This game badly needs mods and macros.

[Canuck_TwnTNN]

OK. 1 simple thing: enable macros and addons. If you want to use them, fine. If you don't want to, fine. End of topic.

 

Now everyone "should" be satisfied.

 

I mean, there are schools, washrooms and McDonald's everywhere. If you don't want to use any of them, fine, it's your business. Anyone else who wants to, fine. You can't just block access to something to everyone just because you don't want to use it.

While the spirit of this is correct, the implications show otherwise.

 

Macros are shortcuts, pure and simple. To have some use them and others not creates an imbalance in many respects and essentially forces those who do not want to use them to do so.

 

In PvP, a macro enabled healer would have a considerable advantage over a non macro healer.

 

In PvE, groups of players who use macros would become frustrated with those who do not use them (which is obvious when you play with macro vs non-macro players).

 

This leads to issues with grouping and kicking players and all kinds of grief.

 

The game, as it stands now, is designed for non-macro play. While I agree that the UI should be scalable and adjustable (BUT NOT MODABLE), I can simply not support the implementation of macros and encourage Bioware/EA to not succumb to the pressure and permit their implemenation.

 

Cheers!

Non_Macro_Canuck

[Colobulous]

please dont put mods in this game. WoW never needed it, this doesnt need it. I just want to focus on playing and enjoying it rather than having to become skilled in its structure.

 

NEED is the wrong word. Desire is. Utility is.

 

And you know what? I want to be able to focus on playing and enjoying the game rather than fighting a crappy UI that forces me to bend to its will instead of working with me.

 

So you know what? Give me something I can enjoy. Oh wait, you mean you don't have the developer resources to do that for me, and for every other customer? Then give me the opportunity to make it right myself.

[Arkimor]

The same can be said about people who WANT mods.

 

Yes, because less is always more confusing than.....more.......oh wait?

 

Did you bother reading back what you typed out? Serious question.

[Naasir]

MouseOver Macros must be available at some point. I don't know any healers who are going to put up with clicking twice to heal one target. That is not efficient, and it's not fun.

 

Healer keyboard rotations will be a nightmare without macros....I'm not understanding the anti-macro QQ. If you're not a healer, you shouldn't get a vote IMO.

 

Macros are also essential for everyone who doesn't use their mouse cursor to click their spells (Good players). In general, there simply is not enough room on the actionbars for all of your spells to be in 1-6 and SHIFT 1-6 (Easily accessible range)

 

The anti-Macro crowd here is really shocking, I never even knew it was a debate. I thought it was common knowledge that MMO macro = GOOD... clumsily clicking buttons on your actionbar = bad.

 

You are under the impression that everyone has the same butter fingers when it comes to managing an action bar. I rarely use macros, especially the "POP EVERYTHING!" variety. I ALSO don't click all over the place to use my abilities. I manage to keep everything very neat and tidy without any macros, but that's my preference. I prefer to use every cooldown and ability individually based on the situation. I don't like to set it and forget it.

 

I'm not really against macros. Heck I enjoy mouseovers for certain things, but I can get by without them. However I am fascinated by the dependance on them that's been implied in these threads. I don't find managing 30-40 abilities (whatever the average count is) to really be all that complicated. This is coming from someone with an altoholic/specaholic background in that "game we dare not mention." I tank, I heal, I go pew pew (not as often) and I haven't ever had a complaint about my performance.

 

About addons though... they don't bother me up until a point. When I was new to "that other game" people gave me a list of addons that you have to have or else "UR A NOOB!" Peer pressure lead me to download them and I played with them for the longest time. A certain DBM was among them, and then came a day when I decided that I was sick of reading text flying in front of my face, so I turned it off one day to see if I really needed it. Gosh darn it... the game felt better to me without it.

 

Overtime I chucked the majority of addons I had out the window, and don't regret it. I've had friends who stuck with DBM, but it doesn't matter how many sounds that thing plays, it won't completely fix their situational awareness (they still stand in things.) So personally I think things like DBM spawn bad playing habits, and perhaps indirectly spawn bad game designs, though it's difficult to prove the latter.

 

I'm all for options. I'm always curious to see if the addon community can make something interesting. Once the early day of launch mellow down, I hope Bioware starts talkin' new features in more detail. For now though... seriously guys... put on your big boy/girl pants and adapt. You can do eet!

[RamataKahn]

Performing 2 - 3 combat skills with the push of 1 button is AUTOMATION.

 

No it isn't, you still have to press the button, that's not automation. Why do you think mboxing is allowed?

[RamataKahn]

User Interface, also I will post in whatever state of mind I please, and also also, ur narrow-minded opinion that adding DBM wont cause guilds to FORCE you to use DBM, and adding recount wont FORCE you to use recount to stay competitive...

 

They funny thing is, they can't force you to use ANY mod, they never could.

[Colobulous]

Yes I know how it works, go ahead and insult me again

 

That's not an insult. That's a statement that I do not believe you know what you are talking about. An insult is just an attack. What I said is a criticism of your expressed ignorance. Don't like it? Then show more awareness of what you're talking about because your statement above? Showed you didn't know what you were talking about.

 

And you still don't. Because you don't seem to realize something...it's not about the combat log, it's about the functions used, functions where are controlled by the game client, the operations of which...Bioware can know quite well.

 

Because they are in charge of it. They also control the server, which is where so much of the data comes from, and the communication with other clients, and a lot more.

 

- Yes the information is already available if I am cc'ed by another player in the current user interface.

 

Yes the information is already available in a pre-cast sequence of a Boss getting ready to unload a massive aoe ability that needs to be avoided.

 

This information is already available.

 

It is not currently displayed to us in big flashing red lights - loud noises - and bold text delivered across my screen. That is not the way BioWare intended me to perceive this combat situation.

 

If Bioware allows access to a function that leads to lights, noises and text on the screen, then they chose to allow it to work, and thus whatever is done, is something allowed.

 

Heck they don't even have to put something in the combat log if they don't want to do so, or make the data about that available to an API. But if they do...well, what does that tell you?

 

Add-ons change that. Theytake the current information already available and alter the way we perceive it.

 

Horrors! But again, if that happens, it's because functions exist to let it happen.

 

In other words...it's working as intended.

 

In video games - all we do is make reactive decisions based on the way we perceive things - we execute an action by pressing a button.

 

When my perception is HYPER STIMULATED by an over zealous UI - it makes my reaction time quicker..

 

Oh noes! Horrors! Oh wait, the game already has plenty of lag in it, and something called the GCD. Both of them exist, and both of them are why your reaction time isn't really a precision instrument, but a rather wide margin of error.

 

This is recognized and intentional.

 

When 3 individual combat actions are tied together in one button macros, it makes my execution faster.

 

This is what add-ons do. They simplify games.

 

Except...you don't realize something. They don't have to allow the 3 combat actions to occur any faster than they want them to happen.

 

If Bioware didn't want you to be able to hit one button and do three things at once, then why is the server processing them? It doesn't have to do so. If they don't want it to be happening, they should program it so it doesn't happen.

 

Why? Because they absolutely cannot prevent me from constructing a hardware or software device to perform the same functions independently of an in-game functionality for it. This is the problem you're failing to acknowledge, that it's an issue intrinsic to being on a multi-functional device which Bioware does not control. They cannot control it.

 

If they tried, they would very quickly lose a lot of customers.

 

So what they have to do, is control things on THEIR end.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Colobulous

[Colobulous]

For now though... seriously guys... put on your big boy/girl pants and adapt. You can do eet!

 

No, I can't. That's the point. I can't adapt the system to suit my needs. They won't let me.

 

So should I fit myself into their paradigm?

 

No, why would I? It's a game. I play it for entertainment. They have to provide entertainment to me, not the other way around.

[RamataKahn]

Colubulous, Champion of addons and macros! Always lays the smack down with undeniable logic and reasoning.

[Synaptyk]

Grunch.

 

No Mods. No add-ons. No macros.

 

Learn to manage your buttons. Learn to react to procs. Learn to adapt to the fight.

 

One button easy mode face roll ---->>> there are other games for you.

[Colobulous]

Ah, it seems somebody thinks that we want mods/macros/addons to just reduce things down to one button.

 

We really don't.

 

Oh sure, there might be some things I put on one button, but do you really care if I want to just push one button to post my vent information?

[Septro]

I love the folks that say the UI ain't that bad.

 

You can't move or resize a damn window, except for chat. Move a window - seriously???

 

The styling is just fine but really I can't move a window? That's day 1 development no matter what kind of MMO comes out.

 

But that's my only legit gripe - the game is freaking AWesome-SAUCE otherwise

[Slowin]

UI not bad?

 

Apparently i have to memorize what mods are in my armor since I can't browse a vendor AND keep my character sheet up at the same time and look at my current mods.

 

I actually CAN move my chat windows, but unfortunately just about every where I move them they get covered up by this that or the other thing at some point or another.. which is fine.. except i CANT move any other window in the UI out of the way.

 

I can't see what my target is targeting. This is just amazing to me since there were thousands of posts about it on beta. Playing a healer totally blows with this UI since targeting is so tedious.. its like work trying to dps and heal at the same time.. no thanks.. i'll just re-roll a dps class (and i've played healers in mmos for the past 10 years.)

 

Fixing target of target would alleviate my next issue... but i can't make a /assist "PLAYER" macro? I realize it seems macros are all controversial in this game for some reason but give me a break. The inability to make /target and /assist macros is completely infuriating for anything remotely resembling challenging.

 

Really hope these issues are addressed soon because I LOVE just about everything else about this game.. but these problems are starting to ruin it for me the more i try to group with other players and the content grows more challenging.

[DarkJAJA]

This game definitively need in game macro editor + UI manager. Most of mmo have this feature, most of players use it (and like it).

[_Jazz]

WE

 

WANT

 

COSMETIC

 

ADDONS

 

 

And macros (without them being able to dictate more than 1 single gcd, and/or define/use time)

[Sohtaraz]

This games UI is so badly designed for anything theres no excuse for not having Mods other then making it a singleplayer game. Oh wait thats what it is allready. Let's face it sooner or later if you dont allow mods you will get hacks.

 

 

Also chat windows are overcrowded example, lfg "tool" is a total joke and someone needs to make a proper one in a mod. Theres many many more things that need to be modded but theres not a single thing in the UI that works so I'll just go with it all.

 

PS. Combat text's are extremely informative and spammy, so dont bring that as an example when its compared to very well customised Parrot.

[Krutex]

Grunch.

 

No Mods. No add-ons. No macros.

 

Learn to manage your buttons. Learn to react to procs. Learn to adapt to the fight.

 

One button easy mode face roll ---->>> there are other games for you.

 

Which procs are those, the ones you almost never see? Or what about all those buffs and debuffs that all have the same icon, I can totally tell what all those are. Every time I proc a free stockstrike I always know it by the tiny icon that looks the same as 10 other buffs.

[Valkyran]

Grunch.

 

No Mods. No add-ons. No macros.

 

Learn to manage your buttons. Learn to react to procs. Learn to adapt to the fight.

 

One button easy mode face roll ---->>> there are other games for you.

 

 

I would have to say: Yes to mods. Yes to add-ons. Yes to macros.

 

Learn to manage your buttons = macro it the way you like to play. Learn to react to procs: I don't want to have my eyes staring at the damn hotbar all the time which leads to: Learn to adapt to the fight: Be aware of my surroundings at all times, enjoy the game and the graphics.

 

I played a long time without macros, and I am a good player. Now that I use macros, it doesn't make me better, I just enjoy the game a lot more as I can costumize the way I play. And besides, rarely have I got more than 3 in 1s and still end up having 12 buttons bound as there are so many skills.

 

Adapt to to the way MMOs evolve, and that includes mods and macroing. Anyway wether you like it or not, it all ends up on how much % of people want something implemented. If there is a majority, the decision of implementation will bend that way.

[Tanomas]

Which procs are those, the ones you almost never see? Or what about all those buffs and debuffs that all have the same icon, I can totally tell what all those are. Every time I proc a free stockstrike I always know it by the tiny icon that looks the same as 10 other buffs.

 

Seriously.

 

It was ok early on when I didn't have to worry about debuffs and procs. Now that I am in the high twenties I have so many debuffs that I apply and abilities that are proccing that I spend almost all my time staring at tiny icons above the character frames. In addition to staring at the cooldown animation on my hotbars.

 

Generally the UI is "fine" but once you start to actually dig into the game you start running into annoyances really fast. The only way I can see this working long term is if you simply don't care about wasting procs or efficient CD use. Or knowing who your target is hitting or how much damage you actually do, etc.

 

They wouldn't even really need to add mod support if they had put more than 10 seconds of thought into actually improving how the standard MMO interface works.

[Aurenwander]

i just want to have a combat, defense and companion bar. three bars, stacked on top of eachother.

 

I can''t figure out how to do it, so i end up swapping tiles constantly. its frustrating and has reduced the things i can do easily in a fight unless its a boss fight

[sevenex]

I could use a nice UI mod. Recount is always nice.

 

I do NOT want to see some type of deadly boss mods. Having a meter on your screen that shows what a boss is going to do and when he is going to do it is a little far. I don''t like threat meters either. That''s me being old school and remembering when that was a game in itself, and if you were good, you learned how to walk that line. It seems that it has become mandatory these days, so if it gets put in, I''ll learn to live with it.

 

Macros, can be very useful, however, they need to be limited to a certain number of commands. Having two or three buttons that you use and that''s it, makes combat stale. I really enjoyed playing Rift, but quit due to macros sucking the fun out of the game. Mostly it''s the macros that check certain variables and use different abilities based on the results that break a game for me. Those decisions are part of the combat mechanics and reaction time is part of being a good player.

Edited December 23, 2011 by sevenex

[TrueAce]

customizable ui is fine. the crutch that are macros are not.

[Tic-]

customizable ui is fine. the crutch that are macros are not.

 

agree 100%

[KrelosDarksky]

I have no issues with the UI.

The last thing this game needs is a bunch of people modding a perfectly good game and AFKing everything.

 

Play the game and stop whining already.

 

The game just went live and some of you just can''t stand that the game doesn''t cater to your whim.

[Lord_Scythe]

customizable ui is fine. the crutch that are macros are not.

 

+1

 

Yes a fully customizable UI is required and I am sure it will happen. When it will happen is anyone''s guess.

 

Several of the interfaces need to be improved including galactic trade.

 

I am perfectly okay with no addons if they are going to make the UI fully customizable.

 

If they decide to go addons they need to either be approved by Bioware and downloaded from their site or have a addon team that makes the addons themselves.