It seems that many of our newer players aren't completely comfortable with key binding, or they are half key binders.
No matter how strongly you may feel about it, keybinding is bar non the most effective and efficient way to reach and utilize your abilities. This is not something to be argued. No matter how much you may argue for your way of play, if you are clicking - you are playing this game incorrectly.
This is something that you absolute MUST CHANGE if you care about your personal performance in raids.
Here are some key tips for keybinding.
1. Bind all of your keys shifted to the left one key over.
The default keybindings in WoW are inefficient. Strafing left is oftentimes bound to Q, straight is bound to W, strafing right is bound to E, etc.
This is inefficient because by shifting ALL of your movement keys over to the left by one key, such that strafe left is bound to W, go straight is bound to E, go right is bound to R, you open up 3 very easily accessible buttons for your keybinds; Q, A, Z.
2. Certain Buttons are easier to press when you are moving than others.
Most of us move in this game using our strafe, run forward buttons. This oftentimes occupies our ring, middle, and forefingers. When you are moving utilizing these buttons, it is difficult to use abilities using these 3 buttons.
Therefore, you should NEVER bind insta-cast abilities to keys that use these 3 fingers. IE, if you are a mage, fireblast is an insta-cast ability. It would be foolish to bind fireblast to a key that would be pressed by your fore finger, ring finger, or middle finger.
You should only ever bind keys that are pressed by these 3 fingers to abilities you only cast when you are standing still.
3. Don't just press your middle mouse button, make it 2 buttons!
Never bind an ability to your middle mouse button, that scroll wheel is actually 2 key binds in one.
Scroll UP can be bound to one ability.
Scroll DOWN can be bound to another ability.
When choosing which abilities to bind these 2 keys to, it is advisable to bind scroll UP to an ability that is very commonly spammed. You can reserve your scroll down for an ability that is used frequently, but less frequently than the scroll up, OR, it functions as an instinctual mnemonic for an ability that should be cast on your self...I.E. an OH SHIT button, OR, a self heal (for healers).
4. Use Shift-X modified buttons.
The WOW interface allows you to bind Shift modified key binds. Now...certain keybinds are easier to use than others.
Shift-B, D, S, F, E, R, T, G - these keybinds are very very natural positions for your fingers. Bind secondary, but nonetheless, important abilities to these buttons.
5. Learn to move your character by pressing both LEFT and RIGHT mouse buttons at the same time.
Once this becomes instinctual, you will find out that you can move your character while leaving your left hand free to press more awkward keybinds, such as Shift X, Shift A, Shift W, Shift Q, Shift 4, etc. Reserve these keybinds for your least used spells and abilities. Learning to maneuver and press these awkward keybinds by using the left+right mouse buttons is extremely helpful.
6. Learn to Jump-Turn.
This is extremely important for certain classes especially Tanks. Tanks must be able to maneuver and place their mobs in position while at the same time generating threat.
You absolute MUST learn to jump, turn with your mouse in mid air, press your easy rotations with your left hand, and then come back down onto the ground facing the appropriate direction.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Required Macros
Basic Assist Macro
We often have sub-groups inside of a raid assist particular tanks or dps assist leads. Oftentimes this will be either Pawneddaily, Lukelee, or some other tank. We absolutely require the use of assist macros for many of our encounters. Modify this macro as you see fit.
/assist **INSERT PLAYER NAME HERE**
Focus Macro
The Shift Modifier clears and refocuses the macro. If for instance, you already have something else Focused and you want to reset the focus to something else, you push the Shift button + the button this macro is set to. So for example, if this macro is bound to X - pushing X will cast the spell (say for example polymorph) on the focus target. If at any time you need to set the focus to another target, you press Shift + X, it will set your new target to the focus and then cast polymorph.
#show **INSERT YOUR SPELL HERE **
/clearfocus [modifier:shift]
/clearfocus [target=focus,dead]
/clearfocus [target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] **INSERT YOUR SPELL HERE**
Oh Shit Self Heal Macro For Healers
I have this macro bound to my scroll wheel - down. Whenever I scroll downwards - towards myself, it will cast the spells in that sequence in order. First Rejuv, then 3 lifeblooms, then swiftmend, then barkskin. After 8 seconds of not scrolling down, the castsequence will reset. So if for 8 seconds I spam scroll downwards towards myself, I will cast all the spells in that sequence in that order. If I don't spam scroll downwards after 8 seconds, that cast sequence will reset.
/target ***Your Name Here***
/castsequence reset=8 Rejuvenation,lifebloom,lifebloom,lifebloom,Swiftmend,Barkskin
/targetlasttarget
Raid Marking
If you are ever required to mark a raid target, this is a quick macro that will mark your current target with a certain raid marking and cast a spell in succession. This is for when multiple CCers need to mark a target and communicate quickly without speaking on vent which add that they are CCing. Where the script is marked with ##NUMBER##, insert the number corresponding with the raid marking that you are assigned.
/script if GetRaidTargetIndex("target")==nil then SetRaidTargetIcon("target",##NUMBER##) end
/cast **Insert Spell Here***
1 - Star
2 - Circle
3 - Diamond
4 - Triangle
5 - Moon
6 - Square
7 - X
8 - Skull
Example OH SHIT Button
This is my own personal OH SHIT Button. OH SHIT Buttons should always be macroed to a convenient button. Note, all of these abilities do not trigger a GCD therefore they can be chained using cast. For any abilities that do trigger a GCD, you need to chain them together in a /castsequence. For an example of a /castsequence macro, look above at the Oh Shit Self Heal Macro For Healers macro for healers. Trinkets and Healthstones and even Heal Pots can be put into this macro as a /use.
This is an Example Only:
/cast Shield Wall
/cast Enraged Regeneration
/use Lavanthor's Talisman
/use Figurine - Monarch Crab
/use Valor Medal of the First War
/use Fel Healthstone
/cast Last Stand
We often have sub-groups inside of a raid assist particular tanks or dps assist leads. Oftentimes this will be either Pawneddaily, Lukelee, or some other tank. We absolutely require the use of assist macros for many of our encounters. Modify this macro as you see fit.
/assist **INSERT PLAYER NAME HERE**
Focus Macro
The Shift Modifier clears and refocuses the macro. If for instance, you already have something else Focused and you want to reset the focus to something else, you push the Shift button + the button this macro is set to. So for example, if this macro is bound to X - pushing X will cast the spell (say for example polymorph) on the focus target. If at any time you need to set the focus to another target, you press Shift + X, it will set your new target to the focus and then cast polymorph.
#show **INSERT YOUR SPELL HERE **
/clearfocus [modifier:shift]
/clearfocus [target=focus,dead]
/clearfocus [target=focus,noexists]
/focus [target=focus,noexists]
/cast [target=focus] **INSERT YOUR SPELL HERE**
Oh Shit Self Heal Macro For Healers
I have this macro bound to my scroll wheel - down. Whenever I scroll downwards - towards myself, it will cast the spells in that sequence in order. First Rejuv, then 3 lifeblooms, then swiftmend, then barkskin. After 8 seconds of not scrolling down, the castsequence will reset. So if for 8 seconds I spam scroll downwards towards myself, I will cast all the spells in that sequence in that order. If I don't spam scroll downwards after 8 seconds, that cast sequence will reset.
/target ***Your Name Here***
/castsequence reset=8 Rejuvenation,lifebloom,lifebloom,lifebloom,Swiftmend,Barkskin
/targetlasttarget
Raid Marking
If you are ever required to mark a raid target, this is a quick macro that will mark your current target with a certain raid marking and cast a spell in succession. This is for when multiple CCers need to mark a target and communicate quickly without speaking on vent which add that they are CCing. Where the script is marked with ##NUMBER##, insert the number corresponding with the raid marking that you are assigned.
/script if GetRaidTargetIndex("target")==nil then SetRaidTargetIcon("target",##NUMBER##) end
/cast **Insert Spell Here***
1 - Star
2 - Circle
3 - Diamond
4 - Triangle
5 - Moon
6 - Square
7 - X
8 - Skull
Example OH SHIT Button
This is my own personal OH SHIT Button. OH SHIT Buttons should always be macroed to a convenient button. Note, all of these abilities do not trigger a GCD therefore they can be chained using cast. For any abilities that do trigger a GCD, you need to chain them together in a /castsequence. For an example of a /castsequence macro, look above at the Oh Shit Self Heal Macro For Healers macro for healers. Trinkets and Healthstones and even Heal Pots can be put into this macro as a /use.
This is an Example Only:
/cast Shield Wall
/cast Enraged Regeneration
/use Lavanthor's Talisman
/use Figurine - Monarch Crab
/use Valor Medal of the First War
/use Fel Healthstone
/cast Last Stand
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