Jamba - new feature - Focus / Target Management - DESIGN feedback requested.

[Jafula]

It looks nice, but how will this work in PvP where you constantly get other people attacking you and your priorities of attacking shift? Would I constantly have to smash a button to make the slaves target the right target before they can cast?
[edit] Also I wonder how much you can make use of the RPC library before Blizzard says "this is automation".

It wouldn't work in PVP. You can only set up targets, out of combat. I can only see it being useful for PVE situations; the exception being perhaps Xzin's Arena crowd control target idea above...

Disclaimer: The below is all IMHO...

I wouldn't wonder too much; enjoy the multi-boxing while you can! Everything Jamba uses is legtimate wow api commands that addons are allowed to use. I'm sure Blizzard thought long and hard about what was protected (addons cannot use) and what wasn't.

For instance, Zub's request to automatically set focus to the master is not allowed in an addon; the FocusUnit method is protected. But Blizzard specifically allow out of combat internal macro configuration. So Zub has to press a key (hardware event) to get the focus automatically set to the master. Hope Zub doesn't mind.

Lots of addons use this idea, like, healbot, assistfu to name two off the top of my head. Its limiting as nothing can change in combat; which is what Blizzard's "no automation" intention was.

P.S. Love your avatar image. I've got my d10 out and I'm rolling now; I've generated at least 2 whines! Oh wait... multi-boxing isn't paper and dice, doh!

[lacitpo]

Cool cool

Tonight is my multiboxing night so I'm going to give this all a whirl and see how all these features work out. Promise to provide feedback.

[Jafula]

This is one of those times when I'm sure I'm missing something, but I've thought it through as far as I can bring myself to, and... I don't see the benefit.

<snip>

The only benefit I see of this proposed enhancement to Jamba is that I'll be able to manage targeting through slash commands instead of with keybinds. So long as I'm not in battle.

See? I just know I'm missing something here. What is it ? :S

First of all, thank you for writing out an example play; its great to have one to help one think. And thanks for the criticism, the last thing I need to do is go off track and code up some monster that no one will use...



Having said that, imagine this hypothetical situation:

Let's forget focus for the moment and imagine a 1 warrior and 4 shaman group (no cc). Master is party leader. Pretend, I'm not so good a tank and prefer to click target rather than tab target. I also don't shaman shock to interrupt mob spell casting; because its not macroed up yet. And my AOE totems are not talented and I forget about them on this occasion.

1. I go to BRD with my 1 warrior and 4 shamans. I get up to the Black Vault.
2. The mobs in this area are real social and always pull in groups of 6 (2 elite, 4 normal). The mobs are DangerousRangedHighDps1, DangerousRangedHighDps2, MeleeEasyMob1 MeleeEasyMob2, Elite1, Elite2.
3. Enter combat with the warrior; say by charging Elite1. :whistling: My shamans have stopped following and are some distance back after my charge (still in dps/heal range). Shaman now begin to dps down first /assist mob (DangerousRangedHighDps1). Warrior thunderclapping, sundering away, etc, getting agro. Warriors back is to the shamans.
4. Now when 6 mobs all hit my tank hard; I'm going to need to heal my tank asap; so I do just that with my resto shaman. Resto shaman crits on the heal and gets aggro from two mobs (MeleeEasyMob1 and MeleeEasyMob2), so I'm spinning around, running back to my group trying to click target those mobs that aggroed my healer so I can taunt, sunder, etc them off the healer. But I leave a mob behind (DangerousRangedHighDps2) that also aggros my healer (but I fail to notice).
5. Meanwhile the dps shamans have finished nuking down the DangerousRangedHighDps1 mob and are beginning to get a little titchy.
6. In the heat of the battle, I now /assist my current target (MeleeEasyMob1 or MeleeEasyMob2) that I'm trying to get off my healer and the dps shaman begin to nuke that one down.
7. BUT I really should have had my dps group targetting the DangerousRangedHighDps2 mob; because that one is now nuking my healer to death.
8. Wipe.

Enter Jamba-Target (or whatever).

In this situation I know (caused I wiped here), that I need to kill DangerousRangedHighDps1 and DangerousRangedHighDps2 as fast as possible. But how to target DangerousRangedHighDps2 for /assist dps when I'm busy trying to save the healer? (Remember the tank is not facing towards DangerousRangedHighDps2 and is concentrating hard on saving the healer.)

Jamba-Target provides me with 6 key binds for 6 targets (on each character). On all my characters I bind a key to each of these targets (to keep it simple, NumPad 1-6 map to jamba-target-keybind 1-6).

I get to the step 2 above (the 6 mob stage). On my master, Jamba-Target provides me with 6 "set target" gui clickable buttons (say 1=Star, 2=Circle, 3=Diamond, 4=Triangle, 5=Moon, 6=Square). This buttons use "/jamba settarget" slash commands so you don't have to.

I have a key already bound to a macro on my slaves that says /target master. So I press that key, and all slaves target me.

On my master I now target DangerousRangedHighDps1. I then click the Jamba-Target 1=Star button. Jamba sets raid icon star on DangerousRangedHighDps1. Jamba then goes and bakes into internal target macro 1 "/target DangerousRangedHighDps1"; on all the slave dps characters. Remember this macro is bound to NumPad1.

On my master I now target DangerousRangedHighDps2. I then click the Jamba-Target 2=Circle button. Jamba sets raid icon circle on DangerousRangedHighDps2. Jamba then goes and bakes into internal target macro 2 "/target DangerousRangedHighDps2"; on all the slave dps characters. Remember this macro is bound to NumPad2.

Etc for targets 3 - 6. This is quick to do, as I'm clicking on target1, clicking JambaSetTarget1 button, clicking on target2, clicking JambaSetTarget2, etc.

Before I start combat I press NumPad1 whichs targets DangerousRangedHighDps1 on my slave dps characters. I charge wth my warrior to start combat; etc. When I get to step 6 above, instead of /assist the wrong target, I press NumPad2 which causes my dps slaves to target DangerousRangedHighDps2 and I burn it down. I press Numpad3-6 as I burn through all my targets and need new ones.

Now at any time, if I get a spawn or add in that fight, I can still use the usual target with master and /assist key that you describe in your post. When the add is dealt with; I've got my NumPad4 key to target the Triangle mob; etc.

When combat ends; Jamba automatically clears down the internal target macros ready for next combat.

Does that make sense?
Is this hypothetical situation realistic?
Would this that be useful?

Errrr, focus, oh well... :P

[Tasty]

I was just gonna ask about automation etc etc but as you pointed out if Blizzard didn't want you doing it they'd protect it (imho) Anyways gonna try out your awesome lookin addons when I get home

[Otlecs]

Does that make sense?
Is this hypothetical situation realistic?
Would this that be useful?

Yes, yes and yes.

Now I understand exactly what you're doing. This is all about having an immutable, pre-defined kill sequence, nothing to do with crowd control which is where I went off track (for some inadequately explored reason).

That would indeed be useful, though obviously I never accidentally target the wrong thing with MY team in the heat of battle.... :whistling:

See, I knew I was missing something. Thanks for the very thorough explanation.

[Ken]

It looks nice, but how will this work in PvP where you constantly get other people attacking you and your priorities of attacking shift? Would I constantly have to smash a button to make the slaves target the right target before they can cast?
[edit] Also I wonder how much you can make use of the RPC library before Blizzard says "this is automation".

It wouldn't work in PVP. You can only set up targets, out of combat. I can only see it being useful for PVE situations; the exception being perhaps Xzin's Arena crowd control target idea above...

Disclaimer: The below is all IMHO...

I wouldn't wonder too much; enjoy the multi-boxing while you can! Everything Jamba uses is legtimate wow api commands that addons are allowed to use. I'm sure Blizzard thought long and hard about what was protected (addons cannot use) and what wasn't.

For instance, Zub's request to automatically set focus to the master is not allowed in an addon; the FocusUnit method is protected. But Blizzard specifically allow out of combat internal macro configuration. So Zub has to press a key (hardware event) to get the focus automatically set to the master. Hope Zub doesn't mind.

Lots of addons use this idea, like, healbot, assistfu to name two off the top of my head. Its limiting as nothing can change in combat; which is what Blizzard's "no automation" intention was.

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation.

P.S. Love your avatar image. I've got my d10 out and I'm rolling now; I've generated at least 2 whines! Oh wait... multi-boxing isn't paper and dice, doh!

Ahahaha thanks! :D

[Griznah]

yes yes yes!
I love that option for the Jamba-Target.
BUT! I have question, would the Jamba-Targest be for DPS'ing, or just switching target? And how would it work with Multiple mobs with same name?

[Jafula]

yes yes yes!
I love that option for the Jamba-Target.
BUT! I have question, would the Jamba-Targest be for DPS'ing, or just switching target? And how would it work with Multiple mobs with same name?

Just switching target. Like to keep it simple. So to dps mob1, press JambaTarget1 key, then press your dps button.

My dps button is macro'ed up like:
/cast [target=targettarget,harm][] Lightning Bolt (no focus manifesto)
so the [] fall through clause is what makes this work.

Does that answer you question?

Multiple mobs with the same name are an issue. Its the same issue as manually /target mobname. I'm not 100% sure if I can help this, going to research mob unique identifiers and /targetexact. But as others have said in other threads about this issue, just mash the key until the slaves are all showing the same target.

[Jafula]

Now I understand exactly what you're doing. This is all about having an immutable, pre-defined kill sequence, nothing to do with crowd control which is where I went off track (for some inadequately explored reason).

That would indeed be useful, though obviously I never accidentally target the wrong thing with MY team in the heat of battle.... :whistling:

See, I knew I was missing something. Thanks for the very thorough explanation.

"immutable, pre-defined kill sequence" - such eloquence :love:

TBH, you weren't missing anything as the OP was all about crowd control / focus. Plus your post got me thinking and I've got a nice implementation plan now. As I see it, there are three distinct topics in this thread.

1. Focus (not so useful as you so rightly put);
2. Target (kill sequence - useful for the clickers);
3. Pre-baking macros so you don't have to (for ease of character swapping).

Anyway, this thread has been great and I have a got a lot from it; so thank you all.

[bornmx]

Total <3 for you Jafula, because of the time and effort of setting up addons again i didn't want to give this a try. Last night spent a few hours setting up this along with a few new addons and updated versions of previously installed addons. Im very impressed now im running about 13mb/s for my addons, and thats running questhelper aswell.
Looking forward to updates to come and recommend this to everyone!