Weak aura to track Icicle?

[Deleted]

Is it possible to make some form of tracker frost mastery icicle, I seem to have a little issue with seeing them when everything's happening in raids so was wondering if that's possible to do? even if it's just a counter 1-2-3-4-5 or something like that.

[Mastamage]

Is it possible to make some form of tracker frost mastery icicle, I seem to have a little issue with seeing them when everything's happening in raids so was wondering if that's possible to do? even if it's just a counter 1-2-3-4-5 or something like that.

No. And to add, there is no reason to track them in a PVE setting. The only time it relatively matters to pay attention to them is if you're either going into a downtime in a fight where you won't be generating Icicles, go ahead and dump them manually. The other time is if an add is about to die and you can dump them into it and continue on with what you were doing.

[Kuni Zyrekai]

I question why you're tracking icicles in a raid to begin with?

It's proven extremely hard due to the lack of combat log event associated with both generation and firing. There's no signal for a barrage to start other than an ice lance impact, and there's nothing signalling the end of it, which is problematic due to the ability to fire more than 5 from once lance if you generate quick enough. It's not as if you can say, if ice lance cast, clear the 5 you have and start over.

[Deleted]

Fair enough I'll be honest I've not played mage long and it just seemed some what solid to me get 5 icicle > ice lance - they fire rinse and repeat would seem I've been doing it wrong though I assumed they we're just another resource of forms since they always seemed to fire of every ice lance I did.

[Xorn]

If you go over 5 the oldest one fires automatically. There's no need to track them or try to manually fire them at all

[rjparker1]

Is it possible to make some form of tracker frost mastery icicle, I seem to have a little issue with seeing them when everything's happening in raids so was wondering if that's possible to do? even if it's just a counter 1-2-3-4-5 or something like that.

This is an interesting thread and until I stumbled on it, I didn't realize what I was missing. At first I thought I needed to "watch" icicles but you don't.. it takes care of itself.. for reference Blizzard puts a small "tracker" above your head (by default) so you can tell how many you have but it's more for visual than actual requirement to play mage. You don't lose those they can stay full, but eventually if you are using proper rotation and watching brain freeze procs they will fire. No need to worry about them.

It's one of those "experience" things, the more you play the more you ignore the visuals and just play. the icicles are "cool" but not really tracked. I started waiting for 5 then using ice lance, but that's not truly how it works... you shouldn't be distracted by a timer or add-on to measure how many you have. As you learn mage more you will become less dependent on how many you have any way.

[Mastamage]

This is an interesting thread and until I stumbled on it, I didn't realize what I was missing. At first I thought I needed to "watch" icicles but you don't.. it takes care of itself.. for reference Blizzard puts a small "tracker" above your head (by default) so you can tell how many you have but it's more for visual than actual requirement to play mage. You don't lose those they can stay full, but eventually if you are using proper rotation and watching brain freeze procs they will fire. No need to worry about them.

It's one of those "experience" things, the more you play the more you ignore the visuals and just play. the icicles are "cool" but not really tracked. I started waiting for 5 then using ice lance, but that's not truly how it works... you shouldn't be distracted by a timer or add-on to measure how many you have. As you learn mage more you will become less dependent on how many you have any way.

^exactly this. I've been getting a lot of heat over on the official forums for telling people your exact statement. They seem to think tracking them will actually make them play better. I think its more distraction. If Blizz meant for them to be tracked, then they would be.

[maizensh]

If Blizz meant for them to be tracked, then they would be.

Although tracking them in pve is useless, in pvp it's very important. It was probably an oversight on blizz's side.

It's not that hard to see how much icicles you have above your head, furthermore in pvp that's actually easy. The problem is that you don't know how much damage you have stored and how much time is left on the oldest icicle.
Another problem is that icicles are visible to all, so if you have five then people will do everything in their power to stop you. That's a little like playing poker with an open hand

[Kuni Zyrekai]

If Blizz meant for them to be tracked, then they would be.

I'm actually more along the train of thought that they would add an obscene amount of combat log spam, something they've been trying to reduce.

[Mastamage]

I'm actually more along the train of thought that they would add an obscene amount of combat log spam, something they've been trying to reduce.

Oh I wouldn't doubt they would. We already had the issues with healing input causing lag, stormlash totem lag, etc. I really believe people are overthinking the tracking part of Icicles. After a few days of raiding with the new mastery I forgot we even had them as a visual. Didn't bother me one bit with my numbers.