Macros advice

[Soln]

Folks, can I get some advice on macros.

1. How useful are they for WoW?  really
2. Can they chain? i.e can I call one macro from an other?
3. Is there a timer command?  (pretty sure there is not)
4. Is there a loop function?  (pretty sure there is not)
5. general advice plx


I have to be consider myself still junior on WoW having just come back recently, but I really got to know macros from other games really well.  I'm not looking to sploit, but rather I'm thinking about PvP (bg and arena) and PvE.  I'm inspired to ask after having watched this today (77 hunter solos Onyxia): http://www.warcraftmovies.com/movieview.php?id=85597.  Thanks.

[Fordel]

This is one of the few times where the Official WoW Forums will have all the information you would want/need. Of course they are currently down for maintenance at this very moment, but the UI and Macro Sub Forum specifically will have a large amount of useful information. The usual WoW forum goer doesn't venture into that Sub Forum and the regulars there are all pretty crazy (in the 'good' way). 

The Class specific forums usually have a few class specific general use macros as well, for common things.

[cevik]

Folks, can I get some advice on macros.

1. How useful are they for WoW?  really
2. Can they chain? i.e can I call one macro from an other?
3. Is there a timer command?  (pretty sure there is not)
4. Is there a loop function?  (pretty sure there is not)
5. general advice plx

1.  Extremely useful.  Do you click or do you use keys only?  If you are a clicker then I think they will be even more useful, I'm a keypress player so it takes away some of the functionality.
2.  No.  At least not that I'm aware of.
3.  No.  At least not that I'm aware of.
4.  Yes. Loops have limitations though, I don't think they can cast spells for instance.
5.  Here is a good link:  http://www.wowwiki.com/HOWTO:_Make_a_Macro

Depending on the class you play there are usually a ton of premade macros floating around you can use as a starting point, for instance, here is the warlock page:  http://www.wowwiki.com/Useful_macros/Warlock

[Merusk]

No loops, No Timers, no calling macros from other macros and no multiple casts in a macro.

The closest to the last you can get is a /cast <abc> /cast <def> macro or a /castsequence macro that will do things in a specific order if you spam the key/ button for it.  This is how raiders with fixed sequences (like hunters) usually DPS.

As to how effective they are.. well they cut down on a lot of tedium without making things automated.  Which is how macros should be, imo.   Pally macros; for example. Do things like make pally taunt work like warrior taunt (no need to target the person under attack, keep the mob you want to taunt targeted.) recast seals after you judge them and heal the target of your target.  (The last is most useful for certain PvE encounters and pvp healing while maintaining a dps target. (Hay boomkin!))

  There's lists of the best ones for each class over on Wowwiki, but I don't know how up to date they all are. 

ed: I didn't know about the "Click" / command.  So yes, you can call other macros from within macros but you have to know their button position.

[cevik]

No loops, No Timers, no calling macros from other macros and no multiple casts in a macro.

You can loop from a script by doing a:

/run for i=1, 10 do ..insert whatever here.. end

Though you are severely limited by what can happen in the /run statement.

[Ratman_tf]

Do things like make pally taunt work like warrior taunt (no need to target the person under attack, keep the mob you want to taunt targeted.)

This got subsumed by the regular game. (Pally taunt works on mosters if they're aggro on someone else.)

[/nitpick]

[Merusk]

Really? I missed that change and haven't played my pally in a few months. Hrm.

[Soln]

thanks guys excellent feedback. 

does the /run command actually execute just the macro?  If so, is there an equivalent /dump command (end macro)?

[slog]

You just select an icon for it and hotkey it

http://www.wowwiki.com/Macro

That link has everything you need.

[cevik]

does the /run command actually execute just the macro? 

/run lets you run lua script in a macro.  I'm not quite sure I followed your question so I hope that answers it! :)

[ajax34i]

I don't know what you mean by "timers", but some addons do have command line options that can put a countdown bar on your screen.  For example, as a druid, I used Deadly Boss Mods; you make a macro that says:

/dbm timer 7 %target
/cast lifebloom

and you get a stack of bars counting down lifeblooms, one bar for each player you have it running on.  Makes it easier to keep a rotation going on 3 people.

Otherwise, I pretty much only used macros to reduce the number of keys I had to bind.  You can't do loops or triggered events, but you CAN put modifiers in a command, so that you press a key and if you're in the air it casts flightform, if you're underwater it casts swim form, if you're not in combat (and on the ground) it loads up your horse, and if you're in combat it casts catform.  One keypress.

I think that's what macros are used for, situational responses.  Oh yeah, and "roleplaying" (typing out a long ass greeting full of thees and thous, without typing it).

[lamaros]

You can use timers for certain communcation. Not sure what it's limited to off the top of my head. And I can't remember the command... it's like.. '/in 30 /w I sent this in the past!' or someshit.

[Soln]

timers would be useful because instead of having to guess when a spell ends, you could put in the known timer and then have another macro called to fire off the next spell etc. 

[Calantus]

Okay now that we've taken a look at mechanics lets look at what macros you would want. I'll just go over PVP ones because it's all I know these days.

The main uses of macros in PVP are to cast spells on your focus, make mouseover spells, cast spells on specific party members, or to do spell combinations. Focus macros are important because it allows you to cast things like CCs and interrupts on people without having to target them. It makes for faster casting these spells and also makes it so they don't get a headsup from you targetting them. they're simple to make, you just go "/cast [target=focus] Polymorph" for a macro that will cast polymorph on your focus. Mouseover is to cast a spell on what your mouse pointer hovers over instead of your target. These are more about preference, personally I hate mouseover macros because they tend to be a little unreliable when you and they are moving, but some people swear by them. Casting spells on specific party members is useful for things like dispel magic or remove curse, and is like focus macros in that it's to speed up the process. These are actually quite amazing if you have a magic dispell as those going off quickly is very clutch. You can either target them to the player "/cast [target=Playersname] Dispel Magic" to dispel a character called "Playersname", or by their position in the party "/cast [target=party1] Dispel Magic" to dispel the character in the first party position (the portrait just below your own). The spell combinations are usually used for things like NS->HT where you trigger a spell that makes your next spell instant then cast a heal or damage spell, or trigger a trinket and power boosting ability and a damage spell. These are "/cast Nature's Swiftness /cast Healing Touch".

There's other tricky things you can do like "/cast !Travel Form" which always casts travel form instead of switching between travel form and caster form depending which one you're in, very useful for breaking snares while running around.

My warlock uses a number of macros: Devour Magic on self, Devour Magic on pet, Devour Magic on party1 (he only does 2v2), Fel Domination+Felhunter, Fel Domination+Voidwalker, use Spellstone and equip wand, and Spell Lock, Devour Magic, Curse of Tongues, Curse of Exaustion, Fear, and Death Coil all have focus macros. The difference the macros make in speed and attention is huge.

[Ratman_tf]

Really? I missed that change and haven't played my pally in a few months. Hrm.

Yep. I couldn't tell you which patch it was, but I've been Pally tanking 5 mans and that's how it's worked.

[Fordel]

About two patches ago or so. I suppose the fact 98% of Protection Paladins had the macro tipped them off to how stupid the original mechanic was.


The other 2% couldn't figure out how to /macro and paste the text properly.

[cevik]

The other 2% couldn't figure out how to /macro and paste the text properly.

And at one point or another, every single one of those 2% ended up tanking a group for me.. :(