1x Pala 4 Shaman Macros

[kate]

I've got a few elemental questions if anyone can give me some help:

Right now I use a 3-step process for spamming spells with ISBoxer.
Step one is is bound to an opener type macro. For my shaman, the sequence is Flameshock, then Lavaburst, then Lightning Bolt (for single targets) or Chain Lightning (for multiple targets). Basically it's timed really well to reapply flame shock right when its about to fall off.
Step 2 sends 3 different keys out at once - something like ABC. On the keys bound to ABC I put different cooldowns so that basically as they come up they get fired off. I put Lavaburst on there and various buff spells.
Step 3 also sends 3 different keys out at once - The first thing to get set up is a searing totem dropper, second thing is a macro to step through a few lightning bolts (or chain lightnings) and then Earth Shock for fulminate in a way that should fire it off when I'm guaranteed to have 7 shield charges. The last thing is either regular lightning bolt or chain lightning - basically as a fallback if everything else is on cooldown.

I have 3 different variations of this - one is for single target bosses, one is for bosses with adds so I basically swap out lightning bolt for chain lightning, and one is for AoEing trash down (takes flame-shock out of the equation, doesn't do lava burst, just throws down searing totem and spams chain lightning and trash dies fast).

With that system I'm always guaranteed to be casting something useful and it's working well enough.

But here's my problem: At 85, and honestly not very well geared (mostly in the 377 PVP craftables reforged where possible, 1 or 2 pieces of JP or VP gear, and my weapons are the new 346 inscription staves, a couple of cheap enchants), each shaman is doing about 10-13k DPS during dungeon runs. I have no idea if that's about right given the gear, but it feels a bit low, and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to boost the performance, or if there's any reason the set-up I'm using would reduce my dps (like some kind of weird mechanic I'm not aware of).

My team composition is a paladin, 3x elemental shaman and 1x disc priest. Paladin is contributing about 9-10k DPS, shammies each 10-13k as mentioned, and the priest is doing about 4-6k between DPS spam and healing.

[deadca7]

Unless I'm missing something, they're talents 1 min CD so it would be stuck in the castsequence?

The two aoe talents are 1 min, and the single target talent is 30 sec

I've got a few elemental questions if anyone can give me some help:
SNIP

Does your macros cast Lavaburst when it procs ? Thats the only thing I can think of, since your setup looks kind of the same as mine just with 3 macros.

[zenga]

... and one is for AoEing trash down (takes flame-shock out of the equation, doesn't do lava burst, just throws down searing totem and spams chain lightning and trash dies fast).

There is no reason to waste a gcd on searing totem for aoe, the extra chain lighning will do more damage on trash than searing totem will do, obviously depending on the length of the fight. Reason is that elemental shamans now provide the 10% spellpower buff by default, it's no longer connected to your fire totems.

But here's my problem: At 85, and honestly not very well geared (mostly in the 377 PVP craftables reforged where possible, 1 or 2 pieces of JP or VP gear, and my weapons are the new 346 inscription staves, a couple of cheap enchants), each shaman is doing about 10-13k DPS during dungeon runs. I have no idea if that's about right given the gear, but it feels a bit low, and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to boost the performance, or if there's any reason the set-up I'm using would reduce my dps (like some kind of weird mechanic I'm not aware of).

First off be aware that 10-13k has a 30% range (same as you would say 30 to 40k). If you have shit gear & weapons, all of them non optimized then that sounds about right.

[kate]

There is no reason to waste a gcd on searing totem for aoe, the extra chain lighning will do more damage on trash than searing totem will do, obviously depending on the length of the fight. Reason is that elemental shamans now provide the 10% spellpower buff by default, it's no longer connected to your fire totems.

Good point - I have the totem being dropped out of habit. Changed that up and I can't really tell if it made a difference, but it's a good point.

First off be aware that 10-13k has a 30% range (same as you would say 30 to 40k). If you have shit gear & weapons, all of them non optimized then that sounds about right.

Yep - huge variability is because it really depends on how much movement goes on, how much healing was needed (I distribute emergency healing across the whole team), how many adds vs. single target, hence the wide range. If I have a zero movement fight that requires no healing from my DPSers and has 3-5 targets (so, basically, target dummies) I can hit higher numbers just about 18-20k DPS consistently (pre-5.0.4, so probably a little higher now), but that's completely ideal conditions and so I just don't pay attention to that number.

My thinking is it's probably the non-optimal nature of the gear more than anything, so I will stop feeling bad about it - I just wanted to see if there was more I could squeeze out easily. I mean, heck, I've run LFDs and LFRs with people who put out that little and they're only single-boxing, and they put out so little DPS I have to imagine they're taking a bio break between casts.

And yeah, I'm getting LvB off on cool-down and during procs.

Thanks for the answers!

[Leovindica]

Right now I use a 3-step process for spamming spells with ISBoxer.

Kate,

Could you share your macro's? I'm very curious for this 3 step

Thanks, Leo

[kate]

Kate,

Could you share your macro's? I'm very curious for this 3 step

Thanks, Leo

It's just an ISBoxer keybind - I make a 3-step keybind. Step one presses keys 1, 2 and 3 at the same time, step 2 presses 4,5 and 6, and step 3 presses 7,8 and 9. I set it to go through a step whenever the key is pushed down and another when it is released - that way I'm pretty much always spamming whatever is ready.

The only macros I use in this process are like standard "use all your trinkets, throw your shield" kinds of things for each class.

[Sam DeathWalker]

Kate - is that legal? I would be interested in what Mira and Lax and others would weigh in on that. I can see where its a great idea if its not a violation.

From Kate's web site:

Method 1: Make keys send multiple keystrokes per press.
What I mean by this is that when I press “1″, it sends 123 at the exact same time to every window of WoW. Consequently, when the WoW client receives 123 at the same time, it will only let me do one thing at a time – so, it will try to execute whatever is on my 1 key. If the spell on the 1 key is on cooldown, it will try to execute the 2 key. If the 1 and 2 key spells are on cooldown it will try to cast whatever is on 3, and if all of them are on cooldown it won’t do anything but tell me those spells aren’t ready yet.

[kate]

It's functionally no different than if I just physically pressed the 1 2 and 3 key at the same time. Only one ability gets fired off since the game just ignores the keystrokes that would have triggered things on cool down or abilities after the one that got used.

I asked on these forums and everyone said yeah, it's fine. I totally thought it was a gray area but it seems not.

[Khatovar]

Kate - is that legal? I would be interested in what Mira and Lax and others would weigh in on that. I can see where its a great idea if its not a violation.

It's the same thing that has been preached since Mosq2's DK Manifesto. As to what Lax says, here you go. I swapped to this setup in HotKeyNet a few weeks ago after testing macros on the beta and it's a load easier, since I have very few castsequences to screw with.

[Sam DeathWalker]

Humm I might move to this method also as clearly it has substaintial advantages. Seems a bit grey, but as you say lots are using it with no problems. If Lax say its ok who am I to argue.