Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
A macro system is a "MUST" because of "Programmable Keyboards & Mice".
Warjin
Member UncommonPosts: 1,216
After playing the last few betas I am not worried one bit for the games success because it can not fail at this point, I do how ever have one MAJOR grip and that is not having some type of macro system in place.
Sw:tor's character abilities are way to cumbersome for the average Joe to play effectively, forcing players to become a clicker in most of the abilities given to the characters.
My problem is not that there are to many abilities for a player to effectively utilize them.
I would like to see a macro system in place that lets the players bind abilities that share different global cool downs together, example: a Smugglers Pugnacity or a Jedi knights Riposte, those abilities share different cool downs and should be given the option to macro them if one chooses to do so.
Without a macro system in place you are giving players that use programmable keyboards & mice a very clear advantage in PvP & gaming in general.
Did you know that I was able to bypass your no auto attack using a macro programmable keyboard and bind many abilities together giving myself a very,very clear advantage over others in PvP? It almost felt like cheating or like I was running a hack program.
Because you really can't do anything to stop players from using programmable keyboards or mice to gain the clear advantage you REALLY, REALLY need to add a macro system in place that levels the playing field.
Comments
I've got a macroable keyboard and mouse, and have never used the features. I've played games like WoW that have macro support built in and even there I've never needed to use it to stay competitive.
I've played with people topping the dps charts and owning in PvP that dont require the use of Macros to win. When I played SWTOR I felt these same rules apply there as well.
If a game needs macros for you to be competitive then your either lazy or not playing right. If a game requires macros to simply play then the game isnt done right. SWTOR is certainly not the latter.
You won't find the hard-core PvP'ers using gaming keyboard macros to fire off the "auto-attacks" primarily because they'll find themselves GCD-locked and promptly taken advantage of like a new 100lb child molester in San Quentin.
Some will not use the macro system but i'm telling you most will and do, I myself ran a Razer Nostromo & a Razer Nage and macroed programed alot of abilities and if really felt like I was cheating, this would be so bad if they added a in game macro system like WoW's, not Rifts because to me Rift's macro system you could pretty much bind everthing onto one key, at least in WoW's macro system yoy where limited on thing but still helped players maintain a fair balance vs the program users.
If they do not add a macro system you are going to see a very clear advantage not of still but of money, Sw:tor without a macro system would be pretty much a pay to win game only not from item shop advantages but from Razer lol.
This way you get what i got in Rift, having 3 buttons with all my skills tight to them.... now that was a funspoiler for me.
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
a mouseover macro would be nice for healers.
4 man group is not that bad. That's f1-f4, but companions are f5-f8.
In a raid you have to click everyone to select them. Some say f5-f8 work there too for the second group, but it did not do that for me when I twice joined a pvp-match. For pvp I do not really believe I would use them.
If you're about to macro stuff you're either fail at PvP or extremely lazy to move your fingers.
Completely agree. RIFT macro system made the Warrior a complete joke. WoW macro system is quite good though.
Have you ever played lotro. My burg had like 40 different skills. They don;t allow macros and no one complains. I do use a programable mouse that has about 15 buttons that can be programed so i don't have to point and click my way through. I don't like the idea of macros that chain a bumch of skills together, that should not be allowed imo.
Programmable mouse and a G15 keyboard, on which i only use the 18 G keys to add extra skills to, are perfect for LOTRO..(or any MMo with lots of skills to choose from)
Tough solving to the Warden switched that problem for me
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
O yes they will, there are a few abilities that do not share the same cool down in Sw:tor and those skills are fair game, now binding abilities that "DO" share the same GCD in Sw:tor might hinder you some but it's still a very clear advantage when you can chain sequence 2 or 3 skill together for a I Win Button, I made a macro on my Smuggler that used Dirty Kick, Back Blast, Blaster Whip lol, that was my I Win Button and took off 50% of a players health in less then 4.5 seconds with the press of 1 button... It was sooooooooooooooooo fucking cheap lol.
My point is players will use them no matter how you look at it, so a macro system is a must, this will help level the playing field a bit.
Did it ever get to you that most people don't want I-win buttons?
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)
Some people have older stiffer fingers that no longer move well. It can be difficult reaching across constantly trying to hit higher numbers. Not saying macroing is the answer to that though. Overall the best answer is get a mouse with extra buttons. In any given fight you dont need that many skills and most of the skills are situational in any case.
I hated Rifts macro system, but I did Love WoW's, to date WoW had by far the best macro system of any MMO to date IMO.
WoW used castsequences, mouseovers, binding of different GCD's, Stop attack/Start attack, Alt Mods, but never gave a player the abilities to bind there keyboard onto 1 key, WoW's macro system was to help micro manage and that to me is what macros should be about, not play the game for you like Rift's macro system did.
AutoIt
AutoHotKey
Macro Gamer
These are just a few examples of the myriad of programs out there to make macros with. There is 0 need for it in game or to buy a gaming keyboard and mouse.
-Edit: because odds are no matter how good the in game macro system is, it can't hold up to most of the macro programs.
How about a game that creates a system in which having macros does not provide a clear advantage? One in which responding to things as they happening and moving on the field matters more than the specific sequence of keys you push? If a macro can give you a significant advantage, then there is something fundamentally wrong with the combat system, and just because combat has been that was for more than a decade in MMOs doesn't mean it isn't true.
"Gamers will no longer buy the argument that every MMO requires a subscription fee to offset server and bandwidth costs. It's not true you know it, and they know it." Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet, 2007
WTF? No subscription fee?
Sure I did, but we can't stop players from being cheap bastards, people will allways look for exploits and use them, do I agree? no, but what can we do about it, I want to take the advantage away from players that do program there keyboards and mice and the only way to do that is a ingame macro system.
Kinda find it funny that you say that the skill system is too complex for the average Joe but then go on to say that without a macro system average Joe's cant take full advantage of their macrokeybind gaming keyboard/Mouse lol
TSW - AoC - Aion - WOW - EVE - Fallen Earth - Co - Rift - || XNA C# Java Development
Macros ruined SWG. Why don't you sit in front of the keyboard and actually grind it yourself ??
You want to take the advantage away yet you are quite happy to use them yourself. Okay.
Ehh... Where is this large advantage coming from? I mean, yeah you could potentially macro non-GCD abilities using a gaming keyboard etc, but doesn't it pretty much end there? That's defo a bit of an advantage, so I’ll agree there, but aside from that?
if you are fighting against people that use key binds, and are accustomed to using said key binds, you are going to be putting yourself at a disadvantage if you simply macro abilities into a rotation. Or at the very best, you'll be on par with them, but just have less buttons to push. Pretty much it though...
But yeah, I am all for a macro system. One similar to WoW would be fine. Defo want to steer clear of anything likes the system in Rift though.
This way you get what i got in Rift, having 3 buttons with all my skills tight to them.... now that was a funspoiler for me.
Completely agree. RIFT macro system made the Warrior a complete joke. WoW macro system is quite good though.
I am curious, but what's different about rift macro and wow macro? Also why is it cheating to macro, or hacking? I dint understand how macro is cheating or hacking. Explain plzPhilosophy of MMO Game Design