Spellcast Help Thread (Link your XML using Pastebin.com for help!)

[Dillu]

I've been trying to develop a bard/whm xml focused around MP locks. I've never worked with MP or HP locks before, and this is a first attempt at it. I took a look around at what examples were already out there, and I decided to try to make one from scratch. The idea I had was this: setup a Standard set with all the MP gear locked, equip it before every cast, basically, and then use if MPLT statements to remove locks. Then, proceed normally to equip sets based on spells. So:

               <action type="equip" set="Standard"/>
		<if MPLT="513">
			<action type="equip">
				<legs lock="t">Bard's cannions</legs>
			</action>
		</if>
		<if MPLT="503">
			<waist lock="f" />
		</if>

and so on, unlocking each piece of gear all the way down.

However, spellcast is crashing PlayOnline viewer. I'm not sure what's going on, what I'm doing wrong. My entire xml is posted at pastebin.com/m7ad81995, which I would be happy to link to if I had more than ten posts. Anyway, if anyone has a chance to take a look at this and tell me what ridiculous mistake I'm making, I would appreciate it. I was really hoping to make this work, because I was hoping to base my SMN, WHM and BLM MP locks off the same idea.

(Edit: it has also occured to me that the <waist lock="f" /> etc wasn't enough, so I tried to surround them with <action type="equip"> and </action> with no success. I also tried adding when="precast" to the equip standard line, also with no success. I get an error on spellcast "Spellcast encountered a fatal error and must be terminated. Error: access violation in OutgoingText method." and spellcast unloads. Which is better than crashing PlayOnline, at least.

[Feedmenow]

I liked the idea, so I tried to set it up. The Enable/Disable actions were really buggy for me when I tried to use them, so I just retried commands. In theory, it should disable the slots so that I can heal my MP to 454, then drop each gear lock as I use the spare MP.

<if group="Support">
            <action type="Equip" when="Resting" set="Healing" />
            <action type="Command" when="Resting">
            wait 1; 
            sc disable lear;
            sc disable rring;
            sc disable lring;
            sc disable Neck;
            sc disable Back;
            sc Disable head;
            sc disable body;
            sc disable legs;
            </action>
            <if MPlt="374">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Head;
                sc enable Body;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="354">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Back;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="314">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Neck;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="294">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Rring;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="264">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Lring;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="234" status="Idle" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                <action type="Command">
                sc enable Lear;
                </action>
            </if>
            <if MPlt="192">
                <action type="Command" when="Aftercast|Precast|Midcast">
                sc enable Legs;
                </action>
            </if>
        </if>

It takes one spell/song to actually start applying, though.

Pastebin is here: http://pastebin.com/f7aa5fef
And I resolved my earlier issue with binding the key to Victory March;wait .1;Advancing march instead. It'd still be great if there was an easy way to use variables to do the same thing!

[Aikar]

heh, i don't use <st because i use keybinds for alliance targetting which is 10x faster (they are included in the default init.txt, Alt/Ctrl + F1-6), so i prefer the lil helpers of if im targetting an enemy, do it on myself. so when meleeing and shit i can just do //haste, and itll know since its an enemy, to haste myself w/o having to do <me> or or anything.

[Argettio]

heh, i don't use <st because i use keybinds for alliance targetting which is 10x faster (they are included in the default init.txt, Alt/Ctrl + F1-6), so i prefer the lil helpers of if im targetting an enemy, do it on myself. so when meleeing and shit i can just do //haste, and itll know since its an enemy, to haste myself w/o having to do <me> or or anything.

I understand why you use it, but personally I didn't like. I could have re-written it to work the way I wanted, but instead just cut it out and made all my macros <stpt> or <stal>.

All my spells for other people are in various macro book and all my self buffs are bound to the keyboard, so I never need to type out spells (with the exception of //warp and //retrace etc that aren't worth macroing)

[Bakthi]

It also makes you unable to cure the NPCs in Red versus Blue with stpc, which is bad. stpc will let you tab through only the friendly NPCs, which I've found to be incredibly helpful if I'm to keep them all alive.

[Aikar]

hmm odd, those must have a monster flag or something cause i can cure npc's in besieged and stuff.

[Bakthi]

But you said you didn't use st, which is the problem here. How are you curing the NPCs in Besieged? Targeting with the menu (which I loathe) will still work on the RvB NPCs. Targeting the spell with <t> via typing/a macro might work too, but that's not what I want either. <stpc> knows something about the Red NPCs versus the Blue NPCs that makes it only target the friendly ones (whereas the menu cursor will target anything).

I haven't touched Besieged since Campaign came out, so I have no idea about that.

[Aikar]

But you said you didn't use st, which is the problem here. How are you curing the NPCs in Besieged? Targeting with the menu (which I loathe) will still work on the RvB NPCs. Targeting the spell with <t> via typing/a macro might work too, but that's not what I want either. <stpc> knows something about the Red NPCs versus the Blue NPCs that makes it only target the friendly ones (whereas the menu cursor will target anything).

I haven't touched Besieged since Campaign came out, so I have no idea about that.

Ohh right the stpc issue.

I believe the wiki file is out of date, yeah see stpc/etc send TWO commands to game, one with <stpc> that pops up the cursor, then another with the real target in place of <stpc> ie /ma cure aikar instead

That code above will screw up the 2nd one cause <stpc> cant parse to any real target and it will revert to <me>. I believe my actual current i have the code to ignore <stpc> and not rewrite target which should fix the issue.

This should work letting you use the target changing helper rules and still use <st*>.

		<if NotSpellTargetRaw="&lt;st* SpellTargetType="MONSTER" NotValidTarget="*Enemy*" ValidTarget="*Self*">
			<action type="changetarget" target="&lt;me&gt;" />
		</if>	
		<if NotSpellTargetRaw="&lt;st* SpellTargetType="NONE" ValidTarget="*Self*">
			<action type="changetarget" target="&lt;me&gt;" />
		</if>

[gaimear]

my ichi casting refuses to equip my Boxer's Mantle in the set, and I can't figure out why, i've double and triple checked it, what am I missing?

<set name="ichi" baseset="tp">
				<head>Koenig Schaller</head>
				<body>Nuevo Coselete</body>
				<feet>Gallant Leggings</feet>
				<back>Shield Torque</back>
				<legs>Valor Breeches</legs>
				<back>Boxer's Mantle</back>
				
			</set>

[Siniroth]

First thing I noticed was that you have

<back>Shield Torque</back>

Whether or not that's stopping Mantle, Iunno, but yeah

[gaimear]

oh man.... i'm so dumb XD

[Siniroth]

You pulled a Capricornian Robe

[BerenTebogo]

So..I hit COR75 like 2 days ago and I started writing up my spellcast but it's a lot different from the other things I use spellcast for (WAR, PLD, PLD/RDM)

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<spellcast xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
    <config />
    <variables />
    <sets>
        <group name="COR">
		    <set name="COR idle">
                <ammo>Steel Bullet</ammo>
                <head>Corsair's Tricorne</head>
                <neck>Orochi Nodowa</neck>
                <lear>Moldavite Earring</lear>
                <rear>Drone Earring</rear>
                <body>Mirke Wardecors</body>
                <hands>Rover's Gloves</hands>
                <lring>Rajas Ring</lring>
                <rring>Iota Ring</rring>
                <back>Cerb. Mantle +1</back>
                <waist>Swift Belt</waist>
                <legs>War Brais</legs>
                <feet>Enkidu's Leggings</feet>
            </set>
            <set name="COR TP">
                <ammo>Steel Bullet</ammo>
                <head>Walahra Turban</head>
                <neck>Peacock Charm</neck>
                <lear>Coral Earring</lear>
                <rear>Brutal Earring</rear>
                <body>Mirke Wardecors</body>
                <hands>Dusk Gloves</hands>
                <lring>Rajas Ring</lring>
                <rring>Iota Ring</rring>
                <back>Cerb. Mantle +1</back>
                <waist>Swift Belt</waist>
                <legs>Corsair's Culottes</legs>
                <feet>Enkidu's Leggings</feet>
            </set>
            <set name="Slug Shot">
                <ammo>Steel Bullet</ammo>
                <head>Corsair's Tricorne</head>
                <neck>Peacock Charm</neck>
                <lear>Coral Earring</lear>
                <rear>Triumph Earring</rear>
                <body>Corsair's Frac</body>
                <hands>Commodore Gants</hands>
                <lring>Behemoth Ring</lring>
                <rring>Behemoth Ring</rring>
                <back>Cerb. Mantle +1</back>
                <waist>Warwolf Belt</waist>
                <legs>Corsair's Culottes</legs>
                <feet>Corsair's Bottes</feet>
            </set>
	    <set name="Wind Shot">
	       	<main>Auster's Staff</main>
		<sub>Wind Grip</sub>
                <range>corsair's gun +1</range>
                <ammo>Steel Bullet</ammo>
                <head>Corsair's Tricorne</head>
                <neck>Orochi Nodowa</neck>
                <lear>Moldavite Earring</lear>
                <rear>Drone Earring</rear>
                <body>Mirke Wardecors</body>
                <hands>Rover's Gloves</hands>
                <lring>Rajas Ring</lring>
                <rring>Iota Ring</rring>
                <back>Cerb. Mantle +1</back>
                <waist>Swift Belt</waist>
                <legs>War Brais</legs>
                <feet>Enkidu's Leggings</feet>
            </set>
        </group>
    </sets>
    <rules>
        <if group="COR">
            <equip when="idle" set="COR idle" />
            <equip when="engaged" set="COR TP" />
            <if spell="Slug Shot">
                <equip when="Precast" set="Slug Shot" />
                <castdelay delay=".5" />
                <equip when="Aftercast" set="COR TP" />
            </if>
			<if spell="Wind Shot">
                <equip when="Precast" set="Wind Shot" />
                <castdelay delay=".5" />
                <equip when="Aftercast" set="COR Idle" />
            </if>
        </if>
    </rules>
</spellcast>

My gear isn't great I know, but my main focus right now is trying to learn how to switch from joyeuse to austers + wind grip (i always had problems with windower macros putting on staff + grip from sword if doing it all at once) or just any general suggestions people can give me on how to improve my COR spellcast.

I have a basic understanding of SC but when it comes to intricate rules and shit I'm just lost. Thanks

[Argettio]

That's a nice simple SC.

<if spell="Wind Shot">
                <equip when="Precast" set="Wind Shot" />
                <castdelay delay=".5" />
                <if Status="Engaged">
				<equip when="Aftercast" set="COR TP" />
		</if>
                <else>
                                <equip when="Aftercast" set="COR Idle" />
                </else>
</if>

I know it is unlikely you will use wind shot while engaged, but if you do, this will change you back to your TP gear if you are.

If you wanted you could also add a TP lock so that you only switch to wind staff if you have less that X TP. With a variable to override it, so you can force TP saving or force staffs.

[BerenTebogo]

I don't know how to work variables or even really what they do but that sounds interesting. Care to explain a little more about that last part?

And thanks for the engaged case, will that have any issues going from joyeuse -> austers + grip at the same time like with scripts?

[Argettio]

I don't know how to work variables or even really what they do but that sounds interesting. Care to explain a little more about that last part?

And thanks for the engaged case, will that have any issues going from joyeuse -> austers + grip at the same time like with scripts?

As you have it currently, when you wind shot, you will swap to austers staff + grip (not mater what, engaged or otherwise). It should work fine (I never have any problems with my BLM or RDM, both of which switch to club/shield at times).

What I was suggesting was a 3 case system:
1. You want to allow switching of your main/sub, but only when you have less than a certain amount of TP (20 for example)

2. You never want to allow your main/sub to switch no matter what TP level you have (not sure why you would want this, but you may)

3. You want to allow your main/sub switch all the time, no mater what your TP level (Like a mage swaps staffs).

Case 1 is easy to write in a rule for, put something like this at the beginning of the rules section.

<if TPGT="20">
      <action type="disable" slot="main|sub" />
</if>
<else>
       <action type="Enable" slot="main|sub" />
</else>

But if you want either case 2 or 3 to happen then you need some way of over ride this rule, which is where a variable come it.

using: //sc var set <varname> <var value>

You can use a macro (or type into console or chat) to change the way SC handles your TP rules at any time.

But that maybe a sledgehammer to crack a nut...

Edit: most of my code examples are for SC2.2, you may need to reconvert your xml to 2.3 or re-write it (I still haven't moved to 2.3).

[Aikar]

variables basically let you store a value then check it later.

Like i have a variable $Ring that i can change 1 or 0 to turn off the lv50 latent rings.

the code does if $Ring == 1, then do ring stuff.

[Alastaire]

I'm new to Spellcast so I copied an XML and modified it for my gear etc, but I seem to be having an issue with an aspect of it. I'm not sure whether it's just how it is, or something that I've done (or the person who originally wrote the script) but I have it to equip TP gear on engage and Idle gear during idle/once the mob dies. The issue I seem to be having is a tiny (but noticeable and annoying) delay once I engage. If I engage the mob and it's close, I immediately flash to change gear (which is understandable) but the irritating part is it seems to take me a while to hit the mob after the gearswap (if I engage and it's right infront of me, running up to it (with Dusk Gloves...) doesn't have an issue but that is in itself irritating).

Just curious if anybody else noticed or had the issue themselves, and if so any suggested workarounds. I can put up the code if necessary.

[Argettio]

I'm new to Spellcast so I copied an XML and modified it for my gear etc, but I seem to be having an issue with an aspect of it. I'm not sure whether it's just how it is, or something that I've done (or the person who originally wrote the script) but I have it to equip TP gear on engage and Idle gear during idle/once the mob dies. The issue I seem to be having is a tiny (but noticeable and annoying) delay once I engage. If I engage the mob and it's close, I immediately flash to change gear (which is understandable) but the irritating part is it seems to take me a while to hit the mob after the gearswap (if I engage and it's right infront of me, running up to it (with Dusk Gloves...) doesn't have an issue but that is in itself irritating).

Just curious if anybody else noticed or had the issue themselves, and if so any suggested workarounds. I can put up the code if necessary.

Spellcast is faster than what you see on the screen.

You see the first swing hit with your idle gear or it gets eaten by the blinking, but you can be 99% certain that the server received the gear swap commands before you made the first swing.

And no there is no work around (as what your asking is SC to equip your TP gear BEFORE you engage, it can't read minds).

[Alastaire]

You see the first swing hit with your idle gear or it gets eaten by the blinking, but you can be 99% certain that the server received the gear swap commands before you made the first swing.

The gear swaps are functioning fine, and changing as soon as I engage. Just seems like there's a delay between the blink and the mob turning red that I never noticed before I used spellcast to auto-equip TP gear on engage. I'll just have to try it out some more and see how I feel after 'getting used to it'.