/target=focus target VS /assist focus

[Dzonatan]

If there was a thread like this then sorry. Please link me to it if it happens to have an awser im looking for.

Since I started MBing I tend to use

/Focus Dzonatan (my main)
/assist focus
/follow focus

but everyone in a while I bump into a problem with is that sometimes I need to press that macro in order to make all of my slaves target designeted NPC or mob. Since then I was wondering if /target=focustarget is somehow superior towards /assist focus or is it just some sort of latency problem? If not that can some experienced user could explain in details with of those macro's commands differ?

[Solon]

Most of us have [target=focustarget] in our macros so we can cast certain abilities on our focus' target without switching the current target. It also helps to avoid that irritating "why did dumbass just hit that other mob when I'm busy with these 7?" It also allows for followthrough commands.

/cast [target=focustarget,help,nodead][target=focus,help,nodead][target=player] flash of light

casts FoL on your focus' target if it is friendly and not dead, if those conditions don't exist (no focus, focus has no target, focus' target is dead or enemy), it will cast on the slaves' focus unless those conditions don't exist, where it will cast on the slave (this last can be eliminated if you have self-cast checked in interface tab).

[ElectronDF]

Here are my thoughts. I was scared of just using /target CharName. It just seemed a little messy, since guess what right after that you have to use /assist. Why not just put in /assist CharName. Then I started a second team and realized, I didn't want names in my macros. Also, I didn't want targets in my macros either, since an alt would accidentally attack a mob that attacked it if its main target dies. So I switched to [target=focus-target] for DPS and [target=focus-target-target] for heals. No thinking, no guessing, no button mashing, no nothing, just attack and heal. Your alts can never attack a random mob. They can't have pets go run off and pick up adds. They just do only what the main tells them. Also, no mob on the main, no attack. Which to me is nice. What if I accidentally pick a friendly on my main and then /assist, oops, all my alts can now, not attack. What if I pick a totem (destroyable item) on my main, the alts kill it, but then they have no target to attack. In my mind I would spend about 10-20% of the fight actually having to worry about what my alts have targeted. With [target=focus-target], I don't even think about it. Just attack and go.

Everyone has their own playstyle. One way is probably not better than the other. It is just waht you are used to. Things that can affect your targeting, latency, time from when you pick a target on your main until you push an attack button, and if your macros have too many conditions (harm, dead, etc). In real terms, you probably only change targets 2-4 times in a fight, about 8 secs apart. So that isn't changing targets that much, just give it time for your main's choice to get registered by Blizzard and sent back to your alts (like 1 sec or so).

[Ughmahedhurtz]

but everyone in a while I bump into a problem with is that sometimes I need to press that macro in order to make all of my slaves target designeted NPC or mob. Since then I was wondering if /target=focustarget is somehow superior towards /assist focus or is it just some sort of latency problem? If not that can some experienced user could explain in details with of those macro's commands differ?Those two commands are functionally identical. So is /cast [target=focustarget] <spell>. They all use exactly the same targeting mechanics and have the same latency when switching targets. The only difference, as Solon noted, is that /cast [target=focustarget] <spell> allows you to specify certain spells to be targeted at your main's target regardless of what your alt's current target is, so you can use targeting for something else, like CC or healing.

[Ualaa]

Just for arguements sake, I'll break assist methods down to two categories.

Type A:
#show
/cast [target=focustarget] Lightning Bolt

#showtooltip
/cast [target=party1target] Lightning Bolt

#show
/cast [target=focus] Lightning Bolt

#show
/cast [target=targettarget] Lightning Bolt

#show
/targetlastenemy
/cast [target=party1target] Lightning Bolt
/cleartarget



Type B:
#show
/assist [target=focus]
/cast Lightning Bolt

#show
/assist [target=party1]
/cast Lightning Bolt

#showtooltip
/tar [target=focus]
/cast Lightning Bolt

#show
/assist
/cast Lightning Bolt

#show
/targetlastenemy
/assist [target=party1]
/cast Lightning Bolt
/cleartarget


Not a whole lot of difference between any of these. Each uses the assist method of your choice.
In the type A examples, your slaves cast at the target of your choice without ever selecting that target.
In the type B examples, your slaves are targeting whatever you have chosen them to cast at.

Type A is generally very useful in PvE to ensure before a pull they're on the right target.
Type B is generally better for PvP, as the opposition has no clue what you're going for next.

[Dzonatan]

Thanks for those usefull posts. Im slowly thinking of changing my macro from

/focus main
/assist focus
/follow focus

to

/focus main
/target=focus-target
/follow focus

[DrChaos]

I had a macro at one time that im sure i found here that would let me click on the target on my main, hit one key and they would target it to. then after the fight i would hit the same key to make them follow again. The key here was that I only had to hit the key once to set everyone to the target i was gonna kill. now i have to hit the button twice to get everyone to target. I think im using

/assist main
/follow main

[elsegundo]

Thanks for those usefull posts. Im slowly thinking of changing my macro from

/focus main
/assist focus
/follow focus

to

/focus main
/target=focus-target
/follow focusThese do essentially the same thing. it doesnt really matter which. what is more important is how they are used in combat. some of the above posts have pointed this out. i hope you're not missing those gems of information.

[Ualaa]

The macro's are similar, but very different on one point.

If you assist a toon, party leader or focus, your slaves are visibly targeting something.
If you just cast at a toon's target, the leader's target or the focus's target, the slaves don't need to target anything.

The first case is a lot easier to debug having a slave accidently pull something you didn't want.

The second case is a ton stronger in PvP, because opponents cannot see what you're attacking unless they target the brain toon. You can have all of the slaves target the priest, but the main targets the druid. They might put pain suppression on the Priest. The second is much more deceptive from pvp point of view.

[Coltimar]

But you still need to have a target for things like wanding and channeling spells, right? I didn't see anything come down the pike that changed this.

[ElectronDF]

You need a target for auto-shot, wanding, channeling, and auto-attack. I don't want to sound like I never use /assist. I do. I just don't use it as my only way to target mobs. I use it at the start and then 90% of my spells use [target=focus-target] so they go off on who I tell it to, not whoever they want to. It might sound redundant, but to me, /assist is for auto-something mostly. If someone (my tank for instance) auto attacks someone else, no biggie, if his sunder goes off on a random mob, that kinda stinks. If my locks accidentally melee a mob they aren't supposed to, I don't really care, but if they put a DOT on a mob they weren't supposed to, that makes things worse. If my hunters auto-shot a mob for a few seconds, my tenacity thunderstomping bears don't mind, but if they continually put a arcane shot up a mobs butt that they aren't supposed to, it makes things worse. So you can /assist all you want, I just try to teach/help that having a designated target for bigger spells/actions. Just my 2cents.

[EvoX]

I'm curious whether I'm missing out on anything here with the lack of using "focus". I make a macro named "Follower" and place it in all the alts' toolbars (key 3). My main has toolbar slot 3 empty. Key 2 is my opening attack and 4, 5 and 6 are for Ranged special, Melee special, and Nuke respectively. I use WASD to control the Main and unbind those keys on the alts. I bound the the arrow keys to control their movement instead (whenever its necessary) or move to an alt's screen and use both mouse buttons to walk/steer/position an individual alt. Per your example, my alts' Follow macro would be:

"Follower":
/assist Dzonatan
/follow Dzonatan
/assist Dzonatan

I've kept it short and simple like this, mainly because I'm still realtively new to the game, and haven't been able to dedicate a black Tuesday yet toward learning more about macros. I see that DrChaos posted about this earlier, but I thought I would expand on it to show my movement setups. Also, I discovered that adding another /assist to the beginning of the macro nearly eliminated the problem of my alts not always targeting my main's target.

[Ualaa]

I was using the Party Leader system.

I've switched to the Target=TargetTarget system.

Another relatively easy targeting/assist system is the use of Focus.

A more complicated system is FTL, much harder then these previous three to set up, but very strong once its up and running.




The Focus system has to be the easiest to set up.

Every toon has a button to focus every other toon. Put these buttons on the same wow keybind as your PiP swap keybind for your software broadcast program (Keyclone or another program). When you click to control Toon 4, all toons make toon 4 their focus.

All your spells or attacks are either... /cast [target=FocusTarget]... or /assist Focus.. and /cast Whatever.

This is incredibly fast to set up, but you lose the use of Focus for other things.




Party Leader has a control key, bound the same as the PiP keys.

The control key on the toon that is becoming leader pages them to the second bar. On the toons not becoming leader, it pages them to the first action bar -and- promotes the new leader to party leader. First action bar is similar to the second, except that it assists Party1. Second bar has the same spells but no form of assist. So any toon can lead, and won't try to assist when leading.

This is almost as simple to set up as Focus, but wastes a second action bar. The trade off is your focus is free for pvp or crowd control.

This is a PvE system, it does not work for Battleground PvP anymore. It is fine in world pvp or arena, although FTL is far superior in arena.




Target=TargetTarget is another system.

The "No Focus Manifesto" on these forums explains it very well.

Essentially you have a Big Button, which targets your toons in a specific order based on if they're alive. It has a default, where if they're all dead it targets the first toon. The big button includes follow, but does not have to.

So the slaves are now targeting the main toon. If this toon dies, you go to window 2, and press the big button again, down to your last toon.

The target of their spells, is the target of their target. So whoever the brain targets, the slaves are casting at.

If you wish to Wand, or have a Channeled spell, or are using Hunters (auto shot) or Melee (with Click to Move + Interact with Target), you'd preface the attack sequence with.. /assist. This has the toon actually target the Brain's Target.

Any other time, your alts target the Brain, which hides what they're planning to do.




Anyway, these assist methods are a bit off-topic to the original thread, but reply to the new boxer, in the post immediately previous to mine.

Whatever system you use, you can assist the Brain, to acquire a target. Or you can cast at the brain's target without acquiring that target for your target.

[Dzonatan]

Most of us have [target=focustarget] in our macros so we can cast certain abilities on our focus' target without switching the current target. It also helps to avoid that irritating "why did dumbass just hit that other mob when I'm busy with these 7?" It also allows for followthrough commands.

/cast [target=focustarget,help,nodead][target=focus,help,nodead][target=player] flash of light

casts FoL on your focus' target if it is friendly and not dead, if those conditions don't exist (no focus, focus has no target, focus' target is dead or enemy), it will cast on the slaves' focus unless those conditions don't exist, where it will cast on the slave (this last can be eliminated if you have self-cast checked in interface tab).Perhaps its late to say it now but I thank you very much for this macro. Im very bad with them and this one proves to be very usefull. I was testing it right now and it camed out really good. Im looking foward to using it in my first DM run.

[JU1CYFRU1T]

Okay... I am learn the correct way to put these macros into my buttons, but I am not 100% sure that I am reading correctly so I will use examples.

If I wanted to use this macro (found here in one of the threads... not my macro) on ONLY my main's target, I would change it from this:

/castsequence reset=target Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike
To this:

/castsequence [target=focus-target] reset=target Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike
Is that correct? Did I insert the target section into the correct spot, or would it be easer to have the macro read

/cast [target=focus-target]
/castsequence reset=target Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike
I am a TOTAL macro noob, and I am trying to do my own research, but I don't understand where (exactly) to put the targeting modifier for my dps. The healing would go in the same place, just using [target=focus-target-target] instead.... right?

I have a macro that I found on TenTonHammer that uses a modifier to set the Focus, and then pushing the button sets my assist (can't find it now... at work) Am I thinking about this correctly, or am I missing something basic?

[Ughmahedhurtz]

There's no dash in focustarget. Just all one word. Also, if you're using [target=focustarget], unless you /assist your focus, the "reset=target" will NEVER be true as it only fires on the character actually changing targets. Implied targets do not count.

You can do it a few ways:

/castsequence [target=focustarget] reset=5/combat Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike

/assist focus
/stopmacro [noharm][dead]
/castsequence reset=target/5/combat Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike

/target [target=focustarget]
/stopmacro [noharm][dead]
/castsequence reset=target/5/combat Icy Touch, Plague Strike, Blood Strike, Blood Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike, Scourge Strike

Hope that helps. ;)

[Moorea]

I use /assist focus bound to a key each time I change target (bound to F for me) and then all my casts keys are normal with no [target]...whatever specified; they do have reset=target for castsequences and those work - I'm not sure why it needs to be more complicated than that ?
(my other key I tend to spam is , which is set to /follow focus)

My current 'main' is my focus

[Otlecs]

It's ultimately personal preference, but there are definite advantages to having the current kill target as an actual target.

The most compelling for me is the ability to deliberately attack a target other than the main's target.

I often run around looting with the main while the drones keep killing, or swap targets to generate threat and I want the DPS to continue on the kill target.

Then there's the ability to use the reset=target macro construct and the shiny new interact with target.

Oh, and the fact that I don't need to make a macro for every single damn spell I ever use!

I've never used focus for anything other than secondary abilities like pet tanking (where I can assign a different target to each hunter / warlock) and sheeping.

So, my system is - and always has been - based entirely around follow and assist. I wouldn't change it for the world - it's really not hard just to do a quick visual on the party targets to make sure they all have the right raid icon when you really do want focussed fire :)

[ElectronDF]

There's no dash in focustarget. Just all one word.

Other people put 20 conditions on one line.....[options1][options2][options3][] Spell1; Spell2. I like to put them on seperate lines so you can see exactly what is going on and you can see the choices being taken. I am not a condenser I guess.
/cast [options1] Spell1
/cast [options2] Spell1
/cast [options3] Spell1
/cast Spell2
Also you can and don't have to put in dashes in targets. [target=focus-target-target-target-target] is the same with or without the dashes. But to me, it is easier to read with them. Everyone has their own personality. I just like to be able for my stuff to be read and understood by newbies without trying. No knowing this should do this, or this will make it do that. Just type in what seems like it makes sense.

[Multibocks]

Here are my thoughts. I was scared of just using /target CharName. It just seemed a little messy, since guess what right after that you have to use /assist. Why not just put in /assist CharName. Then I started a second team and realized, I didn't want names in my macros. Also, I didn't want targets in my macros either, since an alt would accidentally attack a mob that attacked it if its main target dies. So I switched to [target=focus-target] for DPS and [target=focus-target-target] for heals. No thinking, no guessing, no button mashing, no nothing, just attack and heal. Your alts can never attack a random mob. They can't have pets go run off and pick up adds. They just do only what the main tells them. Also, no mob on the main, no attack. Which to me is nice. What if I accidentally pick a friendly on my main and then /assist, oops, all my alts can now, not attack. What if I pick a totem (destroyable item) on my main, the alts kill it, but then they have no target to attack. In my mind I would spend about 10-20% of the fight actually having to worry about what my alts have targeted. With [target=focus-target], I don't even think about it. Just attack and go.

Everyone has their own playstyle. One way is probably not better than the other. It is just waht you are used to. Things that can affect your targeting, latency, time from when you pick a target on your main until you push an attack button, and if your macros have too many conditions (harm, dead, etc). In real terms, you probably only change targets 2-4 times in a fight, about 8 secs apart. So that isn't changing targets that much, just give it time for your main's choice to get registered by Blizzard and sent back to your alts (like 1 sec or so).

I just want to point out that I am using this system and it can still fail. Of course its more of my own failure than the targeting system. If you are a melee group and you are running up to a mob and hit your target attack, if you had anything else targetted a half second before, that is what the slaves will cast on, since the focus didnt update yet. It only happens once in a while, but it does happen. Melee classes its not such a big deal, but on my hunter group it annoys the crap out of me. I have to remember to target something and then wait .5 secs before making them all attack. That or just not have anything targeted until you are ready to start. I tend to click on targets a lot and it seems to cause havoc with a focustarget system. 8|