Jackula
03-29-2007, 10:38 AM
If you are one of those people that harvests by mouse-hovering over nodes and using the letter F key to harvest you can probably stop reading now. Personally, I've never liked that method for harvesting. I find my way easier and faster. Curious? Read on. The new macro changes for EQ2 in Live Update #33 have made easy harvesting even easier. I have one of these macros for each harvest skill, and with one click of it I can equip the appropriate harvest tool, auto target the nearest harvest node, and then perform two harvesting actions. Two clicks will fully harvest the node. <img src="http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/3122/harvestmacrodo3.jpg" border="0"> That image might be difficult to see, so I'll type the command lines here too and walk you through making a macro using the above macro as an example. <li>click your EQ2 button</li> <li>click your Socials button</li> <li>click on the Macro tab</li> <li>click on the text that reads <click to edit></li> <li>in the blank area for the macro name, type something appropriate like Fishing</li> <li>for the macro icon, drag your fishing pole from your backpack into the macro icon square</li> <li>choose Equip Item and click on Add Step. This creates the first macro line.</li> <li>in the first macro line, drag your fishing pole from your backpack into the empty square. Select which charm slot you want your harvesting tool to equip in. I like 1st Charm slot.</li> <li>choose Command and click on Add Step. This creates the second macro line.</li> <li>in the blank Command line area type what is written in orange: <span style="color: orange">/target_nearest_npc</span> It is important you type that exactly. It tells the computer to target what is closest to you, so if a node is closer to you than a mob, it will target the node.</li> <li>choose Command and click on Add Step. This creates the third macro line.</li> <li>in the blank Command line area type exactly what is in written in orange. <span style="color: orange">: ; usea Fishing ; usea Fishing</span> Pay close attention to spacing, spelling, and punctuation! The colon ( : ) tells the program you will be using more than one ability and the semicolon ( ; ) allows you to string them together. The letters "usea" are short for useability. Of course you can substitute in any skill name in place of Fishing. For example, if you typed "usea Foresting" you would use your Foresting skill instead.</li> That's it. You've made a macro that will do everything for one harvest skill in two clicks. Now make a similar macro for each of your other harvest skills. Just be sure to tell the macro the right harvest tool to equip and the right skill name to use. Find a good place for them on your hot bar (for this I like to use a hot bar that only appears when I mouse over it), or bind these macros to hot keys instead. I use a Logitech G15 keyboard. It's a great keyboard for under $100 Canadian. It has an extra set of function keys (aka F keys) called G keys. Those extra keys are handy. I have a macro for each of the harvest skills bound to a G7-G12 key, which are just to left of the W-A-S-D keys. The G15 is ideal fo rme, but these macros will work for anyone on any keyboard. Just replace your current harvest buttons with macros like this one. If you are going to experiment with making some macros it is important to note that you can include instant actions but no more than two delayed actions (actions that take time). An example of what I mean: instant action = equip harvest tool, target nearest npc or object 1st timed action = start Fishing 2nd timed action = cues up the Fishing skill to start again once the first timed action is done If you try to include a third timed action it will just cancel the second action you have cued. That is why you still have to click this macro twice. If I wrote it to take three timed actions it would only perform one harvest action.