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Hotkey''ing Weapon groups - How?

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Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 5:58 am

Hotkey''ing Weapon groups - How?

I'd love to group up my weapons into the most efficient for doing shield damage, doing hull damage and other (distruptor, mine, ect.).

The manual is sorely lacking in specifics here and the strag guide only says that this is possible, BUT not how.

Can anyone PLEASE give specific details, step by step, on how this is done. I know there is a way to hotkey for firing the active weapons, and default is the right mouse key, but nothings seems to indicate how to customize 2-3 different weapons groups and be able to switch off depending on the situation.

Any help is appreciated (and again, please give DETAILED explanation).

THANKS!!!

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:03 am

Look in the control options in the game. They have like 10 different weapons groups you can make. If hotkeys aren't already assigned (don't remember), go ahead and assign some and start grouping weapons.

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:09 am

No, it only gives an option to Hotkey the group, not how to ASSIGN the group of weapon hardpoints that are IN the group.

Please, anyway, please please please, give me specific detailed directions of how to do this. Naturally I've checked the options and the readme section, and there I simply cannot find HOW to hotkey the weapons INTO the groups, only how to hotkey the groups to fire (ex - you can hotkey active group 1 to a certain key and group 2 to another BUT nothing says you how to hotkey the hardpoints into each - say hardpoints 1,2,5,6 into group 1 and 3,4,7,8 into group 2).

Thank for the help!!!

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:24 am

Look again. At the bottom of the User Interface section, it has assign and activate comands for your weapons groups. I think you're looking in the Ship controls section...

Edited by - Aerundel on 16-03-2003 06:25:25

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:29 am

figured it out, thanks

Edited by - mc1csmo on 16-03-2003 08:13:19

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:42 am

Ok I found the mistake, thanks

Edited by - mc1csmo on 16-03-2003 08:13:54

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:52 am

Ok, I just made my own groups, since you reminded me of them, so here's how I did it.

For me, I used the numpad, but you're going to just use the number row over the letters by the looks of it (I should probably do that too). Anyway, I assume you've already cleared the hotkey assignments for at least 1-6. Now put 1-6 as the hotkeys for the ACTIVATE weapon group hotkeys. Now, press one of your hotkeys - let's start with 1. Then use your mouse to activate the weapons you want to use on your weapon menu (lower right of screen). Press 2. Activate the weapons you want for that key. Continue until you're done making groups. Now every time you press 1-6, the group you made will be activated, and you can shoot it with your right mouse button.

The ASSIGN hotkeys seem to be kind of redundant, because the ACTIVATE ones seem to assign things automatically when you click a weapon. I don't have either the ASSIGN or SELECT weapons groups hotkeys assigned, but I was able to make these groups easily. I don't know exactly what you want with the "hardpoint" stuff, since that's dependent on where you equip the weapon. But there you go.

Edited by - Aerundel on 16-03-2003 06:57:18

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:53 am

You first select / activate the weapons you wish to be in a group, then you press the hotkey that "assign to group". Now you can use the "select weapons group" hotkey to activate them.

Frankly I don't see the point. I just fire all cannons at once, while missile is Q, torpedos shift-Q, and mine being E... That pretty much covers it...

All the weapons do the same thing, the graviton / positron / molecular difference is small and should just be ignored (especially at high levels)... Just fire whatever you've got and pound the enemy to pulp... dispense with the grouping.

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 7:10 am

Yeah, weapon groups are kinda pointless... I was trying them out, but why would you never want to fire all weapons? I can see missles, but I just have missles set to my two extra mouse buttons... so that solves that problem. Then I just re-assigned torp to Q, since I don't need Q to fire missles anymore.... works great

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:03 am

I like to carry one stunpulse/debilitator weapon to blast shields. After a target's shields are down (of if the target is large ship/emplacement), I can disable it since I mapped mouse 3 to it. Then, it reduced the power drain.

ER

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:04 am

Well here's why:

See you drain ungodly power with all you weapons firing at once, usually draining to nill fast. I started out getting the best all around weapons and just pounding away, but I tried to get JUST the best shield damage, and then the best hull damage for others.

I am sitting on a 6 weapon configuration. 3 weapons are anti shield, 3 are anti hull (one is a turret). I also have missles (seekers, mines too and some distruption missles as well, all now hotkey'd 4-6).

What I do now is key all the anti shield's to 1, and all the hull to 2. I just pound my best weapons on the shield and switch to all anti hull when those are gone, and use the other things as I need them. I'd been doing this manually until I started looking for the assign capability and had much trouble till I got help here (thanks!!!).

No I just tried this out, and it takes a few minutes to get used to, but I clearly took down ships faster than before. Though I am using half my weapons, they are specialized. I go thru power far slower as I am not wasting shots from weaposn that do less to the defence I am hitting.

Try it, you'll see the difference. Just means be more attentive to the red and blue bars, and switching to the appropriate weapons when needed.

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 10:18 am

Using three weapons for anti shield seems kind of overkill. Since having even ONE stunpulse /debilitator makes knocks down shields in a few shots.

In my experience.

ER

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 5:30 pm

Get some Nomad Cannons/Blasters and not worry about power drain

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:01 pm

Ok so I guess I move to anti-shield for only one weapon then, np.

Nomad cannons? Care to lend some credits to a trader who is down on his luck? lol

I'm working HARD to scrape a few K together, I am betting those puppies are too rich for me, heh.

Thanks

Post Sun Mar 16, 2003 6:18 pm

you would be suprised. Nomad wepons get 4k each when you sell them. Just make sure your above level 31 and go shoot a few nomads you will soon have more tha enoth.

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