Mixed Groups

[chaosultimamage]

Okay, so I've only recently started multiboxing, doing dual currently, hope to move to triple soon, but I'm wanting to get used to a few more things first. My biggest problem is I don't understand how you'd do 2 (or more) different classes.

I've done pairs thus far of same classes - warlocks, mages, and rogues. I get these, it makes sense. I press 1, they all shadowbolt / fireball / sinister strike, I press 2, they do the same something else. My rogues I have Eviscerate and Kidney Shot swapped so the target is always stunned, so I can see how stuff like this could work for better synergy. But they're still the same class.

When doing different classes together, how difficult is it? What all do you have to plan for? Is it plausible to do any combination of classes or do some just not work at all for that type of thing?

I'm worried about how cast times, different stat weights, and other things could affect this, but I really want to do more then just two of the same toon.

[Marathon]

When i do different classes I generally set up a dps macro for each class.

Forexample :

/castsequence reset=target Immolate, Corruption, Curse of Agony

each time u press the button it will cast the spell in that order.

Thats pretty basic but I Hope that helps. :thumbsup:

[chaosultimamage]

So you just let them do random stuff?

Or I guess the cast sequence, they will do each of those in time, so you don't have to figure it out.

moar edit:

So, a basic idea would be to create a cast sequence macro for every toon, or at least every slave - you could bind that to several keys or 1 if you spam it more anyway. So, by pressing one key, you'd eventually cast your full rotation assuming your target didn't die. The reset=target resets the sequence on a new target, right?

[kintamago]

/castsequence bound to a button mashing key is gonna be your bread and butter.

Currently, I am running a pally, 3 sham, and resto druid team, with dps and tank keys all bound to a single key using a /castsequence for each, and healing macros on the druid bound to separate keys. The benefits to this are I can smash the dps button and do tanking at the same time, the drawbacks are occasionally doing something you don't want to do.

In addition, if you are planning raiding at all, the /castsequence rotation is not always the best, so keep an easy to grab alternative macro available.

A quick example of how I run tank and dps slave

Main (tank)
/startattack
/castrandom Judgement of Wisdom, Consecration, Hand of Reckoning, Exorcism, Holy Shield

Slaves (dps)
/castsequence [target=main name-target,exists,harm,nodead] reset=4 Flame Shock, Chain Lightning, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt

Hope that helps.

[chaosultimamage]

Yeah, that's what I needed to know. I literally never used macros for anything but messages to party / raid / whatever until I started this, so macros still throw me around a bit.

Thanks much, though more comments, ideas, etc are definitely welcome.

[Marathon]

Dude there are macros for everything.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Making_a_macro

I go to that sight all the time for things. And also check the wiki here for macros as well. Pretty much anything you could ever imagine someone else has probably done so just google it and more than likly you will find it.

:thumbsup:

[Guilo]

I play 2x Pallys and a DK or Shaman. My buddy plays a Shaman/DK/Warrior

The trick is to either A) setup your sequences in macros that overlap keys. You might have a dps macro and a healing macro... remember to put your dps macro on both those keys for toons that are not healing.

The other option. Is to pick abilities with similar cool-downs and bind them to the same key like Crusader Strike and Storm Strike (The old talented version)

[asonimie]

Get used to macros. They are everything. You will soon be a macro guru like us if you continue boxing.

[niknak]

I'm in the same boat you are. Just starting out and I did look around the forums for suggestions. The only issue I have (maybe it isn't one but I'm still new) is that I'm running on a Mac and there is no Keyclone/Maximizer. I'm using CloneKeys which has a great lack of options. It broadcasts my keyboard presses (every single one including emotes, tells, etc) but there is no way to not transmit certain keys.

Anyway, I am currently dual boxing a pair of Mages (Fire spec) and when they reach the level of my priest (on my Main account), I'll be grouping all three together. Like you said, the two mages are easy to set up, having the same spells on the same buttons. But even now, there are differences. Like, I only want 1 of the mages to cast Polymorph for a group pull. And I only need 1 Frost Nova dropped to freeze targets to back up and get some distance.

But adding the Priest (Disc healing spec) will significantly complicate things. The priest will be my main and the group healer. But it will also be doing a little damage spells. So (per suggestions of other posts) I do have separate buttons for healing the group members (that the mages won't use) and are macros. For the most part, all the damage is done by the mages and the Priest is attacking on about 1/2 of those.

For example, here are my key bindings I have planned for the number keys (both at the top of keyboard and the num-pad on the side).
1 Wand (all)
2 Devouring Plague (Priest only)
3 Polymorph (Mage 1)
4 Mana Shield/PW: Shield (self cast, for emergancies)
5 Arcane Missiles/Holy Fire
6 Scorch/Mind Blast
7 Fire Blast
8 Fireball/Smite
9 Pyroblast
0 Frost Nova (Mage 1)
- Shadow Word: Pain (Priest only)
= Health Potion Macro **

I did look at some of the forum posts at various key bindings and read a lot of people using macros (with castsequence) but I guess I just like a little more control over things. And any of this can change once I actually start tri-boxing with the chars and see how things go. (And I do have more keys set and various macros for follow, assist, and buffs, I was just using this as an example.)

As you can see, there are times where everyone is casting something, Priest only spells, Mage only spells, and spells only 1 Mage is casting. In the case where everyone is casting something, I tried to group spells with similar cast times (like Scorch and Mind Blast both have 1.5 sec cast times). The Health Potion Macro is basically a macro that dictates which char takes a Health Pot based on a modifier used (the text of the macro is differant on every char).

Another note is that at lower levels, the chars don't have all these spells. But I'm planning on putting that spell there and will just fill those in as the team progresses.

[d0z3rr]

Hmmm on my mixed group (lock, 2priests, mage, pally) I did not use any fancy macros, just /follow and /target. I guess it's my playstyle but I always hated setting up any type of macro. All I did was bind similiar casting time spells to the same keys. Then I clicked the keys on my tank, it had no binds. Since mages/locks/priests have very similiar spell casting times it was pretty easy.

[chaosultimamage]

ty for all the responses. Definitely a huge help, though I haven't started a mixed group yet, been trying to get different classes to the same level so it'll be less confusing.

@Niknak - I'm not sure about the limitations of Clonekeys but if you want to keep it from broadcasting certain keys, you'll have to unbind them in your Keybindings in-game. For mine, I actually unbound several keys that I did want passed, just not for what they were doing by default. Unbind Enter for starting chat, / for starting chat, R for replying, and the WASD for movement.

[niknak]

For mine, I actually unbound several keys that I did want passed, just not for what they were doing by default. Unbind Enter for starting chat, / for starting chat, R for replying, and the WASD for movement.Is this on all the chars or just the slaves? I'd guess just the slaves because you'd certainly want that capability on the master.

[unseen]

1 Wand (all)
I had this bound all the way to 80. Now I've got it unbound. I just don't have many circumstances where wanding is efficient.

Edit: This might be just because I run warlocks (lifetap + group heal FTW).

[chaosultimamage]

Right, you'd just unbind these on your slaves, since you'll probably want to do these functions on your main. I've been debating unbinding space bar for jump on them too so they don't hop while I'm typing. xD But sometimes they get stuck and jumping is helpful. I dunno, bind it to Ctrl+Shift J or something.


For mine, I actually unbound several keys that I did want passed, just not for what they were doing by default. Unbind Enter for starting chat, / for starting chat, R for replying, and the WASD for movement.Is this on all the chars or just the slaves? I'd guess just the slaves because you'd certainly want that capability on the master.

[niknak]

1 Wand (all)
I had this bound all the way to 80. Now I've got it unbound. I just don't have many circumstances where wanding is efficient.

Edit: This might be just because I run warlocks (lifetap + group heal FTW).
Basically, I use the wand when the mob I'm targeting has less than 1% health and I don't really want to fire 3 spells when 3 wand shots (1 each) is plenty to kill it.

[JU1CYFRU1T]

@ OP,

As has been stated, your BEST option for running a mixed team is going to be a /castsequence macro. Determine what "rotation" you want each toon to run, and then create a macro for it. For Rogues / DKs, where they have two different abilities (building combo points -> finishing moves / Using Runes -> Mana Dump) you can seperate it out into two different spammable sequences

You could go [/castsequence sinister strike, sinister strike, sinister strike] on button 1 and then [Evicerate.... etc] on button 2 (I don't play a rogue, so idk ANYTHING about their actual rotation... this is just an example).

If you are a "control freak", you can then bind each ability to [Shift] + ___. That way, you can have a trash-mob spam button and still be able to have your toons perform specific abilities when you want them to.

@ Person asking about clonekeys

As a Mac user, I can officially say that after TWO years, I have finally found something available on the PC that I CAN'T get an equivalent for on my Mac. I tried using clonedkeys, but the suxor that it was was too mach for me to handle. I broke down and started using Bootcamp so that I can run TRUE MBing software. After only 3 days I am AMAZED that I ran without it. If you can find a way to run Bootcamp with real MB software, DO IT... at least until someone writes a true program for the Mac.

[Bot]

@dozer your sig is too big it messes up the view :)