This game badly needs mods and macros.

[Apoxie]

I agree UI is horrendous.

 

Working out a rotation is simple due to fly text and watching health bars

 

I understand your concern with macros. Maybe simple macros but I would not like to see the game turn out like Rift. Bunch of 3 button rotations.

 

How much damage an ability does (the number) has nothing to do with how good it is to use. You also have to take the following into consideration:

Cast time / activation time

Cooldown

Debuffs

Animationlength (in swtor it actually matters)

 

and so on.

 

So getting a good rotation just by looking at the flytext is impossible if there is ANY depth to the game. In WoW it was impossible just by going by that.

 

You need to fight 8-10 minutes with a rotation to compare it, so you can see all the side effects and damage distribution between abilities and over time for example with recount.

[Caelrie]

You evidently didnt play Rift, where 3 of the 4 classes could use 1 or 2 macros to completely automate their rotation. That IMO is a broken implementation of macro's.

 

The fact that Rift did macros wrong doesn't mean macros are bad. That's an irrational stance.

 

That's ALSO an example of why priority systems are better than rotations as a gameplay mechanic. Rotations are dumbed down, old gameplay from previous generations. Priority systems require more skill, more thinking, and they don't lend themselves to automation by macros.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Caelrie

[WLpride]

agreed

[Sotof]

If not mods, then I could really use a third bar down at the bottom.

[zootzoot]

If not mods, then I could really use a third bar down at the bottom.

 

Big thumbs up to this.

 

Why does the UI have to look like a UI from the 90's?

[crensh]

They already said that UI will be improved and customizable. Be patient.

[HillbillySith]

The fact that Rift did macros wrong doesn't mean macros are bad. That's an irrational stance.

 

That's ALSO an example of why priority systems are better than rotations as a gameplay mechanic. Rotations are dumbed down, old gameplay from previous generations. Priority systems require more skill, more thinking, and they don't lend themselves to automation by macros.

 

If you check the context of my post you'll note that I never said any of those things. The person I quoted was on a rant about things that Macro's cant do and I was stating that in Rift, they can.

[tehmoose]

You evidently didnt play Rift, where 3 of the 4 classes could use 1 or 2 macros to completely automate their rotation. That IMO is a broken implementation of macro's.

 

Actually, I *do* play Rift. And its not quite that simple. The macro system in that game works for that game. Each calling and soul has a *lot* of abilities. Reactives, finishers, etc all are meant to work well together.

 

Sure, you *can* play a one button Blade Dancer or Riftblade... but *should* you? Probably not. There's quite a bit that *Can't* be macroed in that'll add to your DPS. Hell, Even on my most heavily macroed character, my cleric, its more than just one button for good efficiency.

 

One button healing? Probably not. Tanking? Yeah. not that either.

 

Going back to WoW, DPSing could come down to one or two buttons, even without the idea of macros. Mut rogues had mutilate, and a finisher. You could do decent dps with 2 or three buttons.

 

Here, you have a dozen different abilities, and can do passable DPS with one or three buttons. I could probably get by on my Commando with Heal, Hammer Shot, and Sticky Grenade.

 

Its an MMO, its the nature of the beast.

 

Besides, noone's asking for Rift style macros, even though they'd work quite well here.

 

One Button Trooper?

/show hammer shot

suppressmacrofailures

/cast high impact shot

/cast auto fire

/cast sticky grenade

/cast plasma grenade

/cast hammer shot

 

Spam one button and done.

 

That's *not* what people are generally asking for. Personally, I'd be satisfied with some @mouseover commands, and some basic macros or slash commands to free up some of my keybinds.

[zootzoot]

They already said that UI will be improved and customizable. Be patient.

 

I keep seeing this statement but I have to say I've never read that myself. Do you have a link? All I ever saw for 2 years of reading the forums were vague quotes from the devs at cons. They alluded to addons, mods, macros and UI customization but never said anything definitive.

[Mandrax]

My wife was complaining about the UI for over 6 months in beta. The UI is garbage, nobody in my family will touch this game. My son already spent the prepaid credit card that preordered this game on some other game, Origin will have fun collecting.

 

It's no worse than many other standard UIs out there. People have been spoiled with add ons.

 

That's not to say that I wouldn't like to see some customisable UI mods, because I would, but over-reactions like "I'm not buying this game because the UI sucks" is a bit childish.

 

The UI isn't ideal, but it isn't horrendous either. It's just basic.

[Mandrax]

I keep seeing this statement but I have to say I've never read that myself. Do you have a link? All I ever saw for 2 years of reading the forums were vague quotes from the devs at cons. They alluded to addons, mods, macros and UI customization but never said anything definitive.

 

http://www.swtor.com/blog/what%E2%80%99s-next-old-republic

 

UI customization – You like choice. We hear you! SWTOR is all about choice. Being able to choose how you interact with an online game is something we feel is very important. We are going to be giving more control over the UI as an ongoing effort. This is a very big priority for us.

 

Wasn't hard to find, it was on the front page for 2 days.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Mandrax

[Baizak]

http://www.swtor.com/blog/what%E2%80%99s-next-old-republic

 

 

 

Wasn't hard to find, it was on the front page for 2 days.

 

thanks for that link, I am excited about the under wraps expansion of the space game play, nice to see

[uruz]

No..the game doesn't need mods or macros. Macros open up a can of worms this game doesn't need or require. Mods - no thanks, not necessary. If anything - additions to the game should be completely controlled by the devs - if they feel damage meters are needed, then they should add them.

 

Customisable UI - yes I think this would be beneficial to allow people to setup a UI they are use to [i personally have no gripes about the UI and understand the choices they made for the design].

[Bulldogs_Rule]

I sorely underestimated just how poor the UI would turn out. It is so uncustomizable it isn't funny. Health bars, buffs, debuffs, and the power bar are all WAY too small. You can't move or resize anything, I HATE having the chat box up the top.

 

Not having a damage meter or even a freaking combat log is ridiculous. Why shouldn't we even know how much damage we're doing? I want to know what the best rotation is for my character and I have absolutely no way of working that out.

 

Macros are a staple in every MMO, how can you just not have them? There's a nice focus target but it's practically useless without focus macros.

 

These should be top priority for the next patch.

 

Plays and works fine for me. If it's too small for you maybe you need glasses or contacts, check with your optometrist.

[DarkReagan]

Level 25 Sin here, 15 different keybinds, wouldn't have it any other way.

[Caelrie]

Plays and works fine for me. If it's too small for you maybe you need glasses or contacts, check with your optometrist.

 

So if it's ok for you, nothing ever needs any customizability... Does the whole universe revolve around you, or just SWTOR?

[Celestry]

1. The devs have said they are working on more UI options.

2. Macros were intentionally left out as a why to fight against gold farmers and bots. SO no macros. Less automation availibility means you actually need to play the game.

[Caelrie]

2. Macros were intentionally left out as a why to fight against gold farmers and bots. SO no macros. Less automation availibility means you actually need to play the game.

That isn't true, and thus I bet you can't provide a source.

 

Here's a fairly relevant quote about SWTOR's stance on macros:

 

" Macros are a pretty broad term for certain convenience and advanced user functions at this time. Some of those features are present as possible key binds in the game, others are not. We’re not opposed to macros, we don’t hate them, in fact we will probably add them, but probably not for launch." -- Georg Zoeller

Edited December 17, 2011 by Caelrie

[UchihaMatt]

I would not like to see the game turn out like Rift. Bunch of 3 button rotations.

 

This. Keep macros out of the game!

Edited December 17, 2011 by UchihaMatt

[GraunKrynn]

Game doesn't need macros. Would be ok to have, but isn't a need. Fully Custom UI and/or mod would be great, but again not a deal breaker for me. Better than WoW's stock UI and I played using that from launch up until the end of TBC. Sorry for the people who think it's terrible and ugly. You must be running the game on 800 x 600 resolution if you think the UI is that awful. I can understand not liking it to a point as we all like different things, but it's better than a lot of stock UIs.

[Kunitsukami]

Customisation is key but I hope to god it doesn't allow dps meters so whiny idiots can cry in every group. I'm also hoping in the endgame there is No "optimal rotation" and that it's just a priority list with different options.

 

Macros, meh can do without them, I and almost every other MMO player I have known or had a second to talk with in game has only used them to make comedy macros or for minor non-combat commands. Some people need macros to make them better and others need just a good keybinding set up, whilst others need everything on the screen so they can click, all these people can easily be just as good a player as the next.

[Lijun]

I need macros in order to enjoy any MMO. I really figured with such a huge release like this, with all the time and money behind it, they wouldnt have overlooked such an ESSENTIAL part of MMO gaming for many of us. By lvl 25 I have about 20-25 abilities I need to hotkey, without macros this can be a total nightmare and hinder enjoyment of the game and fluid gaming.

 

For instance one way to save space on hotkeys for me as a healer would be to use a macro that would allow me to bind 2 skills to a hotkey and depending on whether the target was a friend or enemy it would select the proper skill. I would use a heal if it was a friend or an attack skill if it was an enemy, this saved many healers from frustrations in many mmos.

 

There are free MMO games out that even have solid macro systems in place, how can something like SWTOR not?

 

[LordKOLZ]

Hey look at that.. Another one of these threads. Original.

[bigoldbear]

I need macros in order to enjoy any MMO. I really figured with such a huge release like this, with all the time and money behind it, they wouldnt have overlooked such an ESSENTIAL part of MMO gaming for many of us. By lvl 25 I have about 20-25 abilities I need to hotkey, without macros this can be a total nightmare and hinder enjoyment of the game and fluid gaming.

 

For instance one way to save space on hotkeys for me as a healer would be to use a macro that would allow me to bind 2 skills to a hotkey and depending on whether the target was a friend or enemy it would select the proper skill. I would use a heal if it was a friend or an attack skill if it was an enemy, this saved many healers from frustrations in many mmos.

 

There are free MMO games out that even have solid macro systems in place, how can something like SWTOR not?

 

 

 

Macros are not needed. Sorry if it means you'll have to maybe use both hands for a while.

[TheHauntingBard]

IT should have been a big priority during development.

A good UI and well proper GFX options sound more important than well space combat?

Anyway bring in add ons, I am pretty sure the modders will get it right.