Hello all.
I'm writing this guide to help you in creating those useful things that macros are.
Some of you could even have no idea of what macros are, so we'll start from the beginning.
Open your menu panel(press esc).
Now open macro panel(notice that we have general and character's specific macros, in two different tabs).
Press new.
Now choose a icon you like.
Press ok.
If we choose the question mark(the first icon)the button we'r gonna create will show us which spell will be casted when we press it, but we'll see this later.
Let's start with something classic:
1) Hello WorldOfWarcraft!
We'll learn how to yell that short sentence.
Write in the box at the bottom of the panel the following instruction:
/y Hello WorldOfWarcraft!
Now drag the icon of the macro into one of your bars.
Click on it...and that's all.
We could also make a macro to make our character make any emoticon; just create a new macro and type:
/dance
/yawn
/bored
/sleep
or similars.
If we typed this:
/yawn
/sleep
in the same macro, our char would yawn and lay down at tha same time.
For spells and ablities it's very similar: we have to add the command /cast.
2) Cast a spell or ability
Create a new macro and choose the question mark as icon.
I suggest to choose that, usually, so we'll be always able to see the cooldown of the spells that we link to this macro.
Write in the body this instruction:
/cast
Now open the spells and abilities panel and shift click the spell you wanna link to the macro.
We'll see the spell's name appear near the instruction /cast, complete of it's rank.
Drag the icon of the macro into one of your bars.
In this way the macro will be always linked to the spell or ability we have choosen and of the rank we have choosen.
To make the rank grow up as we learn higher ones from the trainer, simply remove the rank of the spell from the macro.
Now we'll see something more interesting, don't worry.
You'll be probably thinking that I didn't talk about yawning and sleeping at the same time only because I like roleplaing, and you are right.
Unfortunatly, due to the global cooldown, it's not possible to cast multiple spells at the same time, but there are some little triks that can be found out.
3) More actions at one time
This is very important for classes that have abilities that work "on the next meele attack"(if you have some, you understand of what I'm talking about).
Create a new macro like this:
/cast #ability that works "on the next meele attack"#
/cast #instant attack#
Choose carefully the instant spell, we might want it with a very low cost in mana(rage or energy) or with a particolar effect.
In this way the two abilities will be casted at the same time.
If your class doesn't use such abilities, you can use this kind of macros to allert people that you are going to cast a particular spell or other funny sentences:
/cast #choose spell#
/Gimme time, mon, gimme time...it will be casted
So you'll say this sentence while casting.
4) Castsequencing
We can also link more than one spell to a macro in a different way: using the commad /castsequence
Use this carefully, because we won't be able to use the second or third(and so on) spell, before using the first ones.
Create a macro in the usual way and choose the question mark as icon.
In the body write this:
/castsequence #spell 1#, #spell2#, ..., #spelln#
It is very important that we write exactly, or it won't work.
Now move the icon to one of the bars and start clicking in it, so you'll see how it works.
Conditionals
We can set some conditionals to the macro.
All conditionals are innested between commands and spells, in this way:
/cast [conditional] #spells...#
5) Reset
For example we can make the castsequence restart every time we have a new target
/castsequence [reset=target] #spells...#
(yes also the square brakets)
or every ten seconds
/castsequence [reset=10] #spells...#
(we can change the number of seconds as we like: two minutes are 120 seconds)
6)Target
a_ /target
If we want to target Snowflake, for example(sorry Snowflake, I couldn't resist, your nick is too beatifull):
/target Snowflake
Then u can add the other part of the macro:
/target Snowflake
/w What a beatifull nick!!!
b_ conditional
Target can also be a conditional.
For example:
/cast [target=Snowflake] #spell#
will cast the spell only if Snowflake is our actual target
or:
[target=heal] will cast if target is friend
[target=combat] will cast if the target is hostile
[target=nocombat] will cast if the target is not hostile(neutral or friend)
c_ target commands
/assist ---> targets our target's target
/cleartarget ---> leaves us without target
/targetenemy, /targetfriend ---> does what it sais
/targetparty, /targetraid ---> targets our party/raid members one after the other.
/targetlasttarget ---> does what it sais
We can always add "target" at the end of the object we are gonna target, to get it's target.
For example:
/target Snowflake ---> will target Snowflake
/target Snowflaketarget ---> will target Snowflake's target
7) Modifiers
It's better to explain with an example:
/cast [modifier:shift] #spell1#; [modifier:ctrl] #spell2#; [modifier:alt] #spell3#; #spell0#
this will cast spell1 if we are pressing shift when clicking on the macro button, #spell2# if we are pressing ctrl, #spell3# if we are pressing alt, #spell0# if we are not pressing any key.
Stances
Stances work exactly as Modifiers:
/cast [stance:1] #spell1#; [stance:2] #spell2#; ...; [stance:n] #spelln#; #spell0#
but insted of button pressed it keeps trak of the stance we are if we are a warrior, the form if we are a druid, and so on.
9) Trinkets and general items
Very easy:
/use #Item-Trinket#
It can be used toghether with oder commands, as usual:
/use #Item-Trinket#
/cast #spell#
10) Equip
Very easy, too:
/equip #Item#
but we need to talk a little about this.
We can change weapon in combat(only the weapon), but there will be the global cooldown, before we can cast anything but spells that work "on the next attack".
So we can choose to equip the best weapon with the best stats for the action we are gonna do.
We can have some problems in this, if the bonus stamina of the weapons is different. In fact, swiching from a weapon with more stamina, to a one with less, means losing health.
Same for intellect and mana.
It's all, for a while.
I'll test the macros I have for myself and I will soon add some here, but you'll better try some for yourself, as no macro is better than another, you only need to find yours.
opocaj
Enjoy Forms
/cast [modifier:shift] Cat Form; [modifier:alt, flyable] Fly Form; [modifier:alt] Travel Form; [modifier:ctrl] Aquatic Form; [stance:1] Cat Form; Bear Form
This macro allows you to have all forms on one button, now I explain:
I consider Bear Form(or Dire Bear Form)as the safest form, so it's the one you'll take when you press the button, from every form but Bear one. In fact if you are in Bear Form, you'll pass to Cat Form.
Then, using the modifiers, you can reach also the other forms: shift + button will always cast Cat Form, alt + button will always cast Travel Form(or Fly Form ifnyou are in Outland), ctrl + button will always cast Aquatic Form.
Every form's spells
My suggestion is to apply a stance modifier to many buttons, so you will be able to do, with the same key binding, the right action, depending in which form you are.
I use this for the attacks, while I keep unmacroed buffs and healings.
Buffs and healings will make you automatically switch to caster form.
The macros will all work like this:
/cast [stance:1] #bear's attacks#; [stance:3] #cat's attacks#; #caster's attacks#
stance:1 is Bear form(or Dire Bear Form)
stance:2 is Acquatic form
stance:3 is cat form
stance:4 is Travel form
stance:5 is Moonkin form or Tree of Life form
stance:6 is Fly form
you can also set some caster's spell for Travel form and Acquatic form, but usually Feral druids won't need that, as they'll always switch forms, before fighting.
It would be much easier to use TrinityBars (at the moment the version 2.0, updated fr patch 2.4).
That's the best action bars addon I've found and simply checking a box in the config menu of a bar you can make it respond to form changes, much faster than macros and easier to change.
Maul + Swipe
Actually you could make a macro like this:
/cast Maul
/cast Swipe
Maul works "on the next meele attack" and Swipe is a instant meele attack.
In this way you can be a bear that attacks as fast as a cat.
The problem is, of course, that this costs a lot of rage, so I suggest not to use a macro for this, but do it manually, when you have a lot of rage and few health.
Maul + instant
What said for the macro up here is true for all istant attacks: they all can be used with Maul
Don't break Maim
You will need this one.
/cast Maim
/stopattack
When you cast Maim, you won't stop attacking and this will break the imparing effect.
You don't want this!
This macro will make you cast Maim and immediatly stop attacking.
Wingclip + Raptor Strike
/cast Raptor Strike
/cast Wingclip
This macro will add damage to your Wingclip.
The idea is to equip a very slow and powerfull(that deals a lot of damage, but attackes very slowly)two-hand weapon, so, when enemy approaches, you can istantly cast a Raptor Strike that will also slow the target, beacuse of Wingclip, and take distance.
Care your Pet
/castsequence reset=14 [modifier:shift] Revive Pet; [target=pet, dead] Revive Pet; [nopet] Call Pet; Mend Pet, null
This macro is rather easy, if you followed my guide, just a little of everithing.
If pet is alive and active, you will cast Mend Pet, but only once every 14 seconds, as the duration of Mend Pet is 15 seconds and you don't want to waste mana =P.
If pet is alive, but not active, you will cast Call Pet.
If pet is dead and it's near to you and you can target it(usually this happens only in dungeons), you will cast Revive Pet.
If pet is dead and you can't target it, you can still press shift and macro button, to cast Revive Pet.
Becarefull, because if you press the macro button in the middle of the cooldown of the reset(14 seconds), the timer will start again from 0 and you won't be able to cast Mend Pet for 14 seconds since you last tried.
Tame da' Beast
/castsequence [reset=target] Aspect of the Monkey, Freezing Trap, Concussive Shot, Tame Beast
There are a little bit of conditions to keep in mind:
if you already have the Aspect of the Monkey, this will take it off;
you always have to target the beast you wanna tame, beacuse every time you change target, this macro will reset.
Pet's MarkThankyou Ahiru
/petattack
/cast Hunter's Mark
This will make your pet attack the target while u cast Hunter's Mark.
A little suggestion from a hunter: Hunter's Mark is very good in pve, but keep in mind that when you use it in battlegrounds you make enemies aware of your presence.