DRK Macros

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Originally Posted by Sephiren

Power Combo Reprisal(I put Reprisal on every part of the combo, so I'll list just one and you can assume it's the same for the rest of it, just switch with the other skills)

/ft
/ac "Reprisal" <t>
/ac "Hard Slash" <t>

I find it very useful since I would like to use Reprisal once it`s available, also freeing 1 slot on my hotbar.

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Originally Posted by ScytheSniper

Gotta love these people saying "Hurr durr, macro's make you bad bro!"

No... no they dont...

For instance, I have Reprisal attached to every combo skill on my bar (Hard Slash, Spinning Slash, Power Slash, Syphon Strike, Souleater) This allows me to use reprisal immediately every time its up without wasting a slot on my bar for it. Since its off GCD and doesn't break combo's there is literally no reason for every DRK to not do this.

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Actually, yes, this is a bad thing to do if you care about your damage at all.

With normal skills, you can press the button when there's only about 20% of the GCD left, it will queue up the action send it to the server, and then as soon as the GCD is up on the server it will immediately execute the action.

However, macros do not let you do this. So what happens with your macros is you need to wait until the GCD is completely up. Then you press the button, and then when the server gets the message it will actually execute the ability. This slows how fast you execute skills in unison.

As a simple test, you can go hit a practice dummy and note how long your TP lasts. Now try just using the skills directly (no macro). You should notice that your TP drops quite a bit faster.

So sure, you can keep it that way, but I wouldn't be surprised if you're losing 15%+ of your potential DPS (and threat).

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Originally Posted by Giantbane

With normal skills, you can press the button when there's only about 20% of the GCD left, it will queue up the action send it to the server, and then as soon as the GCD is up on the server it will immediately execute the action.

However, macros do not let you do this. So what happens with your macros is you need to wait until the GCD is completely up. Then you press the button, and then when the server gets the message it will actually execute the ability. This slows how fast you execute skills in unison.

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I will test this when I get in game. But in all honesty, I do not think that Reprisal falls into this category because it is not on the GCD so the macro forcing the action to wait for the GCD to completely end is wrong, and I have seen it work in my favor every time because I can literally mash the ability (or just simply press the button again during the GCD) and Reprisal is cast immediately, no delay at all.

Lol its cus majority of the playerbase seems to be in this mindset that using macros makes you bad. Sure the macros aren't as effective as they are on other mmos like Rift for example. But made and used correctly you will be better than a player who fumbles around their full 2-3 hotbars to use their skills.

The key there is not fumbling around with your 2-3 hotbars to use your skills in the first place.

The key is that a smart macro user will always be more efficient at their job than someone who doesn't.

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Originally Posted by ScytheSniper

I will test this when I get in game. But in all honesty, I do not think that Reprisal falls into this category because it is not on the GCD so the macro forcing the action to wait for the GCD to completely end is wrong, and I have seen it work in my favor every time because I can literally mash the ability (or just simply press the button again during the GCD) and Reprisal is cast immediately, no delay at all.

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The issue of the delay is not your OGCD. Yes, both OGCD and GCD can be queued but the fact is, GCD is very important and should never be delayed. In an OT scenario your priority is DPS until you have to tank. In that scenario you will only be using delirium and soul eater. Having them on macro on with reprisal will make them unqueueable and add gaps to your GCDs making you have less actions total in a given time span compared to non macrod GCDs. PLUS, when OTing your reprisal won't proc, making the macro pointless.

However, in MT scenario, even if you think that not putting out maximum DPS (that you can possibly squeeze) is fine as long you're holding hate and mitigating fine. So maybe you think reprisal macro on all your combos would be fine but do remember that as a drk you dont need to use power slash all the time. Most drks can do just fine with one powered power slash at the start and rotate between DE and SE for a long long time until you see the need to power slash. Putting reprisal macro on SE/DE would eventually hamper you when you eventually have to switch to OT in 8 man boss fights and just putting reprisal on power slash combo defeats the point of having the macro at all (since you wanted auto reprisal but you only have it on the least used combo).

On the mitigation side, stacking them into one macro sounds fine..until you get to fight serious bosses that needs specific mitigation depending on the timing of the attack and the 'heaviness' of the attack. Some attacks MUST be countered with a heavy mitigation, some attacks have to be mitigated by a lower one. Sometimes the order should be swapped around (think of alternating heavy and medium strength tank killers every minute, attacks that keep increasing in damage such as akh morn and vulnerability stacks). There's also the chance due to latency that even if you order your /ac, the macro decides to pick which mitigation to activate randomly (trust me, this happens). Mitigation at harder content is one of the most important part of being a tank and you can't leave it to chance.

I'm not against macros and even use it when I can (mostly /chotbar change) but you have to make sure that the macro works on all situations and settings and does not fumble on its own at critical moments.

Speaking of Macros...

Is it possible to make a macro that alerts the group that Walking Dead (living dead proc) has poped and I need to be healed ASAP? I have a macro for saying I have used living dead, but cant find out if I can do one that annouces the actual pop

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Originally Posted by Timat

Speaking of Macros...

Is it possible to make a macro that alerts the group that Walking Dead (living dead proc) has poped and I need to be healed ASAP? I have a macro for saying I have used living dead, but cant find out if I can do one that annouces the actual pop

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I don't believe there's a way, since it's triggered upon getting critically hit and macros are unfortunately not that fluid. Only thing you can really do is just include something about watching out for the debuff in your Living Dead macro.

That stinks, I was hoping someone would know of a good Walking Dead macro. Ah well.

I have Shadowskin macro'd with Foresight, and Blood Weapon/Blood Price/Bloodbath macro'd together. I've definitely noticed the issues about not being able to queue them early, which stinks, but the button bloat is getting to be WAY too much.

If the only solution is to "get gud," then I'll be more than happy to stay bad, thanks.

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Originally Posted by Syfer22

That stinks, I was hoping someone would know of a good Walking Dead macro. Ah well.

I have Shadowskin macro'd with Foresight, and Blood Weapon/Blood Price/Bloodbath macro'd together. I've definitely noticed the issues about not being able to queue them early, which stinks, but the button bloat is getting to be WAY too much.

If the only solution is to "get gud," then I'll be more than happy to stay bad, thanks.

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Blood Weapon/Blood Price isn't a bad macro as you will use whatever is available, it's off GCD and isn't a tank cooldown so it's fine if you pop it half a second later. My only tip for you is to use modifiers for your keys if you're having problems having enough keys for abilities.

I don't have a Razer Naga or any other mouse covered in buttons as I just think they are uncomfortable, but it got to the point where i use modifiers for my Mouse4/Mouse5 keys. Look at your keys and think "Is there any way I can fit more abilities onto somewhat reachable keys?" Stuff like Grit isn't used that many times in combat and doesn't have to be on the best key, I've put mine on Shift + § (Nordic keyboard so it's next to the 1-button) Otherwise you always have Modifier + Q, E, R, F that can be reachable somewhat easily if you're using standard WASD. Also look at what skills you use a lot. I rarely use Dark Passenger for anything other than mass aoe packs, I can simply just click that ability with my mouse the times i'm going to use it.
Limit break is almost preferable to have clickable so you don't do the mistake of pressing it on accident.


Another note:
Foresight is getting to the point where it's not bad to use for physical fights, it is better than Dark Dance for any physical tank buster. I did tests before alexander on normal mobs and then went into alexander and looked at the numbers there too. For me foresight provides a 16% damage reduction on physical attacks. So foresight is not an ability you just pop because you were bored anymore, it's actually not bad.