I was amazed to read that parts of the docs seem more interesting to review than the code itself. But, yes, it is true, the macro part *was* a pain. That is the reason why you should avoid them or be very careful. The problem with confusing error messages also applies to templates. If you don't like it, the only possibility is to avoid both of them or better avoid C/C++ entirely.
Writing manual mocks is the usual case for me as well. But there are also frequently situations where it is better to use a framework that covers certain tasks in a consistent manner.
There is no big use in reinventing wheels, especially if you have to understand all the other wheels.