the drop-down positioned correctly. I'm going to send this version up to the updater. Here's the final zipfile for anyone who wants to get it sooner.