Group and Raid Communication Macros
WOW Macros Guide Macros What Is a Macro Creating a Basic Macro Macros Spells and Abilities Targeting in Macros Group and Raid Macros How do I make a macro Macro Tips Captain Jigs' Macro Guide
Good communication is extremely important in World of Warcraft, particularly in the high-pressure context of raids, PvP, and other situations where teamwork is crucial to success. Macros can make your life easier in this regard.Our introductory example macro was an example of using two social commands in the same macro. You may have noticed that the commands in the macro executed simultaneously. However, as we've seen, many macro commands are subject to restrictions like the global cooldown on spells and abilities; thus, multiple commands cannot be executed simultaneously. Social commands aren't subject to such restrictions, and so you can chain them into any macro to give your group a heads-up on what you're doing. In addition, standalone communication macros can give your raid or group crucial feedback and direction in combat. Here are some examples:
- A raid leader can make an endless variety of announcement macros using "/rw" followed by the desired message. General raid instructions such as "/rw Attack now!!" or "/rw Hold DPS" are very commonly used, as are boss-specific macros notifying the entire raid of incoming attacks and coordinating movement. Here's an example of a boss-specific macro for the Shade of Aran's infamous Flame Wreath spell: "/rw Flame Wreath casting, DO NOT MOVE!!"
- In PvP, particularly in the fast-paced battles of the arena, having good communication can contribute significantly to victory or defeat. With the /p command in a macro, you can keep your comrades appraised of important situations. You might use this command to warn others when you're crowd controlled or using an important cooldown, or to make sure your team is attacking the same target. For example, a paladin doing arenas may wish to make a macro along the lines of "/p Curse of Tongues - decurse please!"
- In general group play, macros help general teamwork and save you time. For example, if you're a mage, you may benefit from macros informing your group when you're sheeping a target, when you're casting a portal to a city, and when you're open for business in the water-dispensing department. Here's an example of a macro that a warlock could use to let his group know which party member he's summoning and that other group members can help:
- /cast Ritual of Summoning
- /p Summoning %t, please assist.