Recently, i used to mess around with macros and other Client Extension features and here's what i got.
Right now, my first hotbar totally look like this, 7 of things are being macros that enable certain actions preceded with actual chat output for RP purpose.
Just a big remark before we start. You totally don't need to enter your long-long-long macro command into chat to find out you made a typo and you have to retype it again. Just use that separate chat window CE gives you (/showui opens those additional windows). It allows to copy-paste from your notepad++ or whatever text editor you like.
CE is a powerful thing, but i will only stop on it's macro functions. You all fellow wizards, look no further if you want to easily make yourself several spell presets!
So far, the commands we really need to use are:
1) /spells
2) /feats
3) /memorize X X
4) /feat X
5) /cast X
6) /setmacro X X;X
7) /hotbar X
8) /mspells
How does it all work?
Client extension allows to put sequences of actions (aka macros) on a single hotbar button.
Those macros do appear on your hotbar as buttons with "missing texture".
Basically, default hotbar has 12 buttons per page, so it means:
1: 1-12
2: 13-24
3: 25-36
4: 37-48
And so on.
Frankly, i never managed to make hotbars past 48 work for hotbarred items/spells macro refer to, so if you want something hotbarred for macro (say, a spell or an item), keep it before your hotbar page 5 (<49). But you totally can have macros on hotbars 49-120 and they will work when you press them.
One more limitation is that wands don't seem to work with /hotbar macros, so wand sequence seems to still be a manual thing.
/setmacro has such a syntax ([] are only to show you, they are not required in real command]: "/setmacro [hotbar button command] [action1]; [action2]; [action3];" To infinity and beyond. I totally used to sequence casting 14 spells from a single button, so those limits are quite wide.
Setting an RP chat text and action on one button.
Example 1: RP text and spell.
For this, you either look at your spellbook or type in /spells, which lists all your memorized spells. Don't be scared with something like"Deez's Repulsive Shadow Barrier Metamagic: 00000002", it just stands for extend spell. You will get used to it fast once you learn which number refers to which metamagic.
Example: /setmacro 1 *Yells* FIREBALL!; /cast Spiderskin; *Laughs* Fooled ya!;
How does it look in game?
N.B. Keep in mind that CE doesn't refer to NwN2 standard rounds sequence. So, the above example does actually make you say "Fooled ya" before even starting to cast Spiderskin, because it only queue an action, it doesn't actually wait for it to complete! Thus, i highly recommend to simply have "chat input + spell/action" rather than a sequence of chat inputs, since they all will be sent to chat immediately.
Also, you can use "Spiderskin" or just Spiderskin in the macro, CE understands both even though readme says "" are needed. Keep in mind that spell name must be same as in /spells command or in your spellbook. Those spell names in macro totally are CASE SENSITIVE
Thanks to Kitunenotsume for great addendum!
You can also queue those radial spells (like protection from alignment and energy immunity) with /cast Energy Immunity (Fire) etc. Pay attention to spell names!
This can be mixed in with all your /hotbar N macros, so you can have your evil protection and fire (or w/e) immunity on single button.
Example 2: RP text and a Feat.
For this, we will need to use /feats command to know the proper name of a feat.
See, we have a list of all feats, which may take some time to rummage through.
Trying to do /feat entersomepassivefeathere will do nothing, obviously.
In this particular example, i will show how to use CE with CE (Combat Expertise with Client Extension).
N.B. you MUST type feat names without quotes or they simply won't work. Because, reasons *shrugs*
Example: /setmacro 2 *Changes his stance*; /feat Combat Expertise
Guess what? It won't work. All you get is this:
Why? Who knows. Sadly, i never managed to make it work, but, here is the workaround, just read next example.
So far, i totally made such feats to work: Taunt, Charge, Blinding Strike, Shift Shape. I believe, there are more of those.
Example 3: RP text and a HOTBAR.
Sooo, if you don't like to type in every spell name or your buffs keep reordering and you don't want to fix the macro every time you swap some of your precious spellslots, you can use hotbars. Let's see how we can manage that not working Combat Expertise feat through hotbars.
Simply put your Combat Expertise mode to, say, hotbar 48.
Example: /setmacro 3 *Changes his stance*; /hotbar 48
Sorry, Pharanoiach, now you made a cameo in my guide!Now we got that precious mode button to glow indicating it works.
So, every time you can't make something to work via /cast or /feat, just hotbar it and it will save your day.
For now, it's the most powerful feature of CE since it allows you to queue all the actions you can't with commands. Skills, Feats, modes, long chat rp text or all together, it works. Just remember about hotbars 1-48 and you'll be fine.
Example 4: RP text and a Skill roll.
Sadly, you simply cannot do that with CE. Ooof, i wish we could!
Example 6: RP text and items.
There also is a command /item. Though, /items is DM-only thing, command /item allows to activate items that have "Unique power" or "Unique power:self" items. Since i have no such items, i can't test it. But, the only way to activate item with macro is by putting it on hotbar.
Example 5: RP text and an animations.
Like, even if you have autoanimations, they don't fire properly sometimes (or have no hooks to words).
So you can have /setmacro 5 *leans on the wall*; >A leanwall to deal with it and to also widen your ready-to-click rp opportunities.
For those, you can populate those slots 49-120 since items are not usable by macro's in these anyway.
/mspells
God thanks CE author made it. And thanks to Agog_fr, who initially posted about it on Bgtscc forum here:
viewtopic.php?f=49&t=71088. Typing in all the spells you want with /memorize is sooo tedious.
Just simply do /mspells [button] to get your /memorize ALL MEH BUN FIREBALLS to that button!
But, if you still want to have thingies to be done through /memorize, here how that command works:
/memorize 0 "Spellname" will memorize it to 1st slot of your spellbook. Yeah, it starts from 0, like a proper array!
Also, in this particular command, quotes are mandatory or it won't work.
What about metamagics?
It's as easy as /memorize 0 "Heroism" extend.
Bam, you got an extended heroism to your 4th level slot.
That sounds much like it is. Keep experimenting to get the desired effects and don't hesitate to ask questions, i will surely mess with it to try to help you adjust things up.
Random notes and small things i discovered:
1) Quotes are not necessary in most commands for spell/feat name, but some require them. And Feats REQUIRE no quotes to work.
2) You can sneak with /stealth command, it's built in CE
3) Having macro with /lootall will surely make your looting way faster cause it never leaves items in chest. But, as a small drawback, sometimes it does loot all leftovers you left in chest from 5 minutes before. Yeah, it totally can loot a chest you are not near to, but hey, heads up, it's failsafe, i tested it!
So, if someone tries to use "lootall" command when they looted chest first and you then loot it, they won't get your loot.
4) Just a random advise: If you put some RP text on macros, don't be lazy and change them from time to time, or you will look like those MaA's who shout same things after same actions for months.
5) If a spell/feat/action requires a target, you must select the target before activating macro, or it won't do anything. Spells with choice (protections vs alignment, shadow conjuration etc) will produce their default spell choice (i believe it's vs evil. No idea what's standard for shadow conjuration).
6) Sadly, both "wrong target" and "wrong text" etc give same error, so, sometimes, it's hard to understand if you made a typo or you simply target wrong.
7) Most of your macros related to feats/spells (or even all of them, i didn't try every one in there), even if you type those actions in chat (Say, /feat Knockdown) won't work when polymorphed, so no Knockdowns while running around as a bun.
8) You don't actually need to put spaces between sequences of macros. Say, "/setmacro 11 /hotbar 12;/hotbar 13;/hotbar 14;" works exactly same as "/setmacro 11 /hotbar 12; /hotbar 13; /hotbar 14;".
As a common examples where i use those macros. Could give some idea on the usage:
1) "Blends in shadows" + stealth mode for hips.
2) "Changes his stance" + hotbarred CE
3) "Readies his weapons" + /feat Blinding strike
4) "Makes a rude gesture towards an enemy" + /feat Taunt (feat, not hotbarred skill)
5) "Your magic is mine" + /feat Pilfer Magic
6) /lootall for getting all the loot from a chest
7) /hotbar 17-30 for my hotbarred common wards i use all the time
8) Two hotbars for memorized sets of spells when i hunt solo/ in party
9) A dozen of routine idle chat texts for actions my PC often does. That works well with >A thingie too, btw.
