PvP: Casting, Fizzeling & Cast Recovery. Help!

[imported_Leto]

As of recently I've been PvP-ing a bit, mostly duels amongst friends, but I'm having some problems with my spells.
I've learned the basics: cast small spells, go for the interrupt, poison a lot and I'm getting on fairly well. The problem I'm having though is often I have trouble getting my spells started. Like I have to press my assigned spell button several times for the spell to even start casting.
I know about fizzeling and how you have to recover a few moments after fizzeling regardless of your Faster Cast Recovery. And it indeed is often after a fizzle I have trouble getting a new spell started but it feels like seconds and takes several key-presses to get the next spell started. As a measure of time: I notice my friends always have text from spells over their heads. For me, sometimes all text has 'decayed' before I can get another spell started.

I checked my connection and my ping is 30ms to 40ms. Task manager indicates no more then 20-30% of my systems resources are in use. So neither should be the problem.

Am I doing something wrong? Is my timing messed up, do I just plain suck? Or might something else be wrong?

 

[temu]

Hmmm... you don't have protection casted do you? Heh.

Are your keyboard macros set up so you just push one key, or do you have to puch Control or Alt + key? Not that it would make a huge difference, but you never know.

I use Cntrl and Alt+Keys for my spells and have no problems. The way you describe it, something sounds fishy. You shouldn't have to mash your key just to get one spell started.

Start eliminating possible problems. I would try and use UO on another computer, set up some spells, and see if the problem is the same on an entirely different system.

 

[imported_GFY]

Are you using another program like UOA?

Are you using 2D or KR?

Does this happen only in pvp or does it happen in pvm also?

 

[imported_Spiritless]

Are you referring to any specific spell? How are your spell macros set up? If you're coding things like "Target Self" into your macros on a heal macro for instance and it gets interrupted, you won't be able to cast it again without double pressing the key. The first key press "cancels" the macro that just got interrupted, the second press re-initiates it. This is the same for any macro that you have set up that includes targets.

The answer to this is not to code targets into any of your macros. Your "Last Target" key or "Target Self" key should be separate. I personally have my targets on my mouse wheel using UOAssist.

But yeah, if you're hard-coding targets this is the likely cause of the symptoms you're describing.

 

[imported_Leto]

Thanks for the replies all

I don't have protection cast on me and use single-key-macro's for my spells. I'm using the 2D client with UOA.

I do have a couple of spells with hardcoded targets, like heal and cure. I'll experiment a little and see if the problem persists if I don't use hardcoded targets.

 

[imported_GFY]

I use hard coded cure and heal in pvm only. I tried it for pvp and you wouldn't believe how many times I healed or cured my target!

 

[Alagos Galadrim]

<blockquote><hr>

The answer to this is not to code targets into any of your macros. Your "Last Target" key or "Target Self" key should be separate. I personally have my targets on my mouse wheel using UOAssist.

But yeah, if you're hard-coding targets this is the likely cause of the symptoms you're describing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with Spiritless. I've had the best luck using the mouse wheel and setting UOA to queue last target - Hit your spell macro button and give the wheel a quick spin, as soon as the spell is ready it will cast it. I used to have the problems you described and I too had my targeting built into the macros back then.

 

[NeXeD LeGeNd]

better off not using the target que. It just makes you worse in the long run and ruins your spellplay and you will never be able to compete with the best duelists.

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

Prove it

edit: I might want to add that my clear target queue button is my most used key:/ I use target queuing (although I've done many a duel without it too), but it's definitely best not to just use it and forget about it.

 

[Nadirian_Wrath]

I use queue as well. So does Disfigure.
And my most used button is my cancel queue button as well

 

[NeXeD LeGeNd]

if you would like me to prove it and you are on ATL i will.

disfigure dies to worse duelists than me. plz don't ever use him as an example.

 

[Nadirian_Wrath]

He was very good last time I dueled him about 6 months ago. So I'll use him as I please ta. I'll also be happy to show you the power of queue soon as I get a suit(sometime this week)

 

[NeXeD LeGeNd]

cal, paith, ngraskel, me, nate and morto might just be the best duelists atm from what i have seen.. so bring it?

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

if the factions thing ever gets under way and I buy a transfer token I will do duels

 

[NeXeD LeGeNd]

good luck on that ever since we joined factions all Link has been doing is pancakes about us... he just can't face nobody can beat us.

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

I might transfer anyways if I can find a token, the only pvp i enjoy in this game anymore is dueling. haven't played in months again

 

[Nadirian_Wrath]

<blockquote><hr>

cal, paith, ngraskel, me, nate and morto might just be the best duelists atm from what i have seen.. so bring it?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've killed them all with queued ebolts/flames
go ahead and ask them (Nadir/Lego)

 

[Jaimes]

On my necro, I can corpse skin myself, then Explo/FS/Pain Spike, killing myself instantly (this is on Siege). Of course, that's never possible in a combat situation, but nevertheless, I wouldn't believe that feat possible of someone using a target queue. For that and many other reasons, I have to side with NeXeD on this one.

 

[Nadirian_Wrath]

uh ok

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

you are correct, it is literally impossible to do the same combo with target last and target queue. Even though it is the same speed (user dependent), it's impossible.

...

 

[davebobbit]

At the threat of taking this thread back ON TOPIC....

I too suffer the same symptoms as the OP. I raised it on uhall a few months ago but no-one was able to provide a solution.

In short, about half of the time i try to hit a spell macro (in 2d, no UOA) i need to press the button 2-3 times to get the spell started. I know the game has registered my key-press because it appears on the chat line with each press. it just doesnt kick off the spell.

also, it only seems to be magery spells that are affected.

based on the responses I had before and by the ones you've had this time I would say that we are in a very small minority who suffer this problem. One small consolation i guess is that now i know im not the only one!

 

[Nadirian_Wrath]

you will suffer from this if your uo macros have

spell
wait for target
target self/last

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

http://boards.stratics.com/php-bin/uo/showflat.php?Cat=3&amp;Number=7454957&amp;page=2&amp;view=collapsed&amp;sb=5&amp;o=&amp;fpart=1


I think the answer you are looking for is in here, if you are not talking about overcasting or targetself/last in your macros. It's the rubberband fix.

 

[davebobbit]

i concur with the thought that it is wait-for-target, target-self/last specific. However i was having this problem way before the rubberbanding fix so i dont think its that which is causing it.
regarding the suggestion in the thread you linked to just above, about using UOA to handle the last-target part of the macro, i dont believe in having to pay for UOA so it looks like im stuck.

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

are there not target self/last target macros in the normal macros? I forget it's been so long, but I thought there was. Just do it manually instead of including it in your macros.

 

[davebobbit]

yeah there are but i thought someone was suggesting to use the UOA alternative because it worked and the uo2d one didnt.

its really handy not to have to use the mouse to click on yourself or your opponent after each spell cast, i just wish i could get a last target or target self macro to actually work.

i suppose there is always KR.....

 

[imported_mr.blackmage]

by manually I mean just having a macro for target self and a seperate one for last target. Make it by keys you currently use, because they will be your most frequently used keys. Something you can press down insanely fast, so you would be able to spam mini heals without slowdown, for example.

 

[Guest]

<blockquote><hr>

yeah there are but i thought someone was suggesting to use the UOA alternative because it worked and the uo2d one didnt.

its really handy not to have to use the mouse to click on yourself or your opponent after each spell cast, i just wish i could get a last target or target self macro to actually work.

i suppose there is always KR.....

[/ QUOTE ]

UOA supports mouse buttons while the client dosnt. for me its wheel up-chug g-heal,wheel down-mini heal/target self (hardly used only for a quick heal if needed), front thumb button-last target, back thumbbutton-target self.