Anet policy on Macros in WvW

[Ged Kealmen.7210]

Anet policy specifically states "Attended macro use is permitted as long as it is not exploitative, and as long as it does not provide the user with an unfair advantage over other players." and "You cannot use macros to create skill chains in any competitive environment, including PvP, WvW, open world activities, races, etc."

This seems like a good policy. The problem is that there is no way to enforce it effectively, or if there is Anet doesn't do it anyway.

Point is that there are many players in WvW who use macros precisely to gain this advantage, and other players who can't set them up or who actually choose to respect the rules and not use them end up with a significant disadvantage.

Wouldn't it be better to just allow them? Players who can't use them because of gear issues are at a disadvantage anyway and not much would change for them, but players who abide by the rules would get a level playing field.

Thoughts?

[Sovereign.1093]

anet can do nothing about gaming gear that provide this.

wow has macros.

what anet needs to do is hack programs. to detect those. speed hack go thru hack they still exist

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I can't imagine that the game would become more fun if everyone used macros for their rotations. As it stands now, relatively few people do. A lot of people accused of it are just really good. I'm sure some people macro against the rules, I'm sure it's a lot more than is good for the game. And ANet doesn't respond quickly enough to reports for my taste.

All the same. I think it's better that the game has the rule, that it's enforce sometimes, with serious consequences.

[Whiteout.1975]

@Ged Kealmen.7210

Pick your poison perhaps?... ☠️Just seem's a bit built around personal taste in one aspect. Weigh your risk's and the possible effect's/consequences as they matter to you.

• I mean people have sent video's supposedly of actual hacker's. I have not heard good response's towards fixing those problem's... But then again some of those people could be mistaken to begin with.

Regardless, I think as a company it's good to set reasonable boundaries/standards of what they would like to happen. Even if they can't always guarantee the desired outcome. Simply to show their intended value's if anything. Therefore, I think they're right to have the current standard around macro's. Despite how well @Anet may be able control them.

[SexyMofo.8923]

Press f to pick up supplies, press f to repair wall, afk. Looks like a built in macro to me.

[Whiteout.1975]

@SexyMofo.8923 said:Press f to pick up supplies, press f to repair wall, afk. Looks like a built in macro to me.

Lol Yep... And all done around the same time ?

[sephiroth.4217]

I say allow macros.. its funny watching someone unnecessarily blowing thier skills.

[Dawdler.8521]

@SexyMofo.8923 said:Press f to pick up supplies, press f to repair wall, afk. Looks like a built in macro to me.Thats like saying the jump button is a macro because it allows you to jump over a wide variety of obstacles.

There may be people using macros - and there most definetly is people being accused of using macros when they're not - but basic rules is still something that need to be there and Anet have already stated them.

[SloRules.3560]

What macros? Even mesmer "7 button in 1s combo" is quite easily done when used more than once.

[Turk.5460]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:As it stands now, relatively few people do.

There are plenty of people who use jump/dodge as a macro. Sure, you can bind those keys to something your thumb can hit two buttons at the same time. But every single dodge is a jump-dodge? Whatever makes them feel better, I guess.

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Turk.5460 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:As it stands now, relatively few people do.

There are

plenty

of people who use jump/dodge as a macro. Sure, you can bind those keys to something your thumb can hit two buttons at the same time. But

every single dodge is a jump-dodge?

Whatever makes them feel better, I guess.

I don’t have the link for reference, but I believe that jump/dodge was the one macro allowed....

[Turk.5460]

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Turk.5460 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:As it stands now, relatively few people do.

There are

plenty

of people who use jump/dodge as a macro. Sure, you can bind those keys to something your thumb can hit two buttons at the same time. But

every single dodge is a jump-dodge?

Whatever makes them feel better, I guess.

I don’t have the link for reference, but I believe that jump/dodge was the one macro allowed....

I don't think they would have mentioned it was allowed in competitive modes, but I have not read whatever link you are referring to.

[Dawdler.8521]

@"Jayden Reese.9542" said:I've seen it. It's hard to tell unless you catch that scourge alone on a cata like I did. He's 30 percent then in a straight line there is aoe everywhere 1 sec later and 1 sec later he's downed. As a reaper I know the pita drag and place aoe is so yeah I'd say he macro but in a group or esp a zerg you have no clue.He downed from placing his own AoE? Hm.Sounds more like fast cast enabled. Its a setting in the UI options. No need to "drag and place", assuming you know where your mouse cursor is. Cant remember if there is a snap to target as well.

I wouldnt consider that as a situation requiring a macro. In fact its very hard to tell. Most dodge jumpers are probably using it for ease, but thats pretty much only thieves thinking they cool. Also seen a thief that seemed to stow weapon literally every attack, suspect thats a macro being used. Seen some rather suspect "front backstabs" as well that happen instantly but dont know if thats macro or just the quick turn key used. Seen the guardian instakill macro of course (focus+hammer+judge delayed attacks which kills you in 0.2s with a 1200 range teleport). Mesmers are tricky because as someone that played mesmer a long time I know how easy it is to chain strikes - and I've been accused of being a hacker.

Either way, its like... Once every 3 matchups. Maybe.

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Turk.5460 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Turk.5460 said:

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:As it stands now, relatively few people do.

There are

plenty

of people who use jump/dodge as a macro. Sure, you can bind those keys to something your thumb can hit two buttons at the same time. But

every single dodge is a jump-dodge?

Whatever makes them feel better, I guess.

I don’t have the link for reference, but I believe that jump/dodge was the one macro allowed....

I don't think they would have mentioned it was allowed in competitive modes, but I have not read whatever link you are referring to.

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/65554/policy-macros-and-macro-use#latest

Here is the post saying jump/dodge is allowed, however, later it says skill chains in competitive modes is not allowed. I guess semantics would ask if jump/dodge are skills.

Honestly, I won’t use it because I wouldn’t want to be the ‘one’ made an example of. But it could use clarification.

Maybe @Rubi Bayer.8493 could get clarification for us?

[Dawdler.8521]

@Jayden Reese.9542 said:

@Dawdler.8521 said:

@Jayden Reese.9542 said:I've seen it. It's hard to tell unless you catch that scourge alone on a cata like I did. He's 30 percent then in a straight line there is aoe everywhere 1 sec later and 1 sec later he's downed. As a reaper I know the pita drag and place aoe is so yeah I'd say he macro but in a group or esp a zerg you have no clue.He downed from placing his own AoE? Hm.Sounds more like fast cast enabled. Its a setting in the UI options. No need to "drag and place", assuming you know where your mouse cursor is. Cant remember if there is a snap to target as well.

No, He's on cata doesn't see me. I hit him to 30 percent then like 8 aoe from him in a straight line like only one hits me and I finish him off. It was just too fast to place that many imo and why did most not even target me. IDK just seemed shady.Or just someone panicing and dumping AoE as he moved his mouse toward you because he just lost 70% of his hp?

If that was a macro its clearly not fit for any combat outside of point blank melee range - which is where you never want to be fighting a scourge. A proper macro would have dumped all aoe on you.

But sure, it could have been. Havent seen anything like that outside the usual scourge vomiting of AoE.

[Dreams.3128]

I jump dodge all the time, what's your point. It's a habit you pick up from SAB if you did tribulation mode at all.

It can be done with or without macros and I've been doing it since I first started SAB.

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Lilyanna.9361 said:I jump dodge all the time, what's your point. It's a habit you pick up from SAB if you did tribulation mode at all.

It can be done with or without macros and I've been doing it since I first started SAB.

The jump/dodge discussion was about macros. No one stated people needed a macro to jump dodge.

Deep breath. Don’t protest too much.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@"Strider Pj.2193" said:https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/65554/policy-macros-and-macro-use

Here is the post saying jump/dodge is allowed, however, later it says skill chains in competitive modes is not allowed. I guess semantics would ask if jump/dodge are skills.

Honestly, I won’t use it because I wouldn’t want to be the ‘one’ made an example of. But it could use clarification.

Maybe @"Rubi Bayer.8493" could get clarification for us?

It is clarified:

You may bind dodge and jump to a single key.

There's no modifiers; dodge jumping is explicitly allowed.

The disallowed functions are:

• You cannot program a macro to perform actions on more than one account at a time.
• You cannot use macros to automate skill use while away from your computer.
• You cannot use macros to create skill chains in any competitive environment, including PvP, WvW, open world activities, races, etc.
• You cannot use macros to participate in activities or events, such as Bell Choir.
• You cannot use macros for the sole purpose of farming items, currencies, karma, or other benefits in the game, particularly while away from the keyboard (AFK).
• You cannot use macros to fully automate a character ("bot") in the game. Each macro should represent a single action that requires user input before repeating the action.

That means automating rotations is disallowed. It does not contradict the dodge-jump rule, because that isn't a "skill" under any interpretation of the game. (It might have required skill by the player to execute it, but that's not what "skill" means in the jargon of GW2.)

[Dreams.3128]

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Lilyanna.9361 said:I jump dodge all the time, what's your point. It's a habit you pick up from SAB if you did tribulation mode at all.

It can be done with or without macros and I've been doing it since I first started SAB.

The jump/dodge discussion was about macros. No one stated people needed a macro to jump dodge.

Deep breath. Don’t protest too much.

Uh I'm not...protesting? But if that's what you want to assume to help you sleep at night I'll still support whatever you want to make out of a comment. Lol.

[RisenHowl.2419]

Let the macro users be imo, dodge twice and now you're fighting someone who has no cds and no idea how to actually play

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Strider Pj.2193" said:

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/65554/policy-macros-and-macro-use

Here is the post saying jump/dodge is allowed, however, later it says skill chains in competitive modes is not allowed. I guess semantics would ask if jump/dodge are skills.

Honestly, I won’t use it because I wouldn’t want to be the ‘one’ made an example of. But it could use clarification.

Maybe @"Rubi Bayer.8493" could get clarification for us?

It is clarified:

You may bind dodge and jump to a single key.

There's no modifiers; dodge jumping is explicitly allowed.

The disallowed functions are:

• You
  cannot
  program a macro to perform actions on more than one account at a time.
• You
  cannot
  use macros to automate skill use while away from your computer.
• You
  cannot
  use macros to create skill chains in any competitive environment, including PvP, WvW, open world activities, races, etc.
• You
  cannot
  use macros to participate in activities or events, such as Bell Choir.
• You
  cannot
  use macros for the sole purpose of farming items, currencies, karma, or other benefits in the game, particularly while away from the keyboard (AFK).
• You
  cannot
  use macros to fully automate a character ("bot") in the game. Each macro should represent a single action that requires user input before repeating the action.

That means automating rotations is disallowed. It does not contradict the dodge-jump rule, because that isn't a "skill" under any interpretation of the game. (It might have required skill by the player to execute it, but that's not what "skill" means in the jargon of GW2.)

Which I included in my post. The asking for clarification was due to the reluctance.

[Strider Pj.2193]

@Lilyanna.9361 said:

@Strider Pj.2193 said:

@Lilyanna.9361 said:I jump dodge all the time, what's your point. It's a habit you pick up from SAB if you did tribulation mode at all.

It can be done with or without macros and I've been doing it since I first started SAB.

The jump/dodge discussion was about macros. No one stated people needed a macro to jump dodge.

Deep breath. Don’t protest too much.

Uh I'm not...protesting? But if that's what you want to assume to help you sleep at night I'll still support whatever you want to make out of a comment. Lol.

‘What’s your Point’. ?

But no worries. It’s all good.

[DemonSeed.3528]

@Jayden Reese.9542 said:I've seen it. It's hard to tell unless you catch that scourge alone on a cata like I did. He's 30 percent then in a straight line there is aoe everywhere 1 sec later and 1 sec later he's downed. As a reaper I know the pita drag and place aoe is so yeah I'd say he macro but in a group or esp a zerg you have no clue.

yeah it's also similar to when comms use macros to throw siege or markers (not singles but multples in a line or formation etc). There are quite a few people using it than people realise.

[Svarty.8019]

@"Ged Kealmen.7210" said:Anet policy specifically states [..] "You cannot use macros to create skill chains in any competitive environment, including PvP, WvW, open world activities, races, etc."

The facts are these;

• you CAN create those macros,
• Arenanet staff aren't going to ban you for using software that came with your MOUSE,
• People who have to use a trackball (hello, that's me <3 TRB22) or who like an old mouse or who can't afford a new mouse (P2W!) or don't have third party software are going to die more than people with a fancy new mouse-with-extra-buttons-and/or-macros.

[Ged Kealmen.7210]

@Svarty.8019 said:The facts are these;

• you CAN create those macros,

Just to clarify... you CAN but you still are in violation of Anet policy and you are being unethical by trying to gain advantage over players with lesser gear.

So yes, you CAN but you shouldn't.