WOW - Macros advice

[spirity]

Also a big advocate for macros here. During TBC when you got to the upper echelons of raiding, mere split seconds for picking up spawns or adds, reacting to phase changes, literally made the difference between wiping whole night or downing an encounter. Problem was that we became so reliant of macros that during some encounters, I just checked the data being fed through to my addons that whatever was happening on the screen was irrelevant. My figures on the screen told me what I needed to know and how to react accordingly.
That goes for countdown timers to vital buttons to push, threat, etc.

Yep, if there is an addon thats available to the players that makes something or other easier, Blizzard -have- to assume the players will be using it, all the time. So they are forced to design their encounters with that assumption in mind.

The trickle down effect means that players who don't like using such addons are forced into doing so. Try to explain to your raid/guild leader why you don't use X, Y, or Z and that your dps or aggro isn't being micro-managed by some 3rd party utility. I daresay they won't see it your way so it's either use them or find another guild.

The root cause of this problem is Blizzards UI. As wonderful as many people will try to tell you it is, it isn't.

 

[SkeeterUK]

I did read i was mearly saying it to anyone who used macros. Not you lol.

 

[MrGrumpy]

i`ve only setup macros for my trinkets,even that isnt that straightforward depending on the trinket cooldowns.

 

[bloodline76]

i`ve only setup macros for my trinkets,even that isnt that straightforward depending on the trinket cooldowns.

Shame on you! lol

I do belong to a guild but I dont think I would be forced into using addons.

What is XYZ, I guess that tells you where exactly to go on a map, coordinates?

I actually like the exploring and if I get stuck I ask someone.

 

[theukmoog]

I'm a huge macro user... I multibox (5 chars) and so all my buttons are macros and I have barely anything recognisable from the default/vanilla interace.

The hugely flexible UI is what makes WoW such a great game, IMHO.

Blizzard don't regret it, they actively steal^H^H^H^H^H borrow the concepts from the popular addons and code them into the client, hence the scrolling damage display etc that was added last year.

If Blizzard don't like what an addon does they stop it working. Take Decursive for example... the first releases were way too intelligent, you just spammed your chosen key and it found the nearest person with something you could decurse and cast the appropriate spell. You had to run decursive to do some of the MC bosses they had so much cursing going on. Blizzard didn't like the level of automation and so changed their language to prevent such comparison/decision making to be performed.

The current Decursive presents you with a frame of boxes representing the party/raid, which lights up when a curse is on and you have to do the correct click to cast the correct decurse on that target. The automation is removed but a great UI is still allowed.

 

[regulus]

Most communities or guilds that are looking to progress on a regulars basis, will insist on you using addons or macros. My previous two raid comms made it a rule to kick anyone from the community that dare show up without the prerequisite addons. On certain encounters macros was compulsory (Vashj, certain bosses in Hyjal and BT) and would be checked before the raid begins.

 

[spirity]

Blizzard don't regret it, they actively steal^H^H^H^H^H borrow the concepts from the popular addons and code them into the client, hence the scrolling damage display etc that was added last year.

Purely cosmetic, and would have very likely been added in a patch, regardless of the existence of it as a user created addon.

And they do regret it. All game designers regret systems that effectively get in the way of what they're trying to build. If X encounter requires Y effort, that's simple. Make the encounter difficult and you're done. But if X encounter is now trivialised by an addon, you now have to ramp up the difficulty to offset that addon. That's time wasted, because you have to run extra tests, parses, examine the addons the raid guild thats testing the encounter are running, tweak the difficulty to compensate, run more tests etc etc.

All of this extra work would be unneccesary if right from the get-go, the UI was more locked down than it is. You would still have difficult and challenging encounters, the only difference being there'd be a lot less **** on your screen (and the content team would be getting updates out faster).

 

[theukmoog]

Purely cosmetic, and would have very likely been added in a patch, regardless of the existence of it as a user created addon.

Just one example... they also brought Omen inspired threat monitoring in, more recently, and the promised Outfitter clone failed to appear with 3.1 but is imminent. WoW has been in retail for 4.5y and they've only just got round to implementing such 'obvious' features... without the addon inspiration I'm sure we wouldn't have them even now!

And they do regret it.

You speak from a position of knowledge? What did you do on the Dev team? Or point me to some official post / interview where the above fact is revealed.

All of this extra work would be unneccesary if right from the get-go, the UI was more locked down than it is. You would still have difficult and challenging encounters, the only difference being there'd be a lot less **** on your screen (and the content team would be getting updates out faster).

And WoW wouldn't be the game it is today!

 

[spirity]

You speak from a position of knowledge? What did you do on the Dev team? Or point me to some official post / interview where the above fact is revealed.

If I can't prove credentials, I'm wrong then? What about simple common sense? Testing is tedious. Testing with addons even moreso.

Fwiw, I used to work in the industry, but not at Blizzard. I would -never- consider myself as having a 'position of knowledge', nor would I swing my employmet history about as some sort of credential. I'm just another faceless name on a forum, no more, no less. My opinions are no more valid than anyones, regardless of my background.

 

[Robbo]

People who say macros are cheating = Clueless terribads.

 

[Twentyone]

You pretty much need macros if you are trying to play properly and I doubt blizz would have macros available if it was considered cheating.

If you think its cheating then you obv dont know how to play because trying to do max dps/healing/tank/arena without any wouldnt always work.

For example intervene macro or def stance -> equip shield -> spellreflect in arena and so on..

 

[Tefal]

haven't people been banned for some macros done through keybords like the g15?

I'm sure my lycosa came with a warning that you could be banned from wow for using some kb macros?

 

[bloodline76]

So is my OP possible then? Or is it considered cheating? lol

I am content as I am but do like the idea of creating macros, even if it is for a none cheating way just for the hell of it. Maybe changing gear quickly or something would be handy.

 

[SkeeterUK]

Well in my view if you cant do it yourself then why bother. After all everyone who uses macros and plays vs non macro keyboard users will have a unfair advantage to keep it a level playing field ppl should not use macros and should do everything manually. It wont happen i know this but still thats my opinion for what its worth.

 

[bloodline76]

Well in my view if you cant do it yourself then why bother. After all everyone who uses macros and plays vs non macro keyboard users will have a unfair advantage to keep it a level playing field ppl should not use macros and should do everything manually. It wont happen i know this but still thats my opinion for what its worth.

Yeah but if you do play without macros like I do, if i come across someone that uses them then im dead lol

Most communities or guilds that are looking to progress on a regulars basis, will insist on you using addons or macros. My previous two raid comms made it a rule to kick anyone from the community that dare show up without the prerequisite addons. On certain encounters macros was compulsory (Vashj, certain bosses in Hyjal and BT) and would be checked before the raid begins.

How would someone know if you were using macros or not? How could they boot you. "Erm yessss....i have addons and macros" lol (heehee)

Couldnt you just lie and say you do have them? lol

 

[MrGrumpy]

Well in my view if you cant do it yourself then why bother. After all everyone who uses macros and plays vs non macro keyboard users will have a unfair advantage to keep it a level playing field ppl should not use macros and should do everything manually. It wont happen i know this but still thats my opinion for what its worth.

are talking with regard PvP if so I don`t bother with that, 9/10 i`m dead before I know it being a lock. However I like to use with trinkets just before i`m about to blast away at some big boss and really see nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[ominousnews]

So is my OP possible then? Or is it considered cheating? lol

I am content as I am but do like the idea of creating macros, even if it is for a none cheating way just for the hell of it. Maybe changing gear quickly or something would be handy.

Your original post is possible, but would require scripts and addons that are bannable, so really not worth it. All of it used to be possible with macros until they changed the way the system works, now macros in most cases slightly increase efficency and in some give you a real edge especially in pvp. If you want to change gear quickly check out closetgnome or itemrack (which you can create macros to quickswap gearsets).

I personally use macros a lot, and feel the game would be poorer without them... back in the day they were way to powerful now they're just right.

 

[bloodline76]

Your original post is possible, but would require scripts and addons that are bannable, so really not worth it. All of it used to be possible with macros until they changed the way the system works, now macros in most cases slightly increase efficency and in some give you a real edge especially in pvp. If you want to change gear quickly check out closetgnome or itemrack (which you can create macros to quickswap gearsets).

I personally use macros a lot, and feel the game would be poorer without them... back in the day they were way to powerful now they're just right.

I certainly dont want to use anything that is bannable lol

What sort of macros do you use? What do you consider helpful but not over the top.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Macros are awesome, I've a handy one for my hunter that makes my pet run about and munch on Shammies Totems.

 

[regulus]

How would someone know if you were using macros or not? How could they boot you. "Erm yessss....i have addons and macros" lol (heehee)

Couldnt you just lie and say you do have them? lol

Macros in a degree you CAN get away with (although not in my raid comms, you were made to prove you have them). There is certain fights you needed them, not because the particular person was a bad player, but because 24 other people may not have been as awake or quick.
Addons there is no way you can get away without it, well in TBC raiding it was so, not sure about Lich King. Kinda hard to prove that you actually DO have Omen without appearing on the list.