1. #1

    Macroing Your Abilities Together.

    I want to talk about macroing your abilities together.

    /castsequence reset=8 Rising Sun Kick, Blackout Kick, Blackout Kick, Blackout Kick

    Take this macro for example. I just want to talk about if it is really good to macro your abilities together or not. This macro is using the windwalker monk abilities, rising sun kick and blackout kick. I'm sure there are other classes with abilities which can be macroed together like this, but just can't think of any right now.

    My question is: Is it okay that I do this? Is it effective? Is it efficient?

    I mean, I have been using this macro. And I can't live without it. I can not see me playing my windwalker monk without it. I like having both my kicks on one button, on one keybind. I mean, I could not use this macro and just have two separate buttons, two separate keybinds for my rising sun kick and blackout kick. But I like having both my kicks on one keybind. My Jab is the 3 key. And my kicks are the 4 key. I could try not to use the macro and have my Blackout Kick be the 4 key and my Rising Sun Kick be with a modifier, "shift-4". But I am just so used to this macro now. This macro is just too good. And windwalker monk has too many keybinds. I already have so many keybinds remembered. I don't think I can remember "shift-4" for my rising sun kick.

    Also, I am a pvper. I think it is okay to macro your abilities together for pvp. But I don't know about for pve. Maybe it should be okay as well to use for pve. What do you guys think?

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    It's possible you're trying to accomplish something with that macro that I don't understand, but my guess is it's not doing what you think it's doing, and you're probably not playing as effectively as you think you are.

    Rising Sun Kick has an 8s CD, but the reset timer on a cast sequence macro doesn't work from the first time you press it, it resets the reset timer each time you press it. So every time you press that macro, the 8s reset timer resets, meaning you have to wait 8s after the 3rd Blackout Kick before you can Rising Sun Kick, not 8s after your first Rising Sun Kick.

    Cast sequence macros rarely actually make sense. I think across all my toons, I use one for my Prot Pally to swap between seals, when I'm playing Empowered Seals, which isn't very often anymore. I don't use a reset on that one, though.

  3. #3
    /castsequence Rising Sun Kick; Blackout Kick; Blackout Kick; Blackout Kick

    I guess this is more of what you are after.
    Not sure if a monk got a Tier that reset RSK buf it does, you will need RSK as another bind aswell if not.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by chaarrllee3000 View Post
    And windwalker monk has too many keybinds
    Why don't you play a different class then?
    Maybe it just doesn't suit your style, and thus you find it has too many abilities.

    Quote Originally Posted by chaarrllee3000 View Post
    Also, I am a pvper. I think it is okay to macro your abilities together for pvp. But I don't know about for pve. Maybe it should be okay as well to use for pve. What do you guys think?
    Well binding your keys together in PvE has an advantage but comes at a cost. It's easy and it doesn't require you to learn to play properly. You could get through LFR and probably normal pugs without people noticing much, assuming that you are a dps. But if you wish to become a better player, you will need to drop the macro-all approach eventually. The more you put into one button, the less control you have over cooldowns, bursts and near-death situations.

    It comes down to what you regard as fun. Is it okay to do it? Well, do you? Do you enjoy it? I personally don't condone it at all. If it works for you, great. If you feel it throttles you, get out of the macro comfort zone and get your butt kicked until the new spells and keybinds have found a place in your neural pathways.

  5. #5
    /cast Rend
    /cast Hamstring

    Here is another example of macroing your abilities together. Now, for me, I personally do use this macro on my warrior. I got this macro from a youtube video and I remember the guy in the video saying something like "Both of those abilities cost rage, but hey, who cares??" So ya. I am kind of like him. I don't really care if they both cost rage. It is one less keybind for me.

    Is it efficient, effective to macro your abilities together like this?
    Last edited by chaarrllee3000; 2015-07-30 at 09:36 PM.

  6. #6
    I've always stayed away from cast sequence macros because I don't like the idea that if for some reason I'd need to recast the first spell in the sequence, I'd have to either complete the sequence or wait for the reset time. I'd rather have more control over what I want to cast when I want to cast it.

  7. #7
    You literally can't automate rotations using `/castsequence`, because Blizzard explicitly don't want you to be able to. So, they never, ever wrap the way you would like: they just stick at the end or, if you use a timed reset, reset after the button has not been pressed at all for that long, not after the first ability was used that long ago. By design. If you find a way around it, expect Blizzard to treat that as a bug and prevent it in a future patch, or worse.

    The rule is simple: you get one GCD action per macro, full stop, that's it. Doesn't matter if you try and use a GCD thing and it's on cooldown, that was your action, game over.

    ...or to put it another way: if you don't want to deal with the full rotation, don't play the damn class.

  8. #8
    Herald of the Titans Alroxas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chaarrllee3000 View Post
    I want to talk about macroing your abilities together.
    My question is: Is it okay that I do this? Is it effective? Is it efficient?
    No it's not effective nor is it very efficient.

    Quote Originally Posted by chaarrllee3000 View Post
    I don't think I can remember "shift-4" for my rising sun kick.
    So assuming you have a five button mouse, why couldn't you make button 4 or 5 the alt modifier? (That is map shift to button 4/5). That way 4 might be Blackout Kick but Shift (which is now button 4/5) + 4 would be Rising Kick. This allows you faster access to an entire second set of keybinds without having to use some weird had combination on your non-mouse hand.

    Moreover, have you thought about using a Nostromo gamepad? With one of those you can remap WASD to the control hat (controlled by your thumb) which frees up 4 more keybinds!

    Quote Originally Posted by chaarrllee3000 View Post
    Also, I am a pvper. I think it is okay to macro your abilities together for pvp. But I don't know about for pve.
    Basically you're trading "convenience" for flexibility which isn't always the best thing in either PvP or PvE situations. Either way, you'll still be less effective than a seasoned player who can use their abilities independent of each other.

    So far, the only kinds of macros that I've found helpful are: stopcasting macros and multi-use macro (specifically the one that summons a water elemental if it doesn't exist, but if does exist casts water jet/freeze).
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  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Alroxas View Post
    So far, the only kinds of macros that I've found helpful are: stopcasting macros and multi-use macro (specifically the one that summons a water elemental if it doesn't exist, but if does exist casts water jet/freeze).
    Mouse over macros, multi talent macros (changes depending on talent selection), off GCD burst (eg pre pot + pre cast) and cancel auras (F**K your BOP).

    Quote Originally Posted by Alroxas View Post
    Basically you're trading "convenience" for flexibility which isn't always the best thing in either PvP or PvE situations. Either way, you'll still be less effective than a seasoned player who can use their abilities independent of each other.
    This is exactly what is wrong with these cast sequence type macros. What happens to your macro when you have to move? What happens when you spend a gcd or 2 using cc or utility? you are now in a situation where you are performing sub optimally.

    Another important note is that if you decide to play "properly", you will then have to relearn anyway and will go through a period where your play declines as you relearn, I've had a few mates go through this and it does not sound enjoyable whatsoever

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