TaskMaster (v 0.7.1): A general task and
quest scripter.
Copyright (c) 2003 by David A. Down
(Merlyn of Harvestion), 2/23/2003.
Contributions: I am currently unemployed.
If you find Auto-Loot useful, I would greatly appreciate any
donations to help me keep improving TaskMaster. The easiest way
is with
to dadown@cox.net, thanks.
Copying code: If you use code from my
program, please give me credit for it in the comments.
Note: This script was inspired by the
RouteMaker script written by Greg Kusnick.
Features of TaskMaster:
- Easily build a sequence of actions to
perform some task.
- Group multiple tasks together in a
task file.
- Pause and resume tasks at any point.
- Skip forward or back up steps when
paused.
- Insert, Delete, Edit and replace steps
while paused.
- Optionally pause when attacked or
after each step.
- Define hot-keys for common actions.
How to use TaskMaster:
- Setup:
- Scrolls uses commands in JScript
version 5.5 (comes with MS IE 5.5) and will get a compile
error if you try to use it with an earlier version. It
also needs the Decal plugin Skunkworks, version 2.0 or
later.
-
- Put the TaskMaster files in the
library folder under the folder where Skunkworks is
installed. There is no need to preconfigure anything as
you can change things in the script.
-
- Warning: Don't try to edit the task
files created by TaskMaster unless you are sure what you
are doing or the file may become corrupted and cause
TaskMaster to malfunction.
-
- Starting:
- Log on your character and then start
TaskMaster from the Skunkworks script menu window.
TaskMaster will build a list of task files found in its
directory and create a drop-down menu where you can
select the desired file. If there is a 'TaskMaster.task'
file, it will be selected by default.
- Running:
- As long as TaskMaster is running, it
will track logoffs and logons, automatically restoring
its Decal window for the current character. If the AC
client terminates, TaskMaster will automatically quit and
need to be restarted after you have logged in again. The
configuration will be loaded from the last time that it
was saved.
-
- Most commands to TaskMaster can be
given just by clicking on the desired comand button or
menu selection. Some comands can only be given as typed
text, either in the Skunkworks command window or in the
AC chat window (preceeded by '/sw ').
-
- As an example, to request TaskMaster
to list the steps in your current task, type the
following on your keyboard: <press return> /sw list
<press return>
Commands to TaskMaster:
- chat
- Toggle sending TaskMaster output as
chat messages.
- chat <prefix>
- Send TaskMaster output as a chat
message with the given prefix.
(i.e., use '/f ' as a prefix to output as a fellowship
message.)
- deb
- Toggle sending TaskMaster output as
debug messages.
- dsoa
- Toggle do-step-on-add. When on, added
steps are also performed
- eval <expression>
- Evaluate the JScript expression and
display the result.
- go <location>
- Run to the coordinates, i.e., 'go
12.3n 9.5e'.
- hot
- Toggle the use of hot-keys.
- id
- Display information about the selected
object.
- key
- Display defined hot-keys.
- key <key>
- Remove the defined hot-key.
- key <key> <command>
- Define the hot-key as the given
command.
- list
- List all the steps in your current
task.
- loc
- Display the current location and
heading.
- log
- Toggle detailed logging.
- one
- Toggle one-step. Pauses after each
task step when on.
- pause or poz
- Pause the current task or resume if
already paused.
- poa
- Toggle pause-on-attack. Pauses after
an attack when on.
- quit
- Stop running TaskMaster.
- save
- Save the current configuration to
disk.
- savetl
- Save the current task list to disk.
- stop
- Toggle stop-after-goto. Stops movement
after a GoTo step when on.
Task Steps:
- Chat msg (chat)
- Outputs the comment text as a chat
message. The Value setting is how long to delay in 1/10s
of a second after the chat.
- Delay (dly)
- Delays the task. The Value setting is
how long to delay in 1/10s of a second.
- Go Here (goto)
- Move to the current location. The
Value setting is how close you need to be to the location
before the step is complete (in 1/1000 of a map unit). If
the walk option is on, you will walk instead of run. If
the stop option is on, you will stop moving when the step
is complete.
- Jump (jump)
- Turn to the current heading and
perform a jump. The Value setting is how strong a jump
top perform (jump buildup in 1/10s of a second). Select
the walk option for a walk-jump.
- Move (move)
- Select must be used immediately before
the Move to select the object to be moved. The currently
selected object is the destination of the move and can be
a container or a character (give).
- Note (note)
- Displays the note comment and
continues. This is a no-action step that is use when
inserting a step.
- Open (open)
- Open the currently selected object if
it is not already open. If not nearby, run to the
location of this object.
- Pause (poz)
- Forces the task to pause at this step.
Use the Continue button to resume the task.
- Portal (port)
- Use the currently selected object as a
portal. To allow for special cases, no check is made on
the object being used. If not nearby, run to the location
of this object.
- Select (n/a)
- The currently selected object is
remembered for use in the following Move or Use step.
This button doesn't actually generate a step.
- Use /on (use)
- Use the currently selected object. If
Select is used first, the first selection is used on the
current object. A Delay step can be added if you need to
wait for a response.
- Wait for (wait)
- Wait for the currently selected object
to appear before continuing. There is no timeout on this
wait.
Task Editing:
A task must be selected before the edit tab
can be used, but if started, it must be paused. A paused task
will display the current step for editing, otherwise, a fake step
#0 will be displayed. When starting at step #0, Next will advance
to step #1, but Prev will move to the last step.
- Next
- Advances to the next step if there is
one.
- Prev
- Returns to the previous step if there
is one. (Goes to the last step from step #0.)
- Ins
- Inserts a Note step before the current
step, renumbering any following steps.
- Del
- Deletes the current step, renumbering
following steps, if any.
- Set
- Sets the step location to the current
location if it is a GoTo step or the current heading if
it is a Jump step.
- Value
- Edit the step value for steps that use
values. Be sure to press Enter to change the value.
- Stop
- The Stop flag can be set or cleared
for a GoTo step.
- Walk
- The Walk flag can be set or cleared
for a GoTo step or a Jump step.
- Comment
- The comment text can be edited for any
step. Be sure to press Enter to change the comment.
Notes: You can replace the current step by
using the Add tab when a task is paused. This is the only way to
change the step type or change the object refered to by a step.
If a task is stopped, Adding a step will append it to the end of
the current task. Be sure to save the task list after editing a
task or your changes won't be permanent.
Notes on usage:
- Running a task:
- First, select the desired file on the
Tasks panel. Then select the desired task from within the
file. Then click on 'Start Task' when you are at an
appropriate location for running the task. All the sample
tasks in 'TaskMaster.task' can be run from the Rithwic
lifestone area. While running a task, you can pause it at
any step or stop it completely.
- Task options:
- One-step: The task is paused after
each step. Use the resume button to continue.
Pause on Attack: The current step will be paused whenever
an attack is detected.
- Stop after GoTo: After each GoTo step,
movement is stopped. This can help with lag.
- Creating a task:
- If you want to create a task in a new
file, click on the 'New File' button and enter a suitable
filename along with a comment describing the tasks to be
included in the file. The file will be added as the
current selection on the file menu, but won't actually be
created until you click on the 'Save Task List' button.
If you want to add the task to an existing file, select
the desired task file.
Click on the 'New Task' button and enter a name and
description for this task. The task name will be added as
the current task selection. You will then be switched to
the 'Add' tab to add steps to your new task. The task and
its added steps won't be saved in the task file until you
click on the 'Save Task List' button.
After you have finished creating a task, it is a good
idea to one-step through the task to make sure that each
step performs as expected and then run it again without
pausing to make sure that the steps sequence properly at
full speed and have appropriate delays where needed.
-
Known problems:
If lag occurs while running a task, it
may timeout or fail to complete the current step. Just pause
the task, manually do what was missed and then continue
running the script. You can also go to the edit tab and back
up to the desired step.
Performing other actions while a task
step is active may cause the step to end prematurely. It is
best to pause the current step when doing anything manually.
If you have comments, suggestions or find
program bugs, you can send email to dadown@cox.net