Character Control Theory & Innovation, Optimizing Your Control Setup

its clever, but what is ur rating at in arenas?

 

At the moment, complete ****. I've played Rogue since the very beginning and always kept up on everything without contributing much. In TBC I had a Rogue at 2200+ in Seasons 2, 3, and 4. I still have the capability to play at that level and higher, but don't have a Rogue main for the moment.

Right now, I am learning Resto Shaman from the ground up, and only recently hit 80. Having played no other class but Rogue - it's a pretty challenging switch to say the least. In about a month I'm confident that I'll have the skill, gear, and ratings to show off.

 

you realize there's a focus hotkey option in the default ui right? just set it to alt and boom, you have every key bound to focus without having to copy paste a bunch of macros

 

Yep and it's great, but it doesn't work with macros. Make a macro as simple as a trinket/frostbolt macro and it won't work with the built-in focus option you described.

At first it seems like it should, but once you really get into writing macros you find that there are far too many conditionals for it to simply apply to everything. You have to write it in yourself.

 

is this blog a troll

 

ur mom

 

SRSLY NOW

your blog reads like "i keyboard turned then was amazed by a 'a perfect alternating backward strafe jump' (lmao). btw heres some giant crutch macros (which technically aren't even crutches because they don't do anything useful) i brainstormed up and a five paragraph explanation incase you're a bad and couldnt tell they were useless straight away."

your stuff just rubs off on me as 'i'm another levidian', kind of amazed you aren't being trashed

 

you have a small penis

 

you're pretty hurtful, i'm helping you out here

 

Well, I just think you're wrong. There are plenty of people here that just aren't aware of the power that these kinds of macros have. This is why I'm not being trashed.

Also, if you throw out any more labels then you're gonna have to start a clothing company. "Crutch Macro", "Useless Macro", "Another Levidian". If anyone cared about your opinion you'd have a few more replies in your little thread here.

 

you're probably right about purging tot and stuff, but the rogue ones were bad. 'perfect alternating backward strafe jump' was what annoyed me, really, i mean you mentioned playing fps somewhere. you can even do that **** in conan.

don't really know what i'm trying to achieve with this

 

That's a pretty accurate description of what he did. Backwards Bunny Hop, whateva. He went in a perfect straight line moving backwards kiting that Rogue.

Yep you can do it other games, but it's a little different in WoW. Also has a different utility in WoW because of Dodge/Block/Parry, so it's interesting to see it being used for that purpose. 

 

as did seeing Serrenia execute a perfect alternating backward strafe jump in the recent Shadowcleave video (better than any mage I've seen).

what movie is this?

 

Here ya go: http://files.filefront.com/ShadowCleavewmv/;13486496;/fileinfo.html

 

You're ****.

 

off-focus targets holy ****, i'd need 2 keyboards and 6 hands for all those binds

 

Just takes time and persistence to learn any new skill.

It's like playing an instrument and learning a new song - it's tough at first but over time it just clicks. 

 

I'm just saying that it's kind of absurd to suggest that kind of implementation.

 

Because you wouldn't be able to control it?

 

I'm not saying that nobody will use it, I'm saying I don't think it's a thing blizzard would implement.

 

You are aware of [target=arena1] etc right?

 

I was not, which is half the reason I've decided to post what I know - to get feedback from people that know more! Thank you.

I didn't see it covered at all in Cogwheel's macro guide, which is my main reference for macros.

 

Makes me think about a way you'd control your character using the modifiers to select which abilities you want to shoot at your target(s).

i.e. Press 1 to shoot Frostbolt at arena1. Press 2 to shoot Frostbolt at arena2. Shift 1 to Polymorph arena1, etc. You could use the buttons above and below the given numbers (ie. q and F1 for arena1) to help organize it.

It would be a pretty big switch, but it's really, really nice to have absolute targets in this game.

 

Its dumb is what it is, there should be some need for awareness, or the game turns into staring at frames, which isn't fun.

 

I dislike the idea of yet another focus frame, and I kind of dislike the idea of having them at all.

It takes away a test of a players skill by allowing you to not even have to switch targets midfight, to get that clutch kick on a mage trying to poly, or blind on a healer.

Would the game not be more skill based if you actually had to click on your opponent to target them? 

With a second focus frame I could go an entire 3v3 against some teams never having to switch targets.  
 
Is that where the game should be heading?

 

is it the little things like clicking opponents to target them that make this game challenging or is it overcoming counters and 2v3 and recovering from bad openers?

 

I argue that yes, this is the direction that the game should be heading.

The idea of a "target" in the MMO genre limits what a player can do skill wise. In a First Person Shooter, you don't select anything but the direction your gun is facing and the direction that you move. There is nothing that prevents you from shooting at the person next to your target, should they become a better target. The parallel works because this game is about choices, not aim.

It's obvious that Blizzard recognizes this design limitation because they've added features like focus, and now arena1, arena2 targets.

 

Yes but in a fps game you do have to click at your target to hit them; there is a mechanical challenge in it. The only thing similar to that in WoW is target aquisition. When else do you click in a match? 


How do you overcome counters or do 2v3? Choosing the right target, using the right abilties, staying in the right place; and some good luck.

But what if you could dodge CC, by being hard to target while sprinting?

What if the truly great players were that great because they could do all that, while also keeping track of their enemies location, and having quick aim to select a target and fire off a crowdcontrol, or do a switch.

I would prefer a game where if a Mage wanted to sheep someone 3 times in a row they actually had to target them to do it, and time it themself; and not just hit their focus macro key; when their class timer shows them its time! 

 

agree

 

You are still pressing a button to attack your target using focus macros. You are still choosing to attack the target. In a FPS game you can bind your fire button to any button on the keyboard. 

This debate isn't about what is more skilled, it's about what's better. Just because the format of this blog is educational doesn't mean that I'll tolerate poor argument. Take your nostalgia to the WoW forums this isn't the place. 

 

You're missing the fact that, oh ****, the target you're trying to click on is moving, not under your control.  The mod bars aren't moving.  The keys on your keyboard aren't moving.  A moving target adds another challenge to the mix.

 

I argue that courtvision and aiming on a target to select it, is the most skill defining ability a player on Lan has, and that exactly this (outside of classcombinations) determined who won  offline tournament and who didn't. Ever asked yourself why Neilyo was so full of **** offline?

 

I doubt it was because he had trouble selecting his targets. Have you seen the boy play Counterstrike?

Macros are allowed in LAN play and you can bet your ass that pro players are using these kinds of macros, or better ones with even more functionality. It is in your interest to learn more about them and what they can do. 

 

His aiming was slighty above average at best, I was totally not impressed about the footage he included in his vids.

I know for a fact that most players are only using macros which are that complex once they hit the limit on buttons to assign, such as inflame.

 

Moreover when you have a guy with binded focus gouge (not that uncommon in wrath now, I know) you know that he's incredibly relying on the focusframe. When Neilyo was an active tournament player, this function wasn't allowed.

You have to understand that especially for ranged classes, focus frame is just easymode. It completely takes courtvision out of the game.

My former rogue partner cross countered feldoms without focusframes by manually selecting the target. That's where the skill in the lolfest that is wow lies.

 

Good post

 

I dislike focus kick/pummel personally because I believe it's better to switch targets and kick manually simply because it makes it harder to do it manually if a target that isn't your focus is casting nearby because you're not as used to it but that's just my opinion, I'm sure some people find it easier to do both.

 

I generally use focus macros if I need to shadowstep to get there, but otherwise I'm a fan of the tab kick for the same reason.  I probably do both to be honest, but I know what you're saying.

 

What Serennia shadowcleave video?  link anyone?

 

http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/World-of-Ming/Exit-PHD-Enter-Shadow-Cleave


Think he is referring to the video linked in that. Its like only 2 matches though.