Target For Me - any more targetting macros?

amethyst · 01/22/10, 5:55 AM

Ok, first off, I have the following macro that I use for Professor Putricide kills. Makes it nice and easy to have a button to push to always select the correct target.

/cleartarget
/tar Volatile Ooze
/tar [noexists][dead] Gas Cloud
/tar [noexists][dead] Professor Putricide
/startattack

However, as I reached the point of having a bunch of such targeting macros, for various different fights, I figured it would be cool to have a mod that always loaded the correct targeting macro for the boss fight I was at.

So I coded a mod to do just this:
Target For Me : WoWInterface Downloads : Raid Mods

Now, I could do with some feedback on any encounters I have missed, where people would find it handy to have a targeting macro. I'd rather the mod doesn't get too complex (it's pretty simple right now) but might rewrite it with proper options pages and stuff if there's the demand.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Macros?

Erdluf · 01/22/10, 9:30 AM

That looks handy.

Things to consider:

1) An easy way to publish your macro to raid or party chat.

2) Support for a main-assist in some fights or phases (addon prompts for name):

/assist BobTheAddsBear
/target [noexists][dead] Tempest Minion

3) Support for target swapping. Extend the above macro to

/assist BobTheAddsBear
/target [noexists][dead] Tempest Minion
/target [mod:shift] Emalon the Storm Watcher

4) A way to say that I am the main assist. My macro does not begin with /cleartarget (or only clears my target with mod:shift), but at the end of the macro, my target (possibly old, possibly new) gets a skull.

5) Prompt the user for a possible CC for some targets;

/cleartarget
/target Power Spark
/use [nodead] Entangling Roots
/target [noexist][dead] Malygos

6) Maybe another macro for cycling through priority Focus (CC) targets. For Alliance FC it might be
/focus Erin Misthoof
/focus [mod:shift] Thrakgar

7) Probably more of a DBM, Power-Auras or TellMeWhen type thing, but a visual indication that I've got the wrong target. Perhaps a stop sign if my target is a tempest minion that doesn't have the Overcharge buff.

Berfert · 01/25/10, 4:52 PM

This is a really nifty idea. What I'd like to see if the ability to manipulate the macros it knows about in game, so that one can change the macros or add new ones without needing to edit the original source (ie, so downloading a new version does destroy any changes). Admittedly, that would be quite a bit of work above and beyond what you have now.

Very nice work idea you have there, though. I have 3 different targeting macros, all filled to the brim with different things, and something like this will make my life much easier.

Flechette · 02/02/10, 3:02 PM

I have to say this is one of those little things that makes things easier. Very good idea, and seems well executed. I do think that adding a way to publish it to chat would be a great idea (like Erdluf suggested).

Asimov · 02/05/10, 12:09 PM

I've been using a mod called IHML which does something very similar to this, though I'm not sure it is being maintained any more. It includes in game editing/creation for macros, something I'd consider to be a critical feature. If you could add in game editing and support for having a main assist as requested by Erdluf then I would switch in a heartbeat.

One other thing to note is that there is no reason to limit yourself to targetting macros only. For example I have a macro for the gunship battle to use the rocket pack.

Gaff · 02/08/10, 9:40 AM

Sexy!

The obvious addition is to allow people to configure their own macros for any creature and have them saved. I would certainly like this - I don't mind doing some of the work either if it's ok with you?

After this there's lots of little extra features you could add. Sharing macros with raid members would be awesome, alongisde the ability to choose from multiple macros for this boss [Do you wan't the default macro? Or the one Gaff just sent you?].

Cognar · 02/14/10, 3:14 PM

What would make this a MUST HAVE addon for me would be the ability to modify the macros, the ability to make my own macros, and the ability to define a default macro.

I looked at IHML and it has all these features, but I didn't like the way it was tied into BigWigs to dynamically change the macros.

A couple more thoughts:

If you do indeed add the ability to let users define their own macros, I would have all the RaidZones already loaded in TFMraidZones to prevent user errors. Then the user would just need to type the boss name exactly as it displayed in one input field and the macro in another. Or you could simply have three input fields: 1 for the raidzone, 1 for the npc to trigger the switch, and 1 for the macro.

A final thought:

Since macros can be made for more than just targeting, I would consider a different name for the addon. I personally like Dynamic Macro System. /DMS would be a good slash command IMO.

Thanks for all the hard work,

Cognar

Cognar · 02/15/10, 8:05 AM

I have had a problem that I saw a few other people posted. When in ToC it says the zone is supported but when I click on Gormok the Impaler the macro doesn't change. Not sure why, but I will try to figure it out.

Also, I was looking at your code and it looks to me that the macro is set to switch when anyone in your party or raid group targets a boss. This would interfere with a default macro being set. ICC is a good example. You can target Marrowgar from the start, but still need to work your way there. A possible solution might be to have "Switching" such as "switch when I target a boss," "switch when someone in my group targets a boss," or "Switch when someone in my raid targets a boss."

Not sure if my assumptions are correct since I don't know how to code, but I am trying to learn. I love this addon and am hoping to get it to function the way I would like. GL in your efforts.

Lokrick · 03/01/10, 6:05 PM

In some cases multiple priority mobs may be present. In Marrowgar, for example, my original macro would occasionally target an apparently already-dead Bone Spike. The following variant appears to avoid that. Since it specifies the same mob, it effectively tab-targets for another Bone Spike if the first one is dead.

Lord Marrowgar
/tar Bone Spike
/tar [dead]Bone Spike
/tar [noexists][dead] Lord Marrowgar