[Resource] Target Assist & Other Macros

These first two posts discuss marking targets and making a target assist macro.  Read further down the thread for other macro.   For an intro to macros, check out this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT3802qihMs

Target assist

I fail at picking a target out of a mass of visual effects with a mouse click.  Usually it takes me way too long to get the right target, and sometimes I fall back on tab targeting and then it's only a matter of time until I wipe the party.

So I put a little into testing target assist commands and macros.  Thanks Pnub and Hex for helping.  (Actually I think they were just trying to stop me from wiping them too.)  :)

Focus Target.  Unfortunately there's no command to "target focus' target".  You can set a focus (Shift+F) and target it (F10), and then assist (T) -- but it's slow. 

Assist a specific player.  There's an /assist command (/as is the short version), and it works with a few different target types.  One caution about assisting the tank: you might pick up a target he's just taunting, not the one the group is supposed to burn down.

/as "character name"  -  you'd have to update this every time you group with a new main assist.  I had trouble getting this to work.

/as   - this assists the #2 person in the group.  Apparently it's possible to reorder the party frames, so you could always drag the tank/main assist to the #2 position instead of editing the macro for every group.

Target a marked mob.  Far faster and more reliable was when the tank marked targets 1, 2, 3, etc.  Target marks did amazing things to improve the play of the whole group (especially pug members assigned by the duty finder), too, since anyone can just click the big number over the mob's head to target it.  Macro optional!

To target the mob marked with a "1", use this command:

/ta  

Change the number in the above command to target 2, 3, etc.  This works in a macro, which can be dropped into a hotbar slot and bound to a key.  For this past weekend I put the commands for marks 1, 2 & 3 into three separate macros.  Worked great -- very fast and reliable.

I also tested a fall-through assist macro in beta 3 phase 5, but it didn't work reliably.  For now, separate macros work best. 

I hope this is helpful for the other targeting-challenged folks out there!

» Edited on: 2013-07-13 06:20:33

Marking targets

As of beta phase 3, there are 14 different marks you can place on a target.

Top row: attack1, attack2, attack3, attack4, attack5

Middle row: bind1, bind2, bind3, ignore1, ignore2

Bottow row: square, circle, cross, triangle

You can mark targets using a couple different approaches.

1. Open the Signs dialog using the menu in the lower right corner of your screen, and click the sign you want.  NOTE: you can drag/drop these on your hotbars.
2. Typing the command /mk sign  Substitute the name of the sign as listed above.  NOTE: you can use these commands in macros.

I grouped with a Thaumaturge yesterday that had a Sleep macro, whatever has cast the spell on would get a triangle mark above his head. Made CC for the pug actually work somewhat.

I haven't played a healer yet, but I did have Cure as a borrowed action on my archer and whipped it out a lot for backup healing.  So let me share a couple simple healing macros.  Hopefully the real healers will share more with us.

For soloing, backup healing in Fates.  This will heal the target of the monster you have targeting.  It's great in Fates where no one is really tanking.  When soloing it heals you!

/ac Cure <tt>

/ac Cure <me>

For parties/raids.  Just mouseover the party or raid frame, then fire off the macro.   No need to actually target someone!

/ac Cure <mo>

Oooh, good one Sandolphan.   Many of the Sleep macros I've seen both mark the target and sleep it in a single macro.  Something like:

/mk ignore1
/party Sleeping  <t>
/ac Repose <t>

Thanks Shmi :) Instances and Ifrit were fun!

Here are some other macros that could be of use:

120s Macro: Parry Macro: Foresight Macro

/ac "Foresight" <me>
/wait 1
/ac "Awareness" <me>
/wait 59
/echo Foresight: 60s
/wait 60
/echo Foresight: Up!

90s Macro: Defensive Macro: DEF/EVA Macro

/ac "Rampart" <me>
/wait 1
/ac "Featherfoot" <me>
/wait 59
/echo Rampart: 30s
/wait 30
/echo Rampart: Up!

Low HP Macro : Help Me Macro

/p I'm low on HP!!! HP%=<hpp>
/ac "Convalescence" <me>
/wait 1
/ac "Second Wind" <me>
/wait 59
/echo Second Wind: 60s
/wait 60
/echo Second Wind: Up!

Oh yeah

/ac "Cure" <mouse> is very good for healers that can easily mouse over people

Full post on all macro commands!

http://forum.square-enix.com/ARR-Test/threads/36955-Instruction-Manual-for-Beta-Test-Phase-3-%28Windows%29?p=686800&viewfull=1#post686800

Anyone know/discovered a command to turn off error messages when hitting a macro?

Aalwein, if there's something like Rift's suppressmacrofailures I haven't found it.  Instead I turned off error messages in General and sent them to a different tab instead.

To change your chat filter settings,

• click the gear icon below the chat box.
• Click the big button for the General tab
• Select the Announcements tab
• Uncheck Error Messages

/echo is a message for you only?

I'll have to try that Lakshmi. I wonder though if you still get a lot of on-screen message spam (not chat log). I should probably send in feedback on adding a "suppressmacrofailures" type command.

Durav, yes.  /echo is messages for you only.  They show in your chat window.

So yeah, once you turn off the chat log spam, a "spam" macro works quite nicely especially if you pace yourself with the GCD.

something like:

/ac "Misery's End" <t>
/ac "Bloodletter" <t>
/ac "Heavy Shot" <t>

works great for an archer.

I only now noticed what the arrows in the Party Screen does >.> I saw a video that mentioned /assist <2> where the player put the tank in #2 spot.

My mind blew up as I will work out now some macros for my healer to do that rather than heal a Focus target.