Macros are very useful tools which should in reality, almost always be used if possible. There is a problem with Final Fantasy's macros compared to other games. They require what is called a wait time sometimes. This means you must actually take up space in the macro to type "/wait 2.5" Whenever you reclick the macro it will start over from scratch, no exceptions. In my opinion this is WRONG. This is not how a macro should be set up, and if you are setting up any macro with a wait time, then you are lowering your DPS, HPS, Tanking abilities and the quality of your game-play overall. Why? There are things that no macro guides mention. Cool-downs set on a different category then a normal attacking move. These are called Non Global Cool-down. because it is set on a complete different cool-down then your regular moves. This being said, while you use a move on a global cool-down, your move on a non global cool-down will go out at the SAME TIME. No delay. What would this look like? Well for example your buffs are a non Global cool-down. Example macro
/ac "Heavy Swing" <t>
/ac "Bloodbath" <me>
For this example macro, when you press it, you will use the move "Heavy Swing" and the Buff "Bloodbath" without slowing your damage out at all. However just like a move on a Global cool-down the non global cool-down as a refresh period before it will use the next one on the list.
Now to make things a little more weird, you have things on a non non global cool-down. This is a totally separate cool-down from the first two, and will also have its own refresh period. So at times you may have 3 moves or more going out at the same time with a proper macro.
Casting spells I believe darkens out ALL other affects while the casting bar is going out. This means no other move will go out. Although this is fine because almost all classes have a Instant cast spell somewhere.
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How to remove the Wait time
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If you are using a Macro that has cast bars in it, you really should not have it repeating so you can sit back and watch the game. Lowering any quality of your game play may not be as big of an issue in this game however in almost all other MMO's you will be trolled hardcore if your damage is lacking, or healing or whatever it is because your are a lazy player. This doesn't mean remove it completely. Just put in a totally separate macro if you want to cast on the target's target and maybe mouse over and such. Just remove those wait times! Now being said for an instant cast spell. You can have multiple instant cast spells in one macro IF the spells darken out upon use, or if there are cool-downs. Big macros are based upon cool-downs. This means you put you spells that have a higher cool-down before a move that has a Zero cool-down or normally in this game 2.5 second cool-down. Example macro
/ac "20 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <t>
This being said, you can switch the order of the macro except your last one that has 2.5 second cool-down. However moves with shorter cool-downs higher up in the macro can ruin the macro as well if its longer, because it will refresh before you go through the whole macro, meaning you will want to use that move again instead of keeping up the moves. This can and cannot be a problem, its just a matter of playing with the macro to see if all the moves will go out and what order to put things.
Buffs with cool-downs or just buffs in general, should be added at the last of the macro in order you want to go out. It really doesn't matter about buff cool-down for the macro, just follow the order you would like them to go out after the attacking moves.
/ac "20 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
Finishers in a macro. Since finishers normally go out from 0-30% of targets life, it means it cannot be used until then. So you would want to place them before anything else. These are normally the strongest or one of the strongest moves you have, so interrupting your macro is OKAY because it will not interrupt until the spell is avaliable for use.
/ac "Finisher" <t>
/ac "20 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
Moves that can be used upon dodge or blocking and such. These moves are normally strong hitting and have a bonus affect to them. So although you want them to go out, you dont want it to mess with your finisher. So place after finisher, but before other attacks. Same rules apply as the finisher.
/ac "Finisher" <t>
/ac "Move after parry" <t>
/ac "Move after block" <t>
/ac "Move after dodge"
/ac "20 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
You also have moves that are attacking but not on a global cool-down with a cool-down. This means you can place them before you buffs, and after the global attacks.
/ac "Finisher" <t>
/ac "Move after parry" <t>
/ac "Move after block" <t>
/ac "Move after dodge" <t>
/ac "20 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <t>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <t>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <t>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <t>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
Macro Order is just all about when you want moves to go out in what order, but do not mess with the order of layouts. Always keep the position of finishers, global, Non global, buffs the same. If you mess with those orders, you will find things going out at awkward times. However there are always exceptions in things.
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A quick lesson on darkened spells
Darken spells cannot be used until bright again. So this means if you have a move that allows the next move to be used, then the order of the moves are revered in the global cool-down.
/ac "Move 3" <t>
/ac Move 2" <t>
/ac "Move 1" <t>
(A better example of this can be displayed in my Pug macro However the order in that is 2 3 1 for better use of macro)
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If you find your taking aggro away from the tank a lot, maybe out of confusion of who he is attacking. You have something Called Target's target casting. This will attack or use a move on the target's target. You can just stay on tank and spam your spells and attack him. However this being said, you still need to face his enemy. You don't shoot at him and do damage to his target.
This would look like
/ac "Finisher" <tt>
/ac "Move after parry" <tt>
/ac "Move after block" <tt>
/ac "Move after dodge" <tt>
/ac "20 second cool-down" <tt>
/ac "15 second cool-down" <tt>
/ac "10 second cool-down" <tt>
/ac "5 second cool-down" <tt>
/ac "2.5 second cool-down" <tt>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <tt>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <tt>
/ac "Non Global Attack" <tt>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
/ac "Buff with any cool-down" <me>
You can combine them both however to attack target and target's target in a macro
3 different ways to set this up, So if you are in need Just comment and I will help for this one.
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Other guides include mouse over, i will not. I do not use Mouse over so i will not pretend to know something i do not know. Macros are goofy things and need practice. Practice makes perfect. Playing with macros to fit your playing style is best. I made macros fro the game Rift and gave them out. 25 lines long, tripled macros. Sure they were great for me and many other. But some not so much.
If you do a Macro Correctly you be "winning the game" stated by many people who i gave my macro to in rift.
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Sumdeus
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It's Dwarfin' Time!