Combo Action Button

[Rongway]

I'm a relatively new player, but you are presenting a valid concern. Completely valid. I'm not very techi but I believe there are things like Macros in this game. I don't know how to use them at all, but that might be the solution. So, can anyone explain macros? Please explain like we are five.

I, myself, am concerned because I already have six hot bars running and all the skills are valuable. Thanks to anyone who replies.

Macros shouldn't be used for most combat for several reasons.

• They slow you down because they block the action queue system. Unmacroed actions can be pressed up to a second in advance, and will execute when the current action is finished. Macros must be activated after the current action finishes.
• They slow you down because waits can only be whole seconds. If you try to wait partial seconds, the system rounds to a whole number. If your GCD is 2.1s long, you have to use a <wait.3> to make a macro execute actions in sequence. This means you'll only take 70% as many actions as you could. This is a huge loss.
• If a sequence is interrupted, you need the next action somewhere on your bar anyway, since you can't start from the middle of a macro.

The exceptions are macros targeting secondary targets for buffs, heals, and raises, which allow you to do things like raise "whoever is dead" without specifically targeting them, or quickly manashifting a healer without changing targets; and macros for ground target AoEs, which will center them on the designated target and are faster than pressing the button, placing the cursor, then pressing the button again.


tl;dr: don't use macros for combat actions.

[Hercub]

Macros shouldn't be used for most combat for several reasons.

• They slow you down because they block the action queue system. Unmacroed actions can be pressed up to a second in advance, and will execute when the current action is finished. Macros must be activated after the current action finishes.
• They slow you down because waits can only be whole seconds. If you try to wait partial seconds, the system rounds to a whole number. If your GCD is 2.1s long, you have to use a <wait.3> to make a macro execute actions in sequence. This means you'll only take 70% as many actions as you could. This is a huge loss.
• If a sequence is interrupted, you need the next action somewhere on your bar anyway, since you can't start from the middle of a macro.

The exceptions are macros targeting secondary targets for buffs, heals, and raises, which allow you to do things like raise "whoever is dead" without specifically targeting them, or quickly manashifting a healer without changing targets; and macros for ground target AoEs, which will center them on the designated target and are faster than pressing the button, placing the cursor, then pressing the button again.


tl;dr: don't use macros for combat actions.

Perfect, macros are not for Combat but may be appropriate for Healers? I think this is really important for all of us that are just getting into things like WHM. I've only played DPS in this game, but I'm starting to explore Healer.

Can you or anyone else recommend links to sites explaining How Macros Work and How to Create them not just for Healers but for other appropriate situations. I'm starting as WHM, but I've always wanted to try Astrologian and I fear that particular Job cannot be done without Macros. This is for anyone who has ever been confused by the Astrologian class.

Thanks!