Mouseover Macros

[Katlyna]

I've been using mouse over heal macros since release. But you have to be a bit careful with them. The core problem is NOT loosing your cursor to someone, or reactive healing. The problem is that macros are not operational switches on repetitive casts. And no ability queuing What this means is the following:

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If you have this macro (NOTE THIS I A BAD MACRO):

/macroicon "Cure III"
/macroerror off
/ac "Cure III" <mouse>
/ac "Cure III" <t>
/ac "Cure III" <tt>
/ac "Cure III" <me>

And you cast that macro repetitively healing say a tank. If you tap the macro each time while not casting it will validly run through the list and do the first available action. Which per the above design would be mouse over first, your target second, target of target (usually tank), and then you. Which is the fairly traditional WoW healer macro priority.

THE PROBLEM is if you cast this same macro while casting BEFORE the next ability queue something strange occurs. Specifically the macro keeps running (each line takes X amount of time to run). IF your ability queue activates while your macro is still running the line its at will attempt to execute (and then all lines below). This means that with a traditional long style mouse over heal macro, you run a notable chance of executing the macro incorrectly, and a heal going to the wrong person. I noticed this when I started raiding and had to debug what was going on.

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Consequently I changed to the following (NOTE THIS IS AN OK MACRO):
/macroicon "Cure III"
/macroerror off
/ac "Cure III" <mouse>
/ac "Cure III" <tt>

This adjustment limited my macro to two lines. It meant that if I'm moused over the tank (or have nothing targeted and am right clicking - which gives no mouse over targets) I will always heal the tank. No heals can get sucked up anywhere else due to SE strange design. Now while using this macro to heal prey... if heavily spammed there would still be a small chance for a heal to get sucked off to the tank (if I still have the boss targeted). But generally speaking I've found this completely ok for healing savage raid content. The number of heals sucked off to the tank while healing someone else is virtually non existent.

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The last part of the issue is the ability queuing not working. This part sucks flat out. It does result in some loss in healing or DPS with macros. I'm not aware of any work around here except spamming your heals near the GCD.

[Katlyna]

OH you also have to be careful with longer macros... as if you spam fast enough (like with a turbo button) you will literally recast the macro midstream. I think I need to put some macro blocks into mine to stop this from happening.

To fix that problem you put in /mlock

[Katlyna]

Note that the IDEAL mouse over macro is:

Consequently I changed to the following (NOTE THIS IS AN OK MACRO):
/macroicon "Cure III"
/macroerror off
/ac "Cure III" <mouse>

With ONLY one action. Making a zero chance of your heals wandering from spamming the ability too fast while waiting for your next GCD.

[Rongway]

(NOTE THIS IS AN OK MACRO)

Better is

/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/ac (Healing Spell) <mo>
/micon (Healing Spell)



This gives a pseudo-queueing window of 1/4 to 1/2 second, does not have to step over the /micon line on every run, and doesn't offer alternate targets.
Contextual targeting is great for buffs and binds/heavies, bad for heals.

[Katlyna]

This gives a pseudo-queueing window of 1/4 to 1/2 second, does not have to step over the /micon line on every run, and doesn't offer alternate targets.
Contextual targeting is great for buffs and binds/heavies, bad for heals.

Nice recommendation Rongway! I'll give this a try with my own spin. I hadn't considered stacking the /ac <mo> To increase the mouse over attempts. Very smart!

[Rivxkobe]

I use a controller so I don't use Mouse over macros, or any macros actually. I tried once but not being able to Queue my spells drove me nuts so I tossed em.

[Ragology]

I use a controller so I don't use Mouse over macros, or any macros actually. I tried once but not being able to Queue my spells drove me nuts so I tossed em.

I also play with a controller. I cast my dots with L2+ Dpad directions. While this is happening, I've got an Embrace macro (with a line for <tt> and <t>) that I use by repeatedly mashing the Square button. This keeps my Dots queued while my fairy spams embrace on the tank. I've also got macros for shadow flare and sacred soil to put them under a target if I have one selected.

I think you'd be fine with those sort of macros since they won't slow down your spells.

[Katlyna]

This gives a pseudo-queueing window of 1/4 to 1/2 second, does not have to step over the /micon line on every run, and doesn't offer alternate targets.
Contextual targeting is great for buffs and binds/heavies, bad for heals.

I tested your approach and like how I was able to adjust my healing macros with "light" context. I adjusted my macros as follows:

/mlock
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Benefic" <tt>
/echo Macro test 1
/macroicon "Benefic"

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This locks the macro till finished (which is much faster than anticipated, tested with an echo). The lock is required if you spam to allow the context clause at the end to be reached (if you spam hard). This makes it such that when you are not mousing over context clauses will be reached after a split second (testing indicates these take between 0.1 and 0.05 seconds to run)

You consequently can build something like this too which runs really well

/mlock
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <mouse>
/ac "Aspected Benefic" <tt>
/ac "Time Dilation" <mouse>
/ac "Time Dilation" <tt>
/macroicon "Aspected Benefic"

[Rivxkobe]

I also play with a controller. I cast my dots with L2+ Dpad directions. While this is happening, I've got an Embrace macro (with a line for <tt> and <t>) that I use by repeatedly mashing the Square button. This keeps my Dots queued while my fairy spams embrace on the tank. I've also got macros for shadow flare and sacred soil to put them under a target if I have one selected.

I think you'd be fine with those sort of macros since they won't slow down your spells.

Honestly I don't want to mash any buttons just to get something to go off, I found manually using embrace and Fairy abilities to b easy enough. Besides its rare the the Fairy isn't healing the tank, I don't see the need to tell her to spam Embrace. I don't find targeting ground AoEs difficult, and being able to freely choose where I want them to go is more important to me than having them come out quicker. But this is all just my personal feelings and play-style.

[Rongway]

You consequently can build something like this too which runs really well

The Time Dilation lines will run during a GCD, which means that after using this macro to cast Aspected Benefic once, you won't be able to spam it to regen/shield the next target, making it less useful. I'm also confused as to why you want to use both mo and tt on a heal. In what situation would you not use a mouseover when mouseover is an option? Out-of-party tanks in a FATE or alliance raid can be mousedover as the target of target pane, or one of the alliance panes.

Your macro, while certainly innovative, gives too much flexibility for a heal. Healing macros should be focused, to minimize the risk of unintended effects. I could definitely get behind a separate Time Dilation macro with mo-tt-t targeting, as I would with any target party member cooldown, but adding it to the end of any of the healing spells introduces the possibility that clicking to heal people doesn't actually heal them.