[Tool] TacO - Tactical Overlay

ReActif.9251

TACtical Overlay (also called TacO) is a safe and legal overlay for Guild Wars 2, powered by content created by players like you. TacO only uses the official APIs provided by ArenaNet and is developed with strict ToS compliance in mind. We can also find on the English version of the official forum a sub-forum for development and all the information and explanation when handling APIs (and development via these APIs is encouraged even it is to say if it is correct for the use intended by Anet since it is Anet itself that gives us the information used).

This overlay integrates perfectly with the game interface and offers many modules. TacO's strong point is that it is graphical, i.e. it will display markers on the screen to guide you through the game (Icons and explanatory texts). In addition, it offers you to set your own markers (which you can share through XML files).

There are several versions (distributions) of the overlay knowing that on the official site, you will only have the overlay empty of content. But the creative community offers many types of markers. From the indication of success, jigsaw puzzle jigsaw puzzles, harvest optimization, assistance in setting up a strategy for the Raids, to the provision of meta timers directly on the screen.

You can find the list of distributions below knowing that we work for the most part in collaboration via subreddit where you can directly ask your questions to the creators and the developer. I am not the developer of this overlay but one of the content creators and a complete version ready for use, however, I provide you with all the information about this overlay to let players benefit from this tool without being oriented towards one version or another.

Official website : http://www.gw2taco.com

ReActif Package (EN-FR-DE) : https://www.heinze.fr/taco
Tekki's Workshop : http://tekkitsworkshop.net/index.php/gw2-taco/download
GW2info.net : http://gw2taco.gw2info.net

Subbreddit : https://www.reddit.com/r/GW2TacO

Translations : https://www.reddit.com/r/GW2TacO/comments/cd4eo5/gw2_taco_help_to_translate_with_a_maximum_of/

If you want to propose marker sites or integrate markers in a third version, you are free to do so.

Important
The software is intended to run on Windows 7 and above only, sorry for all those who play on MAC or Linux.

Here is an old video that shows quite well what TacO is actually like (There has been a lot of improvement since then)

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I can't come here to inform you every time there is a new version of TacO or one of the creators uploads an update.
For some sites, you have access to RSS Feeds to be informed.

NB : This text has been translated by Deepl, if you notice any translation errors please let me know.

Popocatl.2649

There's any WIP about map completion trails?

ReActif.9251

Not that I know of, but it's possible that someday someone will create it.
To help to explore a map, there is another tool called GW2PAO which has an exploration wizard that shows the places not yet found and their direction and automatically finds them (this is based on the API too) but it does not give a route to follow, it just gives the list of all the places not yet found by distance order.

Hirukaru.4539

@Popocatl.2649 said:
There's any WIP about map completion trails?

I currently have this on my to do list.
just started building my own marker pack including trails. just need to get the basics totally in order.

just have to reach out to reactive if I can also use his already acquired pois

ReActif.9251

When this is complet, can you put a post on the subreddit of TacO for all can find your complexion pack ?
https://www.reddit.com/r/GW2TacO/

Hirukaru.4539

@ReActif.9251 said:
When this is complet, can you put a post on the subreddit of TacO for all can find your complexion pack ?
https://www.reddit.com/r/GW2TacO/

will do, I am staring next week with the paths. Have to optimize the routes and then create the routes.

Let's see how long it takes for it to be completed.

it is part of my complete pack. Luckily the path will be creator as soon as I have all the other basics done (icons etc)

sebastian.3978

i have very low gamma in this fullscreen windowed, how can i solve that.

ReActif.9251

In Fullscreen Windowed the gamma is set by Windows or your configuration panel of your driver.

ReActif.9251

Update for my distribution (all in one) of TacO for the episode 4.

Changes only affect « Full Version » and « External Pack » of TacO ReActif Pack.
The « Guild Missions Only » version is not concerned.

Download : https://www.heinze.fr/taco/
More details on file changes : https://www.heinze.fr/taco/doc/patchnotes.php
Complete list of available markers : https://www.heinze.fr/taco/doc/markerslist_en.php

Illconceived Was Na.9781

Awesome. Thanks for updating so quickly!

ReActif.9251

I will probably improve a lot of markers, and completed but it is already usable as it is
I invite you to subscribe to the RSS feed in order to be informed when the package will be updated because I will probably not post any posts to report it.
https://www.heinze.fr/taco/rss-en.xml

altsax.1463

Xenophy Package : http://xenotaco.wixsite.com/xenotaco

FYI: The link is dead.

ReActif.9251

A new version of the GW2TacO is available ( _035.1973r _)
GW2TacO has just been updated with some new features:

• Added option to toggle marker distance display.

• Added framerate throttling so that TacO rendering is keeping pace with GW2.
  TacO will still maintain a minimum 5fps framerate.
  This setting can be disabled by editing TacOConfig.xml's "FrameThrottling" option. It's on by default.

• The contents of TacOConfig are now alphabetically sorted to make it easier to find stuff in there.

• Optimized the loading of marker packs, TacO should start up noticeably faster now when loading large zipped marker packs.
• Fixed some on-exit resource leaks.

For the ReActif Pack, I will replace the version of TacO used with the new one.
In addition there is all the maps in the game for 100% exploration assistance which is finally completed.

Edit : Website updated !

ReActif.9251

@Popocatl.2649 said:
There's any WIP about map completion trails?

Now yes, i have create all trail for all maps in my distribution.

NB: i know this is an old message.

ReActif.9251

New version of GW2 TacO (036.2052r)

GW2 TacO has just been updated with some new features:

• Even faster start-up and significant memory use improvements by on-demand loading of POI graphics.
• TacO should no longer crash on startup when non-latin input methods are used (Disabling the IME altogether for TacO seems to have fixed it).
• Map timer and Range circle config context menu doesn't close now when you change settings.
• Map timer can now track your daily boss kills for those bosses that have an API endpoint (World bosses and hardcore world bosses, requires API key).
• Map timer can now track your daily map metas that have an API endpoint (Maps that have a hero's choice chest, requires API key).
• Marker distance text now has a slight outline for better visibility.
• Marker distance text is now faded out with the marker to remove clutter.
• Added localization support.
• Hidden windows should no longer hold up clicks to GW2.
• Hopefully. I couldn't reproduce the original issue to test it.
• Moved [x] toggles to the beginning of the line in the marker category filter menu.
• Added "IsSeparator" attribute to marker category descriptions.
• If it's value is 1, the category will act as a separator in the marker category filter and won't have an [x] toggle.
• Highlighted some toggled features of the menu system.
• Rearranged the TacO menu to hide overlay-related settings and make things a bit cleaner.

Havyn.4293

I tried downloading TacO and I got a prompt stating that "GW2TacO_037r.zip" is not a common download and may be dangerous?

Illconceived Was Na.9781

@Havyn.4293 said:
I tried downloading TacO and I got a prompt stating that "GW2TacO_037r.zip" is not a common download and may be dangerous?

It sounds like you have an anti-malware plug-in or app that is being overly-cautious. It's not a "common download," given the number of GW2 players and that only a fraction use TaCO.
If you want to rely on your anti-malware to decide for you, wait. Eventually, this app's status will get updated by the powers that be (for the anti-malware) and it will go on the whitelist, like millions of other shareware programs.

Alternatively, you can decide to trust the thousands of strangers who have used TaCO reliably for years.

ReActif.9251

This is just an zip file because the official version is provide in a zip, it's nothing more...

ReActif.9251

New version of GW2 TacO (037.2107r)

GW2 TacO has just been updated with some correction and improvements:

• Fixed some minor localization related issues (tokens not converted to text, some text missing its first letters, typos in the English translation).
• Fixed an issue with utf-8 text rendering that would render glyphs with an ID over 32768 render incorrectly.
• Added the complete font set from the client to the UI skin. This will increase startup and shutdown time a bit, but allows for translations into non-latin languages. Not all glyphs are supported, but if it works in the in-game chat box, it will work with TacO. (Note: this only affects the default font for the TacO menu used to display most things. The debug line, update text and large locational timer fonts don't have non-latin characters).
• Added an outline to the debug text and the new build available text.
• Updated the new build text to show how many new builds are available.
• Files with the .taco extension are now loaded by the overlay on startup to help with the "should I unpack the .zip" confusion.
• Individual events on the map timer can now refer to the Hero's choice API events as well through the WorldBossAPIID property.
• Settings data will now also be saved 10 seconds after the last change in the settings instead of only on exit.
• Fixed a stack corruption error.
• Fixed a possible crash that could occur in rare occasions when multi-clienting. A reminder: multi-clienting is not supported by TacO because the GW2 client and the Mumble API doesn't support it either.
• Added an on-screen warning if multiple GW2 clients are detected.