Addon for a granpa

[Urud.4925]

I'm looking for some addon to make (veeery) easier to control the character in game. A couple of years ago I asked my father to try GW2 and after so much insistence, he tried. But... he's extremely noob obviously. He couldn't walk. Like... at all. He managed to get stuck in spots that I never imagined, to reach Shaemoor for the first mission (like between the wall of a house and its yard, or falling from the precipice nearby).

I told him that he could also press the left and the right mouse buttons, but he always ended up watching his feet or up to the sky. He killed some grawl, so at least he can use the keyboard, but only when they went to him. Staying in front of him and jumping continuously to lead him towards the way didn't help.

 

Is there some addon to move the character with a click-to-move/mouse walk? Or something to lock the height, so he could only move the mouse to left and right?

I know that it's a desperate case, but... we live in different countries, and especially during these times it would be nice to spend some time "virtually together".

[Leo.3428]

A low FPS can make it extremely tricky to control a character. If that's the case and it can be fixed, I hope your father will be able to learn fast afterward.

I did find some utilities through web search to restrict mouse movement but I don't know how safe these are to install, so I'd rather not post links. PM me if interested and you can't find them yourself.

[ShadowCatz.8437]

As for mods or add-on: there are none that you can use for skills, movement or anything that impact gameplay that is allowed in this game. Only tools that display information that is allowed through ANets API keys (you create an API key which you decide what will be possible to show for an account).

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/API:API_key

 

https://gw2efficiency.com/ is one site that I use that is very helpful to keep track of everything from bosses, to which character have what.

 

There is also an overlay which show same information as the website: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/renaka/gw2navi-guild-wars-2-overlay-t144.html

I would recommend to use the package with contain also java in zipped format as Firefox (my browser have locked down java support in browser for security reason). You also will need to set graphic to Windowed Fullscreen as otherwise overlay will not be able to show and it is a bit confusing when you click on screen and some part of screen belong to this app and section belong GW2 (you need to toggle what is what). In short is easier to use Fullscreen (where GW2 have main priority and isn't a window like in windows fullscreen) and use ALT-TAB to see browser with the same information).

 

For seeing a timeline of bosses navi offer a better view, but you can also find that information on GW2 Wiki section for bosses or use gw2efficiency for the most common bosses in core game.

 

As your question about adjusting height, when you create a character you can adjust size and how high a character should be. Asura tends to be smaller then the rest, so you have expect that the max height will also be very low compared to Norn, Humans and Charr as an example. Sylvarian are a bit in between. After character are set (have been created) the only option is to use slider and enable or disable some feature where camera will align to your back (eye level from ground). Look up Option on GW2 wiki to find out more. Also remember that the Field of View will have an impact in this combination for how much you see (as the more you zoom out or in and the level from ground camera will be position itself). Just a warning: during certain events like when meta starts or when there is boss which is group content incl story content camara will zoom out independent of camera settings to give a movie feeling for that content and go back when event have ended. As player this can be annoying as you loose the view that you are used to.

 

I suggest to look into action camera mode, use call target to keep focus on boss or main enemy while still be able to target adds or other things - by using Call Target which put a large target symbol on targets (it can be used also to show which items a group want or need; not only NPC or player targets) even as single player not in group/party or squad you will be then able to get fast get back with Take Target (use a keybind which is easy to reach) to that main target. Action Camera where added in a later stage to this game which is build around TAB-targeting. It is important that your father/gradfather set up a keybind to change mode between both as you will be put into tab-target when you interact with objects (pop up dialogues as an example like vendors or NPC dialogue) and need to activate action camera to use movements key to move instead of rotating camera movements. It is more settings that need to be adjusted, so you autotarget the right targets or disable this in some situation.

 

Read on wiki how you set up this as you need to do some changes in Option>General (tick on or off radio buttons) and adjust which key bindings that you need in reach. Some controls are hard bounded meaning that you can set mouse button to what ever you want from games control panel, but it is possible to compensate that with most game mouse drivers/or apps that come with gaming device (typical for today for both keyboard and mouse).

 

If your father/grandfather can afford it I would recommend to buy a Tenless keyboard (TKL) where number pad have been removed as you will then have less space between left side for where you usually put movement controls like WASD (or ESDF). As for mouse I would recommend to use a gaming mouse that offer thumb button (MMO mouse) to reach those skills that are most used during fights (weapon, healing, dodge and professional keys like F1-F5 as those last one in most key boards are too far to reach from where you control movement direction). Most people forget that a lot of problems with "being skilled" also have to do with how much time one take to activate healing, dodge as defensive mechanism or even move in time out of danger or get in range with melee weapon (you can use teleport skills to get in range or out of range vs long range weapons). When using a default keyboard (or even different language which also have different physical layout for what kind of key there is on keyboard; not only something that can be changed from MS Windows as language, how keyboard in first place have been designed). Reaching F1-F4 for changing professional set up of how to play, which also need to be done very fast in combination with weapon swap is one of the major problem that is connected to where those have been placed on keyboard and/or mouse. On regular basis I need to check my Here Panel to see what equipment I have, what traits I use , that I have enough charges on my gathering tools and for what steps I am in an achievement, so Hero Panel need to be easy reach with my fingers, same for open map to know where I am even in a middle of a fight or during a meta event, same for checking Inventory (default keybind is to far from movement keys; but it works to replace DPI which I set and forget on mouse, so that key now works to show Inventory instead).

 

In short even as it cost a lot of money, it can be a good investment to buy physical equipment to both avoid future injure from all fine movement control that is connected to compensate for reaching keys and controls that most people can't reach without lifting theirs hands and loose where they where on keyboard. Also the speed or time frame one need to be able to do actions like movement, dodge in right moment and activate skills etc is so short so when you speed up your actions, you will also notice an increase in damage or mitigation.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Controls - for default set up of key binds and where to find them

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Call_Target - need to set both Call Target and Take Target in controls (key bind). Make sure both are in range on keyboard or mouse to fast be used when needed. When you have Call Target something you see that NPC or players Healthbar, all buffs and debuff (orange - boons; red - conditions), when you use Take Target you will refocus on Call Target (even when you have your back to NPC/player). So with autotargeting active (which is part of how Action Camera work; when attack something it will priorities it as a target until you change target), you will be able to control what you target better. Also use Lock Auto Target to remove (reset) what you have targeted, it work different from what the name of it suggest - a short press on that key will remove whatever that might have been targeted with Rightclick on mouse button when you use Left mouse button for activate attack or interact.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Lock_Auto_Target - to remove target (this doesn't remove Call Target and you can still use it get back to that target with Take Target; it will be reset when you or your group/part/squad is far enough, so there is no point in trying to find a way remove it)

 

Set up at least one key bind to change between targets, it is enough so you rotate between hostile - red nameplate on targets and neutral with white name tags, the last group is important as it is easy to make them hostile and get overwhelmed by share number, if you use any skill that can hit more then one target. Next Target is enough for me, but other use Nearest Target. Next is better if you want to see what is out of range from you weapons attack range. This is important as you want to see what kind of special abilities an enemy might have and what you need to do to remove or break breakbar on bosses. With PoF there where new type of bosses added with Bounty which have two special random unstable magic, one is a defensive and one is an offensive type. It is probably to early for both of you do that type of content yet, but it is useful to get used to always check icons on every boss to be sure what will damage then (and to avoid getting killed by reflected damage when they put up shields).

 

As for name tag; I use always show hostile, for most part keep friendly targets/player hidden, but it can be useful to change this when you need find certain NPC during story or achievements as holding a key or press it for a long time can be tiring. Remember that control and alt keys can be replaced with other features, if you don't need them in default state to show name tag. Control key also work to show all hidden elements of UI (if you hide steps in events or when to show party from Option: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Graphical_user_interface).

 

Hope you and your father/grandfather can make this into something useful, it is a lot to take in, but most part is A) look over keybindings and how to get them physical in reach - this also depends on what profession and build one make use of. B) Learn to know you enemy or friend by get the most out of targeting - with Action Camera a new layer where added, but it is still based on tab-targeting where one change target with a key and activate skills to hit target. Combine it with targeting for party and squads which added Call Target, you will have easier to change targets (have also time to read what icon and skills that target might have incl see healthbar). C) Keyboard are different in physical design depending on group of language they have as their target audience - the size and the space that shift keys occupy on keyboards can be very different from keyboard to keyboard which move all other keys in another position even when it is the same set of symbols on a keyboard. D) We all have had to learn to play this game and adopt and when we got access to gliding and now mounts we also changed a lot of how we play. Take the time that is needed to understand your weapon, your professional (F1-F5 keys), weapon swap, utilities, healing and how stats from gear/weapon interact in this game. It is a lot and some you have to learn by trail and error.

[ShadowCatz.8437]

> @"Urud.4925" said:

> I'm looking for some addon to make (veeery) easier to control the character in game. A couple of years ago I asked my father to try GW2 and after so much insistence, he tried. But... he's extremely noob obviously. He couldn't walk. Like... at all. He managed to get stuck in spots that I never imagined, to reach Shaemoor for the first mission (like between the wall of a house and its yard, or falling from the precipice nearby).

> I told him that he could also press the left and the right mouse buttons, but he always ended up watching his feet or up to the sky. He killed some grawl, so at least he can use the keyboard, but only when they went to him. Staying in front of him and jumping continuously to lead him towards the way didn't help.

>

> Is there some addon to move the character with a click-to-move/mouse walk? Or something to lock the height, so he could only move the mouse to left and right?

> I know that it's a desperate case, but... we live in different countries, and especially during these times it would be nice to spend some time "virtually together".

 

I quote this as I already written a lot to help you and your grand/father out. It is possible that there are still bugs in core Tyria maps where you can get stuck, so it is not necessary that your grand/father have problem with movement like you make is sound. In general teleport abilities/skills can often make player get outside of where player are supposed to be in the game environment, that is not uncommon in other games or MMO.

 

I don't know how old you are or your grand/father, but it is possible that you stress him up when this happens. Try to avoid doing that as most people, especially if they are older and feel that there too much going on that it will not help them to manage or understand how one play in this game.

 

Do you use Discord or any other Voice communication app? I think it could help more then jump up and down when you want show how to do things.

 

What you call "mission" and Sheamoor sounds like it a personal story: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Defending_Shaemoor

 

My suggestion would that you both look up what step is needed to complete this (and it is possible to repeat later stories with achievements for reward). As a character without any mastery (don't know if you still access to mastery like mounts or gliding when you do PS as a friend that is in instance) or have experience what to expect, it can be confusing the very first time one step into a story.

 

Another very good way to help people to understand what going on and what is expected in story mode is to use Youtube video. AynMaiden is very good to show what step to do and how to do things. As she made the Personal Stories when they where in beta stage it might have been some changes since then. Also Personal Story are depending on combination of race, later which order one join and some other things small things, but all player are meant to end up with first dragon and the major event to which this game is focusing on later in Living World.

For newer content she is very useful to get achievements and stories done. She also have made her own site that should be easy to find for step by step walk-through on newer content. Don't forget that there might have been bugs that have been fixed and patched or even changes for how each character today work compared to when video where made around 2013-2014.

 

Her main page on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7b8z048_KTxWw6mbpZoZA

 

Try to talk with your grand/father and let him feel that he has the control of what is going on.

 

Personal Story where designed to introduce new player into the world of what is going on (in Tyria - core map) and at same time also to learn what an event is, what player have to look out for and gradually build up a character (like you get some loot in the end of each completed story - some player might consider it to be worthless if they have levelled character in open world PvE above what is needed to do PS).

 

 

 

 

[Urud.4925]

Thank you all for the tips (also to the ppl who sent me a private message). I don't think I stressed him particularly (I hope so, at least). I'm well aware that it's difficult to understand the controls when the only videogame that you played is Wii Fit. It takes time, it's normal.

 

Yesterday I found an interesting discussion on reddit, about the gamepad in GW2. I remembered that I have a Logitech WingMan Rumble somewhere and I tried it: it worked surprisingly well. I only enabled the left stick, so it's not possible to move the camera with the right one (you can't watch your feet, even by mistake). For me something was missing, as I kept trying to use it to move the camera, but for someone who never played RPGs (and in general videogames) should be much easier. It works with the camera full zoomed out, so it's easy to see what happens around you, like with a keyboard + mouse.

 

I set the 6 right buttons for the skills #1 ~ 6, the triggers for jump and dodge, and the directional pad for switching weapon/F1/F-talk/0-Elite. I've read you could use a trigger for shift/control, to enable a second layer of input, but I didn't want to complicate things (I'll go full signets). I wouldn't use it for a strike mission, but for central Tyria it was quite fun actually :)

Pity that I didn't find any new gamepad with 6 buttons on the right. They all have 4 buttons nowadays. oh well, I can ship him mine.

[Hannabil.9145]

i use w a d s to move then i moved my buttons to the number pad.

[Urud.4925]

Yeah this also may work. I've already told him to try the opposite of what you said: skills with the left hand (I never told him there's a dodge yet) and the arrow keys on the right to move (I removed the strafe). The only problem to play only with the keyboard is that you can have some motion sickness after a bit, since the screen doesn't move smoothly (also the more you hold left/right, the more the speed increases).

It's a matter of getting used in the end. Both gamepad and keyboard-only, don't allow to adjust the camera, so they are good options. Let's see what he prefers.

Thank you Hannabil :)