Looking for Tips on Efficient Multi-DoTing

[Shockeye]

I've been playing my Warlock a fair bit lately, and really like Affliction the most out of the three specs, but I'm struggling with efficiently managing multi-Dot activity.
My main is a healer, and I can't shake the feeling that Affliction multi-DoT requirements feel a bit like trying to heal via nameplates rather than raid frames (eg watching health levels, DoT statuses) so I'm getting a bit frustrated.

Thus, I'm looking for tips and advice from Warlockers on how you best manage the multi-Dot requirements. Do you have favoured add-ons, UI set-ups, view angles, anything like that which reduces the barriers to properly handling this spec-vital component?

Thanks!

[Deleted]

Once you get class trinket, hopefully you start to swamp in shards, so using focus soul:Swap can be handy, pretty much what i'm always doing at the moment. Mouse over dot macros can work aswell, especially with frames like SUF (ShadowedUnitFrames) for bosses.

[Deleted]

I myself had been struggling with managing dots on council until i started using mouseover macros along with boss frames like you can see on a video called: Mythic Hellfire High Council - Zevoa (Affliction Warlock) PoV. Which I cannot link because of some stupid restrictions.

[Shockeye]

Good advice on the mouseover macros. I've made some for my DoTs so we'll see how they play out.
But one of the problems I'm having is just keeping visual track of my targets - nameplates (I use KUI Nameplates ) get cluttered or so stacked up off the top of the screen or otherwise lost in the shuffle so that's annoying. I realise that's just trash which generally doesn't matter a whole lot but still... I know it's not possible but I'd kill for a "targets raidframes" set-up as one can have for healing, selecting the frame rather than the actual mob.
It seems a bit silly to have a spec that is fundamentally connected to direct-targeting multiples but no good UI tools to provide functionality for that requirement.

Or perhaps I'm over-stressing multi-Dot importance and should just limit myself to choosing a few targets? Or are there some better tools to use, either macros or keybinds, or even addons, to streamline this process?

I do rather want to stick with Affliction as it just feels like proper Warlockery to me and I love the concept of haunting, corrupting, and soul-sucking being done! Demonology is good concept-wise as well but I haven't been able to get the hang of it and my Affliction damage is far, far higher than my Demo results. Don't like Destruction at all, it just feels like a generic caster and not all that different from my main's off-spec (Elemental) really.

[Zinnin]

I know it's not possible but I'd kill for a "targets raidframes" set-up as one can have for healing, selecting the frame rather than the actual mob.

For many bosses the Boss frames fulfill this role. I personally use my naga buttons 1-5 on /target [@boss1-5] to easily apply dots to those targets.

[evertonbelmontt]

For many bosses the Boss frames fulfill this role. I personally use my naga buttons 1-5 on /target @boss1-5] to easily apply dots to those targets.

That's something oO
I didn't knew this was possible. If I use this macro, will it target the first boss frame if the comand is @boss1 or you just used it as an example?

[Zinnin]

That's something oO
I didn't knew this was possible. If I use this macro, will it target the first boss frame if the comand is @boss1 or you just used it as an example?

I actually have
/cast [@boss1] Doom
/cast [@boss2] Doom
/cast [@boss3] Doom
/cast [@boss4] Doom
/cast [@boss5] Doom

Which works perfectly, and yes they target / cast at the frames in order that they are displayed in the UI.

But you can do /target [@boss1] as well.

[Ultramad]

I actually have
/cast [@boss1] Doom
/cast [@boss2] Doom
/cast [@boss3] Doom
/cast [@boss4] Doom
/cast [@boss5] Doom

Which works perfectly, and yes they target / cast at the frames in order that they are displayed in the UI.

But you can do /target [@boss1] as well.

I think I might need to redo some of my binds once Legion drops to put this into effect. Right now I just have way too many buttons to make that work.

[dholland662]

I actually have
/cast [@boss1] Doom
/cast [@boss2] Doom
/cast [@boss3] Doom
/cast [@boss4] Doom
/cast [@boss5] Doom

Which works perfectly, and yes they target / cast at the frames in order that they are displayed in the UI.

But you can do /target [@boss1] as well.

So do you put those macros on your bar for the multidotting fight or are they always there?

I ask because I am having a hard time keybinding all the stuff I want


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Are there any mods which track your dots on multiple targets or must I continue to keep track of it all in my head?

[Shauni]

Yeah, about the council as affliction, what do you guys do ?

Spend your time immediately doting target after target and doing only this ? (With class trinket my dots fall off exactly at the same time I've finished the rotation)
Or do you dot one target, throw a filler (sb:haunt, normal haunt if caping, drain soul if nothing) then switch target, dot and filler again ?

[Shockeye]

Interesting on the @boss macros. For Affliction though I'm not sure how that'd work out since you ideally want to apply 3 DoTs, though for spreading around Corruption for Nightfall procs it might not be a bad option (and Soulburn:Seed isn't feasible).

As for mods and tracking DoTs on multiple targets, I *think* the "best" way is via nameplates with debuff icons showing, which is pretty awkward. There are probably WeakAuras you could configure though how is well beyond my skill with that addon.

Regarding Council, the guides I've read seem to suggest that the majority of the time you will be casting DoTs on the bosses and only using DS and Haunt if/when you've managed to get full DoTs rolling on all targets.
I can imagine the class trinket makes that impossible, so maybe a different trinket for the fight? I don't know... I'm really new to all this.

[Deleted]

Class trinket may make things a little hectic for Council but its such a large DPS increase.

Personally i just track my DoTs on the boss frames and do not use any macros.
I just cycle through them steadily one after another.
Prioritizing agony > Cor(1 target) > UA > Cor(remaining targets)

During DS i would recommend keeping Haunt up on 2xtargets and allowing a tick of Drainsoul to refresh the duration (t18)

[Zinnin]

So do you put those macros on your bar for the multidotting fight or are they always there?

I ask because I am having a hard time keybinding all the stuff I want

Are there any mods which track your dots on multiple targets or must I continue to keep track of it all in my head?

I have them on my bar always, as for tracking them I use Shadowed Unit Frames and a custom Weakaura.

As for binds i'm afraid i'm not the best person to ask for advice for that, i'm a bit mental and use both and Orbweaver and a G600

Interesting on the @boss macros. For Affliction though I'm not sure how that'd work out since you ideally want to apply 3 DoTs, though for spreading around Corruption for Nightfall procs it might not be a bad option (and Soulburn:Seed isn't feasible).

Naga 1: Corruption, Shift Naga 1: Agony, Ctrl Naga 1: Unstable Affliction. It has taken awhile to fully get used to though, I started using this control scheme in Throne of Thunder.

[Shockeye]

I don't have a Naga mouse - those buttons are way too tiny! My wife has one and I've played around with it, managing to mash 4 or 6 buttons at once. She has tiny fingers though so it works for her.

[Deleted]

I don't have a Naga mouse - those buttons are way too tiny! My wife has one and I've played around with it, managing to mash 4 or 6 buttons at once. She has tiny fingers though so it works for her.

It's all about getting used to it, no matter what size ur hand is. I too felt awkward as f... at first but now I have no idea how to play this game without it.
I never track anything that needs much maintenance with nameplates. Barely anything at all outside of health%(if they are in execute range or not).

I too started using boss macro's this xpac, nomod is mouseover and if no mouseover, target, Shiftmod is Boss2 and Ctrlmod is Boss3. All u have to do is press the same button three times in a row, first with no mod, 2nd time with Shift mod, 3rd time with Ctrl mod. Easy peasy and u don't really need to track dots on stuff other than maintarget(boss1).

[Viggers]

I use (I think its an option in Bartender4?) shift=cast@focus. Then I set dia as my focus (for council obviously)

Cast dots on current target, recast with focus down whilst switching target, cast dots, back to the prio target. Using SUF to track dots accross multiple mobs makes it fairly simple and casting @Focus means less manual target switching.

[Xandy]

Yeah, about the council as affliction, what do you guys do ?

Spend your time immediately doting target after target and doing only this ? (With class trinket my dots fall off exactly at the same time I've finished the rotation)
Or do you dot one target, throw a filler (sb:haunt, normal haunt if caping, drain soul if nothing) then switch target, dot and filler again ?

At the beginning of Council after your opener you can actually Soul Swap with excess shards to get DoTs up ASAP on secondary Bosses, this is the only time you do this. Also, Drain Soul is minimal in priority, however you can game your tier bonus to keep full duration Haunts rolling on multiple targets if you Drain Soul the Haunted target(s) during Dark Soul for just enough time to activate the bonus.

So, to put it simply, Spirits and DoTs are always top priority, spend excess shards on Haunt and only Drain if you have nothing else to do or you are trying to game the tier bonus.

[Shockeye]

Naga 1: Corruption, Shift Naga 1: Agony, Ctrl Naga 1: Unstable Affliction. It has taken awhile to fully get used to though, I started using this control scheme in Throne of Thunder.

That's rather similar to my healing keybinds wherein I use a mod key with a mouse button to cast certain spells.
Gives me something to think about anyway.

I definitely appreciate all the suggestions and tips people have provided. I'm not really much of a dps player, but Affliction is such a different style for dps that I've become rather committed to doing as well as I can with it.

Now I just need to figure out how not to be shamefully bad with AoE. Not that burning down trash between bosses is important but I'd like more than a participation ribbon

[Deleted]

Now I just need to figure out how not to be shamefully bad with AoE. Not that burning down trash between bosses is important but I'd like more than a participation ribbon

I'd suggest you forget about Affliction AOE and just change spec to Destruction between fights to clear trash.

[Soisoisoi]

Another +1 on getting a Naga or similar. You really just can't play without one after you've had one.