Class Changing Macros - An Introduction

During time time i spent playing FFXI, one of the things I always tended to procrastinate was macro creation. While they did make things highly convenient in the long run, it sometimes took lots of effort to tweak it properly.

If you are anything like me, you can rest comfortably in knowing that FFXIV has had vast improvements in the macro field. Over the course of the article, we will first get you started in the setup process. Afterward, you will briefly learn how to perform one of many useful macros in Final Fantasy 14!

Getting Started

In order to create macros, you must first go to the configuration menu and select macros. There are currently 50 available macro slots each under the CTRL and ALT tabs, giving you a grand total of 100 creatable macros! We have a lot of ground to cover, so let's get to started, shall we?

The first thing you must select is your desired macro name. While the name is entirely up to you, keep in mind that only 5-6 letters from your macro show up on the action bar. Therefore, I recommend you keep the name to something convenient enough to find.

If your name wasn't unique enough, the 100 different icons you can select will surely do the trick! I know this number may seem low to some of you, but it is highly speculated that SE will release the Discipline-related macros soon enough. Anyways, here are the current available icons:



Creating a Macro

One of the most fundamental macros you can use in FFXIV one that you can change your discipline on the spot. Instead of manually changing your weapons and items, make a macro to handle all of that in seconds. Before you get started, you must know that macro format is case-sensitive in FFXI, so make sure you get it right.

That being said, it's time to show you an extremely useful macro in FFXI: The Discipline Changing Macro. For example, let's say you want to become an Archer. All you need to do is select the items you wish to equip, and then assign your abilities to the respective slot on the action bar. As you are writing things down, make sure that the items and abilities are made case-sensitive.

A properly written Archer macro might look something like this:

/equip main "Weathered Shortbow"
/equip pack "Warped Arrow"
/eaction 6 "Raging Strike" main
/eaction 7 "Shadowbind" main
/eaction 8 "Puncture" main
/eaction 9 "Wide Volley" main

Seeing as the main is entirely responsible for changing your discipline, make sure you always equip it before everything else. The other items and abilities can be arranged in any order you like, but I nevertheless urge you keep it organized. After all, another item or ability may be lurking right around the corner, and a well-organized macro will make it more convenient to edit the macro as your character progresses.

Macros make your life extremely convenient, but surely can't be fully covered in just a single article. For that reason, I promise to bring to you a comprehensive Macro Guide in the very near future. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments tab. I will answer them ASAP.

Thanks to Kahlyn Adhuil - Kefka for providing some of the macro information.