10 boxing group feedback

Hey everyone,

I have just recently gotten back into WoW after a several year break. I did some 10-man raid content back in the day and was looking to get back into it.

Software used: ISboxer and Innerspace

Addons: Primarily Jamba as well as the other necessary addons like DBM,dps addon etc

Hardware: I have 4 computers I could use but I'm trying to do all this on 1 computer since my hardware can support it. My main computer is a 6 core (12 processors) I7, 16GB of ram (can upgrade if need be). GTX 980 TI. I tested the 10 box team and it runs smoothly most of the time unless I'm in the middle of Orgrimmar surrounded by players in which I start losing some FPS.

My team: Protection Paladin, Druid (for offtank) specced most of the time for healing or dps, 3 Destro Warlocks, Arcane Mage, 2 Marksman Hunters, Resto Shaman, Holy Priest.

I made a new set of teams since the game has changed so much and I wanted to go back through the old content. Right now both 5 man teams are in Ragefire Chasm at about Level 14. I was able to clear the dungeon at level 13 which is 3 levels below the bosses so the dungeon is now on farm mode.

I use only the basics of ISboxer and primarily run my macros (rotations, movement etc.) from the in-game commands.

My question to everyone is, is the ISboxer setups better than running the macros in game? I am able to take down some of the content reasonably well but I am just starting again so I'm sure the difficulty gets worse.

For instance, what I have noticed is there is no good way to split characters easily without going to individual windows and doing it manually. Doing this during a boss fight will get me killed.

There should be no real difference between running the same macro from ISBoxer to running it through a key press bound to an ingame macro as far as I understand. The main advantage in setting up things in ISBoxer is that you can create a more flexible setup utilizing ATG and FTL mechanics as well as your team being much easier to tweak since you can, for example, edit all your locks at once rather than having to make the same changes in 3 separate game windows.

As far as splitting characters, there are ways. You can setup mapped keys for this exact purpose. However, they require premeditation. I.e. You need to know which characters you'll want to split and how, or just have a bunch of different keys for different situations.

I'm not aware of anyone currently doing a traditional setup and clearing raid bosses. Atleast one has been killed by tank-stacking groups (ie: all blood DK / all prot paladin). That's not to say it's not possible. More so that no one, to my knowledge, has really tried.

Finally I'll just suggest that you might end up needing more RAM. I cap my 16GB at times with 9 characters with not that much running in the background.

Running macros in game vs via ISBoxer basically amounts to a few basic differences:

1. ISBoxer makes it easier to manage your sets of macros vs in-game (IMO) and allows any keybinding to be assigned to them regardless of whether you're out of on-screen buttons.

2. The in-game macro edits will apply immediately vs having to /console reloadui to get the ISBoxer export to apply if you update it while playing.

3. ISBoxer lets you build a single macro that will conditionally include bits based on whether a character matches a name, a slot, or any arbitrary grouping (see: Action Target Groups)

4. ISBoxer macros can exceed the max character limits without needing an explicit addon to enable that. (At least, I think this still applies.)

5. ISBoxer macros can target e.g. {SLOT1} which gets replaced dynamically with that character set's slot 1 character name, meaning you don't have to manually go change everyone's macros when you rearrange the group or create a new group of characters.

I'm sure there are more. I find the ISBoxer include conditionals very powerful and I'm probably not using even half of its capabilities. As an example, this is the first of 6 "Combat" step macros I use in my primary DPS multi-step mapped key.

Code:

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#showtooltip
/stopmacro [flying][noharm][channeling]

!if (character in "Monk" and character in "Tank") /castsequence [nochanneling] reset=combat Keg Smash, Keg Smash, Expel Harm
!if (character in "Monk" and character in "DPS") /castsequence [nochanneling] reset=15 Expel Harm, Tiger Palm, null
!if (character in "Monk" and character in "Healer") /castsequence [@targettarget][@{SLOT1}][] reset=15 renewing mist, null

!if (character in "Hunter") /cast [nopet][@pet,dead] revive pet
#!if (character in "Hunter") /castsequence [@pet,help,exists] reset=8/target misdirection, null
!if (character in "Hunter") /cast [harm] dire beast

#!if (character in "DruidCaster") /castsequence [harm] reset=20/target moonfire, null
!if (character in "DruidCaster") /castsequence [harm] reset=combat/20 starfire, moonfire, starfire, Force of Nature, starsurge, starfire, moonfire, starfire, starfire, starfire, starfire, starfire, starfire, starfire, starfire

!if (character in "PaladinProt") /cast Hammer of Wrath

!if (character in "Warlock") /cast [@pet,dead] summon felguard; [nopet] summon felguard
!if (character in "Mage") /cast [@pet,dead] summon water elemental; [nopet] summon elemental

!if (character in "Warlock") /castsequence [harm] reset=15/target corruption, shadow bolt, drain life, life tap, soul fire, shadow bolt, drain life, soul fire
#!if (character in "Mage") /castsequence [harm] reset=10 frostbolt, ice lance, frostbolt, frostbolt, ice lance, frostfire bolt
!if (character in "Mage") /castsequence reset=5 Arcane Blast,Arcane Blast,Arcane Blast,Arcane Blast,Arcane Barrage

!if (character in "Priest") /castsequence [spec:1] reset=15/target shadow word: pain, archangel, power word: solace, archangel
#!if (character in "Priest") /castsequence [spec:2] reset=15/target shadow word: pain, vampiric touch, mind blast, mind flay, mind flay, mind flay, mind blast, mind flay, mind flay



/startattack
#/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()

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Result for Monk team slot 5 "Combat1" macro:

Code:

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#showtooltip
/stopmacro [flying][noharm][channeling]
/castsequence [nochanneling] reset=combat Keg Smash, Keg Smash, Expel Harm
/castsequence [@targettarget][@Fantazma][] reset=15 renewing mist, null
#!if (character in "Hunter") /castsequence [@pet,help,exists] reset=8/target misdirection, null
#!if (character in "DruidCaster") /castsequence [harm] reset=20/target moonfire, null
#!if (character in "Mage") /castsequence [harm] reset=10 frostbolt, ice lance, frostbolt, frostbolt, ice lance, frostfire bolt
#!if (character in "Priest") /castsequence [spec:2] reset=15/target shadow word: pain, vampiric touch, mind blast, mind flay, mind flay, mind flay, mind blast, mind flay, mind flay
/startattack
#/script UIErrorsFrame:Clear()

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(Yeah, I comment stuff out and leave it in there. It's perhaps inelegant, but it works.)

It's a pretty slick tool. Once you start using the features, you realize how much work you save when you create new characters/classes/groups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wubsie

There should be no real difference between running the same macro from ISBoxer to running it through a key press bound to an ingame macro as far as I understand. The main advantage in setting up things in ISBoxer is that you can create a more flexible setup utilizing ATG and FTL mechanics as well as your team being much easier to tweak since you can, for example, edit all your locks at once rather than having to make the same changes in 3 separate game windows.

As far as splitting characters, there are ways. You can setup mapped keys for this exact purpose. However, they require premeditation. I.e. You need to know which characters you'll want to split and how, or just have a bunch of different keys for different situations.

I'm not aware of anyone currently doing a traditional setup and clearing raid bosses. Atleast one has been killed by tank-stacking groups (ie: all blood DK / all prot paladin). That's not to say it's not possible. More so that no one, to my knowledge, has really tried.

Finally I'll just suggest that you might end up needing more RAM. I cap my 16GB at times with 9 characters with not that much running in the background.

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That makes sense, I kind of knew I might have been doing things the long way, but you really don't know how much work you are saving until you try something new and realize the old way was ineffecient. I think I will spend some time getting to know IS-boxer then. Considering I am constantly changing macros to suit specific raid or dungeon encounters, having a streamline process to do this would really help.

I know there are topics of people downing raid bosses in the past, but it was a long time ago. I am willing to give it a shot. I really love the challenge of downing a new boss with 5-10 characters, most think I'm crazy but it is really fun, the whole point of multi-boxing. A few years ago I was able to down all the bosses in Karazhan but it took awhile and some fancy macros.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I think I will invest some more time to learn ISboxer and who knows what my group will be capable of.