Why Macros belong in TOR.

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?!?

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!!!

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

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.

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.

I can tell when I enter combat with another skilled player. This makes having no macros worth it. The feeling that skill with keyboard kung fu is needed in the game make pvp fun for me.

I don't know about anyone else but yes I practice my keyboard kung fu and I also set myself up with a gaming keyboard and mouse.

I look at pvp as a digital sport and having no macros forces users into using skill. I see nothing wrong with this. This is where the really skilled players will make a name for themselves.

Go head bring macros on because I will take my skill level and it will only be higher and I will still own in pvp prolly even more so.

Becarefull what you ask for sometimes just practice and the right gear can change your outlook on pvp.

Agree, I take it one step further. Some call it "efficiency," I call it lazy. In a real knock out, drag out fight you're going to have to think quick on your toes. I've seen too many mods, macros, etc. that make it for just one button to do many things. Very much a lack of skill. This is the best pvp experience I've had in ages. That being said, it will not be long before the squeaky wheel gets oiled and the macros get implemented. 'Til then however; I plan to keep dominating these wannabes with my real technique and reflexes whilst they cry and flame on forums. <3 ya all.

Mouse over macros remove the need to target a player manually. They automate a part of the healing process unnecessarily. It's just as bad as a cast sequence.

Ok, I usually don't answer to gaming threads, but there's just so much weird stuff being said here that I kind of have to.


If you're going to claim that you can show that you're a more skilled player when nobody can macro stuff, you really shouldn't go on to admitting that you're using specialized peripherals to help you. How is it better to use a programmable mouse and keyboard than to program your abilities with macros within the game?


My keyboard fu is fine, but I don't think buying such equipment should be a requirement to perform well in any mmo. I'd much prefer it if you could do whatever is necessary from within the game.

To me the keyboard and mouse is just an interface between my brain and the game, and it should be as smooth and simple as possible. I want all my abilities available, and when I run out of keys to bind within finger-reach of my wsad keys and have no macros to reduce the number of buttons needed, then I conclude that the ability design or game design is broken or there are vital features missing; macros.

I've come to expect to be able to always having the next ability enqueued, and if I don't have enough binds available, then there should be macros to allow me to do that. And I don't want to have to buy a spaceship to do that.

And for those of you who think there's such a thing as an I-win-button in those other mmo's with macros, think again. In almost all cases moving some of the abilities of those macros out to their own binds will allow you to select the timing of your cooldowns better allowing you to use them to greater effect than if you had everything in one button.

If adding macros will allow an I-win-button, then you really need to revamp your abilities to make them more situational.


Furthermore I should say that not having macros for my warrior means I have to keep eyeballing my actionbars (of which there are too few btw). I want to watch the game, not the bars. Muscle memory should be sufficient. Macroing some reactive abilities would go a long way towards this.


In short I'll probably cancel my subscription, and wait for macro support before I spend more time in this game. And note that some classes need this more than others, so if you've only played one class and don't see the need, then try some more classes, and see for yourself. In fact maybe that's what I'll do while I wait for macro play a class that don't hurt so much from this...

Wright

... and you would be correct.