An Ubuntu (or more accurately, Xwindows) Question

I want to be able to send a string of keystrokes to an application repetitively under Ubuntu.

(The application is VICE, and all I want to send is the string fdddddddy over and over, which will mean my party in Bards Tale III will defend)

I know about a dozen toold to do this under Windoze but I'm having a heckofa time under Ubuntu / X.

I have looked at xmacro and xnee but I can't seem to make head or tail of them...