Rotation advice for 5 class multibox

[ragolas]

K what I'm going to be running is: Prot pally, ele sham, boomkin, lock,and holy priest so I know my priest is macros and the pally is just playing the pally but the 3 dps toons Im looking for macro dps rotations Ive searched around and havent seem to find a preferred one for any of the 3 classes yet also what spec do you advise for the lock?

[Taliesin]

Shaman: Elemental Shaman DPS thread ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=17980')

Druid: Balance Druid DPS thread ('http://www.dual-boxing.com/forums/index.php?page=Thread&postID=202737#post202737')

Warlock: There's 3 DPS possibilities. We would need to know what spec you want.

You should really look in the "Macros and Addons" section for this type of information. There's threads there that touch on these already.

[Greythan]

New boxer using a lock? Go demonology. Felguard is the best/lowest-micro DoT in the warlock's arsenal. :) Just spam shadow bolt and send in pet.

[Baleno]

For the lock u could go felguard/ember,

pet attack
spam incinerate

:thumbup:

[unseen]

Go 0/41/30 for the warlock. It's the best dps spec for heroics at the moment. Throw your curse, corruption and immolate up and then hit incinerate. Refresh dots as necessary. Pet on defensive so he auto-attacks whatever target you have.

Your hits will pack enough punch that you'll be pulling your weight on trash as well as on bosses.

[ragolas]

You should really look in the "Macros and Addons" section for this type of information. There's threads there that touch on these already.You should really read those posts b4 telling me that I should read them, I read them but no conclusin was reached so I was questioning if their was a best for my combo or if a best one was found that no one was sharing on their. Thanks tho for trying to make me look bad.

[Greythan]

Sorry Unseen, but I disagree.

The level of micro necessary to optimize the DPS rotation you outline is signficantly higher for a new multi-boxer versus a straight up /pet attack and /cast shadowbolt.

I think that's a flaw in many of the min/max approaches to single player DPS rotations: they don't always apply to the multi-boxing application as well.

[Greythan]

Easy Ragolas. Tal is a respected poster on these boards. If you had already done research, then you should state that up front in your post including what you'd looked at. Your original post is indistinguishable from the many, "Tell me what to do without me doing any research" types we get here so often.

[wowphreak]

You should really look in the "Macros and Addons" section for this type of information. There's threads there that touch on these already.You should really read those posts b4 telling me that I should read them, I read them but no conclusin was reached so I was questioning if their was a best for my combo or if a best one was found that no one was sharing on their. Thanks tho for trying to make me look bad.

because there are to many variables to be considered to have an ultimate dps macro from being able to deal with the amount of haste yer chars have, to how yeh actually play, to whether or not yeh want to focus on trash dps or boss dps

Try some of the macros and if yeh having a dps problem post on the receptive threads yer spec/armoury and summary of what the issue is.

One thing that I did was work on one chars dps at a time basically used recount picked the lowest dps char, went to a training dummy and tweaked the macros. Every time your haste changes a good amount yeh probably going to have to modify yer macros.

[heffner]

The answer is there is no preferred one. Everyone does something a little differently. There are generally preferred cast sequences, but how they are implemented in a multibox setting is completely different for everyone. Mostly due to procs or spells that require mouse intervention. Also, keep in mind the optimum cast sequence often differs between bosses and trash [and possibly more if you raid or just do heroics].

What I use

My Boomkin:

macro 1 /castsequence Faerie Fire (bunch of commas)
macro 2 /castsequence Insect Swarm (bunch of commas)
macro 3 /use 13
/use 14
/castsequence Moonfire(bunch of commas)
macro 4 /castrandom Wrath, Wrath, Wrath, Starfire, Starfire

I have a single button that clicks all four of these in sequence such that the Faerie Fire, Insect Swarm and Moonfire are only applied after they are about to fade (using commas).

I take the loss on Eclipse procs, which is something I will work toward changing. I have been playing around with the Powerauras and Miks SCT addons to do this (for my mage procs too).

My Shaman:

Macro 1 /cast Elemental Mastery
/use 13
/use 14
/castsequence Flame Shock( bunch of commas)
Macro 2 /castsequence Lava Burst (bunch of commas)
Macro 3 /castrandom Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt (don't really need to do this, but I had chain lightning there but took it out)

Again, I have a macro that clicks all three of those macros and the timing (using commas) is such that Flame Shock and Lava Burst are cast at the approximate appropriate times.

These are not my exact macros, but you get the basic idea of what I am doing. I based my macros on cast sequecne information I obtained from the Elitist Jerks website. It can be difficult to implement the ideal cast sequence without heavy micromanagement due to procs etc.

Anyway, this is the way I do it. It is probably not the best and there are most likely much better ways to do it. I haven't really tested these against other more simple macros or straight spell spam (e.g., like Wrath or Lightning Bolt spam only) to see which provides the best DPS. My current DPS seems to work for ok for me for what I do. Some day I will spend the time to test it all out. It took me several hours to work out my Mage DPS macro and I am still not happy with it. So, some day!!

Info on Spell Rotations

Elemental Shaman spell rotation taken from here ('http://elitistjerks.com/f47/t20914-shaman_elemental/#Spell_Use') .

Rotations
Fixed Rotations
The fixed rotation is based on a set number of spells in a set order. An example of this would be the 8/1 Fireball/Scorch rotation of Fire mages (or Frostfire/Scorch for the Frostfire builds). Generally the rotation will be FS, LvB, CL/LB filler, LvB, CL/LB filler, and repeat. CL can be used 2-4 times in this rotation, depending on cooldown management. CL is useful here in that it can help reduce that "filler" time to allow the next LvB to be cast sooner. Also, with a fixed rotation you are likely to clip 1-2 ticks of the Flame Shock dot. Waiting for Cooldowns
There are two methods of handling the cooldowns in a fixed rotation. The first (No-Wait) is to simply ignore the fact that cooldowns may be coming up soon, and use the best spell available. The advantage is that there is no wasted time, but you may be pushing the next LvB use out past the 8 second cooldown, reducing DPS. Whereas the second method involves waiting for the next cooldown (be it CL or LvB). The downside of waiting for cooldowns is that it is a fine line between wasting too much time, and letting cooldowns go unused. Ideally, the best solution is to swap between the two based on your own judgement. Priority Rotation
In a priority rotation, there is no set cast order (this is a concept that has been used by Shadow Priests for some time now). All you do is use the highest priority spell that is available. Generally, this will be FS>LvB>CL>LB, although it should be noted that Flame Shock should be recast, and clip the last tick, if Lava Burst will be off cooldown and the cast finishes after the DoT expires. Earth Shock
There are some people suggesting that Earth Shock be used in rotations as well, with the ES glyph that reduces the GCD when it is used by 1 second. Currently however, this is not functioning correctly, and reduces the GCD to 1 second instead. Even with this fixed, it is still somewhat dubious as to how much of a gain it will be, especially with the 25 yard range (with talents). Chain Lightning
CL can be used in single target rotations, as it has a slightly higher DPSC (or Damage Per Second Casting) figure than LB. The trade off is that the mana cost is much higher (and disproportiantly so compared to the dps gain). There is also suggestion that using it in place of LB just before the LvB cooldown is up can increase dps as well, and while this is a good point, you would either have to be running a fixed rotation, or be able to discern which spell to use at which point. Generally, I would recommend using a CL in every LvB cooldown that you don't cast FS in, for either fixed or priority rotations, if you want to do this
Boomkin spell rotation taken from here ('http://elitistjerks.com/f73/t59457-moonkin_beginner_guide_updated_3_1_2_a/').


Spell Rotations

The Eclipse Rotation

You will generally operate in a three-step cycle.
1) Pre-eclipse. Cast Wrath until the Eclipse buff appears (have some mod that will make it very obvious when you gain the buff).
2) Eclipse. When you see the buff, finish casting your current Wrath and then cast Starfire for the duration of Eclipse. Note that a Starfire only gains the benefit if it is fully completed while the Eclipse buff is up, so if you only have time for a partial cast, your Eclipse is effectively over (and you'll typically refresh some DoTs here, see below).
3) Post-Eclipse. When Eclipse fades, cast Starfire for the duration of the Eclipse cooldown (you should have a mod to show you the duration of the cooldown). This is also the part of the cycle where you most prefer to cast any spells that are not Wrath or Starfire.

Roughly 1.5 seconds before the Eclipse cooldown ends, begin casting Wrath again. The goal is to have the Wraths start hitting the boss as soon as the cooldown ends, restarting the pre-Eclipse phase of the cycle.

DoTs

The basic principle with DoTs is that you want to maintain high uptime without cutting into your Eclipse time. As a general rule, refresh them anytime they drop and you're not in an Eclipse (there's currently some uncertainty as to whether you want to refresh them during the Eclipse). But once you've been running the cycle for a long time, some rhythms to DoT usage emerge, which I'll try to describe here.

Insect Swarm has a 14s duration, so you can cast it twice during the 15s Eclipse cooldown. Cast it the first time right as Eclipse ends (slightly before Eclipse ends, actually--as soon as there's no longer sufficient time for another Starfire during Eclipse). Cast it the second time immediately before starting your Wraths for the next cycle (this might sometimes clip a tick--try to get comfortable with the timing).

There are generally two ways to handle Moonfire.
1) Refresh it anytime it drops and Eclipse is down. This typically results in casting it once each cycle after Eclipse ends, because it will fall off during the next Eclipse and you will cast it again when that Eclipse ends. If you're unlucky proccing your next Eclipse, it will sometimes fall off during pre-Eclipse--refresh it and continue casting Wrath.
2) Refresh it once at the beginning of the post-Eclipse phase (right after casting your first Insect Swarm) and once at the end (right before casting the second Insect Swarm), clipping the first one. This results in near-100% uptime, at the cost of more frequent refreshing. This cycle is a bit trickier to manage well due to the clipping involved.
If using Glyph of Starfire, I'd recommend #1 (no clipping). If using Glyph of Starfall, both provide roughly equal DPS.

DoT refreshing always requires some improvisation, due to varying luck with Eclipse procs altering the length of your cycle, and interruptions or target switches at a particular encounter. The prior two paragraphs was a description of how things usually work out when you DPSing a single target for a long stretch with no interruptions. When in doubt, remember that your DoTs are high-damage spells and should generally be kept ticking on anything that's going to live for more than a few seconds.

Other spells

Starfall: use this on cooldown against a single target (if there are others mobs in range, remember to make sure it's safe to cast). The best time to use it is during the post-Eclipse phase, as this is when you benefit most from the added Nature's Grace uptime. In AoE situations, try to use it as often as possible on multiple targets.

Force of Nature: use this as many times as possible in a given fight. If you know when Bloodlust/Heroism is coming, try to cast this immediately beforehand (but not if this requires waiting so long that you can't use it as many times during the encounter). As you learn each fight, pay attention to things the kill the Treants and time your cast to avoid them if possible.

Faerie Fire: Unless your raid has both a Shadow Priest and a Feral Druid, keep this on every mob. Even if it does have both, it doesn't particularly hurt to cast this at the pull if you think there's a chance either of the other classes' buffs will ever drop.

[Taliesin]

You should really look in the "Macros and Addons" section for this type of information. There's threads there that touch on these already.You should really read those posts b4 telling me that I should read them, I read them but no conclusin was reached so I was questioning if their was a best for my combo or if a best one was found that no one was sharing on their. Thanks tho for trying to make me look bad.
My post wasn't meant to be a jab at you at all. I was simply making you aware of those threads if you had not seen them already, and just pointing out that you may just be looking in the wrong forum. Your post made it sound like you hadn't found anything that dealt with these DPS rotations.

I have read and contributed to those very threads myself, FYI. :)

As wowphreak and heffner point out here, there usually isn't a perfect macro. Each thread usually has multiple macros given, but it comes down to how you use them. I'm a /castsequence method boxer, so my macros will not be the same for a /click method boxer. Just check out the length of the shaman DPS thread, its been going on forever and still is being discussed. The druid one just got going, and I still have yet to play with it more to post some more ideas there.

[ragolas]

My appologies tal and as far as the warlock goes I mostly bought him in for what he broght to the table.My biggest fear is the boomkin because it soundslike 5 classe it a boomkin the boomkin definatley lacks in the easy mode dps department. I guess anotehr question would be towards my combo then since Ill have to play myself with rotations but right now I will have 7 60s Pally, Priest, Lock, Shaman, druid, Hunter, + 2 of w/e from RAF free bonuses if I level the toons to 30 which doesnt take long at all. Any suggestions which would give me the easiest times? I went for an all caster group with each bringing something but would a mage be a better choicethan a lock or boomkin? Im not really sure I guess Im just looking for advice b4 I get in to far. Im only 60 on half the toons and still have some RL farming to do b4 I see the full team going so its currently just 2 boxing and prepin for xfers and account creations.

[Poetry]

as the warlock goes I mostly bought him in for what he broght to the table
If you're looking for utility from your warlock, another spec to look at is destruction with replenishment, particularly with an all caster group. The rotation isn't super easy to optimize but can do very respectable single target dps.

mage be a better choicethan a lock or boomkin
I personally love having a mage in my group. Free food and ports are wonderful. Unfortunately in my case my warlock and mage are on the same account so I always need to choose between one or the other. Makes me want to start a 6th account!

[Taliesin]

I'm making a note to myself to post my Destruction lock's rotation when I can get back to my PC. I thought the rotation was fairly simple; he is basically a fire mage now. You'll just have to be aware that locks need to life tap (convert life->mana) every once in a while to maintain mana but their rotation will replace the health shortly after (Soul Leech talent), or have a pet out and just steal from them (which means they shouldn't attack or there might not be anything to steal). Plus, the Improved Soul Leech talent will occasionally proc a little mana regen for the whole group/raid.

I tried Affliction, which was great on a boss, but pretty much required a separate macro for trash mobs. Ideally, you want to Seed of Corruption most trash right away, but that's such a nuisance while boxing. Probably better just doing Shadowbolt spam on trash. I should still have his boss macro saved if you're interested in that route. Affliction will also require you to life tap, but has Haunt as it's 51 point talent which is a DoT, DoT damage booster, and heals you when it expires on the target (the visual effects of Haunt are kinda cool too).

I simply didn't try Demonology, as I didn't want to have to mess with pets and worry about maintaining enough shards (i.e. more micromanagement). Greythan can probably give better tips here than I can.

[Vecter]

The answer is there is no preferred one. Everyone does something a little differently. There are generally preferred cast sequences, but how they are implemented in a multibox setting is completely different for everyone. Mostly due to procs or spells that require mouse intervention. Also, keep in mind the optimum cast sequence often differs between bosses and trash [and possibly more if you raid or just do heroics].

What I use

My Boomkin:

macro 1 /castsequence Faerie Fire (bunch of commas)
macro 2 /castsequence Insect Swarm (bunch of commas)
macro 3 /use 13
/use 14
/castsequence Moonfire(bunch of commas)
macro 4 /castrandom Wrath, Wrath, Wrath, Starfire, Starfire

I have a single button that clicks all four of these in sequence such that the Faerie Fire, Insect Swarm and Moonfire are only applied after they are about to fade (using commas).

Great post and full of useful information. Thanks for providing the links to each section as well. :thumbup:

I currently have cat/lock/sham and adding a priest and pally to the team. At the same time I am leveling up a mage as well.

For the current 3 that I was boxing I went through a lot of pain to try to find the best dps I could and in the end I realized it just wasn't worth the amount of time to set it up so I went more in the button spam with the simplest setup. I want to play, not continually fight the extra % of dps I might gain. Sure I may wipe a few more times, but I have fun doing it :D

Note: I strictly PVE and do very little instancing so I would take that into consideration.

[Poetry]

I simply didn't try Demonology, as I didn't want to have to mess with pets and worry about maintaining enough shards (i.e. more micromanagement).
I agree with your feelings on pets.
This is my destro w/ replenishment spec ('http://www.wowarmory.com/talent-calc.xml?cid=9&tal=0000000000000000000000000000032200300030000000 00000000005203205220231051335230351'). I glyphed for Conflagrate, Immolate, and Life Tap.
The rotation I finally settled on is this:


/castsequence reset=combat Curse of the Elements,null
/castsequence reset=combat/target Immolate,Incinerate,Incinerate,Incinerate,Incinera te,Incinerate,Life Tap(Rank 1)
/castrandom Chaos Bolt,Conflagrate
/use 13
/use 14

My warlock can do surprisingly good dps with a mix of blues (not even good blues) and 5 man heroic epics with this rotation.
And don't forget to apply your Firestone :)

[Taliesin]

Poetry, nice spec, should be good for raiding as well since you'll want the imp out anyways for the stam buff. A good imp is a Destro Lock's best friend. :)

Just a couple comments to think about.

The Suppression talent is pretty huge in the Affliction tree for the +3% hit if you aren't hit capped for the content you are doing (+6% for heroics, +9-10% for raiding assuming good class diversity in the raid). People just starting 80 content may want to have it until their gear makes it obsolete. You could sacrifice points here and there, like the 2/3 in Demonic Embrace from Demonology, to throw over there which would hardly be noticed (Edit: Doh, just noticed that was needed for the Demonic Aegis talent).

Also, the Improved Shadow Bolt talent in the Destruction tree for the +5% crit buff (technically debuff to target, I guess) can be just as huge for those people that don't often run with others classes that would apply +crit bonuses, like shaman Totem of Wrath (which is only +3% crit however). If you read the talent carefully, it doesn't limit the crit to only the caster. This one is just as situational, though.


Late Edit:

My warlock was a bit dusty when I pulled him out. His rotation was still built on the principle that Conflagrate was best used with less than 5 seconds on Immolate for maximum damage, which is recently no longer necessary. The only difference really from Poetry's rotation was that I had a Shadow Bolt (talented) at the start for the crit bonus, and used a higher rank of Life Tap (glyphed Incinerate instead of Life Tap). And, unfortunately, I guess I overwrote the Affliction rotation with the new Destruction rotation. Wish I had saved that in case I ever went back.