Macros

[Nezpakish]

Macros take away the skill involved in Rift. Imo, they should be limited to one skill and text. Trion has stated that they do not want addons that play the game, is it because they already have macros for that? Classes that can be played successfully by spamming 1 button involve very little skill. Make rotation a key factor in dpsing. Just my opinion, but i think Macros make Rift way too simple.

[Dourgen]

I agree. 1 ability, text/ emote, GCD.

[Delphya]

First off... considering that Trion last reported they were working on the API for add-ons so it seems unlikely that they do not want them.

Second, macros do not play the game for you, you still have to press the button and you still have to know what button to press.

The only role that uses the "1 button" macro is DPS, you cannot tank with it and you certainly cannot heal with it.

Sometimes a macro will use a skill and put in on CD so that when you need the skill you don't h ave it available (like a interrupt or knockback) then you lose out. A smart player only places like skills of the same function with different CD's and requirements under a macro so that the function can execute, but other functions are held in reserve to complement the macro. Sometimes it is wise to create a macro with only 2 skills that do the same thing but with different CD's; this is where the macro system shines.

There is no creating a macro to play the game for you, there is creating macros to consolidate skills of a like function (like damage, interrupts, shields, instant heals, aoe heals, etc...) to make it easier to manage the function.

[Morvick]

I'd like to also point out that a great deal of thought goes into constructing useful Macros that do not waste your time -- as much thought as setting up your Actionbars and in choosing which spells to cast for which situation.

They streamline gameplay, they do not simplify it -- in a way it takes more thought to play with macros because you need to set them up beforehand. If you've got your rotation down to a science anyway (like most do in short order), why not make more room in your bars for potions, Rift Items (like Raging Flames), or communication macros?

They're useful and allow me to retain situation awareness more often in combat. I do not see them as a crutch.

And I'll agree with Delphya's comment about tanking and healing (both of which I do on my Cleric)... if you try to 1-button or even majority-macro those, you will fail. I've yet to see a successful macro of the Warden soul, with its many instant-cast / 0sec cooldown spells.
Keep in mind, stacking spells in a Macro is mostly dependent on playing with the placement of spells that have cooldowns. No cooldowns = only 1 spell is ever cast anyway. Waste of macro, fail during combat. When I tank or heal, more than half of the time I spend clicking.

[Nezpakish]

First off, i should have worded my suggestion better. I was mainly talking about macros for dps.

Second off, they are not a crutch at all, which is why i believe that they simplify dps too much. Our top cleric dps has one macro that she just spams, every 2h dps warrior has 1-3 macros that they just spam. Not sure if rogues have any macros.

And it takes more work create a macro than it does to keep a rotation up along with all boss mechanics??? Please explain more.

Yes, macros can shine when using like skills with different CD's, but i still think it would be best to not have them.

[ultrviolet]

Macros can only eliminate some drudgery and make you "average." If you want to be "great" or even remotely flexible, you have to lose most of them.. and practice a lot. IMO, of course. (I think the problem you're trying to get at is more that "average" is good enough to accomplish most things in this game, which is a different issue.)