Guild Wars 2

Long story short, I use macro software from my Razer Naga (gaming mouse) to repeatedly fire the #1 key when I have the 1 button held down, so I don’t have to go all jackhammer on the button to get a decent ’auto’ attack.

I wasn’t sure if using such software would dictate a violation of the RoC rule #20 which pretty much forbids botting; so, not wanting my account to get banned over this, I opened a ticket asking Anet if the above is a safe use of macro software.

The Support Liaison responded, saying she’d post a statement in the forums addressing the issue.

Within 3 days of opening the ticket initially, she got this typed up and posted:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/support/account/Policy-Third-Party-Programs/first#post354869

Soooooo... for those of you getting tired of the mashfest that is the grenade kit #1, you can fix that issue with a macro, either from gaming devices like the Naga, or other 3rd party macro software.

NOTE:
Anet cannot give approval for specific macro functions, including the one discussed here, but use some common sense and you won’t have to worry about putting your account in jeopardy. (IE, if it makes the game more comfortable to play - you’re probably fine; if it plays the game for you or makes you more effective than someone could be who isn’t using said macro - you’re probably kitten’d)

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Edit-
Been asked several times already since posting this how to setup the macro on a Naga; so here are some screenshots to guide you through it:

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/4329/eng1r.png
(Hit record, press 1 a couple times, hit stop, and trim it down to what’s shown in the image)
*Edit2 - Make the delays 0.100, not 0.050. Logic for that explained a few posts down.

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/6757/eng2.png

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4195/eng3.png
(Make sure the correct macro is listed in the pop up window; even though you already selected it in the precious step, sometimes it changes it automatically to the macro with the name that shows up first alphabetically)

If you don’t have a Naga or comparable gaming equipment, there’s plenty of free macro software out there; just do your homework before downloading something, so your computer doesn’t get sick. :P Each program will have it’s own commands, so you’re on your own in learning how to use it.

*NOTE that most macro software is designed for more than just gaming, and is capable of a pretty complex level of automation. DO NOT abuse that. If your macro does much more than just button mashing, you’re walking on thin ice.

Still, would be a lot better if they just made Grenade #1 a targeted auto-attack. And Grenade #2 would be spammable ground attack with a little less burning than currently but no CD. Would make the whole kit much more user-friendly.

I disagree, Sab.

Aim is what makes the grenade kit challenging, and what makes good performance with it rewarding.

It could use some tweaks, sure, but taking the skill factor out of its most used ability would be going too far.

If they made grenades anything but ground targetted, they would have to nerf the damage substantially. The difficulty in play is the only reason grenades do so much fking damage.

and I hit some glass cannon greatsword warrior for 9k with grenade barrage this morning =D. It made me very happy.

The best way for a player to assess whether a specific third-party program could have any impact on another player or a PvP opponent is to ask:
• “Does this program allow someone to play faster, better, longer, or more accurately than someone who doesn’t use it?”
• “Does this program allow someone to ‘play’ when he/she is not at the computer?”
• “Does this program allow the user to gain undeserved rewards?”

I think your not fully reading the post that was put out, it clearly states anything that allows or even possibly allows you any advantage over someone else you should not use. Using such macro does in fact allow you to play longer and in some cases better and faster. Using a macro over button mashing one would not get tired so easily. As well as instead of having to focus on that button your hitting you can just hold it down and focus elsewhere allowing you to play better.

Don’t get me wrong im all about the Naga but as usual the post by ANet is very subtle to not fully say yes or no to any of that and i urge you all to be very careful in what you do because ANet support will not do anything for you when you cry wolf you will only receive a copy + paste response back.

Can’t put enough emphasis on the "at your own risk" part of this.

Im pretty confident that things like bodily fatigue IRL are not a factor here... I mean, that would be akin to saying that drinking an energy drink prior to gameplay is a bannable offense, which is silly.

Still, if Anet ever decides go forward with a ban on that logic, it would be a legit ban.

I’m personally not worried about it.

•“Does this program allow someone to play faster... than someone who doesn’t use it?”

Thinking more on this bit, I’m going to change my macro to have the delays of 0.100 instead of 0.050

With 0.050 delays, the macro mentioned above will fire the 1 key at a rate of 10 times per second. While 10 keystrokes per second is humanly possible; it would be extremely difficult to maintain that for very long. With a delay of 0.100 (twice) the macro will fire 5 times per second, which is a much more realistic keymashing speed.

Not that any of ^that will make a difference in how fast the abilities will fire in game, but better safe than sorry, and getting banned because of spamming the key too quickly would seriously suck, so... yea.

It’ll be more convinent if Anet can make the #1 skill an auto attack we can toggle on and off. I mean once toggled on the target marker circle will constantly re-appear on our cursor once the CD is refreshed for the next attack throw.

Or just make it so that holding a button down will fire the corresponding ability repeatedly until the button is released, so that that function can be achieved without a macro.

Yea this certainly isn’t the best solution, and hopefully not a permanent one, but it’s *a* solution, and it’s nice being able to use the grenade kit without literally hurting.

I guess that can work too, but it’ll be kind of hard having the hold the 1# key and throw by clicking on the mouse button, I mean it would cripple our ablity to run in battle with AWSD keys.

You could bind a mouse button as the secondary for your #1 skill already. It doesn’t interfere with WASD movement that way. Or with some mice you could define a button as being 1.

Anyway: I made a macro for this and it seems semi-decent. I didn’t realize how well I could spam it normally until I discovered how little difference the macro makes.

Regarding the delay, mine is based on me pressing the key (obviously now it doesn’t vary though) because I just let it record the time. It’d be pretty sleazy of them to ban you for a super-fast macro on a skill that doesn’t go any faster because of it, though.

LameFox.6349:

You could bind a mouse button as the secondary for your #1 skill already. It doesn’t interfere with WASD movement that way. Or with some mice you could define a button as being 1.

Anyway: I made a macro for this and it seems semi-decent. I didn’t realize how well I could spam it normally until I discovered how little difference the macro makes.

Regarding the delay, mine is based on me pressing the key (obviously now it doesn’t vary though) because I just let it record the time. It’d be pretty sleazy of them to ban you for a super-fast macro on a skill that doesn’t go any faster because of it, though.

I have to admit your idea is brilliant, will definately try it out, thanks.

If they made grenades anything but ground targetted, they would have to nerf the damage substantially.

Maybe in PVE.

In PVP it would immediately become impossible to hit a target that wasn’t rooted or a drooling moron though.

As it is now, you can at least try to anticipate the direction of a dodge. If it was permanently clamped to the targets location when you throw, it would be laughably easy to avoid.

Yea. Grenades should not be changed from GTAOE. Keep skill a factor.

If Anet would only change Grenade #1 so that as long as 1 (or whatever hot key assigned) remains pressed, grenades will be fired at our mouse cursor, then that would solve most of the problems with sore fingers.

I agree with several post. Arenanet should just make it so that keeping the button held down makes the grenades flow continuously till you stop holding it. I don’t agree with making grenade 1 on land like it is underwater like some suggestions. That would make us lose some good WvW wall fighting dps.

Carpal Tunnel isn’t good design, and the “keep skill a factor” makes me question some people… seriously.

People don’t use grenades in PvP, and what defines “Skill” in PvE? Do you even know? It’s not the ability to aim ground target skills, cause it’s not hard to hit something, It’s the ability to understand and beat gimmicks.

The main reason why engineers are so scarce is because there are so little build options and the best DPS they have to offer is so irritating to use that people re-rolled.

If people want damage with less pain, they play a different class which they have been doing for a while now.

It’s not fun and you people who say such stuff like “keep skill a factor” Obviously own mice with extra buttons and keyboards with macro features.

Repetitive motion problems perhaps. But how would pushing a button cause Carpal Tunnel? Just asking?

Just a quick question, is there any other weapon in the game that can provide a constant stream of AoE Direct damage and AoE conditional damage?

I’m thinking whether or not I want to support for an auto-cast auto-target, or if I want what Grenades currently are. If we compare it to other profession’s weapons, we can see that only Fire Elementalist Staff can provide as much AoE damage as we can constantly. Mesmer Staff can sort of do it, but with a severe limit on the number of targets, I wouldn’t put it into the mix. Necromancer is a better choice, but with it’s non-AoE auto-attack, I would be hesitant comparing it to Fire Elementalist Staff and Grenade Kit Engineer.

I bring this up, because maybe ArenaNet balanced the Grenade kit versus other ranged weapons. No other profession can bring the hurt like we can (With the range to do it safely), but the only drawback is the travel time and of course GTAOE.

It’s a just something to ponder.

In other news, some people still own mice without extra buttons. Although since I use the middle ‘button’ (mousewheel pressed) for this, I’m still not seeing a huge issue.

Homing grenades would ruin their functionality for me. I don’t really like them in PVE much, but for lobbing up/off walls in WvW they’re better than a bow or rifle. Even if I can’t hit someone directly I can tell it to hit near him and catch him in the explosion.