Macro question

[Lavarien]

I don't play FFXI yet so please excuse my ignorant questions. I do, however, want to play a Bard and am just trying to collect as much information as possible.

So, Macro question...

Is it possible (assuming you can fit enough lines into the Macro) to string a Macro such as this:

Line 1: equip specific instrument
Line 2: play melee song
Line 3: wait
Line 4: play 2nd melee song

...so that you don't have to have 3 seperate Macros for equipping and playing the 2 songs? Of course you would pick the 2 songs that you most normally play for the melee, as well as a seperate Macro for 2 mage songs and the appropriate instrument.

[Rekiem]

Yea, its possible. It would look like this:

/equip Range "Instrument Name"
/so "Sword Madrigal" <me>
/wait 13
/equip Range "Instrument Name"
/so "Valor Minuet II" <me>


Only downside is that when you equip and start a song at the same time, theres a small bug and you don't hear your character singing and you don't see any instruments in his hands. I think you can see the visual effect of the magic around your character when he's casting but I can't remember. That bug is a bit anoying and I hope it get fixed someday.

The only way I found to avoid the bug and still swap instrument for a song is to place a /wait 1 in the macro between the equip and the sing part, it would look like this:

/equip Range "Instrument Name"
/wait 1
/so "Sword Madrigal" <me>

But sadly, this create a new problem. Using this trick will cost you 3 lines for each song and you have to place a /wait 13 betwee each song so this would take 7 lines. Peoblem is that theres only 6 space available in a macro.

[rewo]

.

example:

/equip range 'instrument'
/wait 1
/so "Sword Madrigal" <me>
/wait 13
/so "Valor Minuet II" <me>

Question: Do you need to use the equip command before every song?

The other situation is if you were by the melees and wanted to sing peaon to hit casters too. In that case

/equip range "flute"
/wait 1
/so "Sword Madrigal" <me>
/wait 13
/equip "Harp"
/so "Army Paeon" <me>

[Lavarien]

Question: Do you need to use the equip command before every song?

Shouldn't have to if you are using the same instrument for both songs in the Macro.

[rewo]

Question: Do you need to use the equip command before every song?

Shouldn't have to if you are using the same instrument for both songs in the Macro.

Although, if you are near one group (melee/caster) and wanted to sing the first song to hit one group, then the second to hit the entire party, you'd have to switch out instruments mid-macro.

Also, along the same vein, you would have to incorporate /equip commands into all of your macros to switch out specific song amplifying instruments to maximize your effectiveness.

Interesting...this bard thing actually has depth.

[Lavarien]

Although, if you are near one group (melee/caster) and wanted to sing the first song to hit one group, then the second to hit the entire party, you'd have to switch out instruments mid-macro.

Which is why, in my first post, I said one Macro for 2 Melee songs and 1 Macro for 2 Mage songs (ie. Minuet/Madrigal for melee, Ballad/whatever for Mages).

If you wanted a Macro for a song to hit all of them, well, you'd have to make a 3rd Macro.

Also, along the same vein, you would have to incorporate /equip commands into all of your macros to switch out specific song amplifying instruments to maximize your effectiveness.

Again, I don't play yet, so I'm not exactly sure which instruments are best for which songs. If there is an instrument that is useful for both songs in the Macro (say a Harp [for example] for Madrigal/Minuet), then you'd only need 1 /equip line at the beginning of the Macro.