I won't mention the names because I don't condone their use and they are probably a violation of the Terms and Conditions of using this game.

This is why I've been hesitant of using these third-party programs.

Note: I am not quoting anyone verbatim. I am simply paraphrasing the various arguments put forward by the pro-macro crowd.

You can already do macros via 3rd-party keyboards and other miscellaneous peripherals. Therefore, there's no reason to not have in-game combat macro functionality.

Yeah, there's a bit of a difference there. First, those sorts of out-of-game macros cannot use in-game states the way an in-game macro function could, so they're inferior in that way. Second, as mentioned multiple times, encounters do not have to be balanced around people using macros since they are not a supported functionality and those who complain that something is too easy when they are macro-ing can be dutifully ignored. This also makes macros less valuable since they are not needed to successfully complete any content and therefore only the most uptight guilds/groups will select a player who uses macros over one who doesn't.

Not having an in-game macro function creates a "play-to-win" scenario where those who can afford to blow money on 3rd party peripherals with macro functions have an advantage over those who can't or won't.

Maybe, but who cares? As I already pointed out, using macros when there is no in-game macro function is less valuable since it's not necessary to successfully complete content due to the encounters being balanced around not having macros. Only really uptight guilds/groups and those looking for PvP e-peen will care. Nobody cares about them anyway.

Also, if you really want to use macros, you don't have to buy expensive hardware (another thing that has already been pointed out multiple times). There are freeware macro solutions that can be downloaded and will work just as well, really.

The rest of the population who can't be bothered to buy expensive hardware or download freeware macro programs probably aren't going to be bothered to put time into writing macros via an in-game function either, except if it becomes required to complete content. Which would only happen if encounters were balanced around macros. Which would only happen if an in-game macro function was implemented. See where I'm going here?

Bioware/EA sponsors a SWtOR-themed peripheral that can do macros and they are therefore being hypocritical by opposing an in-game macro function... herp derp.

Uh, no. What the marketing department does has zero bearing on anything the design team thinks or does. This is an asinine line of reasoning. Please, shut up.

There are too many buttons, therefore macros are necessary.

I wouldn't disagree that certain classes have far too many skills to juggle compared to others and this is something they should look at addressing. I don't buy that it makes it necessary to have an in-game macro function, however. Even on my Sentinel, who, from my experience and from what I've heard others say, has an almost obscene number of buttons to keep track of, it is far from impossible to stay on top of a rotation and situational skills if you're paying attention. If that is simply something you don't enjoy, then perhaps you should roll a different class? Not ideal, but just saying. Again, I do agree they should look into that as there is definitely a large discrepancy between classes as far as that issue goes.

Combat macros is the worst thing to come to MMOs ever.

 

It's crack for lazy players IMO.

People have already automated space missions, I see no reason to not have macros in this game, especially with the obnoxious number of abilities we have stuck with cool downs. Macros could seriously mitigate the number of icon I need on my bars like it did for RIFT

Which works wonders with the built-in voice chat the game has.

 

 

Oh wait.....

Vent is free... just run as admin.

The whole point of a subscription base gaming model is that everyone gets the same ability with the same subscription fee. How would you feel if you were new to the gaming community and decided to play SWTOR. You pay for the game and set up a sub. You start playing thinking that you have the same potential as everyone else. All you have to do is learn the game, practice, and improve. Then you find out that there are these peripherals out there that can give you the ability to do things in game that you can't do otherwise. You are like "cool, how can I get these abilities". Then you find out that you have to go pay a bunch of extra money for these peripherals or you won't be able to do the same things as these other people.

 

It is not vary fair, and sub based MMOs are all about fairness, balance, and skill. It is not about, "I have less skill than you so I will go buy some stuff and have an advantage over you." That is a F2P model. In a sub based model, either everyone has an ability or no one has it. It is that simple.

So, you want 3rd party businesses to stop making their products. Gotcha.

Edit: That underlined statement makes you sound RIDICULOUS. Everyone has an ability or no one does? HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The ENTIRE Guild Summit was NOTHING MORE than a sales pitch for 1.2. It was pointless, the devs were very patronizing and the feedback/input from the Guild Leaders was met with uneasy smiles and more patronizing marketing verbal vomit.

Great job on a summit to market your patch.

as i said many time macro is not bad or good... is not a NECESSITY but it's not necessary to FORBID...

but you user have too few data to actually understand the implication a macro can have on the way the software is "SUPPOSE" to work

especially in a game that is a game because there are rules if who CREATE the game state that is against the RULE he knows better then you

and trying to use them it's against the RULE you dont like the rule dont play the game... playing and cheating(going against the rule) is wrong and should be punished

It's a game and when u click the Agreement u click the rule and now just because u don't like a rule or a rule it's easy to bypass it doesnt make it right.

And once again you have no sufficient data to say that adding macro will not ruin the balance of the game class that are more effective because more difficult to use with macro can became OP...

why is it so difficult to understand and respect the rule and the work of the developers?

you always have to think you know it better.

Macros are the worst thing to ever happen to MMOs.

AFK anyone?

Thank god for no combat macros. Love you Bioware!

^^^ This....We dont need Macros...Period....Stop trying to make the game more convenient and easy for yourself...

^^^ This....We dont need Macros...Period....Stop trying to make the game more convenient and easy for yourself...

You obviously have no idea why people want macros in the first place, or you have no conception of how macros actually work, or you think that jumping through hoops to use abilities is good design, or you somehow think that making abilities easier and faster to use makes the game easier. Or, worst (but most likely) all of the above.

There really isn't an argument, you're arguing that because someone can buy something to make something available, it should be implemented into the game.

 

I'm not wholly against macros, I think they most certainly ARE useful, but your argument is so flawed and invalid it just stands to reason that when anyone sees posts like yours it's NOT HELPING the player base any with our credibility and reasoning.

 

Coming up with an intelligent and reasonable execution of implementing macros into the game and putting it in a thread on the suggestion forums is great.

 

Hopping into any thread talking about macros and claiming "It's available by purchasing hardware, WHY isn't it in the game?!?!!" just drives the entire subject of the thread to ridicule.

 

It's just silly. Your argument is silly. Your reasoning is silly. Every debate you put out against any post is just, well... silly. At the end of the day, AS IT STAND, RIGHT NOW: There are HUNDREDS, probably even THOUSANDS of games out there that you will gain an advantage by purchasing *GASP* a Razer product, EVEN THE SWTOR BRANDED ONES!!!

 

Are you all over EVERY one of those games' forums crying foul? Could we get all the links please?

 

People invest in their gaming, some more so than others and you want whatever "they" can do to be put in game "so we all can do it".

 

Well, we can't all be winners now, can we? This line of thinking is right along the lines of "Well I know he worked on his ranked WZs and/or NM Mode Ops for the past month non-stop, but I WANT that Gear/Title/Vanity Item too!!!!!" And it ruins games because eventually they cave, everyone can get everything for little to no work, and the people who did like to put a little effort into getting what they had move on, because all of their work was just devolved into the epitome of your "We should get it since it's here anyways!" post.

http://solutionproblem.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/cant-tell-if-trolling.jpg

You obviously have no idea why people want macros in the first place, or you have no conception of how macros actually work, or you think that jumping through hoops to use abilities is good design, or you somehow think that making abilities easier and faster to use makes the game easier. Or, worst (but most likely) all of the above.

people want macros so they can spam one button for all there moves eliminating the possibility of screwing up and taking the human element out of the game oh and if moving your finger to the right a few centimeters is "jumping through hoops" maybe the game isn't the problem

and explain how this does not make the game easier? espicially in PvP? when hitting one button will decide what moves to do and when(yes i have seen macros like that in other games) its the whole reason people want macros to make the game easier

The ENTIRE Guild Summit was NOTHING MORE than a sales pitch for 1.2. It was pointless, the devs were very patronizing and the feedback/input from the Guild Leaders was met with uneasy smiles and more patronizing marketing verbal vomit.

 

Great job on a summit to market your patch.

^that

The ENTIRE Guild Summit was NOTHING MORE than a sales pitch for 1.2. It was pointless, the devs were very patronizing and the feedback/input from the Guild Leaders was met with uneasy smiles and more patronizing marketing verbal vomit.

 

Great job on a summit to market your patch.

You anti-macro, anti-arena, anti-LFG people are the reason this game is dying and doomed.

Though it did have alot of other things going for it that TOR doesn't.

Just use a macro recorder if you want macros

I want to change my target (target, focus, target of target, focus target, self, etc) based on a key modifier, in previous games this has been done through a macro. Can you explain to me how that would be done through an outside source like a programmable keyboard?

Or can you explain to me why that "dumbs down" the game?

I want to change my target (target, focus, target of target, focus target, self, etc) based on a key modifier, in previous games this has been done through a macro. Can you explain to me how that would be done through an outside source like a programmable keyboard?

 

Or can you explain to me why that "dumbs down" the game?

Im still not exactly sure what you want but I know that (more advanced) Macro recorders can be configured to do stuff based on pixels on the screen, lets say if a button or something is on the screen, or whatever, it can do something based on whether the thing is there or not. Like, if Party member 1 has lower then 50% health then target party member 1 and automatically heal. It might be tricky but almost anything is possible with external programs

Most limitations are still based on whether what functionality is actually in the game and how they are executed. This games bindsystem (for binding keys) is very limited so that might be a limiting factor.

Im against this kind of thing though. Automatic healbots hehe.

I'm pretty sure though that for DPS class players their abilities can be automatically engaged in a specific/optimized order just by ramming the spacebar and such.

To be fair, WoW didn't have that at release or for some time after, and it did just fine.

 

Though it did have alot of other things going for it that TOR doesn't.

wow was released 7/8 years ago tor was in dev for what 4-5 yrs must had blinkers on or somthing not to see what others were doing. like ford making a new model but keeping the same design of the old model t super shiny but still wooden wheels.

When they say they are not putting macros in the game that really only means that they are not making macros easily accessible to everyone. The people who really want to use macros are still going to use third party macros.

With macros in game everyone can use them as much as they choose if at all. Without macros in game only the people who know how to set them up by other means are going to be able to use them.

There is no way they are going to ever be able to stop people from using macros.

It was pretty much said that there will be no macros anytime soon if ever at the guild summit. It seems part of the Dev team hates macros and does not want them in game.

 

But, they did say there will be some things in game that will help healers and such. What that means who knows they did not explain it very well.

Which i think this is a good thing.

Good.

I hate macros too. They just serve no purpose in a game. The dev team should take care of any functional requirements.