Macro Length Limitation, why?

[Niwashi]

Macros, HUD settings, hotbars, gear sets, and a few other things are all stored locally, on your computer or console. This isn't an issue for computers, but Sony places a limit on the overall size of a save file for PS3 or PS4, and SE is trying to fit nearly all of that data into a single file. Limiting the number of lines is a simpler way of defining the rule whose real purpose is to limit the total size in bytes. They could likely allow more lines per macro if they allowed fewer total macros, for instance, but that would just annoy a different subset of players.

Now personally, even though it was Sony who set the maximum size of a save game file, I think it was SE that got themselves into this problem. For one thing, they decided to store so much on the local client rather than on the servers, and then, they decided to make it all fit into just one save file per character for all the character specific stuff (which is where most of the data is, macros, HUD, hotbars, gear sets, TT decks, etc).

Although Sony limits the size of an individual save file, they clearly don't limit the number of save files a game can use. This game already has one for system-wide settings and then another for each of your characters for character specific settings, and a lot of single player games let the player add additional save files whenever they want. (I have some games with dozens of save files.) It looks as though SE could just as well have broken out the character save file into one save file just for macros, another for HUD settings, etc. That would have given them a lot more space to work with. Had they done that, we could likely have had a lot more macro space. (It might also have made some other often requested features, like saving multiple HUD layouts, more feasible.)