Coming Soon on Test Server: New Macro System

[Rothgar]

As soon as the GU33 changes are rolled out to test you'll find that the macro system has received a pretty big overhaul.  This will definitely require updates to custom UI's so I want to give a little preview of the new system and what you can expect to see on Test. Highlights: The new macro interface is very visual and allows you to drag and drop spells, combat arts and equipment into the window. Any icon can be dragged into the macro window and assigned as the macro icon. Macros can be created as easily as right-clicking a spell in your hotbar and choosing "Create Macro" Macro icons in your toolbar will display the reuse timer and tinting of the first spell in the macro. Here are some of the specifics you can do with the types of steps (commands) you can add to a macro. Command Step: This macro step will execute any command line statement you enter into the text box. Spell Step: Dragging any spell or combat art into the window will create a Spell Step that will cast the spell.  If the spell is beneficial and can be cast on a group member, there will be a text box for you to enter a player's name.  If you leave the target blank, it will be cast on whoever you currently have targeted. The spell system still only allows one spell to be queued at a time, so adding more than 2 spells to a macro will work similar to the old system. Use Item Step: If you drag an item into the window that can be used from your inventory, it will create a Use Item Step. This can be used for macroing items like totems, potions, poisons, etc. Equip Item Step: If you drag an equippable item into the macro window, it will create an Equip Item Step. For items that can be equipped into multiple slots, a drop-down box listing all of the slots will be shown. You will be able to specify exactly the slot you want to equip the item, such as "Left Wrist" or "Right Wrist". Macro's have been extended to allow 10 steps so you can equip up to 10 items in a single macro. Macro Icon: You can now drag an icon from your knowledge window, inventory, etc., to be used as the macro icon. Reuse Timer / Tinting: The macro will display all tinting effects, reuse timer and "ready glint" from the first spell/combat art in the macro. A convenient way to add spells to a macro is to drag them from one of your hotbars.  You can now hold the shift or control button to copy an icon from your hotbar instead of removing it. Please post any questions or feedback here.

[Spyderbite]

*applauds excitedly*

[daboa]

I do not know if this is possible with EQ2 but i would really like you to bring back the timing macro from EQ1.  Example: you can have it say something then wait 5sec /assist, then wait 5sec and cast dispatch.  Seeing as due to lag many times the macro's do not work properly, for example i have hideaway(stealth and lower agro) and skewer(attack from stealth). in the same macro well most of the time when i push it, it just casts hide away, it never uses skewer.  If i could put a timing in between there it be sweeeeet.

Anyways just an idea, great adjustment to the macro system though

[Kradun]

wow... this sounds amazing.

[Agaxiq]

Awesome.  Gotta read it a few times to digest! agressiv

[Snarks]

Can you implement the out of range washout that happens with normal spells, based on the first spell in the macro?

[Deathbane27_aka_Mook]

Awesome, just awesome. 

[Lleinen]

daboa wrote:

I do not know if this is possible with EQ2 but i would really like you to bring back the timing macro from EQ1.  Example: you can have it say something then wait 5sec /assist, then wait 5sec and cast dispatch.  Seeing as due to lag many times the macro's do not work properly, for example i have hideaway(stealth and lower agro) and skewer(attack from stealth). in the same macro well most of the time when i push it, it just casts hide away, it never uses skewer.  If i could put a timing in between there it be sweeeeet.

Anyways just an idea, great adjustment to the macro system though

Im gunna have to ttotally agree.  I dunno why this wasnt actually taken from EQ1 into EQ2 to be honest...we should be able to time our macro's to do certain commands in a certain amount of time, i heartily agree with daboa.

[Ultimega2]

So this means the game has no reason to tell me it cannot find a spell I listed in the macro commands I had made for my guardian?

[Niarius]

While I'm a little bit disappointed about no "Wait" command being added, I'm pretty excited about the recast showing and being able to add equip commands to macros!  Harvesting tool macros, here I come! Just a quick question though, will we be able to queue up macros like we can do spells, or will macros stay the same as they are now?

[Ultimega2]

And will there be a way to UNequip armor in this new set up?

[Sector11]

We already can unequip armor - there's a slash command to do it. Unequipping items would go into a command step in the new system. The command is /uneq[uip] <> /unequip     head                    cloak                    chest                    shoulders                    forearms                    hands                    waist                    legs                    feet                    neck                    left_ring                    right_ring                    left_wrist                    right_wrist                    primary                    secondary                    ranged There's also /uneq ears, but that only unequips one earring slot.... I don't know if a second command was added when they gave us the other ear. I'm also not sure what the slot names are to unequip the charm slots. It's also possible that these commands won't be needed, and that the Equip Item steps will automatically unequip the target slot before attempting to equip the new item. Perhaps Rogthar can enlighten us about this?

[Ultimega2]

Thanks Zobek, forgot he mentioned the command step was staying. And I would imagine the equip step would equip over the pre-equipped items.

[Deathbane27_aka_Mook]

The other slot names are: ears2, activate1, activate2, food, drink http://www.eq2interface.com/forums/...read.php?t=6746  It's also possible that these commands won't be needed, and that the Equip Item steps will automatically unequip the target slot before attempting to equip the new item. Perhaps Rogthar can enlighten us about this? Any other way would just be silly.  I think he was referring to just stripping your armor off quickly.

[Ultimega2]

Yea, I was talking about stripping fast. Again, forgot command step was staying.

[Zenith]

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!

[Rothgar]

Equipping a new piece of armor will unequip whatever item is already there.  But you can use the /unequip command if you really wanted to make a macro to remove armor. Pauses and delays are intentionally left out of the macro system because they open the game up to way too much automation.  The same goes for macros triggering other macros.

[Fippe]

Will it be possible to activate an item with the new system, i.e for the claymore healer shoulders to: /equip them /trigger the 5% power buff /replace them

[Deathbane27_aka_Mook]

Pharli@Runnyeye wrote:

Will it be possible to activate an item with the new system, i.e for the claymore healer shoulders to: /equip them /trigger the 5% power buff /replace them

Yup, just use the use_equipped_item command.  (For shoulders the slot number is 4.)

[madha]

Very nice.. I use a macro for H.O. 's with spells on similar timers would this still work?

[DrkVsr]

Alkanos@Butcherblock wrote:

While I'm a little bit disappointed about no "Wait" command being added, I'm pretty excited about the recast showing and being able to add equip commands to macros!  Harvesting tool macros, here I come! Just a quick question though, will we be able to queue up macros like we can do spells, or will macros stay the same as they are now?

Hmmm, somehow ah don't see them allowing that, otherwise you could end up casting 1 spell with 3 in the queue, and that would be as bad imo as allowing macros to link to other macros, but adding a 'wait/pause' command is something players have been clamoring after for a long time

[Foolsfolly]

Oh my god, this is terrible!!! Now we're going to see chat windows full of: "scout1 says, 'Now using backstab02!' priest2 says, 'Now healing the tank, look out!' scout1 says, 'Now using frontal attack!' tank1 says, 'Now taunting my target!' scout2 says, 'Now using debuff03!' tank1 says, 'Now bashing my target with my shield!' scout1 says, 'Now using backstab05!' In short, the spam will be unbearable. I predict my ignore list will be quadrupling in the first week alone =(

[Zendi_Perma]

Foolsfolly wrote:

Oh my god, this is terrible!!! Now we're going to see chat windows full of: "scout1 says, 'Now using backstab02!' priest2 says, 'Now healing the tank, look out!' scout1 says, 'Now using frontal attack!' tank1 says, 'Now taunting my target!' scout2 says, 'Now using debuff03!' tank1 says, 'Now bashing my target with my shield!' scout1 says, 'Now using backstab05!' In short, the spam will be unbearable. I predict my ignore list will be quadrupling in the first week alone =

You can do this with the current system, how will that change?

[ZUES]

I love the idea and this sounds peachy, however, BOTers just got an easier way to set up their bot groups, bot farmers and bot tradeskillers.

I hate that because I know it's hard to cater to everyone, but someone will always find an exploit and ruin it for the rest of us. : (

[Effidian]

This is really nice.  I've wanted to be able to use spell icons for macros for a long time.  Thanks! Would it be possible to add the ability to *only* print a line of text if the spell/item casts successfully?  So for example, I only want my "str hex landed" (or whatever) message to be printed if the hex doll actually lands. Actually something like the following would be useful if possible: /# Casting Strength hex doll If hex doll hits   /# Strength doll landed else   /# Strength doll failed Also, while the new ability to move chat channels is great, it would be nice to be able to use a chat channel name in the macro instead of the number.  This way you could set up something like: /raiddebuffchannel My raid debuff message And not worry about the number changing. Looking forward to GU33...

[ArivenGemini]

Rothgar wrote:

As soon as the GU33 changes are rolled out to test you'll find that the macro system has received a pretty big overhaul.  This will definitely require updates to custom UI's so I want to give a little preview of the new system and what you can expect to see on Test. Please post any questions or feedback here.

Currently one of the uses I have for macros is when I have to recast my pets and pet buffs on my necro...  but because the : character messes things up, I keep losing part of the macro that deals with the pet stance (since they have a : in their name)... hopefully this new system will fix that... Another thing I would like back is the capacity to colorize text, even if it is just group/raid chat.. its not a biggie, but it does help to highlight important text (as long as everyone doesnt do it)..  even if its just "pick a color for this text" that doesnt let us change it as dynamically as before..

[Catsy]

The ability to use the actual icons from any of my spells or items as the macro icons ALONE is worth the price of admission. I'd been ready to hack my own icons in. This update is made of Awesomeness and Win.

[Maranatha]

I would like to see things like a /wait x added.  Also, it would be nice to have a /comment type command, that would allow us to send specific, flagged text to the log file (as opposed to /say and such). As for these and other improvements making botting easier...nope.  Anyone that wants to set up a bot would have nothing to do with the macro scripting that is provided in-game.  There are other programs out that (in complete violation of the EULA) make botting a simple thing to do.  Real macro programs, that can do mouse movements, keyboard buffer fills, screen sniffing, etc. Please, don't limit the macro abilities that we as legitimate users have access to because of botting.  It really is an apples and oranges situation.

[MugnMo]

Maranatha wrote:

Also, it would be nice to have a /comment type command, that would allow us to send specific, flagged text to the log file (as opposed to /say and such).

Basically, you can already do this.  Just create a chat channel that noone else is in.  /join PrivateChannelForMaranatha would create one for example.  I use to to post parses in when I know the group doesn't care

[Anaun]

These changes sound great!

Any chance we can get a few more macro variables, like indirect target, last target, class of target (if a player), etc. ?