Is it a DPS loss to use macros?

[Alistaire]

The short answer is: Yes.
And the long answer doesn't matter, but its still Yes.

There is 1 exception, /ac "Flaming Arrow" <t> (and other ground targets, shadow flare, salted earth etc)

Such a godsend this patch.

Make your macro:

/micon "flaming arrow"
/ac "flaming arrow" <t>
/ac "flaming arrow"

That way if you aren't targetting anything or your target is too far away your normal ground target placement will appear.

[TheMax1087]

GCD weaponskills and spells are always a dps loss due to ability queuing. Off-gcd abilities technically can be used in macros since they can be used even without queuing without eating into the gcd, but the practical uses for that are pretty specific(I mostly use them for skill replacement macros).

[Alahra]

GCD weaponskills and spells are always a dps loss due to ability queuing. Off-gcd abilities technically can be used in macros since they can be even without queuing without eating into the gcd, but the practical uses for that are pretty specific(I mostly use them for skill replacement macros).

Even those can be tricky, in my experience, because of latency. oGCDs occasionally won't fire when used in macros, which can occasionally result in lost DPS as well.

[CGMidlander]

Even those can be tricky, in my experience, because of latency. oGCDs occasionally won't fire when used in macros, which can occasionally result in lost DPS as well.

I concur. My provoke macro has failed to provoke more than a handful of times. >_<

[Clarkamite]

Why would you still have a macro to cast all your dots on a SMN when SE literally just handed you a skill that is one button press and it puts all three on?

[Caduceus]

Because of the cooldown on tridisaster. even with contaigon you still have to redot before tri is off cd

[Neophyte]

Because of the cooldown on tridisaster. even with contaigon you still have to redot before tri is off cd

There are 4 "DoT-Sequences" on SMN, when you start with an 2p1f-opener .

(Most Off-GCDs not included)
I. Opener: Bio2 -> Miasma -> Bio (-> Swiftcast+Shadowflare)
II. First refresh: Tridisaster+Contagion in DWT + Shadowflare after DWT
III. Second refresh: Bio->Ruin/Ruin3->Miasma->Ruin/Ruin3->Bio2
IV. Third refresh: Bio-> (Swiftcast+Shadowflare + 2-3 GCDs, mostly 2-3xRuin1/2/3) -> Tridisaster+Contagion in DWT (when Miasma runs out) -> + Shadowflare after DWT & 1-2GCD

Repeat steps III. and IV.


The macro shown above just covers the first sequence, which you should optimally use just once a fight.
They may vary from fight to fight, but Bio2->Miasma->Bio is really, really not used that often.

[Mikoko_Miko]

As a SCH I tried the following macro. Its pseudo-queueing window is about 0.5sec on my PS3(30fps). I believe it does not cause a DPS loss because it saves ground targeting time.
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/ac "Shadow Flare" <t>
/micon "Shadow Flare"

I wonder whether similar macros for non-ground-targeted spells cause a DPS loss. I read that it is a DPS loss to use macros because macros don't queue. But there are situations that I can't cast spells in spite of GCD. For example when I move, MP is insufficient, I get debuff, target is out of range, target is out of sight and so on. Under these circumstances raw actions don't queue, while macros pseudo-queue. Paradoxically is it a DPS gain to use macros?

[Ossom]

You can actually Queue oGCDs, if you press an oGCD more than half way through your casts, it will go off immediately after the casts finishes. The reason classes can still macro oGCDs is because even then if you're say a brd, mch, or a healer, then you can only get one skill off before your gcd is back up anyways unless you have a proc/swiftcasts. So its fine if the oGCD doesn't go off immediately as long as it doesn't clip the next GCD, which most 1 skill oGCD macros won't do.

[AniCelestine]

You can actually Queue oGCDs, if you press an oGCD more than half way through your casts, it will go off immediately after the casts finishes.

This. The amount of times I've started spamming my aetherflow on sch the moment I started casting my heal, halfway through cast I realise I still have 1 stack left. Proceed to spam ED. I get a full stack of aetherflow and no ED went off, cause my ED used to be macroed.

Also like said on page 2, use macros outside of ffxiv to activate 2 buttons with 1 press if you don't want to keep track of BL/ME works alot better. Though I'm not sure what's SE's stand on this. I've heard some games don't look nicely at you if you do it. So I'd research on this before doing it (personally never needed to use, but I've heard it works like a charm and it makes sense really, since game thinks youre pressing the buttons and not activating the skill via chat log.)