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PvP Macros?

Silent Singer

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
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Hey folks,

There's been a lot of Arena action lately it seems, and as a non-pvper I'm interested in learning more about it. The mountain of knowledge is quite imposing for a beginner. I understand macros are critical to being successful but I would love to hear input from you all on what macros are the most critical and how you set them up. Shiver once explained his macros and it made my brain melt. Is it possible to group PvP macros into tiers of "LEARN THESE FIRST" followed by like second and third tiers to build up towards?

I copied a post from Mervyn a while back, his advice (non-Siege PvP) was:

//BEGIN QUOTE//

Here is also a full macro listing requirement for a parry mage (not sure what client you're using but this is described as if you're using CC):

last target: wheel up
target self: wheel down

DEFENSIVE:
weaken (also aggressive)
mini heal
greater heal
cure
arch cure
eat apple
invis
recall
teleport
wall of stone
drink heal pot
drink cure pot
drink refresh pot
(drink dex)
(drink str) - can make into one macro with uoa
bless
protection
magic reflect
dispel field
use item type trapped box
heighten senses

AGGRESSIVE:
disarm (also drag the special out of the book so you can see when it's active)
shield bash
supernova pot
conflag pot
curse
magic arrow
fireball
harm
lightning
poison
mindblast
e-bolt
explode
flamestrike
paralise
mana vampire
meteor swarm or chain lightning
earthquake
summon deamon

energy field
para field (defensive)
poison field

General use:

last spell, so it makes it easier to just cast the spells below more than once, the last spell macro won't count the spells that are macrod,
last object
all names
dismount self
mount
bandage mount
mount ethereal
dismount and bola
select next mobile (uo macro)
use skill tracking
use skill hide
opendoor
dress
arm
arm alternate (high sdi book or dragon slayer)
disarm right hand

//END QUOTE//

What if the use of a scroll wheel is physically impossible? Are there alternate solutions that just use keypresses?

How do you all set up and manage your macros?

(Disclaimer: I'm in CC and I know macros are better in EC. I'd love to hear your input no matter the client)

Thanks all, maybe we can start building some knowledge here and get more folks interested in trying it out.
 

Max Blackoak

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
What if the use of a scroll wheel is physically impossible? Are there alternate solutions that just use keypresses?
of course, just put whatever you would have put on a mouse button or wheel on a key - done.

How do you all set up and manage your macros?
I try to keep them where I can easily reach them with my left hand, so usually it will be the F keys until F8, 1-9/0, q-t, a-f, y-c and then I have a couple of programable extra buttons to the left of my normal keys.
On top of that I make macros that use the above keys combined with Alt and Ctrl to have even more available.

I group them by their purpose:
all offensive spells or moves in a group, all defensive ones in another.
often times I have separate macros for cast spell-target self and cast spell - wait for cursor (e.g. 1 is close wounds - target self, Alt 1 is close wounds - wait for target)
on top of that I use my mousewheel just like Mervyn does (target self and last target)

You really have to find out what works for you and set the macros up that way. Then the next step is memorizing them. Simply play with that set up and you'll be able to quickly memorize the most important ones (heal, g-heal, cure, arch cure, dispel, your attack combos etc.).
To memorize all the ones you don't use that often outside of PvP like weaken or feeble mind you simply have to duel over and over and over. Over time you'll get better at blindly hitting the right keys. It just takes practice.
 

Silent Singer

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
So toying around with resting my arm brace in a comfortable spot, I can have my left hand on my keys such that the following are all easy to hit (hope the formatting stays when I post[EDIT: it didn't, just imagine the slashes as natural lifts or drops of fingers):


6 9 0
\ / /
T - Y U I O - P
/ \ \
G K L

And resting my thumb on the right-side Alt button would double those. So that would be 22 to start with and maybe build up from there.

Assuming most of my spells will be trying to keep alive, I would break them out as:

P Bless (TargetSelf)

O Heal (TargetSelf)
I Cure (TargetSelf)
U Greater Heal (TargetSelf)
Y Greater Cure (TargetSelf)

T Eat Apple

G Dispel Field


6 Invisibility (TargetSelf)

9 Ebolt
0 Explode (LastTarget)

K Paralyze
L Mind Rot

And using the thumb for "Alt", I could do:

Alt + P Curse

Alt +O Magic Arrow
Alt +I Lightning
Alt +U Mana Vampire
Alt +Y Summon Daemon

Alt +T Eat Orange Petal

Alt +G Mass Dispel


Alt +6 Trap box

Alt+7 Evil Omen
Alt +8 Corpse Skin
Alt +9 Fireball
Alt +0 Flamestrike

Alt +K Paralyze Field
Alt +L Blood Oath

And have my middle foot pedal be Last Target?

Does that seem workable as something to practice for a template running:

120 Magery
120 Eval
100 Anatomy
100 Necro
100 Spirit Speak
100 Resist Spells
80 Meditation

EDIT: updated to reflect necro / ss instead of inscription / parry
 
Last edited:

Bo Bo

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
see the key to bo's greatness is the keyboard! you need to get a keyboard with G keys on it. bo uses all the g keys for offensive and most of the f keys and first couple of numbers for defensive..
the real key (see what bo did there!!!!) is to make your macros similar to all the different builds you have. here is what bo means, not matter the character bo plays the pot keys are always the same keys f1 to f4.
healing no matter if bo is using bandage, spell, spirit it is always number 1 than move away with what makes sense. if you have mini heal 1, put gheal 2, cure 3, arch cure 4.
setting them up is very important also have the setup be comfy and organized.
 

Bo Bo

Lore Keeper
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Stratics Legend
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oh yeah your template, not bad but curse explo flame yourself with inscription and than take it off. is that 4 extra damage really worth 100 skill points? just something to think about.
killing someone with a straight mage is difficult in the field not so bad in arena they cant run.
 

Silent Singer

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
oh yeah your template, not bad but curse explo flame yourself with inscription and than take it off. is that 4 extra damage really worth 100 skill points? just something to think about.
killing someone with a straight mage is difficult in the field not so bad in arena they cant run.
Originally I had poisoning for that slot but haven't orange petals kinda negated that? Or is it still viable? Or would Necro be better than for corpse skin and evil omen?
 

Silent Singer

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Or maybe since they are changing Parrying, I could instead do:

120 Magery
120 Eval
100 Anatomy
100 Necro
100 Spirit Speak
100 Resist Spells
80 Meditation
 

Igg A Pie

Slightly Crazed
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
If your gonna run a necro mage temp for pvp:
120 Margery
120 EI
120 Resist
120 Spirit Speak
100 Anatomy
60 necro
80 med
This temp for use with a spellbook. You can make necro 105 to cast strangle with no fail but it's not a necessary spell. The med will help you because necro/mage is a temp where you debuff your opponent before you dump. It's a mana hog at times.

You got to be mind full that you can debuff and then your opponent eats an Apple and all the set up work has to be done all over again. At that point you got the Apple cool down timer to re-debuff and then dump.

With 60 necro you could go poisoning. Be sure to cast within two tiles to cast lethal poison or inscribe to get extra sdi for direct damage spells

You could use this temp:
120 Magery
120 EI
120 Resist
120 Spirit Speak
60 Necro
This is 540 skill points. Use a Mage wep instead of a spellbook. The mage wep will allow you to get tge benefit of 120 wep skill(wrestling) and you have 180 skill points to play with that match you play style.
 

Silent Singer

Certifiable
Stratics Veteran
UNLEASHED
Hey folks,

Here is the macro setup I am practicing. I have divided them into offense and defense (offense uses the Alt button), and tried to group then into disruption, primary curse chain, dexxer, etc.

Does this make sense or am I still out in left field!? Really appreciate all the feedback, thanks again.

macro-defense.JPG

macro-offense.JPG
 

Max Blackoak

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
if you can reach the most important ones easily then this will be ok for you.
now step away from the drawing board and get practice, practice and some more practice. it's the only way to get good... (says the guy who rarely plays mages because he himself needs tons of practice)
 

Lord Frodo

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
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WOW A spread sheet just to play a game that is meant to be relaxing/fun. Sorry that is way to much work for me.
 

Max Blackoak

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He's just trying to visualize what he came up with to save time typing and explaining. Nothing wrong with that. He may be overthinking it a little bit but that's his problem, not yours...
 

Freelsy

Babbling Loonie
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Here are some things I see that can cut down on your macros:

Cast Poison/Energy/Dispell fields, summon demonl, invisibility, mana vamp... just pull those spells out. They're all utility spells. No need to have them macro'd. They're for unique situations, and I wouldn't bother wasting valuable macro space.

trinsic rose/orange petal. You could remove those macros as well. Since theyr'e on a timer, you can just eat them when needed. Similar to str/agility pots. I don't have those macro'd as I only use them in combat and to refresh periodically.

all your spells and "on target"... try just making a target last macro. That way you can cast the spell, hold the spell as you're running, and then select target last on the run. Most fighting on Siege is field fighting and not confined to a small area. Otherwise, many times you begin casting and if you're auto targeting... they'll be out of range, or out of sight. (Mouse wheel up and mouse wheel down are good for target last / target self)
 

Bo Bo

Lore Keeper
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
UNLEASHED
here is a pro-tip instead of eliminating some of those macros, why not combine them. that is what the bo does.
str and agl pots 1 button, pedals 1 button, you can do that with several, you can put a heal pot timed after a cure. Their are many combos you can make.
next is finger spacing you saying you going to hit alt than that button at the same time to cast the spells??
bo thinks that's gonna be an issue, bo could be wrong, only way to find out is to try it out.
 

Ezekiel Zane

Grand Poobah
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I use a 9 key mouse that has Alt/Cntrl buttons on it. So without removing my right hand from the mouse I can hold the Alt or Cntrl button down and triple the keys that can be used with my left hand.
 
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