CC macros while using Focus targetting...

[XSync]

I am only average at best at macroing, but when you set your main as focus target, how do you go about setting up your poly targetting etc? I know im not asking this question very well, but I had seen a post by Xzin about focus poly'n adds. Not sure how you would macro that kind of 1 button switch target, poly/cc and back to focus target on main kinda thing. any help with this would be great!

[maqz]

The easiest would probably be to target the mob with your main, then casting "/cast [target=focustarget,harm] Polymorph". If you need to sheep again, you would have to target with your main again and do it again.

If you wanted something more advanced, that could remember what target to sheep, then you're out of luck I think. There was a thread a while ago exploring some options of freeing up focus for CC.

Focus-free assist

[Lokked]

If you are using focus targetting off your main, then you still have 1 unused resource for targetting for things like CC, etc...

Regular targetting

When you use /cast [target=focustarget] XXX your char does not actually take a target. So use this knowledge to implement a CC targetting scheme!

Hint: You can create macros to have your mage/whatever actually target the mob you want to CC, then simply /cast [target=target,nodead,harm] Polymorph/Etc...

So the mage will CC his actual target, and nuke the focustarget!

Lokked

[kllrwlf]

I have 5 buttons.

1- /assist main
2 - /assist toon2 (in case the main dies)
3 - /assist toon3 (in case main and toon2 dies)
4 - /assist toon4 (in case main, toon2 and toon3 dies)
5 - /assist toon5 (in case main, toon2, toon3 and toon4 dies)

My usual fights just require that hit button 1 to have a target that I want to attack. All other spell keys just casts the appropriate spells and doesn't need a macro made.
If my main dies, I hit button 2, and all the other same spell keys just cast the appropriate spells.. etc.

This allows me to use focus for sheeps. Having 3 mages means that I can sheep 3 mobs. If it breaks, or if the timer runs out, I just hit the "/target focus sheep" button for all 3 mages, and all 3 mobs (or less if I killed any) gets sheeped again without losing my primary target.

I used to use /focus and I personally don't know the advantage of using /focus over /assist [main].

One disadvantage that I see for the "/cast [target=focustarget] XXX" will always attack the focus' target. With having a button only to /assist [main], I can have my 4 alts finish up a mob, while my main is attacking and gaining agro from another mob. When the mob dies from the 4 alts, I hit the /assist [main] button, they all target my main's target and attack.

2nd disadvantage is that you have to macro every single one of your spells.

3rd, you can't use focus for your sheeping anymore.

[XSync]

If you are using focus targetting off your main, then you still have 1 unused resource for targetting for things like CC, etc...

Regular targetting

When you use /cast [target=focustarget] XXX your char does not actually take a target. So use this knowledge to implement a CC targetting scheme!

Hint: You can create macros to have your mage/whatever actually target the mob you want to CC, then simply /cast [target=target,nodead,harm] Polymorph/Etc...

So the mage will CC his actual target, and nuke the focustarget!

Lokked

Thanks for this!

[konraddo]

I've been using this technique as well. One thing to note, do not use /target anymore in your macros or it will break your intention to specify target for CC, though you may still use /targetlasttarget to reverse the effect. It's quite complicated so I guess we probably should use focustarget for nukes, charname for heals and target for CC.

Anyways, I dislike using macros to specify targets for CC. I manually tab through the warcraft clients and click on specific target. It's much much faster and easier to do. With the new PiP function of keyclone, I guess we may simply press the hotkey to switch to another character and do the clicking. As someone mentioned, it's even possible to AOE-targetting. (Immediately I have the intention to put a talent point into Shadowfury! especially since I can keep nuking on my alt characters because of using focustarget. )

If you are using focus targetting off your main, then you still have 1 unused resource for targetting for things like CC, etc...

Regular targetting

When you use /cast [target=focustarget] XXX your char does not actually take a target. So use this knowledge to implement a CC targetting scheme!

Hint: You can create macros to have your mage/whatever actually target the mob you want to CC, then simply /cast [target=target,nodead,harm] Polymorph/Etc...

So the mage will CC his actual target, and nuke the focustarget!

Lokked

Thanks for this!

[fender967]

I have 5 buttons.

1- /assist main
2 - /assist toon2 (in case the main dies)
3 - /assist toon3 (in case main and toon2 dies)
4 - /assist toon4 (in case main, toon2 and toon3 dies)
5 - /assist toon5 (in case main, toon2, toon3 and toon4 dies)

My usual fights just require that hit button 1 to have a target that I want to attack. All other spell keys just casts the appropriate spells and doesn't need a macro made.
If my main dies, I hit button 2, and all the other same spell keys just cast the appropriate spells.. etc.

This allows me to use focus for sheeps. Having 3 mages means that I can sheep 3 mobs. If it breaks, or if the timer runs out, I just hit the "/target focus sheep" button for all 3 mages, and all 3 mobs (or less if I killed any) gets sheeped again without losing my primary target.

I used to use /focus and I personally don't know the advantage of using /focus over /assist [main].

One disadvantage that I see for the "/cast [target=focustarget] XXX" will always attack the focus' target. With having a button only to /assist [main], I can have my 4 alts finish up a mob, while my main is attacking and gaining agro from another mob. When the mob dies from the 4 alts, I hit the /assist [main] button, they all target my main's target and attack.

2nd disadvantage is that you have to macro every single one of your spells.

3rd, you can't use focus for your sheeping anymore.

If you are using /assist "main" to set the targeting of all your characters, wouldn't you have to press your "assist main" key every single battle, every single time you change targets? I don't see that being easier than just writing a /cast [target=focustarget] x macro for each spell once. Further, since polymorph/cc is conditional, limitedly used compared to attacking, why not just make a seperate poly/cc key binding for each mage and do:
/assist "main"
/cast polymorph

Then when that polymorph is up, just have a modifier (shift) to use /cast [target=target] polymorph

For example:

Ctrl+Z uses mage 1 to assist main and polymorph his current target
Ctrl+X uses mage 2 to assist main and polymorph his current target
Ctrl+C uses mage 3 to assist main and polymorph his current target

Shift+Z polymorphs Mage 1's current target
Shift+X polymorphs Mage 2's current target
Shift+C polymorphs Mage 3's current target

Then just use /cast [target=focustarget] X for all your damage spells. All you have to do is set your main as focus once when you start playing.

[kllrwlf]

I have 1 button that I hit repeatedly.

It has:
/follow
/assist
/accept trade
and some other stuff that I don't remember at the top of my head.

I hit this button a lot, and just do it out of habit now so I don't really notice it (muscle-memory). :thumbsup:
Also hit this button a lot so that I don't lose any loose toon not following me.

With what you have going, you can only have 1 sheep going with 1 button press and have to have 3 mouseclicks and 3 button clicks for all 3 sheeps.
Main is targetting Mob1, Mage1 Sheeps targetmain'starget
Main is targetting Mob2, Mage2 Sheeps targetmain'starget
Main is targetting Mob3, Mage3 Sheeps targetmain'starget

For myself (and it made Hellfire VERY easy), all my focus is set on 3 different mobs at once. Hit 1 button, 3 sheeps without losing the mainmob as a target. If sheep breaks, hit that button again, 3 sheeps again.

I'll try to make a video when I have time.

[fender967]

Well, what you have works for your situation. You have three mages; see i only have one. I just would find it very annoying to always have to it a button before any other characters could assist.

[zadhi]

I play a Priest, Warlock and 3 Mages. Playing all squishies I've found CC to be very important . My Priest is the main. I target a MOB with the prist and use Alt-F1-F3 to set focus with the appropriate Mage using the following macro (changing the target icon):

# RaidTarget = Orange Circle
/stopmacro [modifier:ctrl/shift][nomodifier]
/script SetRaidTarget("target",2)

On the Mages their F# key is this macro:

/target [group,modifier:alt] party1target
/focus [group,modifier:alt, target=party1target] [nogroup,modifier:alt,target=target]
/cast [target=focus,nomodifier,exists] Polymorph

I know the target isn't mechanically necessary, but I do it so I can see that they each have a focus target when I'm done.

I also map this to the Q key, so they can all poly at once, or they can do a round-robin based on the main's targeting:

/castsequence [target=focus,exists] Polymorph; [group,target=party1target,exists] reset=combat ,,Polymorph; [nogroup] Polymorph
/focus [modifier:alt]

Hope it helps.

zadhi