Help out with aff combat?

Aehren

I've been playing a shaman for some time (it's the only class I've really played to any real extent) and I really enjoy it thematically. Thing is, I'm finding it really, really hard to enjoy it in combat. Stacking afflictions is difficult given I can't tell what's still on someone since the curing/application message is off the top of my screen about a second after it's sent. I've recently come back from a few months of absence, and previous to my return I was trying to get the hang of totem locking (which I was getting slightly better at, although still terrible), but since that is no longer a real option I'm back at square one.

Last raid I just walled myself into a crevice and fashioned dolls for resurrection purposes for the rest of the party, but I really want to get into honestly contributing. I recently asked in my city for some help, and was directed to a person who was very patient, but a professional coder and therefore we were just not on the same page by any stretch. I found the ideas he was talking about far too complex for someone of my level, and the entire thing, while it took a couple of hours, was essentially a waste of time for both of us. I learn things pretty quickly, but this has been a major obstacle for me- I think it's due to the lack of clear direction/instruction. I know Achaean combat is a lesson in patience and time, but I really need a hand here.

I really need someone who can relate and communicate to a lua layman on how to fight with afflictions. I cannot script (I'm absolutely willing to learn and have read some tutorials, but I am as a child with this).

I am using:

-Mudlet
-SVO
-A chat box script

I have customized:
-My chatbox script
-I have written an alias for each curse and vodun ability (essentially, curse target asthma has been made "cast", with "send/svo.doadd("curse "..target.." asthma")" as the conc, blight target asthma is "bast", and so on
-I can write basic triggers to directly send commands, but not to call scripts

I'd really like to get to learn affliction combat, and I'm willing to put in the time and effort, but I need someone who can explain the entire process and work through it with me step-by-step. At this stage, I've been trying to find someone willing for so long, I'm willing to change cities/houses/pay credits/whatever. I'd really appreciate any help.

Addama

This is really something you ought to learn from a citymate, and Mhaldor is an excellent place to be for learning how to Shaman.  Just hang out a bit and bug fellow Shaman on CT, I'm sure they'll be super-helpful.

Bluef

There are a lot of helpful shamans in the Shamans clan too. Feel free to ask about an induct. It's a space where you can be fairly insane when asking questions too, and a lot of time you can find people willing to go back and forth testing things there.

Aehren

Alright, I'll do that then. Thank you both!

Omi

Hai

Seftin

One thing I would suggest (this is just me) is that with the speed that shaman curses, reduce the length of your aliases for key lock afflictions, one you use a lot like bast becomse ba and cast becomes ca to best utilise your offense, alternatively make some of them into keys (ie ctrl + keybad 1 could be curse para whilst ctrl + alt + keypad 1 could be blight para etc).

In regards to keeping tabs on what's afflicted I believe that there is still a free aff tracker available on the forums - I can't link it right now as I can't find it but I think it was @austere who made it?

**edit** also hit me up in game with an OOC tell or message and I'll try help with some stuff if I can.

Austere

True story.  You would have to go through and do the relevant shaman coding for it,  though.  I wrote up an offense and after killing an artied mage on an alt, and realizing how ridiculous these changes are,  decided it was probably best I not include it in the public version.  I am willing to give you pointers on how I did it, as well as show you how to capture the current curse being sent by a serverside alias, but following what I have made for serpent and dragon and converting to shaman should be fairly easy. The only difference being,  all shaman curses (with a few exceptions) look the same.  @Seftin‌ if you can't find it, how can you update it!  

http://forums.achaea.com/discussion/2562/my-offense-tracker#latest

Seftin

I made a basic one that even flashed when to use Tzantza, I couldn't get my head to the level of complexity that Auestere has done it, and can't figure it out for venoms, but curses is pretty simple to do. Hit me up in game and I'll help rework it.

@austere is, as always, fantastic for what they have done.

Austere

@Seftin‌ , affstrack.mentalscore is your best friend for tzantza.  No need to use flashy stuff,  you can code it straight in.  I recently rewrote my entire offense, so the affliction tracking changed a lot in the process including a mass cleanup effort..  I can look about including some basic things into the public script for Shaman,  but I am afraid it will be too little(which just serves to confuse) or too much(it took me years to understand shaman.  I was self taught entirely and I don't want to just hand out every answer to every single person)  I have probably already published too much,  but I love it.  Coding offense is fun,  but when I am stuck as a magi,  I feel obligated to give it too someone that can use it.  I am just waiting for the first Targy to use my script on me so I can activate my super secret win button and laugh as their bank accounts are emptied, their inventory is dropped,  and all their credits are sent to random Ashtani (am I joking? Who knows! [Unless you look through all fifteen of my triggers and realize I am joking])