Why Macros belong in TOR.

[Scotland]

AutoHotKey doesn't work in this game, nor has any other macro program that I've been able to find (I spent hours trying to setup crafting macros). Yes, you can make AutoHotKey change program focus to SWTOR, at which point all keybord and mouse inputs from AHK stop working. Ditto for my (old) Nostromo

 

Part of it is DirectInput screws with most macro programs (AHK has workarounds that don't work), but I think the devs are *actively* blocking outside key/mouse inputs.

 

This is a GOOD THING. It makes for a more level playing field.

 

Now, on to in-game macros. I don't want them. Especially for targetting hijinx. IMO giving the user target-of-target lowers skill. Yes, WoW had all of this in spades, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed having to macro a ton of abilities just to keep up. Same for /castrandom and /castsequence, especially in a cooldown heavy abilityset that SWTOR has.

 

What I'd like is a stealth bar (like the cover bar), and the ability to dual-target: 1 friendly and 1 enemy. Like WAR. That's it

 

3rd party programs?

 

 

dayum

[Super-Nova]

i agree, i could use my game pad and macro stuff myself, but i find that to be unfair to people w/o one. BIOWARE there are way to many 3rd party programs that allow you to macro how is this fair to people who dont enjoy or dont have one to use!?

[Scotland]

i agree, i could use my game pad and macro stuff myself, but i find that to be unfair to people w/o one. BIOWARE there are way to many 3rd party programs that allow you to macro how is this fair to people who dont enjoy or dont have one to use!?

 

im pretty sure using 3rd party programs is against the eula and is a bannable offence.

[EvoSapien]

Wanting something because you want it is something I understand and respect but pretending its 'vital' because you are used to it is a joke. This game bears similarities to other games, this is true. If you are used to them or burnt out from them that is your issue to deal with.

 

WowFatigue does not mean that things like LFG, cross server pvp, arenas, macros, mods and other things are 'vital'.

 

Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt mind a few limtited mods or macros with INTENSE restrictions and limitations. But they arent vital.

 

All these things were 'VITAL' in wow so they could satisfy the casual player (the people who make these games profittable) but TOR does NOT need to do that. The various interactive storytelling elements and varying experiences in the class quests means that levelling and rerolling will keep casuals busy for months and months.

 

The good hardcore operators/pvpers/players will do just fine without these things because they are good.

 

Which in my opinion only leaves the non casual bads. And their money might be as good as everyone elses but they should not be catered to.

 

TLDR: I agree with you to a degree, if macros were implemented with ever retrictions on them so that you cant pres one buton to do it all, but do not pretend this is VITAL.

Edited January 22, 2012 by EvoSapien

[Green-T]

I totally agree with OP. I couldn't believe it when I realized there is no macro support.

 

I've played many online RPG games since Diablo II and there is one thing I would reduce in every of them: Mindless mashing of keyboard and mouse buttons. If there is a basic rotation you will use 99% of the time when fighting trash mobs, why should you click every button in the combination every time?

 

In WoW the macros are working well and they are not breaking the game. The dangerous macros to automate characters with internal macro language are non-existent. Focus-based actions like CC work more logically with macros.

 

If you like mashing the buttons constantly in the same rotation, be my guest. If you don't know how to program macros, don't use that as a reason to say no. But please implement macros for the rest of us who want to concentrate on things outside the usual routines.

 

Macros are mandatory to make the gameplay more comfortable and fun. After all, this is a game for amusement.

[Crysicko]

only bads need macros

 

lol...... i'm sure many "bads" Disagree with you.

 

 

Macro's should be in the game up to a certain extent.

 

Example of how it NOT should be is Rift 1 or 2 macro's with all you ability's in it.

 

Example of how it SHOULD be is WoW and it pains me to say this but they did get this right.

[Lastboss]

It's equal for everyone as it is right now. Yeah, you need a lot of hotkeys to manage all of your abilities, but so do everyone else. Right now, everyone are dealing with the same complexity, and that is how it should be.

[LenrocNewDawn]

Didn't read through all the 66 pages, but I read enough to get a good grasp of the discussion so here are my 2 cents. I don't want MACROS in SWTOR. Why? Simply because player's contribution (as a keyboard basher ) will be diminished and avatar's level and in game skill will be augmented in any PvP fight. Lowbies will have an even worse chance of beating higher level adversaries. And this comes from a horrible multitask-er that I am . I'm working to improve that and when, after a lot of practice, I'll be better don't want MACRO users just mock my hard work by hitting 1,2,3.

 

Games as entertainment require input and interaction from the player and getting better at that is just part of the fun for me. I understand that some people get their fun from crunching better numbers and they want perfect (computer like) execution of a combo to achieve that but..... not my thing.

 

Bottom line, I vote "NO" to MACROS. Don't bash me just out-vote me.

 

@Green-T. In my opinion, mashing one button instead of 4-5 when fighting MOBS in PvE will be even more boring. I use silver and gold Mobs to practice my rotations in order to get better timing.

Edited February 1, 2012 by LokoCrackhead

[Bopper]

You are not able to use a macro and neither am i so all things are even i imagine? i guess not because i am happy to play without them. I do not like macro's in the game and i will not use them but others would and feel they are necessary?

 

So the people who need macro's it's obvious they become better players with them so why would i want to give them an advantage? lets get something straight the game is about pressing keys on a keyboard and using a mouse basically "along with decision making" so less button pressing is a huge advantage as far as i am concerned.

 

Let me simplify it, if the macro user was wanting to do the same actions he could do it pre programmed with one button, i would need to press several? Want the game played for you much?

[Anatharion]

I am 100% against any use of Macro's in a PVP game. Macro's give people an unhuman advantage over those that don't use them. We don't need Macro's we just need to learn to use the tools provided so we all have the same reaction times between key presses. I support Bioware banning people for using macro's in pvp and pve.

[Samaul]

Macros = bots and credit seller spam.

[Deshie]

Essentially what you want is this:

 

One button that does all the work for you.

 

Get some skill and you won't need macros. GG

 

We all know that you bounty hunters only use 1 button to press tracer missile but other classes have alot more skills and need macros.

[LenrocNewDawn]

We all know that you bounty hunters only use 1 button to press tracer missile but other classes have alot more skills and need macros.

 

http://www.hark.com/clips/pkmnbbfdhz-buzz-wrong

 

I'm Gunslinger, so it's more like 7 per DPS rotation and 5-6 more if I need to defend myself.

[Slashtwo]

If you really need mouseover macros to heal, you've got problems healing. Maybe we should add a raid finder too, just in case you have problems getting loot too.

[POPsi]

I'm just doing perfectly fine without macros, so taking this aspect, I will say against.

But there's a for part as well for which I could use macros. That is the stupid buffs and stuff like that. So if macro, I'd only need to have one for "endurance buff, speed buff, biochem pot" combo, and maybe one more in pvp, like "shield, trinket, adrenal, crit buff" This is also an advantage I admit, but I'm against macroing complete rotations for example.

[ImperiumAlpha]

We definitely don't need macro from my experience. If someone can't press 5-8 key num for core abilities they must **** terribly at the game. Edited February 1, 2012 by ImperiumAlpha

[maradigamer]

I would like it for healing mouseover in case I ever decide to seriously heal in this game, but I would hate to see the nerf melee cries that would rise up after allowing one button chain attacks. There are some very good melee players in this game and I'm seeing more and more in the 10-49 bracket (probably on alts they've geared with their mains). Giving everyone certain types of macro abilities would hurt these players. They've figured out their rotations and practiced them and they don't deserve a bunch of one button noobs focusing the nerf herders on their classes.

[Darth_Philar]

I strongly support the lack of macros for several reasons, the two big ones are:

 

1. If they are allowed, then they will become REQUIRED by raiding and PvP guilds because not using them is a liability.

 

2. They do not require skill to use and instead provide a very large advantage to those who do use them over those who do not.

[sunsu]

With all the gamepads out there im suprised people are stiill discussing macros.

[Wakamama]

With all the gamepads out there im suprised people are stiill discussing macros.

 

you don't even need a gamepad for making a macro for swtor, there is alwasy a way !!!

[Briljin]

There is nothing wrong with supporting macros, it is the extent of that support that could be the issue. WoW and Rift pushed macros to one extreme but SWTOR not having any at all is just pushing it to the other extreme. There is a middle ground that would allow macro support but not allow for game play automation. Aion for example has a very basic macro system, you are not going to have any kind of "1 button" game play but it is flexible enough to allow for what most users would want.

 

For example, I would love to have a macro that allows me to drop stealth (if in stealth) and then mount up. Right now I have to do that manually. How is that game breaking?!?

[Critt_Akinn]

I get the feeling that many of you aren't bothering to read my post, even the TL;DR I added, which I feel isn't too much to ask.

 

This "skill-less" stigma and the association with "lazy" has been addressed multiple times both in my initial post and in the subsequent replies.

 

PLEASE ACTUALLY READ THE POST - broad, base-less statements made out of context do not contribute to constructive discourse.

 

@ Strange - Thank you, this is exactly what I'm trying to say, and it's been clarified in my initial post.

 

I will reiterate - I am NOT necessarily asking for support for fully customizable macros - just for two functions that I and many others believe are necessary for satisfying and competitive gameplay.

 

These are:

 

Focus Macro Support

and

Mouseover Macro Support.

 

That is the extent of it at this point.

 

I agree with you whole heartily. And wanted to bump this thread.

 

Although I would like to see some macros added for abilities, I do not think it is "game breaking". As a Jug tank there are some abilities that I see as needing to be macro'ed (for example retaliate). There are just too many keys to bind and keep up with; and without the ability to add ability bars where I want/need them I am forced to find said abilities in a heated battle. For the time being I will just use my razer keyboard and deal with the red spam across my screen.

 

Even with just support for focus macros and mouseover macros I would be happy. I think the mouseover macros would help everyone with taunting and CCing without having to rely on the crappy tab targeting or finding your mouse icon.

 

PS: what I really want to see is a stealth bar for my Sin!!!

[heathbarr]

 

WHAT I AM ACTUALLY ASKING FOR SUPPORT FOR:

 

Focus macro functionality to use with the focus frames that are already within the game. Such a macro would look like this:

 

/cast [target=focus] "abilityname"

 

Here's a mouseover macro -

 

/cast [target=mouseover] "abilityname"

 

Devilishly complicated, right?

 

 

This is all I want, I feel like a mouth breathing foot shuffler without mouse over macros and focus target macros.

[Arutassin]

I would have previously pointed out how Macro's are terrible for PvP but I am so fed up with the game now I couldn't care less. In fact go ahead, add in macros and put the final nail in the coffin. I won't be re-subbing now anyway.

 

Time to play through Dark Souls again and wait for GW2.

[xXvolatileXx]

Personally macros in TOR would not be a terrible idea as my two bars are completely full and I still dont have all of my abilities. I have no problem casting all of my abilities individually but I feel that certain abilities that are dependent on affects being applied to activate could be macro'd to combine them with other abilities so when the affect takes place and the option is available I can execute it. My main reason for this one is Shoulder Slam from power tech. I can never seem to time that one correctly.

 

The only down side to macros I can see is after playing rift where it was really convenient to have a few buttons to press and have abilities activated in order of importance it became a lot easier to play but eventually the game just felt like it was set up to who could create a better macro list and spam 1 to 3 buttons. It personally sucked the fun out of the game for me over time so I would say having a limit on lines within the macros wouldn't be bad. So you could have 2 abilities bound or 3 at the most instead of all ranged abilities on a button, all close ranged abilities on a button, and so on and so forth.