Issue with focustarget.

Howdy guys.

Set up a 5-box setup for the first time a few days ago - single machine, dual monitors, keyclone. The toons are all 29 and doing great. One issue I'm having however is with apparent lag syncing up the focus target. All of my 'slaves' set their focus to the master toon and cast everything with /cast [target=focustarget] - this works great for the most part but if I'm changing targets it seems that almost every time 2 or 3 of them will still be using the old target. This is a going to be a particularly sticky situation with my 5v setup in PVP as I'll need to make sure the targetting is 100% for clutch casts. I have a feeling that this is just the way it is, but am curious if anyone has a solution. I've tried /clearfocus /focus X /cast [target=focustarget] in all of my macros, but this doesn't seem to resolve it either. My next step will be to pick up LUA and look at passing around unitIDs with addons - might even be the start of a comprehensive 5-box addon, but I would prefer to get a few more levels in using what I have first.

thanks

Xeva

Hi Xevs and welcome to the forums!

most likely, that is due to latency.

when on your main, you click a target and probably 'fire' immediately. it could be possible that the clone's request when it arrives at the server, could be ahead of the main's notification of a new target.

so... when the command to send a fireball to focustarget arrives from the clone, the server may still have the old target set for the main.. screwing up your attack.

recommendation? check your latency and take a breath before firing

How about the idea of handing assists with addons? I haven't worked with the WoW LUA/addon API yet, but is there a way to pass an absolute unitid to the clones to set their targets? The code could (in theory) be set up so that a keypress on the clones creates a synchronous request to the main for a target before casting. There would probably still be potential for a little latency here but at least the target would be guaranteed to be correct. Thoughts?

-Xeva

All of the targetting functions in the API are protected. You can't call them.

Yeah, it's definitely a latency thing. Before I applied the TCP patch, this was a lot more noticeable, now I just see it once in a while. Usually when I'm in the middle of a close fight and I'm switching around a lot and need to get stuff deaded.

And yes, unfortunately all the targeting API in LUA is protected and can't be used. It's a shame too, I had some fun plans for it. :)

When you say all of the functions are protected, does that include reading in your current target (or a mouseover target)? Is it also possible then to pass back a variable from an addon into a macro? I'm sure I've seen this before - but maybe not.

You could get the mobs name, thats it. Pass that through an RPC call to the other clients, they could try to match up, but they can't target beyond the scope of the focustarget because ultimately all the targeting is handled the same way.

In fact, the way you are proposing would SLOW the system not speed it up.

As it sits this is the process:

Client A targets, tells server "This is my target"
Server says "OK"
Client B targets ClientATarget - and gets the right target.

The wrong target happens when you try this...

Client A had MobZ targeted, killed it and now Client A and B-E target MobA and ClientATarget respectively.
Client B Tells server "I'm targeting ClientATarget"
Server tells ClientB: That is MobZ
Client A Tells server "This is my target: MobA"
Client C Tells server "I'm targeting ClientATarget"
Server tells Client C "That is MobA"

To do it through a UI mod you would have ONE more back and forth...

Client A targets Mob A
Server acknowledges.
Client A Broadcasts target
Server routes broadcast to other clients
Clients tell server they are targeting Client A's target

Basically you are coding the assist engine a 2nd time, which wont work in the first place because it's protected (As in Blizzard doesn't want you writing a bot)

Once you get used to waiting just a little before attacking, you don't even notice it anymore. At least with a team of casters, it's almost a non-issue, since I can use the time while they're casting to switch targets. You can even get clever and sometimes take advantage of the situation. If something is almost dead, switch targets and immediately use an instant-cast damage spell. Usually half your minions will cast on the old target (killing it), while half are on the new target, distributing the damage more effectively.

Just get used to the delay. In the end, it helps you to think better anyway as it slows you down a bit. (i.e.: Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.) If you work it out right, you can work in some "tweak" movement/etc. in the delay in some cases.

I spam my target button a few times, allways did since I started as I noticed the 'lag' from the first few level 1 mobs I selected... I then got used to it and I don't see it as a bad thing, like others said, it's just there