Sunday, April 26, 2009

Macros - The only time that touching less is better



Incorporating macros into your arsenal can not only vastly improve your gameplay, but also puts alot of aspects of the game on easy mode.I'm a lazy fuck, so naturally having to do less key pressing while doing more in game is something that appeals to me like a midget-hooker on a coke binge appeals to Jeremy Piven.

Since my computer sucks, especially during 25 man raids, I try and use macros as often as possible instead of an addon that bogs down my system, and kills my dudes.I'm going to share some of my favorite and most used macros, because you're gonna share your chips, pop and chocolate bar with me, right???? (aka the Trailer Park Dietary Trifecta)

I'll start with some non-shaman specific macros in hopes of luring you in with interest so you can see just how totally fucken awesome the shaman macros are too. Then you will feel jealous of Shamanses, naturally.

In all macros with trinkets, I use the name of the trinket rather than /use 13 or /use 14The reason for this is that I don't always have my trinkets in the same slots due to changing gear from swapping specs.


Location Coordinates - The next time you give someone a location and they cry like a little ninny because they havent got a location addon, you can end their snivelling by sharing this macro that spits out your zone location

/script SetMapToCurrentZone() local x,y=GetPlayerMapPosition("player") DEFAULT_CHAT_FRAME:AddMessage(format("%s, %s: %.1f, %.1f",GetZoneText(),GetSubZoneText(),x*100,y*100)

All in one Mounts- this lets you use one button for all mounts, it will put priority on your flying mount, but summon a ground mount if flying is not available. It will also dismount you if you are mounted

/script local m=GetZoneText() if (m=="Dalaran" or m=="Wintergrasp") and (GetSubZoneText()~="Krasus' Landing") then CallCompanion("MOUNT", 2);end
/use [flyable,nomounted] FLYINGMOUNTNAME; [nomounted] GROUNDMOUNTNAME
/dismount

in "CallCompanion" change the "2" to the position of your preferred land mount in your mounts tab. Insert proper mount names where it says to.

Healing Macros; These will cast said heal in the following order of targets; 1) your mouseover target 2)your target 3) your target's target (great for topping up the tank if you are dps) 4) your self
it will also pop your healing trinkets if you have them equipped

#showtooltip
/cast [target=mouseover,help,exists] [target=help,exists] [target=targettarget,help,exists] [target=player] Chain Heal
/useitem TrinketNameHere

simply remove "chain heal" and replace with HW or LHW or Riptide or whatever your healing spell is called. This also works for cleansing spells. This is the ultimate healing macro, it makes healing MUCH easier, and saves some resources by not needing to use an addon for mouseover healing. I combine mouseover macros with Pitbull unit frames and Dominos action bar addon and get pretty much every functionality of clique or grid.

Max Camera Distance; See more of whats going on around you!

/console cameradistancemaxfactor 1000

Shaman Macros

Dynamic Run Speed; This will mount you on your flying pet. If you are in a zone where flying is disabled it will put you on your ground mount. If you are in combat if will Ghost Wolf you. finally if you are mounted or shapeshifted, it will dismount you or return you to normal form.It is not compatible with Dalaran or Wintergrasp zones, unfortunately.

#showtooltip
/cast [combat,nomounted][button:2][modifier] Ghost Wolf
/cast [nostance,nocombat,flyable] FLYINGMOUNTNAME
/cast [nostance,nocombat,noflyable] GROUNDMOUNTNAME
/dismount [mounted]

/cancelform [stance]

Instant Cast Crit Heal; This will cast a heal instantly that will also crit. It will target your mouseover first, then if no target it will go for your actual target. If you are attacking something, it will then heal your target's target. Finally it will heal you if no target is selected. It will also pop your healing trinkets.

#showtooltip
#show Nature's Swiftness
/cast tidal force /cast Nature's Swiftness
/cast [target=mouseover,help,exists] [target=help,exists] [target=targettarget,help,exists] [target=player] Healing Wave
/useitem TRINKETNAME

Dynamic Purge; this macro will cast purge 1st on your mouseovered target, or your target, and finally, if neither of those exist, it will purge your target's target ( great for healers)

#showtooltip
/cast [target=mouseover,harm,exists] [target=harm,exists] [target=targettarget,harm,exists] Purge

Dynamic Earth Shock ; I use this one as healing or Elemental. It will interrupt your mouseover target, if not then it will interrupt your target. Finally it will earth shock your target's target for if you are healing a tank for example

#showtooltip
/cast [target=mouseover,harm,exists] [target=harm,exists] [target=targettarget,harm,exists] Earth Shock

Enhancement Shaman Macros featuring Enhancement Pride lettering

{Updated!} Boobies Macro

/run if not oldHasPetUI then oldHasPetUI = HasPetUI; HasPetUI = function() return true, false; end end PetTab_Update() ToggleCharacter("PetPaperDollFrame")
/console cameradistancemaxfactor 1000
/run UIErrorsFrame:Hide();

This one will show you a pet tab under the character screen. Useful for checking the stats on the spirit wolves, since they scale with a shaman's stats. Also allows you to zoom camera back another 15 yards and blocks WoW error message spam. So Awesome!!

Stormstrike Macro: this one will make you start attacking, it will use your AP trinket(s), in this case my Sphere of Red Dragon's Blood. The best part though is that is will cast Stormstrike, or use Lava Lash when Stormstrike is on cooldown.

#showtooltip
/castsequence reset=8 Stormstrike, Lava Lash
/startattack
/stopcasting

/use Sphere of Red Dragon's Blood
/stopcasting

Dynamic Interrupts; This one will cast earth shock or use bash (3sec stun from feral pets) to interrupt casting IF earthshock is on cooldown. It also pops your trinket as you want trinkets up as much as possible ( I remove the trinket line for PVP)

#showtooltip
/castsequence reset=6 Earth Shock, Bash
/stopcasting
/use Sphere of Red Dragon's Blood

Free Movement/Feral Spirit; this one summons your pets and if you double hit the macro it will pop spirit walk, giving a huge runspeed boost and freeing the shaman from all movement impairing effects. I use stopcasting lines in case I was casting a hex or a heal and need to remove a runspeed impairment asap.

#showtooltip
/stopcasting
/cast Feral Spirit
/stopcasting
/cast Spirit Walk


So there you have it, sexy time macros. Now you are ready to unleash some nerd code on the World of Warcrack!!












Saturday, April 25, 2009

Heroic Naxx Tenants Evicted

After several wipes, the Kel'Thuzad make-over went down like a frat girl with her own supply of roofies. It was awesome to finally get him to cooperate, we made him our bitch and named her Suzy.




What can I say other than that I really love this fight as an enhancement shaman, our utility is unsurpassable. I didnt have much of a chance at topping the dps charts because I was saving my maelstrom5 charges for insta-chain heals on the iceblocks, saved earthshock to interrupt frostbolt and was turning mind-controlled people into froggies. I still managed to pump out respectable DPS too, but can't wait for a new computer. Running at 8fps is no fun when you have to react instead of just execute. Still though, when we beat him I was 2nd on interrupts, #1 on first heal on iceblocks (11 saves!) and landed about half a dozen hexes.
The first couple of attempts went poorly when the adds popped in phase 3, and we had issues with poorly placed melee. Some were not always making sure to be at max melee range, shrinking the 10yard box for the others. A couple of the attempts I barely got a shot in from staying back, not wanting to bunch with 3 other melee and not wanting to iceblock our tank --- although he still got iceblocked twice over the evening. Not trying to blame the other melee, I was guilty of poor placement early on too, but then I pulled my socks up on the last couple attempts, and ended up losing some focus trying to direct the other melee. Our winning attempt we got lucky because overall the melee were quite sloppy again.Things to learn from but really I can't complain since we finally layed a whuppins on KT.


I got the weapon I'd been drooling about too, only to find it looks like a pink glowing pinwheel, a common children's toy. This is not a complaint, I LOVE IT. It goes very well with my man-dress, although doesnt look quite as cool as dual wielding the Angry Dread, mace of the middle-finger salute. At least I still have Angry Dread in the offhand to show my FuckYOU to the bosses of Ulduar.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Hit Rating or: How I Learned To Stop Missing And DPS

Please welsome my first ever guest poster, Dr. Steve Brule, to inform us on hit rating.
-Nomasun




I'm Steve Brule
Did you know that hit rating is pretty much the top dps stat for ALL dps classes until you hit your cap? If you don't like beating up on your bad guy, then do what I do, Kill Em With Kindness , dummy!






Another technique you can use is to hit them every time you cast or swing your weapon. Here's the hit caps for all of the classes so you can know how to hit them?

Physical Hit is 32.79 for 1%, Spell Hit is 26.23 for 1%

For all classes, take 1%, or 33 / 26 hit off your hit cap requirement if you are Draenei.

Casters ;this means Mages, Warlocks, Shamanses, Oomkins, and Shadowy Priests.
You need 17% hit, or 447 hit rating to never miss with your spells. This varies with by class because of hit talents and debuffs.
Oomkin, 263 hit 10%
ShadPriest 280 11%
Mage 447 17% Ice Mage 368 14%
Shaman 420 16%( 447 cap for horde) / 331 13% for Elemental Shaman (368 for Horde)
Warlock 368 14% Demonology 447 17%

Hunter 263 8% Marksman 197 6%

Melee
Deathknight 263 - 8% Dual wield - Dont dual wield, Sure you Can do it but it's like wearing a bowlers hat in public. Nobody wears a bowlers hat, welcome to the 90's!!
Kitty Cat Druid 263 8%
Paladin 263 8%
Warrior 296 9% (cap your yellow damage) Titan's Grip 368 14%
Rogues --input needed, its changing at the moment --cap your poisons, about 320 hit.. WHo cares about rogues anyways. [Edit-the verdict is in, it's 315hit cap]


Except for Melee classes, where Expertise is equally important (Get 26 expertise) Capping your hit is point for point the top dps increase you can get. With 0 hit rating, adding 27 hit, or reducing your chance to miss by 1% can yield up to a 1.2% increase in your total damage output. Thats way way WAAAYY more than any of your other dps stats can give you Turkey!!



Another thing you can do if you dont believe me about hit rating is check this out. Next time you get attacked by a crazy raper, just play possum!




I'm Steve Brule, Last Resort!!!


Thanks Steve,
I just wanted to add that the hit ratings are not considering raid buffs which affect your hit chance. Hit debuffs do not stack. There is a chart below with info, not really sure why it's so far down there. Warm up yer mousewheel and Scroll Down!!






















Class Talent Tree Hit chance Notes
Druid Balance of Power Balance, Tier 6 + 2% per point, 4% max All spells

Druid Improved Faerie Fire Balance, Tier 7 + 1% per point, 3% max Target debuff*
Death Knight Virulence Unholy, Tier 1 + 1% per point, 3% max All spells

Mage Precision Frost, Tier 2 + 1% per point, 3% max All spells
Mage Arcane Focus Arcane, Tier 1 + 1% per point, 3% max Arcane spells only

Priest Misery Shadow, Tier 8 + 1% per point, 3% max Target debuff*
Priest Shadow Focus Shadow, Tier 2 + 1% per point, 3% max Shadow spells only

Shaman Elemental Precision Elemental, Tier 6 + 1% per point, 3% max Fire, Frost, and Nature spells
Warlock Suppression Affliction, Tier 1 + 1% per point, 3% max All spells