Many things exists.

I got hit five times in a row with Ambush in 1.4 seconds last night.

Macro much?

Eeezee, I'm an NB I don't have bolt escape and having played anNB since beta, I know what it sounds like. This particular attack was outside BRK last night on thorn, which we eventually took (Tasty tick is tasty) I was with my guildies fighting some red's that had flanked us, as we were putting a second hole in the wall at BRK, thm same guy hit me with ambush 5 times in 1.4 seconds.

Either I was lagging (which it didn't feel like as I was able to fight other players at that battle without issue) at exactly that point, or something more sinister was going on.

I'd agree that for the most part, people get annoyed at things they don't understand, they die quickly and and then shout CHEAT, EXPLOIT, MACRO'S because they might not understand a certain mechanic.

I've used Ambush as a staple for a long time, It's a great opener out of stealth when you hit you target from behind, especially with the stygian set, but what you generally don't do it stand over an enemy and ambush then to death. It's a waste of magicka, that is if you don't run out of it, and even then while the first hit might be good, the second is always a lot less, there are many more efficient ways to dispose of someone rather than 5 ambush in a row.

On top of that, 1.4 seconds doesn't seem like it's enough time to get through 5 animations of ambush now does it. At least it doesn't to me.

I don't really care to be honest, it's just something that popped up last night and this thread made me think of it, guildies that know me know I'm easy going with this kind of thing, and don't get bent out of shape easily (although it probably sounds like I do, I can assure you it's not the case), of course it goes without saying that player has earned himself a special place in my heart, If I see him again on the battlefield, I'll be making a bee line to him heheehe.

I could have been lagging, and that's the explanation I'd prefer to think of rather than the sinister alternative, but as I have no real proof, who knows. Could be macro's, could be anything.

kijima wrote: »

Eeezee, I'm an NB I don't have bolt escape and having played anNB since beta, I know what it sounds like. This particular attack was outside BRK last night on thorn, which we eventually took (Tasty tick is tasty) I was with my guildies fighting some red's that had flanked us, as we were putting a second hole in the wall at BRK, thm same guy hit me with ambush 5 times in 1.4 seconds.

I've had this happen to me before and from what I've heard from other NBs was sometimes you press the ability a ton of times and it doesn't cast, and then when it does you spam it over and over and over.

Cody wrote: »

I don't know what to think these days. could be the players just reacted that fast.... they could be using macros.... they could be the developers in disguise using god mode crap.... at this point idk.

there is so much wrong with the game right now it really could be anything. and asking about it in the forums is going to get a bunch of elitists jerk offs insulting you instead of actually answering your question.

I personally think its just fast re-actions... but again..... who the heck knows:(

Yeah the alternative I just can't see. How could a "Macro" or any other program determine when the best time to block is? Or when the best time to dodge roll? It just seems absurd

The only use for a macro I can see is to chain 2 or more animation cancellable abilities together. I've thought a lot about macros from a strategic point of a view and there are just too many combinations of abilities that you cast to make it that useful with the exception of something that animation cancels your light attacks and couples it with a crushing shock or something.

I'm confused, so in the example I gave is it macro or is it ambush not working straight away then the button mashing is acting out the ambush 5 times really quickly?

Again, don't care. Just curious because being an NB who uses Ambush I've never been on the delivering end of this type of thing.

Possible use of a macro : activate reflecting scale every x seconds. Press and forget, concentrate on something esle. Same with shields.

Could these occurrances (I've experienced a few) have anything to do with the read and write buffer you can set in the preferences? I'm no expert on these things, but I wonder if it would be possible that someone "loads" a number of actions in their buffer before it gets all sent off to the server at once, thus appearing to everyone else as being instantaneous?

pmn100b16_ESO wrote: »

Are macros even cheating? People seem to use the word macro as if its synonymous with exploiting. In my experience with MMOs macro use isn't exploiting, but exploits are often accomplished with macros. eso has the global CD on skills though so I don't see the sort of things in eso that I've seen in other games.

A use for a macro in ESO would be say a DK uses scales every 4 secs whilst running across the landscape. Instead of paying attention to his buffs and pressing the skill every 4 secs, a single button push and the macro would do this for him. However, because the global CD on skills, this would be a problem in combat because the macro might go off when you in fact want to use another skill, but more often, your manual use of skills would simply stop the macro skills activating. Macros are very simple tools and I wouldn't even consider their use cheating.

The ambush thing happens and its something to do with server lag. You hammer the skill cause its not going off, then suddenly, bam, bam, two ambushes go off in a split second. If you continued to hammer ambush, more might go off, but personally, as soon as I see the animation, I stop hitting ambush so don't know if its capable of hitting more times in quick succession.

What he says ... Running in the middle of a battlefield with scale macro and no more threat from archers and sorcs. And yes, 90% of the time pressing an other skill would just cancel the macro firing once. Furthemore, if you heavy attack with a resto staff for exemple, the macro will run just fine, same with blocking. An other exemple would be the use of SB denfensive or absorb shield or harness magicka spamming ...

I would never use a macro for scales. Macro's are a liability in a dynamic situation. What if I need to pop GDB but I can't because a scale macro just kicked in? People use macros for specific tasks, they usually do not have background maintenance macros especially in a dynamic situations because those macros also remove the capacity for voluntary commands. The only maintenance macro that might work is an autopot macro which is possible. There are already addons that change your quickslot based on your resource pools so it's only one more step to use it.

Here is an example of a macro I used in Lotro. A 5 piece gear set gave a boost to a particular group buff I used. So I macro'd a 5 piece swap, cast, 5 piece swap back. I press it when I need to use that buff.

About the only thing that would make sense to macro in this game is light attack, skill, block. But that would have to be on it's own separate button in such a way that you can light attack, block, and use that skill without initiating a macro. That way you can hit the animation cancel only when it is safe to do so.

Ackwalan wrote: »

Ever see someone siting in a keep, in the same spot, afk for hours? Watch them for few minutes and you see them use an ability every few minutes.

I've done this while eating dinner but did it manually. Not for a few hours though. I've seen people with their left mouse button held down swinging their weapons nonstop before as well.

Armitas wrote: »

I would never use a macro for scales. Macro's are a liability in a dynamic situation. What if I need to pop GDB but I can't because a scale macro just kicked in? People use macros for specific tasks, they usually do not have background maintenance macros especially in a dynamic situations because those macros also remove the capacity for voluntary commands. The only maintenance macro that might work is an autopot macro which is possible. There are already addons that change your quickslot based on your resource pools so it's only one more step to use it.

Here is an example of a macro I used in Lotro. A 5 piece gear set gave a boost to a particular group buff I used. So I macro'd a 5 piece swap, cast, 5 piece swap back. I press it when I need to use that buff.

About the only thing that would make sense to macro in this game is light attack, skill, block. But that would have to be on it's own separate button in such a way that you can light attack, block, and use that skill without initiating a macro. That way you can hit the animation cancel only when it is safe to do so.

Pretty much my conclusion on macros as well. Imagine an auto-potion macro. You jump off a wall or take fall damage - potion - ....you attack a resource and a mage guard hits you - potion. I can't think of any example of a scripted ability firing that would help me more than hurt me. There are many things that are not available to the API in the game just to avoid automation and scripting of this nature. That's why they eliminated the spells other players were casting and such from the API.

Even so, weapon swapping throws everything out the window. There is no way to use an ability in the game outside of slotting it on one of your two weapon bars. A script swapping weapons for your sounds like a freaking disaster, especially since weapon swapping is buggy as hell to begin with. Imagine your script spamming swap weapon to cast an ability only to have it happen multiple times because the first swap didn't work.

Rune_Relic wrote: »

Ackwalan wrote: »

Yes those macro's are possible. Anyone who tells you different, has only been playing about 5 minuets or is lying. We all remember the hoards of bots running around, being able to follow a set path and interact with NPC's. Having a macro that hails a NPC and select the correct response is just like having a macro that automatically uses a potion or ability when XX damage is taken. ZOS got ride of the bots by using multiple anti-bot stuff, but new macro program are made everyday.

If you think about it many addons tell you exactly what hits when. Its not inconceivable someone could use that info to kick off a script. Some programmable mice may well be able to respond to such scripts with a sequence of (skills) equivalent key presses to one button..

Such tools may make you a little faster than "that" player...but much faster than most

I've never died for not popping a potion when I wanted to unless....I was spamming the button anyways and due to delay it never fired....the same thing a script (not a Macro) would experience.

Mice and Keyboards and such can't tell what your active weapons are and so for abilities are more dangerous than good.

Black-Bird wrote: »

The guy who thinks DC and AD team up on him lul. Pings, lag immovable and roll on hit i tend to be extra on my toes when a NB is jumping me i really dont like you guys winning

Sorry if you don't believe me but it happened. When I see 2 players (one from each faction) unstealth an start attacking me SIDE BY SIDE...I then get away and the two remain unstealthed and run around looking for me, crossing paths multiple times and then eventually give up (and not attack each other) and restealth, what other conclusion am I supposed to draw?

Also I never said each side was in full cooperation. I am sure that it was certain influential guilds on each side that lead the charge. There were plenty of other DC/AD that weren't in on this team-up but most tended to follow the zerg. Also remember cross faction communication is only a TS connection away so.....

You guys aren't talking about macros, you are talking about straight-up HAX.

Rune_Relic wrote: »

PlagueMonk wrote: »

Black-Bird wrote: »

The guy who thinks DC and AD team up on him lul. Pings, lag immovable and roll on hit i tend to be extra on my toes when a NB is jumping me i really dont like you guys winning

Sorry if you don't believe me but it happened. When I see 2 players (one from each faction) unstealth an start attacking me SIDE BY SIDE...I then get away and the two remain unstealthed and run around looking for me, crossing paths multiple times and then eventually give up (and not attack each other) and restealth, what other conclusion am I supposed to draw?

Also I never said each side was in full cooperation. I am sure that it was certain influential guilds on each side that lead the charge. There were plenty of other DC/AD that weren't in on this team-up but most tended to follow the zerg. Also remember cross faction communication is only a TS connection away so.....

I can understand the frustration...but any tri-faction game relies on cooperation of guilds and even teamwork. So where do you draw the line and yet still encourage it ? This is the dark side to the tri-faction system

No no, you misunderstand. I was not frustrated by it, Black-Bird there in another thread just didn't believe it. Basically said I was wearing a tinfoil hat and this type of thing could never happen.