[Jamba] The strobing follow question

[Altsoba]

This subject has been raised over and over on the forums here. It doesn't come from IS but from Jamba strobing. I prefer to have strobing because it keeps my guys always facing the same direction which is really important in PvP specially arenas. My PvE setups I set it up without strobe. I think it happens when the Master (main) switches because frequently I see that the display team option of show on master only doesn't activate on main window but continue on a slave. When I go to Jamba it also show that my current main isn't the current Master, so there's a problem.
The worst part is that it happens sometimes but most of the time it doesn't and I cannot really replicate the (supposed) bug.
I saw Ualaa mentioning in some other post that one possible fix is to put strobe +3s. I'll try that.

But meanwhile, does anyone have another solution? Would it be possible to somehow create a strobe in IS?
I guess you could do some sort of /follow (not sure what kind of command would do it though) as one step of all or some (the needed ones) keymaps but that wouldn't solve situations when you just use mouse to move.

Another question, is it essential to have strobe follow when playiçng melee teams? Or IWT is enough?

Forgot to mention that it happens in both versions of Jamba.

Thank you all in advance.

[Ualaa]

Strobe follow, is essentially hitting your a /follow Master command, every few seconds.

You could add something similar to your mapped keys.
Create a new mapped key, something like: FTL Target Me + /Follow.
Then have each of your regular mapped keys also run this keymap.
Not sure if that is an elegant solution, more along a brute force method.

When I run a tank toon, or a melee dps, and have strobe enabled.
And then switch to a different toon, quite frequently in melee the toons start to follow the first toon I had enabled strobe with.
It doesn't happen all the time, and is not a bug I can reproduce at will.
Another poster suggested reducing the frequency in seconds of the strobe, to at least 3 seconds or less frequently.
This is not a 100% fix for me, but I'm not running many melee toons, so its not a huge issue either.

Strobe or repeated follows, is the desired action, when you are moving from A to B and wish to re-establish follow.
It is very useful with melee toons, who will break follow from melee.
But who will then reacquire their follow target shortly after combat.

IWT is more important then strobe, at least while the combat is taking place.
You would prefer your melee to be on the target, rather then close to the team master (who might not be close to the target).
But having strobe initiate a follow, which was broken by combat, is a very nice feature.

Ideally, you'd want both IWT and Strobe or regular follow commands.

I've seen a lot of people post issues with Jamba Strobe, since 3.3.
Not sure if there was a change in Jamba.
Or if it is a change to the Blizzard API for follow.
So far the threads are in regards to IS Boxer and Keyclone here.
As well as PB (the software we're not supposed to mention) on their site.
With it affecting three different boxing options, I'd tend to think it is software independent.
But not really sure of a fix.
I do plan on 5x melee Worgen in Cataclysm, so a fix would be wonderful.

[Lax]

Another question, is it essential to have strobe follow when playiçng melee teams? Or IWT is enough?
I'm on my second all-melee team, I do lots of wotlk heroics, and I use neither IWT nor follow strobing. If I need to reposition I have a follow key that is right by my primary DPS key (and my Assist key, since I don't use auto-assisting either except for vehicle fights). You can watch my video stream for a few minutes if you want to see what I do and how it works out for me. (go to isboxer.com and click ISBoxer Live! on the left)

By comparison, strobing would offer me no benefit while IWT would be very likely to improve my handling of various encounters. For example, handling Fear would be easier with IWT becuase I would not need to run my tank close enough to auto-follow again, nor switch to the guy to run him back manually. Strobing can't offer that because it's no different than me hitting my follow key

[Sin Saint]

But meanwhile, does anyone have another solution?

I use macros to switch my "master" and "slave" toons. Those macros keybinds also switch picture in picture. Each character has 5 macros. I added /jamba-team iammaster all to my master macros and /jamba-follow master to all of my slave macros. This seems to have worked.


my macros look like this

(master macro, one on each toon)
/clearfocus
/script SetBinding("W", "MOVEFORWARD")
/script SetBinding("A", "TURNLEFT")
/script SetBinding("S", "MOVEBACKWARD")
/script SetBinding("D", "TURNRIGHT")
/script SaveBindings(1)
/jamba-team iammaster all
/jamba-follow strobeonme all
/console autointeract 0

(slave macros, 4 on each toon)
/focus ToonName
/script SetBinding("W", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("A", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("S", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("D", "MACRO Follow")
/script SaveBindings(1)
/console autointeract 1
/jamba-follow master

[Altsoba]

I use macros to switch my "master" and "slave" toons. Those macros keybinds also switch picture in picture. Each character has 5 macros. I added /jamba-team iammaster all to my master macros and /jamba-follow master to all of my slave macros. This seems to have worked.


my macros look like this

(master macro, one on each toon)
/clearfocus
/script SetBinding("W", "MOVEFORWARD")
/script SetBinding("A", "TURNLEFT")
/script SetBinding("S", "MOVEBACKWARD")
/script SetBinding("D", "TURNRIGHT")
/script SaveBindings(1)
/jamba-team iammaster all
/jamba-follow strobeonme all
/console autointeract 0

(slave macros, 4 on each toon)
/focus ToonName
/script SetBinding("W", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("A", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("S", "MACRO Follow")
/script SetBinding("D", "MACRO Follow")
/script SaveBindings(1)
/console autointeract 1
/jamba-follow master


Are those IS commands to switch master/client using the "native" ftl?

[Sin Saint]

Nope, they are jamba commands. I havent tried an ftl setup yet.

[Altsoba]

Nope, they are jamba commands. I havent tried an ftl setup yet.
So, if that can be put into a macro, with IS we can execute it when we change window I think.

Anyone knows how strobe works exactly, I mean how is it performed? Is it a macro? Is it spammed?
Is it a secret? :p

[Akoko]

On the jamba website it says that masters cannot be switched in combat properly. Perhaps this is the problem you're having?
I'm also pretty sure you can't change keybindings via macro in combat either. That's why I no longer use that method for switching WASD and I compromise with do-not-pass in Keyclone.

[Fizzler]

First rule of Follow Strobe we do not talk about follow strobe :)

Seriously though I do not use follow strobe anymore but it is a very handy feature. At the same time I have often wondered if it is a TOS violation. I have no idea how it does what it does so I can not speak intelligently on the subject.... but seems to never stop me from commenting :)

[Ualaa]

Pretty much, an addon can only do what the Blizzard API allows it to do.
So it shouldn't be a ToS violation.

Blizzard has in the past, changed what can be accomplished with an addon, by changing their API.
The original Decursive, which would choose the correct decurse to use and choose the correct target as well, merely from spamming the button... comes to mind.

I would assume, Strobe follow is repeated /follow commands, looping every "x" seconds.



Quite a few of us are having the issue with Strobe on.
However, we are not switching strobe during combat.

Basically, run along with a melee toon or several in the team.
Strobe enabled.
Target something, kill it, loot, move on to the next.
With strobe initiating follow after the battle.
Repeat until the collection portion is done.

Out of combat, switch to the next toon.
Enable strobe on the second toon (new jamba master).
Engage in combat again, and suddently the current/new master tries to follow the original master.
Leader was changed, well before the combat -- no one was in combat at the time the leader was switched.

[Fizzler]

Engage in combat again, and suddently the current/new master tries to follow the original master.
Leader was changed, well before the combat -- no one was in combat at the time the leader was switched.

Yeah this was a huge issue for me. Even increasing the strobe time to 3 seconds did not fix the issue. I have since shed the crutch that is strobe follow which has actually improved my play style. I do miss it when I am feared it was nice not having to spam /follow while trying to gather everyone up. I am working on my IWT skills to make up for this.

[Ualaa]

Of all things Jamba does, strobe follow is the most likely to be removed from the API.
Sure you have to control the main, but the slaves automatically follow without input from us, at least aside from turning the strobe on.

I really like strobe, for a team with any melee toons, for right after the combat ends.
But its easy enough to make a habit of hitting your /follow key.
We can even add /follow to a lot of other actions, such as getting on the mount or whatever.

It took a while, but I'm used to disabling repeater/keymaps now, to type.. similar to hitting pause with keyclone before typing.
Another habit won't take too long to learn.