Game Mechanics: Can't use Abilities (eg, rogue hide/sneak) while casting spells

[Bummey]

I know what you're thinking but bear with me. I searched a little and didn't find anything like this. Which is weird, because this was kind of an important thing for me.

Back in the day, as early as Kunark and as late as Depths of Dark Hollow*, the last expansion I played semi-regularly, you used to be able to activate general abilities like Hide and Sneak while casting if you clicked them on the Abilities tab of the Actions panel, rather than the 1-0 hotbar. I used this all the time to mount up or recast/refresh levitate/illusions while dragging corpses or exploring in dangerous areas where I couldn't afford to stay visible during the entire casting time.

"it's classic"

*fake edit: I reinstalled EQ and logged in to my account to confirm that this still works in the current Live version. Using the abilities from the hotbar while casting still does not work, as is normal.

What should happen: Click item with activated spell (mask of deception, pegasus feather cloak, etc) to begin cast > click hide and/or sneak on the Abilities tab of the Actions panel while casting > sneak and hide should successfully activate.

It doesn't work here and you get conflicting visual effects and ability and error messages:

Both buttons will depress, as if the abilities were activated
Sneak's button will refresh on the normal cooldown but hide's button will stay depressed until you move, which will break this non-hidden hidden state and begin the ability's cooldown.
Parenthesis will appear around your name as if you were hidden, but enemies still con as if you were visible
You'll get the initial blue text 'you begin to hide/sneak' messages with each one immediately followed by a white text 'you can't use that command right now...' error message


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[Bummey]

It's a real thing. Does no one else know about this?

[Jimjam]

Can confirm abilities tab works in lots of situations when hot keys wouldn't.

[-Catherin-]

Bard discs will not activate if you have a song rolling too. it triggers the hour + cooldown but the disc never actually activates.