View source for Guide to PC Tools

This guide covers the basics of the PC Tools menu. It aims to answer questions such as ‘''How do I get rid of the mug in my hand''’, ‘How do I remove my invisibility / other wards when I can’t rest’ and other questions. I will be covering the most common buttons and functions. 

Accessing the PC Tools menu is easy. You simply need to right click your character or character portrait. Then look down to the bottom of the little drop down menu.

[[File:AccessingthePCtoolsmenu.jpg|thumb|left|255px]]













Once you do that, a box will pop up:

[[File:ThePCToolsMainBox.jpg|thumb|left|311px]]










This little box contains a ton of useful bits. We will go through them all in the following order:[[File:ThePCToolsMainBoxAnnotated.jpg|thumb|left|311px]]









(Don’t worry… there is a method to the madness.)<br><br>

==== [1] Save Character ====
This button is handy when resets loom and you can’t rest, when you gain a level, when you finish a big trade, ect. Anything you might not want to lose due to a crash (which unfortunately happens from time to time.) Resting will also save your character of course, and either way you may select the “return to last location” option from Mystra in the Nexus.<br /><br>

---> When you click the button, you will see a message pop up wherever you have it set to show server messages (in my case the combat log box, separate from all the chat):

==== <br>[2] Remove Effects ====
This button is useful, again if you cannot rest. Want to remove that invisibility spell that lasts forever? Drop your wards now that you are safe and sound? Remove the flashy spells some crazy wizard cast on you before you have a seizure? ( Haha, okay so that last one might be just me…) Simply click this button, and poof! No more spell effects. More efficient than Dispelling, and guaranteed to remove every spell effect, visual or not, cast on you, regardless of whether or not you cast them or someone else.<br><br>

==== [3] Toggle AFK ====
AFK-Away From Keyboard. Use this button if you are going to be away for a minute or two. It also is a good idea to have it up so people aren’t worried you are in an in-character coma or something.

The server has a script that stops pick pockets from attacking AFK people… BUT: It is blatant meta-gaming to try to use this to thwart thieves. However if you come back to the computer and see something seeming out of place, just smile and check your server messages… because Our Developers have a strong sense of poetic justice… hehehe.

---> Clicking the button simply puts A ‘sign’ of sorts over your character’s head that reads in big yellow letters: AFK.

The staff kindly asks if the server is near full or full, that if you intend to be AFK for more than five minutes or so, that you log out. Not putting the AFK tag up simply to avoid having to log out and back in is bad form. Yes I know sometimes it is annoying to click Connect a dozen or more times, but the price of a popular server is that sometimes you have to wait in line. Patience is a virtue that rewards, and everyone has to do it at some point or another.<br><br>

==== [4] Check Time ====
This button works as instructed, it reports the time.<br><br>

==== [5] Dice Rolls ====
This ‘button’ expands into a larger menu, but it is negated by the DMFI button discussed here:
[http://www.bgtscc1.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=234459#p234459 <u>Subject: MUM'S GUIDES: DMFI Buttons</u>]<br><br>

==== [6] Pitch Tent ====
This button does just what it says it does. It makes a tent, strictly for in-character roleplay purposes. Sometimes characters and familiars / companions/summons can get ‘stuck’ in tents. This can be fixed by removing the tent. This can be done the same way as removing a camp fire, which we will discuss shortly.<br><br>

==== [7] Build Campfire ====
Again, like the tent, this creates a campfire. Nifty thing about campfires are the fact that they can be used to dispose of unwanted items. Everyone knows that littering causes lag, and if you didn’t, you do now. Much like the trash barrels and larger campfires, but with the added bonus that it can be where you are, so if you are nowhere near a means to dispose of junk, and encumbered… you can do this on the spot.

Now on to how to use the campfire that you just made, please refer to the following image as we go along (note… there is a -bit- of flexibility to these steps):[[File:HowtoDisposeofItems.jpg]]

1) Build your fire

2) Open your inventory

3) ‘Use’ your fire (Left click on it. This will bring up a container box)

4) Select the junk from your inventory (in this case some renamed, plain darts)

5) Add them to the campfire inventory box

6) Close the campfire (Note… if you change your mind, items can still be retrieved before you remove the fire. We will cover Removing soon.)

7) Select the Miscellaneous ‘button’ (see info on this button for how to remove your fire… keep reading)<br><br>

==== [8] Miscellaneous ====
[[File:MiscExtended.jpg|thumb|left|297px]]This ‘Button’ drops down another set of options. The most important button (in my opinion anyway) is the Remove button, marked with a gold dot. Another useful button is the Help ‘button’ which will bring up some basic info. In truth the rest of the buttons I have never used, but plan on learning so that this Guide is complete.

Now, when you click the remove button… You will see the following where you have combat / server messages set to show up:

Your cursor will also change. You may then click on your tent from button 6:

This message will appear in your chat dialogue and be in the form of an emote. Your tent will disappear at the end of the animation.<br />Same principle applies with your campfire. The only difference being that when you remove the campfire, you get this message:

Once you have removed the campfire, anything in it is gone. Permanently. It is a good idea to not leave a dozen campfires burning, for more than just keeping Smokey the Dire Bear happy. Too many objects on the ground, placables and what not, loot bags and junk items all add to lag.<br><br>

==== [9] Emotes ====
This is possibly the most complex and varied aspect of the PC tools. I recommend taking time to go through the various emotes and find ones that suit you, remember where they are. One of the most popular, aside from the sitting emote, and the lying down emote, is probably the ‘Dance Classy’ emote.

[[File:Emotes.png|thumb|left|298px]]

So when you click the ‘button’ it drops down an extensive menu, that is about three ‘pages’ long. You may go through these ‘pages’ by scrolling either with the scroll bar on the side or your mouse’s scroll wheel. There are some notable buttons that remain at the bottom at all times. Two are actual buttons, and two ‘bubble toggles’. In order from Left to Right:


1) Cease!This will stop -any- of the emotes / animations found on the Emotes tab.

2) One-Shot and Looping togglesNot every single emote will use these two toggles, such as the sitting one.They are used to determine how long the animation runs. For instance if you select Dance Classy, then select Looping, once you hit the Emote! Button… your character will keep dancing until you move your character, or click the Cease! Button.Likewise, if you select the One-Shot option, once the animation has run one time, your character will stop and just stand there like normal.

3) Emote!This button, once you have selected your emote by clicking the bubble next to what you want, and decided whether or not you wish it to be looping or not, will begin the animation.<br><br>

==== VFX Props Selection ====
This is one of the most asked about sections. It is the last ‘page’ at the ‘bottom’ of the Emotes tab/button. It is the only subsection whose title bar is also a button. While the tab is mostly self explanatory, one of the most frequent questions that Dungeon Masters and seasoned players alike get asked is: How do I get rid of the prop?

[[File:Vfxprop.png|thumb|left|396px]]

Well, step one is to pick your prop and do what you want with it as far as RP.

[1] You may use these in conjunction with emotes. When you are done with it, simply click the tab header

[2] and the item disappears from your hand.

Again, I invite everyone to get the feel for the Emotes section of the PC Tools by using them, experimenting with various combinations to come up with various useful in-character animations. Such as grave digging or drunken dancing.

This covers the very basic buttons on the PC Tools. If anyone has info on other buttons that work and how to use them, please feel free to PM me so I may add to the Guide. If there are other ‘broken’ or ‘obsolete’ buttons, let me know so I can make note of it. If there are further questions, or I missed something important, please send me a PM so I can expand on it, and help you.<br><br><br><br>

''Guide courtesy of LeslieMS, BGTSCC's server mum.''
[[Category:Players]]