Focus Macros not working 100% for me

[AlienChild]

Not sure if this is a known issue or just something I am doing wrong with my macros. I have 2 main problems with focus macros:

Group is Pally + 4xShaman, Keyclone, Jamba

Simple Description:
1. "/cast [target=focustarget,harm,exists][exists,harm] Lightning Bolt" does not always work immediately even if the focus definitely has a target.
2. In some cases if a mob attacks someone or the focus then the alts absolutely refuse to use the focustarget and concentrate on the original attacker.

More Detailed Description:
1. If the Pally(focus) targets a mob explicitly with left click then when I press "1" (the macro key), then "/cast [target=focustarget,harm,exists][exists,harm] Lightning Bolt" works first time every time. If the mob attacks the Pally before he has left clicked on it, then the first time "1" is pressed this spell does not do anything and "1" has to be pressed again for a second time to get the Shaman to cast the spell. This is puzzling me because clearly the Pally has a target.
2. I am a bit more vague about this, but it appears that on occasion the Shaman will absolutely not switch target to the target the Pally is currently targeting. There are 2 main things that seem to trigger this "bug", but not always with 100% reliability - which is frustrating me. If the pally has previously targeted a mob but then decides to target a different mob, sometimes the shaman will refuse to target the new mob at all - even with repeated presses of the /assist focus button, they remain fixated on the original mob. The other situation that seems to trigger this "bug" is if one or more of the shaman get attacked before they have been told to concentrate on a Pally target, they again can become fixated on that mob and will refuse point blank to target the Pally target.

Since I haven't seen any mention of these problems it must be something I am doing wrong, but to me "/assist focus" should work first time, every time.

any ideas?

[Chranny]

I have noticed the same thing with that macro, all I can get from it, is there's some kinda of delay when you switch targets. But it made me go back to /assist macro's nonetheless.

[ElectronDF]

Just my 2 cents. Help and harm check for exists as I understand it. So you don't need to put exists in 90% of the time. The next part that is just me, I don't want my alts attacking anything other than what my main has (I do have one pet attack button that will send the pet at the mob that the alt has selected so I can split up mobs with my pet classes to share damage). So I only use the [target=focus-target] part. If that part isn't true, the alt stands and waits. I have almost never had a problem switching or aquiring targets with my alts. My guess is your alt doesn't see that your main has a target and attacks the one they have. You can see your focus either with a good UI mod (I use x-perl), but there are focus-frame mods that will show you what you have focused. If you use that, you can see what mob your alt sees its focus has selected. Just pick a really crappy mob (so you don't get hurt), select the mob on your main and look at your alt's screen. Without pressing anything, you should see what mob the main has selected (on your focus frame). Then push your macro and see what mob the alt selects. Just remember, changing targets takes time. You select the mob, it goes back to Blizzard (add lag time), then it goes back to your alt (add lag time) and then your alts sees it.
Hope that helps and good luck.

[Simulacra]

there is a lag with using focustarget - change your macros to use targettarget instead and you'll realise you've been boxing in molasses all this time. Also you can then use focus for other things.

Warning : ramble

Back in the early days of boxing wow everyone used focus or assist, then a bright spark came up with the target approach (can't remember who but he was awesome) and quite a few people switched over, then came FTL with an extra layer of complexity though very nice.

I think pretty much everyone agreed that the targettarget approach beat focustarget hands down but people still use focustarget - why? because most if not all the newbie macro examples use focustarget - it's like a freakin virus - there is no reason to use focustarget - if you are using focustarget then you are doing it wrong and you're gimping yourself - everytime you start typing focustarget give yourself a good smack in the head.

reasons to use targettarget:
1 - it's real quick changing target, you never ever keep shooting at your old target when switching
2 - you can now use focus for cc
3 - there is NO 3

reasons not to use targettarget:
1 - you do not understand the benefits of targettarget - go read the reasons to use targettarget until you DO understand
2 - you are using /assist - go for it

link to my blog with targettarget examples for shamans : http://noobwow5boxer.blogspot.com/2000/01/macros-and-addons.html

[Ughmahedhurtz]

there is a lag with using focustarget - change your macros to use targettarget instead and you'll realise you've been boxing in molasses all this time. I'm curious about this claim. Here is how I understand the WoW Client-Server architecture exists today with regards to targets:

If you have your main targeted, then target something else with your main, your alts take 1/4 of a second to a few seconds (depending on latency) to "see" the main's new target.

If you have focus set to your main, then target something else with your main, your alts take 1/4 of a second to a few seconds (depending on latency) to "see" the main's (AKA "focus") new target.

I didn't know there was a bit of difference in terms of "lag" in target status changes between the two as "focus" is a client-only setting which is simply a variable that points to "target," meaning focustarget and targettarget are programmatically identical. Did you have objective results showing something different or was it just a "feel" of it? Not trying to be argumentative but when I've seen both methods work on my setup with no difference in subjective lag, and then see someone calling my method of targeting "doing it wrong" and "gimped," I tend to want to see some objective proof, aside from the obvious caveat about losing focus as a CC-targeting option.

[Simulacra]

there is a lag with using focustarget - change your macros to use targettarget instead and you'll realise you've been boxing in molasses all this time. I'm curious about this claim. Here is how I understand the WoW Client-Server architecture exists today with regards to targets:

If you have your main targeted, then target something else with your main, your alts take 1/4 of a second to a few seconds (depending on latency) to "see" the main's new target.

If you have focus set to your main, then target something else with your main, your alts take 1/4 of a second to a few seconds (depending on latency) to "see" the main's (AKA "focus") new target.

I didn't know there was a bit of difference in terms of "lag" in target status changes between the two as "focus" is a client-only setting which is simply a variable that points to "target," meaning focustarget and targettarget are programmatically identical. Did you have objective results showing something different or was it just a "feel" of it? Not trying to be argumentative but when I've seen both methods work on my setup with no difference in subjective lag, and then see someone calling my method of targeting "doing it wrong" and "gimped," I tend to want to see some objective proof, aside from the obvious caveat about losing focus as a CC-targeting option.I guess it depends on your latency - what's yours? mines 430- out here in 430 land it's noticeable, there's no 'feel' about it, with focustarget I'm shooting the old target, with targettarget I'm shooting the current target - which I guess is objective proof that targettarget is quicker. If it's faster in a high latency environment then it will be faster in a low latency environment as it's inherently faster. At one point this was common knowledge and focustarget was only used for healing/cc where you didn't switch targets quickly.

[Julgas]

[deleted]

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I guess it depends on your latency - what's yours? mines 430- out here in 430 land it's noticeable, there's no 'feel' about it, with focustarget I'm shooting the old target, with targettarget I'm shooting the current target - which I guess is objective proof that targettarget is quicker. If it's faster in a high latency environment then it will be faster in a low latency environment as it's inherently faster. At one point this was common knowledge and focustarget was only used for healing/cc where you didn't switch targets quickly.Hmm. Might be something to it. I'm sitting at 9-13ms latency most of the time, so the only lag I ever see is server-side or when loading a ton of textures (Dalaran). I'm still surprised there's any difference programmatically between the two.

[Simulacra]

I guess it depends on your latency - what's yours? mines 430- out here in 430 land it's noticeable, there's no 'feel' about it, with focustarget I'm shooting the old target, with targettarget I'm shooting the current target - which I guess is objective proof that targettarget is quicker. If it's faster in a high latency environment then it will be faster in a low latency environment as it's inherently faster. At one point this was common knowledge and focustarget was only used for healing/cc where you didn't switch targets quickly.Hmm. Might be something to it. I'm sitting at 9-13ms latency most of the time, so the only lag I ever see is server-side or when loading a ton of textures (Dalaran). I'm still surprised there's any difference programmatically between the two.It's one of those questions where I really wish I knew someone at bizzard lol