24 replies to this topic

[Lucilius]

So I just bought my first TAG for my now customized AWS-8T. To fire it, you need to press the button to which it is assigned.

Can't you just activate the darn thing so that it is always lit?

And also, I'd like to know how you guys configure/use your TAGs.

NOTE: I do have a gaming mouse. But it is very rudimentary. Left and Right buttons plus a center wheel that you can click and that's it.

Edited by Lucilius, 12 July 2013 - 08:36 PM.

[Ripper X]

Here is the trick. Take a small coin such as a penny and lightly jam the penny between the keyboard and the pressed down number key assigned to the TAG. That way TAG is always on.

[RLBell]

I try to keep my LRM builds simple: LRM's, medium lasers, and a TAG (along with a BAP and an AMS). My mouse has the two main buttons, the scroll wheel, and the forward and back web surfing buttons. Group 1 fires the medium lasers. Group 2 fires the TAG, and my thumb uses the forward button to launch the missiles. On a scout, you find cover between 500 and 750 meters away from the enemy (so they do not see you on seismic) and paint a target. On a support mech, the TAG is used to mark ECM'd targets, so you can hit them, or improve grouping on targets in the open. If you are part of a team with two missile support mechs, you can use the TAG to designate a mech that is in your face for the other support mech to fire on.

Ripper X, on 12 July 2013 - 08:45 PM, said:

Here is the trick. Take a small coin such as a penny and lightly jam the penny between the keyboard and the pressed down number key assigned to the TAG. That way TAG is always on.

Rather than a small coin jammed in the keyboard, I would suggest a bit of Silly Putty and some coins to weigh down the key.

[Shinzok]

O just make a macro, that toggles.

IF "key" IS PRESSED THEN
REPEAT "key" UNTIL "key" IS PRESSED AGAIN

[Hauser]

Shinzok, on 12 July 2013 - 09:51 PM, said:

O just make a macro, that toggles.

IF "key" IS PRESSED THEN
REPEAT "key" UNTIL "key" IS PRESSED AGAIN

That's the bad way to write a macro. It spams the chat. Rather you just want to send a key down event on the first press and a key up event on the second.

Check the link in my sig for Arm lock toggle. It can be easily adapted for toggling tag.

[Hebdomas]

http://mwomercs.com/...ag/page__st__60
You want post #79 by evilC. You will need AutoHotkey (it's free) to use it though. It makes mouse button 3 aka clicking with the scroll wheel toggle a weapon group of your choice into the on position.

[Itsalrightwithme]

By the way, just making sure you are aware: when your TAG hits your teammates, that mech is TAG-ed for all to see. Kinda sucks for the friendly mechs that otherwise would be cloaked by friendly ECM.

Friends don't let friends TAG friends.

[Allied]

Simple macros seem to be the way to go currently. The weapon should be changed to a toggle IMO because it becomes a hassle to use otherwise.

Personally I have a Razer Naga mouse and use the Synapse software to create a very simple macro. Set your tag to weapon group 6, then have one of your mouse buttons trigger a macro for Button 6 key pressed down (but never up). This will keep the TAG going until you 1) Press 6 manually 2) Open the map 3) Press Q to view friendly HP.

I used to have a repeating macro of button 6 pressing, but like mentioned previously by Hauser, that will spam chat if you attempt to communicate with your teammates. The macro with button 6 down w/o a corresponding button up will not.

[Sjstorm]

I simply jam a quarter in my keyboard for the tag fire group.

[Enderman]

Lucilius, on 12 July 2013 - 08:27 PM, said:

NOTE: I do have a gaming mouse. But it is very rudimentary. Left and Right buttons plus a center wheel that you can click and that's it.

Sorry, but how old are you? Just asking for statistics.
I see a lot of people who think that to use macroses they require gaming mice for 80$, and don't know that there are tons of programs (Autohotkey being the most widely used) that have much better functionality than the ones that are supplied by Razor for example, work with any keyboards/mouses, and are completely free.

Sjstorm, on 16 July 2013 - 05:25 AM, said:

I simply jam a quarter in my keyboard for the tag fire group.

Yeah, that would be the classic way of doing things Simple and effective.

Edited by Enderman, 16 July 2013 - 07:34 AM.

[Hauser]

Itsalrightwithme, on 15 July 2013 - 06:30 AM, said:

By the way, just making sure you are aware: when your TAG hits your teammates, that mech is TAG-ed for all to see. Kinda sucks for the friendly mechs that otherwise would be cloaked by friendly ECM.

Friends don't let friends TAG friends.

That's been fixed actually.

[Parduke]

I use the penny trick too. But remember that if you use chat or bring up the map you need to pull the penny out and stick it back in to reset. Those two actions break the firing of tag lasers... I think maybe some others too but I cannot recall.

[Levon K]

Hi, I haven't played in a while, but I think I remapped one of the weapon groups to the spacebar. That weapon group is just for TAG.

[Hammerhai]

There is also the option of hacking the actions.xml file. Viterbi does not like this anymore, it is now a VERY BAD THANG, but come on guys. (Macros are a safer option, though). You tinker with a key option called 'retriggerable". Beyond that I am hazy on the details
Look for a thread about firing tag constantly, with "fast and super easy to do" in the title. If it has not been deleted by the watchdogs.

[Rascula]

Rather than the above I prefer to set my Tag to every button on the mouse other than my lasers and missiles. This way you can happily press anything and Tag springs up. Simple and useful.

[mailin]

I still don't fully understand why people do this. As a light pilot a tag that is constantly turned on screams "shoot me now!" There is a LOT to be said for being sneaky, even when you don't have ECM. Having tag always on kind of defeats that purpose. As far as having tag assigned to every weapon group, sometimes it is beneficial to be tagging enemies without damaging them. They can tell when they're being damaged, but not when they're being tagged.

[Ngamok]

Sjstorm, on 16 July 2013 - 05:25 AM, said:

I simply jam a quarter in my keyboard for the tag fire group.

It's what I do as well. It's always bound to 6 so it's also out of my way.

[Dalziel Hasek Davion]

mailin, on 18 July 2013 - 02:58 AM, said:

I still don't fully understand why people do this. As a light pilot a tag that is constantly turned on screams "shoot me now!"

It's like cruise control. Having a toggle button makes complete sense. Keep it off when you're being sneaky. Toggle it on when you are in active engagement and then concentrate on firing your missiles (if you have them) or other weapons or avoiding enemy fire/attention if you're just tagging. Having it toggled on means fewer of the annoying "pew pew" noises of the TAG beam triggering when your finger slips/spasms off of the button. That's reason enough alone to use a macro.

[Lucilius]

Thank you for all the info guys. One quick question though:

What the heck is a "macro"? Please explain as I am a noob.

[Hauser]

Lucilius, on 18 July 2013 - 04:23 PM, said:

Thank you for all the info guys. One quick question though:

What the heck is a "macro"? Please explain as I am a noob.

Macro is short for macroinstruction. It replaces on instruction with another more complex set of instructions. People use this to automate simple tasks or change how their controls work.

The toggle tag macro for example intercepts the button press event (button up, button down) and sends a button down event to MWO. On the second press event it sends a button up event.

Edited by Hauser, 18 July 2013 - 05:26 PM.