Setting up the Enhanced Client

efore starting to use the Enhanced Client, you should spend some time setting it up properly. I've been using the Enhanced Client exclusively for almost a year now, and I finally figured out my preferred setup. I usually use one character (I prefer a mage, as he has the most complex setup) to make a default configuration, which contains macros and hotbars for almost every skill I use on my characters. This setup will then be copied to all other characters. This way, you have the same basic setup with all characters, and only have to remove or tweak the hotbars a bit. As the whole configuration is stored in a file with the name of your character, it is easy to copy the file and rename it to match your other characters' names. The file is usually located in your documents folder in the appropriate subdirectory (just search for it).

The following description gives you an idea of how the client can be configured. Of course, there are many ways to do it. This is just an example.

The first thing you should do is to configure the client options. Do this by going to the main menu and select "Options". A window with several tabs will open. Here's what I did (I will only describe what I changed):

Graphics: I prefer the windowed over the Full Screen mode, as I usually have other applications running in the background (like ICQ). I turn the Circle of Transparency off per default, as I think it looks ugly. However, I have a key binding to temporarily turn it on if needed (see next topic).
Input: These are the default key bindings. I like to have the Target Next/Last Enemy function on the mouse wheel, instead of the zoom function. When I start the Enhanced Client, I zoom it to the level that matches the Legacy Client, because that's where the game objects look most crisp. I don't want to accidentally change the zoom level during gameplay by touching the mouse wheel. I put the zoom function on the +/- key of the NumPad instead, but I hardly use it. I deleted ALL other key bindings except Toggle War Mode and Circle of Transparency.
Sound: As much as I like the music in the Enhanced Client, I had to turn it off because the War Mode song becomes annoying when you hear it too often. Currently, the client has a bug: It sometimes plays the War Mode song endlessly, even if you do not fight anymore. Other music sometimes loops eternally, too.
Options: I turned the Query Before Criminal Actions off, as I am experienced enough to know what I'm doing. I also use a Custom UI, which I selected in the dropdown list. I made a mod ("custom UI") containing some custom icons for the client, which I use in my hotbars. I usually avoid other client mods, as they can cause trouble or break with a client patch. Besides, I always prefer the original look and don't really need any more features right now. I also checked the option Overhead Chat, and set its Fade Delay to the minimum of 5 seconds.
Legacy: I selected Legacy Chat Mode. I did not select Legacy Containers, as the contents currently look blurry and are difficult to arrange in legacy container view; besides I like the grid view better. IMPORTANT: I strongly recommend to turn Legacy Targeting off, because only then you will be able to use all the fantastic features of the Enhanced Client macros.
Filters: Here you can add or remove players from your filter. I extensively use this filter during public events.

Next I will show how I set up my macros:

New hotbars are created by right-clicking on an existing hotbar and adding a new one. First thing you should know is that you can drag almost anything onto a hotbar. You can drag items on it (the item count will automatically refesh, so you can always see how much bandages, reagents etc. you currently have). You can drag spells, skills and weapon special moves on it and assign hotkeys to them. You can drag icons from the character sheet on it (to display your current weight, luck, gold, total LRC, hit chance increase, mana regeneration etc.). You can drag macros from your macro list on it and assign custom icons and hotkeys to them. And so on.

If you have turned the Legacy Targeting off like recommended, you can assign the target type to hotbar icons. You can assign Target Self, Target Current, Target Stored and many others to a macro, which comes in very handy when using spells or bandages. The target type is displayed by a colored "+" on the hotbar icon (blue: Target Self, green: Target Cursor, red: Target Current, black: Target Stored).

Here's a list of how I configured certain areas of my screen (see screenshot above as reference):

(1) My own health/mana/stamina bar. This is also where buffs and spell effects are displayed.
(2) Here I list features from the character sheet that I like to have an overview of. Those are for instance my weight and luck, and the rest vary depending on whether the character is a mage or a melee fighter. This is great for analyzing your equipment.
(3) This hotbar is only used by mage characters. Here I group all summon spells. Only Energy Vortex has a hotkey assigned to it, as I am using the other ones very rarely. I like to place the current target bar in the upper right corner of the screen; it is very handy to have it in the exact same location with every character.
(4) The radar map. In certain situations (when I need better orientation or when sailing), I switch to the big map, which I then resize and zoom to the required level.
(5) The paperdoll is usually closed or placed above the hotbars (6).
(6) Here are my boat commands (numpad as hotkeys) and pet commands. I have pet macros that heal, cure, bandage or bless the pet, with the target switched to "Target Stored" (which allows me to predetermine the target, so I don't need to click on the pet first).
(7) My backpack in grid view mode.
(8) The main hotbars. In the top hotbar, I usually have switch weapon/spellbook macros and a dress macro (you can store all your equipment in it and get dressed with a single keystroke). I also have weapon special moves and the character's pirmary spells in those hotbars. Those macros are usually triggered by the F-keys on my keyboard. I also have a hotbar here for runebooks (I can target them to recall to the default location or open them by clicking on them), bandages and potions, if the character is a melee fighter. The main hotbar is always at the bottom right of my screen. To add spells to your hotbar, just drag them from your spellbook onto it, and select the target type afterwards (for example, Greater Heal - Target Self). Do the same with bandages.
I recommend to put some thought into how you want to group the many spells in your hotbar. It is important that you quickly find them, even if you rarely use them.
(9) The chat window. Keep in mind that the chat window can be customized. You can separately select what kind of messages you want to see in the Journal and the System window. Special chat options are triggered by the appropriate prefix (guild chat: "\", emote: ":", whisper: ":", yell: "!", alliance chat: "|", party chat: "/party", current chat room: ",").
(10) Here are my common command macros, like opening the bank box, lockdown/release, bow, salute etc. I placed some commonly used skills here, like hiding and tracking. My mage also has a Last Target macro here. I also created some custom script macros, which come in very handy: (*)
Opening the health bar of a currently targeted creature (when many monsters/players are around, I can switch through them by using the mouse wheel, then I activate the macro and the hotbar pops up over the target's head to be dragged to the side of my screen, so I won't lose the target again).
Switching between legacy backpack and grid view backpack, which I mostly need for stocking a vendor.
(11) Here's where the health bars of my pets are displayed.

To create macros, you have to open the main menu and select "Macros". Here you can add name and configure macros. Macros are mostly needed if you want to perform multiple tasks in a row. You can add any sequence of actions to a macro, and even have this sequence repeated up to 10 times. You can also assign an icon to each macro. To add a macro to the hotbar, just drag it ont it from your macro list. Right-click on the hotbar icon to assign a hotkey and the desired targeting mode.

01/2010

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