Macros

[Seraphor]

Other than just chat and targeting macros, I'm trying to streamline my XHB and there's just one too many skills.

Is there a good way to consolidate Unleash and Abyssal Drain into one macro?
I'd just stick to AB, but I don't want to have to change my set up every time I sync below 56.

[Hruodig]

It's something you don't want to do, you can't queue up macros in this game like you can do with regular non-macro'd weaponskills.

[Seraphor]

So your advice is to not bother with unleash ever under level 56?

I know you can't queue macros. I'd never macro a weapon skill.

[Valdegarde]

Most classes suffer greatly from macros, but Dark Knight is near the top due to the interaction between Dark Arts and so many of its skills. Abyssal Drain is almost always used with Dark Arts in a given setting, and you won't be able to use it as quickly as you need if it's in a macro.

Unleash, as much as I hate its reduced potency change, is still useful in some situations, especially if you proc Enhanced Unleash while pulling or need a larger head start more quickly than Abyssal Drain gives, or there's really awkward targeting so an untargeted Unleash is more important for grabbing everything. Perhaps one of your chat or targeting macros can go? You never really need more than the floating 1 if you're not going to need them all.

[kashi11]

Are you using the expanded XHOTbar? DRK is actually the one job I have free space on, and I have hard slash slotted twice. I'll post my setup on here.

Also Unleashed generates more enmity than abyssal drain for a lower MP cost, so while pulling it's better to used Unleashed until you have your mobs positioned.

[kashi11]

R2+4 = Hard slash
R2+3 = Spinning Slash
R2+1 = Power Slash
R2+2 = Unmend
R2+right = Reprisal
R2+down = Salted Earth
R2+left = Quietus
R2+up = Delirium
L2+4 = Plunge
L2+3 = Shadow Wall
L2+1 = role skill
L2+2 = The Blackest Night
L2+up = Provoke
L2+right = Rampart
L2+down = Unleash
L2+left = Blood Price
R2~R2+4= Hard Slash
R2~R2+3 = Syphon Strike
R2~R2+1 = Souleater
R2~R2+2 = Abyssal Drain
R2~R2+up = Dark Arts
R2~R2+right = Bloodspiller
R2~R2+down = Blood Weapon
R2~R2+left = Carve and Spit
L2~L2+4 = Grit
L2~L2+3 = Living Dead
L2~L2+1 = Sole Survivor
L2~L2+2 = Dark Passenger
L2~L2+left = Dark Mind
L2~L2+up = Shirk
L2~L2+right = blank
L2~L2+down = Darkside

[Seraphor]

Are you using the expanded XHOTbar? DRK is actually the one job I have free space on, and I have hard slash slotted twice. I'll post my setup on here.

Yes I use expanded, but I can't get used to WXHB.

So basically I have 32 slots available.
My expanded bars are stances, utility, transport and defence.
L-R is: Mount, Gysahl greens, Sprint, LB, Grit, Dark side, Convalesence and living dead.
R-L is: rampart, dark mind, shadow wall, anticipation(or awareness?), blood weapon, blood price, delirium and hi-elixer

That leaves my main bars for actual skills:
Right is: aggro combo and Unmend on symbols, DPS combo with DA and unleash/AB on d-pad.
Left is: cooldowns (SE, DP, C&S and plunge) on symbols, provoke and shirk with quietus and bloodspiller on d-pad.

Still missing room for sole survivor and TBN which will have to replace sonethibg on the expanded bars, provably elixer and anticipation.

[F_Maximillian]

You can put certain things on a macro, for me I put unleash on macro 99 then set it to R3 so I'll have it when I need it but it's something I rarely use. Plus in any situations I will need it they aren't urgent enough that it'll be much of a loss due to macro delays. You can also more or less leave sole survivor off your bar in its current state. You should have room for everything with just the 32 slots and macro l3/r3.

[kashi11]

If I were you I'd try and get used to WXB. It gives you so much more room. It also let's you see more of your skills CD timers, since using skills on cool down is important. I've seen some players alleviate the issue other ways by enabling the regular hotbars on their screen and placing skills on it to watch recast timers. Also, you can adjust which hotbars get cycled/are available when you have a weapon drawn vs sheathed. I used hotbar 2 for WXB and hotbar 3 I have misc things like limit break, potions/elixers, passage of arms and shield oath on paladin.
Basically when you press R1 it will only cycle through hptbar 1 and 3. Making them more easily accessible. I have all my menu commands in the expanded R2~L2 and L2~R2 hotbars on hotbar 8

Edit: just realized that I only use 32 slots with the WXB because I use the expanded bar for menu commands and sprint only. You can put your expanded bars to hotbar 2 and leave hotbar 8 which is the same for all classes as is. Then you would only have 31 things slotting everything.

[Seraphor]

Never thought about R3.
Mines still set to toggle first person mode so I never use it.
L3 is sheath weapon though and I use it all the time.