Combo PvP Buttons

So... you guys added this nice little thing that is the Combo PvP Button. For example, as a Paladin, I get two of them:

Rage of Halone Combo, and Royal Authority Combo.

This combines 5 buttons into 2.

Could you perhaps allow us to make these sort of buttons ourselves for use outside of PvP? It would go a long way to relieving hotbar clutter, and make rotations a lot easier. Instead of having separate buttons for Fast Blade, Riot Blade, Savage Blade, Rage of Halone and Royal Authority, we could just have the 2 buttons that automatically switch.

Let us set up the buttons so that they switch automatically like they do in PvP and if an action is not available at current level, then the button just automatically skips it and goes back to the first ability (for example, if I am in a dungeon <Lv60, the Royal Authority Combo will simply Fast Blade -> Riot Blade -> Skip RA and go back to Fast Blade).

This seems like so much a better way to do this, and the system is already there (but AFAIK, you can only use it in PvP).

Allowing us to set up our own combo buttons would be interesting and would make gameplay a lot more smooth, and unlike macros, it would allow us to choose the timing of each ability in succession instead of them automatically attempting to fire regardless of whether or not it is even possible or desirable.

I have been looking for a way to do this as well, wasn't sure if it is possible with macros or not

It would be beyond amazing if this works. When I was on RDM going from PVP to PVE, it was just awkward. In PVP I make use of 5 buttons for 11 abilities effectively. Adding this to PVE would go quite far in fixing button bloat, and importantly allow them to add more abilities to enhance jobs in the future.

Here's a quick macro for the PC that I use for skill combos to create a similar effect. It's not perfect, but it does compress the button for combos to a single button. You do have to sacrifice 3 hotbars to do this so far.

First, know that your first hotbar can have all of its actions switched out with another hotbar. Using this does not change the keybind. This means that if you have Fast Blade attached to your keybind '1' on the 1st slot of hotbar 1 and Savage Blade attached to the 1st slot of hotbar 2, you can switch out hotbars 1 and 2 and use Savage Blade using the same keybind.

Since most keybind combos are in sets of 3, you therefore need 3 hotbars to create the effect. For players using a controller, use the /chotbar command instead of the /hotbar to change your cross-tabs. The sample of the code is as follows:

Macro for hotbar 1

Quote:

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/micon "fast blade"
/ac "fast blade" <t>
/wait 2
/hotbar change 2

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Macro for Hotbar 2

Quote:

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/micon "savage blade"
/ac "savage blade" <t>
/wait 2
/hotbar change 3

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Macro for Hotbar 3

Quote:

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/micon "rage of halone"
/ac "rage of halone" <t>
/wait 2
/hotbar change 1

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It doesn't recreate the full flexibility of the pvp combos, but is somewhat close. You have to be very careful about spamming buttons using these macros, as each spam will overwrite the previous macro. This means if you hit use fast blade, then press 1 immediately but you're still on a gcd, you will not use savage blade but immediately jump to rage of halone and breaking your macro chain. You're free to tinker around with the wait timer to suit your preference.

For RDM and other jobs with abilities that require a 'proc' to activate, simply activate the ability before your actual ability.

Quote:

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/micon verfire
/ac verfire <t>
/ac verthunder <t>

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This activates verfire first and if its not available, verthunder. Be careful as this also runs into problems with button spamming. You can connect that with a hotbar change macro for jolt if you wish. I prefer to keep them separate however as I want to be able to directly cast verfire and verstone to maximize dps.

Macro for hotbar 1

Quote:

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/micon jolt
/ac jolt <t>
/wait 2
/hotbar change 2

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Macro for Hotbar 2

Quote:

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/micon verfire
/ac verfire <t>
/ac verthunder <t>
/wait 2
/hotbar change 1

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It'll just make people avoid more complicated jobs. Poor MCH and BRD can't merge any skills as they don't have a 1 - 2 -3.

I do NOT want my combo to be 1-1-1 in pve.
They already took away so much weaving of skills. The last thing I want is it dumbed down even more.

There's other ways to deal with skill bloat and SB has already done plenty.

Also, side note here. Don't use macros to compress your skills to one ability please. Macros are not made for battle content!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Canadane

Macros are not made for battle content!

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In a way, I agree with you, but it still depends for which one you did it and how.

/help <t>

/ac [ground aoe skill name] <t>
/ac [same ground aoe skill name]

/ac [supportive skill] <mo>

/targetenemy

Some macro can be useful.

Other than that, I'm wondering what it brings in PvE to have 3 buttons for basic combo for such classes. While I actually know what it brings in PvP to have 3 different buttons (animation time difference can make you win a fight, actually).
It would be less chaotic and way more pragmatic to have 4 more easy keys to use oGCD instead of having them used by combo.
But I understand it can be about feeling you do something. But 4 less icons would be just so more pragmatic to use important skills.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Canadane

I do NOT want my combo to be 1-1-1 in pve.
They already took away so much weaving of skills. The last thing I want is it dumbed down even more.

There's other ways to deal with skill bloat and SB has already done plenty.

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Then you don't have to use it.

But it would be nice to have the OPTION for those who DO want to use it.

Okay, so jobs like MCH couldn't use such a thing, fine. However, something like Paladin it would be perfect for, because there is no "mixing of skills". You three 1-2-3 combos and it is already boring and easy. It just takes a lot of stinking buttons, though. Buttons I could be putting other, more useful skills on. Or even things like target marking macros.

111 isn't that much dumbed down from a forced 123.

For combo classes, at the minimum it reduces two buttons, for some as many as four. There's going to be a point where we either don't get new abilities, or we lose access to previous ones (Much like in Stormblood), and that's no fun for anyone.

There's a healthy balance between Diablo 3 and Aion when it comes to button count, but it takes compromise to hit it.

Assuming 5.0 will bring 3-4 new spells per job, we can hope this option to become available and more spell merging for selected few spells
However, it if were to be implemented, it would have to be optional, there is case where you don't actually want to go through your combo chain.
Mana regen on both DRK and PAL is one example.


On the other hand, many job could greatly benefit from a this feature allowing you, personally, to create your own combo.
For instance, SMN and BRD might want to put their DoTs on a combo system to save on slot as you simply chain both skills in most scenario.
But I stress the importance of this feature being optional as in the case of the DoTs or tank MP regen, you might want to have access to each spell individually. On top of that, making it optional can only be positive as anyone not enjoying the option can simply ignore it.

It would also be nice to be able to manually merge some spells that activate under specific conditions, for instance
Ley Line -> Between the Line
FireIV / Blizzard IV (since both can never be usuable at the same time)
Blood Weapon / Blood Price

I'd be behind this 90% I find that it would free up lots of space for my pali AND my nin. I could look more into those moves that I never use because I don't have space for them on my two hot bars. And, making it optional would be so much more better!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Maeka

Okay, so jobs like MCH couldn't use such a thing, fine.

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Honestly I don't see why this wouldn't work for machinist. They do have a three-step combo, it simply works slightly different because it's proc-based. Not really that difficult to make the single-key action change when you actually proc. Or maybe just remove the 50/50 proc entirely because it never made any sense to begin with (and could be really detrimental in the worst of cases). The machinist feels amazing in PvP especially, and I half-wonder if altering the machinist to function much like its PvP version would alleviate a lot of the problems from low-dps and such.

This is a good idea. Most if not all 2nd and 3rd combo hits don't require a separate button because they are pretty much useless skills without being part of the chain, and you will never press them.