I'm feeling demoralised

[Canadane]

Thanks ^_^
So, from what I've read, the limitation of macros is due to the fact that GCD is 2.5 and the macro can only give 3 between each ability. I don't intend on doing those sorts of macros in future, so is that all I need to be concerned with?

That's not the only reason.
First of all while the default GCD is 2.5 seconds like you said, you'll come across skill speed on your gear which will lower this. You may also end up being slowed (though rarely) by some enemy so it'll be longer! So even if you could set a macro wait command to 2.5 seconds, it'd need constant editing as the situation changes.

Secondly, by design, skills are queued up as you use it. There's a native skill queue that will allow one skill to be preset as the next one to execute once your current skill is complete. This allows the game to give you a more seamless attacking experience as you string together your combos and skills in general. Macros cannot use this skill queuing. And I don't just mean the list of skills you want to put into your macro, I mean the macro itself. You cannot be in the middle of a GCD or even an oGCD animation or else the macro will simply fail to execute. The worst is when people put text in their macros "Raising x" or "Provoking the mob" or something and you just see them say it like 5 times because their macro won't go off as they want it to.

Back when ARR launched (or perhaps it was during a beta) one of the developers addressed this by saying they want players to actually play the game and press their buttons. They don't want a game where you press one button and you'll just flawlessly perform the proper skill rotation for 30 seconds. As such they ensured that while you CAN use battle skills with macros, you probably shouldn't.


FFXIV has a lot going on to it, and simply learning the control scheme seems to come quick to some, and slower to others. Usually depends on what kinda other games the player is used to, I feel like.
If you keep at it, you'll get the hang of it. It looks like you're pretty early on too? Says lancer level 15, so as you learn more skills while leveling up, you'll probably get a better taste3 for how the flow works in targeting, attacking, switching targets, etc. The lower levels can almost be kind of a bore by later level standards! Please look forward to it.

[triadne]

so if i understand correctly, just having the macro for making true thrust act as my autoattack opener, then it won't be an issue? i am pressing the button with my own timings, i can see my gcd by looking at my other moves. i don't tend to queue my skills ahead of time anyhow. plus i'm not looking for ultra efficiency, just playing for myself. as i get used to altering targeting, i may find the need to remove the macro as it does tend to pick the closest enemy and i don't always want that.

it just solves the major issue i had when joining a fight with lots of friendly NPC's. i almost quit due to that, because i literally couldn't target the enemy i wanted. the game kept targetting the npc.

[ReiMakoto]

You can set up targetting filters in your character menu so you will only ever target enemies when your weapon is drawn.



Keep in mind if you then need to interact with an item you'll need to put your weapon away first.

Alternatively just hold LB and press up or down on the DPAD to target up and down the enemy list

[Frizze]

I could be mistaken, but i think your macro is longer then it needs to be. I am under the impression that using one of your weaponskills on an enemy also turns on auto-attack. So just a target and True Thrust would have the same effect(and as a shorter macro, less prone to failing to work).

[BloodRubyXII]

Macros are not very good in this game and you'll feel it later on if you lean too heavily on them.

Also, consider cone-camera targetting.

[Iscah]

I my macro does the following.

target enemy
autoattack
truethrust

I honestly think it is bizarre that I had to do that.

That's because you don't have to do that.

Pressing L1 while holding R2 will always shift your target to an enemy.

Then using True Thrust on that enemy will mean you also start autoattacking.

There's no need for the macro OR the autoattack button. Plus there's a risk that True Thrust won't trigger properly when you use it via the macro.

Additionally, once you get up to a high level you get a trait that causes the True Thrust button to change to a stronger skill in particular circumstances, and the macro could mess with that.

If you don't want to let it go, put it on a back hotbar as an emergency button, and remove the autoattack command line. Use the un-macroed True Thrust skill on your main hotbar.

[Payadopa]

To be fair, I'm glad macros don't work the way they did in XI. Gear swapping was a nightmare mid battle. Hmm. But then again, XIV doesn't have interesting gear. :|

[triadne]

well I stopped using the macro anyway. it was a gateway that helped me learn how to target better.

p.s. any idea why I can't start a new topic in general discussion?

[Maple_Latte]

For everyone saying "why would you need it to auto target something?"

Switch to a melee job, and actually try the macro you're all hating on:

/targetenemy
/ac (melee attack)

Now run around in a group of low level enemies pressing this macro and notice how much more fun and natural this feels compared to awkwardly cycling through targets. It's just to demonstrate how much better it would be if there was a checkbox option like "If I don't have a target when trying to cast a spell, just target the nearest enemy for me, thanks".

Don't you hate when you're AoE spell casting on a group of enemies but the one you're targeting dies so you have to awkwardly cycle through tab or try to click one of them to keep casting? It feels bad and ruins the flow of combat. It's AoE, it doesn't matter which mob I'm targeting just let me choose something to keep bursting!

[Enkidoh]

well I stopped using the macro anyway. it was a gateway that helped me learn how to target better.

p.s. any idea why I can't start a new topic in general discussion?

That's because your in-game level isn't high enough - your in-game level decides how restricted the forum is to you (level 50 and above have the least amount of restrictions). SE implemented it back when ARR launched to avoid the spamming and nonsense that the Beta test forum suffered from, especially in General Chat. This old thread lists the posting restrictions on the forum and the relevant in-game level needed to overcome them.

According to that thread, you need to be level 25 or above to create a new thread in a section other than New Player Help or the technical support/bug reporting sections (like General Chat). So keep at it adventurer, you'll soon reach it!