Switching Targets

[Deleted]

What's the preferred method of switching targets when add management is a priority?

I have macros set up for assisting focus and have tried tabbing but on a boss like Xhul'Horac I always find I'm too slow switching to the Void and Imps because if Tab doesn't locate them quickly I'm clicking on them which takes time to locate them and then click.

[Deleted]

Use overhead Unit Frames (with or without addon) and click on them. As a hunter you should use them anyway for Careful Aim-/Kill Shot Sniping.

[Deleted]

I think that addons like DBM have the option to make a target list of all active enemies atm, starting from the boss on top and then all the other adds. Thats pretty useful because you just have to click on the flames. Im not 100% sure how to make them show up but maybe someone else here can help. ElvUI has a similar perk as well if i remember correctly.

[Azortharion]

They're called boss frames. Standard UI has them. They also don't show all adds, just central ones that are easy to switch to anyway.

[eschatological]

Boss frames don't work for adds like the voidfiends and imps on Xhul, but yeah, I use boss frames for major adds, and nameplates for the rest.

[Youn]

I find like Vholu I look at the stack of unit frames over the heads of all the adds, and normally pick out the low ones to snipe off. If it's in execution range, I pick it as a priority almost always. With the exception of the boss.

When I have alot of adds coming in that includes ones with boss frame priority, I click on the boss frame to change target.

And I am terrible in all of my shots are macroed to include /targetenemy [noharm][dead]

This means if I hit my steady shot without a target, it will pick the nearest tab targeted enemy and shot him with it. [Note: this isn't the most advised method of doing it but.... I am lazy.]

- - - Updated - - -

Note: My steady shot macro includes other items.

#showtooltip Steady Shot
/targetenemy [noharm][dead]
/cast [nochanneling] Steady Shot

The [nochanneling] is on every shot I don't want to interrupt barrage. So, every shot except my interrupt.

[Deleted]

I'm using DBM so get the boss frames and they are perfect for the big priority adds. However, as mentioned imps and voids don't come up on that and I'm just a bit crap as swapping to them by spinning round and clicking.

I quite like that Steady Shot macro.

I'm starting to get frustrated, my DPS is probably about 15-20k below what it should be. In the 20-50% percentile when loading combat logs (been a bit better tonight, with a couple in the 70% percentile - but then that was LFR which is a whole different ball game). I think switching targets slowly and losing my rotation as I'm concentrating to much on avoiding stuff are the main cause.....

[Felfaadaern Darkterror]

What's the preferred method of switching targets when add management is a priority?

I have macros set up for assisting focus and have tried tabbing but on a boss like Xhul'Horac I always find I'm too slow switching to the Void and Imps because if Tab doesn't locate them quickly I'm clicking on them which takes time to locate them and then click.

Whenever I have priority targets for a fight, I set up specific targeting macros. Comes up often enough that the macro is always on the action bar; I just update the name of the target as needed. For example:

/target flying kidnapper mob
/cast Concussive Shot

[Seekertheseeker]

Under Tidy Plates you can set the nameplates to grow larger by a specified percentage when at low health. I find this extremely useful for KS sniping.

[Deleted]

Whenever I have priority targets for a fight, I set up specific targeting macros. Comes up often enough that the macro is always on the action bar; I just update the name of the target as needed. For example:

/target flying kidnapper mob
/cast Concussive Shot

Funny you mention this. It is a GREAT tip! I did this the other night for Archimonde HC for the first time on the Living Shadows. I was finding I was manually clicking them and someone else was killing them before I got my shot off, not very good for DPS or Activity! Switched to using a target/aimed shot macro and BOOM what a difference! Need to go through and set up a whole bunch of these for different bosses.

Under Tidy Plates you can set the nameplates to grow larger by a specified percentage when at low health. I find this extremely useful for KS sniping.

Interesting, will definitely take a look at this too. I most certainly do not do anywhere near enough KS sniping! Is it possible to do a macro thus?:

/target mob < 35%
/cast Kill Shot

[eschatological]

No, you cannot make a macro check for conditions. Blizzard wants you to make the decision when/where to fire a shot, not a decision-making program.

[Felfaadaern Darkterror]

No, you cannot make a macro check for conditions. Blizzard wants you to make the decision when/where to fire a shot, not a decision-making program.

But plenty of addons to flash a message on your screen saying "Fire the shot now!"

[Azortharion]

But plenty of addons to flash a message on your screen saying "Fire the shot now!"

What do those have to do with macros? >_> You're still making the choice, the addon just gives you the info needed to make a decision.

[Orionid]

You're a Hunter, not a melee DPS standing under the bosses nutsack, idk how you could possibly have any difficulty clicking on the Voidfiends (WHICH SPAWN ON RANGE DPS/HEALERS) on Xhul. Are you zoomed into 1st person or barely 3rd person? Type the below into chat for maximum camera zoom out:
/console cameraDistanceMax 50

Based on your "spinning around" comment it sounds like you in fact are a keyboard turner. In other words not holding down right click to turn your character appropriately. Your damage ability buttons should be between 1-6 on your keyboard (with modifiers like Shift or Ctrl) which are easily usable while moving with WASD/QE. Just because you need to switch to Voidfiend doesn't mean you should stop pressing your damage abilities, even if you're still targetting Xhul or Vanguard or Omnus, keep pressing your attack buttons while "spinning around" to target voidfiends.

Nameplates are the easiest way to target "trash" mobs, and they are included with the Default UI. Hit "V" to make them pop up if you're not playing with them on.

If pushing your real damage abilities, like Chim shot/AiS/Kill Shot, is too difficult for you while target switching, just spam your Steady Shot button (I personally use 3) and that way you're at least pooling focus for when you finally bring yourself to accurately click the correct target...

and finally...stop browsing the internet for Macros to play the game for you, honestly it's embarrassing.

[Irefusetodie]

You can set Tidy Plates to do a variety of things.

[Felfaadaern Darkterror]

You're a Hunter, not a melee DPS standing under the bosses nutsack, idk how you could possibly have any difficulty clicking on the Voidfiends (WHICH SPAWN ON RANGE DPS/HEALERS) on Xhul. Are you zoomed into 1st person or barely 3rd person? Type the below into chat for maximum camera zoom out:
/console cameraDistanceMax 50

Based on your "spinning around" comment it sounds like you in fact are a keyboard turner. In other words not holding down right click to turn your character appropriately. Your damage ability buttons should be between 1-6 on your keyboard (with modifiers like Shift or Ctrl) which are easily usable while moving with WASD/QE. Just because you need to switch to Voidfiend doesn't mean you should stop pressing your damage abilities, even if you're still targetting Xhul or Vanguard or Omnus, keep pressing your attack buttons while "spinning around" to target voidfiends.

Nameplates are the easiest way to target "trash" mobs, and they are included with the Default UI. Hit "V" to make them pop up if you're not playing with them on.

If pushing your real damage abilities, like Chim shot/AiS/Kill Shot, is too difficult for you while target switching, just spam your Steady Shot button (I personally use 3) and that way you're at least pooling focus for when you finally bring yourself to accurately click the correct target...

and finally...stop browsing the internet for Macros to play the game for you, honestly it's embarrassing.

No matter how fast you can click on a mob and/or mash a button, having one button that performs several actions at once will still be faster. Besides, designing clever macros that work as intended is one of the fun challenges in game (at least for some of us).