How to fix "Tunnel Vision"?

[lolhorribads]

think many people have this problem and it's the number one cause of wipes today even in dungeons. Tunnel Vision. It's the failure to grasp what the hell is going on and only focus on one part of the screen in this case, the middle of the screen. That's why I try to keep all my action bars and abilities on an easy to access hot key and the middle of the screen so that I can click them as well if the need be and so I remember what key is what.

I try to focus on the middle of the screen because my attention side of my brain is excellent and I can focus on things that are happening outside my line of vision. But on WoW for some reason, I cannot pay attention to things that are going on. I know the boss mechanics, I know how to heal my HPS is not the problem but I always end up pulling trash that's behind or around me, die or cause the deaths of many around me because I mess up on some simple mechanic (And let's face it they're all simple these days) and the like that gives the title of horribad to so many people these days. Just to be clear though, I don't stand in fire I'm not that much of a moronic idiot and I know the mechanics I just have a hard time concentrating on them and paying attention. My dispelling and interrupting skills are also, excellent and the best in the raid/group because it's in my line of vision.

Okay, here's a great way of explaining it. You know how when you drive a car? You're taught to move your eyes around the road to pay attention to what's going on so that you don't accidentally kill someone or yourself? You're taught to do that on WoW and RPG's/MMorpgs in general too. I can't do that, I rely on the attention part of the brain which is why I cannot get my license (I'm 27) or play WoW efficently. I'm such a horribad now and at least unlike other horribads, I actually admit it.

I don't want to be a horribad I want to be a hardcore raider like I once was and this "tunnel vision" is just bullcrap! I cannot raid, I cannot do arena, I cannot do BGs for this reason and it's pissing me off!

Anyway, the point of this topic. To those of you who had tunnel vision before, how did you cure it? For those of you who never had tunnel vision what are some of the methods that you use to fight against it? I'd like to fix my horribadness.

[Tucci]

Stop clicking/keyboard turning completely. That's the first and probably most important step. Leave your abilities at the bottom of your screen and only use binds. It's the only way to force yourself to not tunnel as much and improve. Gonna just have to force yourself outside your comfort zone until you get used to it.

[Deja Thoris]

Learn to multitask!

http://www.smart-kit.com/games/how_to_multitask/

[Alltat]

Get rid of your action bars. If it's keybound, there's no reason to keep the icon visible (cooldown tracking aside). If it's not keybound and is something you use in combat, get a keybinding for it. If it's not something you use in combat, have the action bar be hidden in combat. If it's not currently on cooldown, no cooldown tracking is necessary. You want as little "stuff" on your screen as possible: if it's not there, it can't distract you. If it's not currently important, it shouldn't be visible.

[Deleted]

Put your important bars/healthframes/weak auras into the middle of the screen, where the real action happens. And practice.

[Jaojin]

Call out important mechanics in voice chat.

Addendum: If you call out mechanics your more inclined to look for them. You'll have to get your character to a point where you can do your "rotation/priority" or whatever without constantly monitoring it.

[Clrg]

Tunnel vision is not easy to fix, its take time while you feel comfortable and confident with your class / spec and the mechanics. One thing that help me in WoW was i played a lot RTS like Command & conquer and age of empire, so i was used to focus in different stuff at the same time.

Remove useless addon from your screen and keep the raid frame and trinkets procs in the left, the most important stuff from your bars should be in the left side too. dont make your brain look all over the screen to see if you have one skill ready, at some point your brain will remember the position of everything, so watching the screen for mechanics will not prevent your from healing or dpsing. All this have their scientific explanation but i dont remember the name of both articles.

[Twix]

I've got a question. Anyone has a good addon to track CDs. I really hate having to look at my action bars to see if they're off cool down.

I'm a rogue btw.

[Dreyen]

I find DBM warnings help a lot and caters people into tunneling... its both good and bad, more good than bad however.

I think you just need to routinely check everything on your screen. Adding things like nameplates give a good visual cue if you're close to a mob too, tidyplates+ threatplates addon shows you if you have aggro on something and makes it very obvious.

I find the biggest reason that can lead me to tunnelling is focusing too hard on my rotation, don't be afraid to lower your dps or hps to do the mechanics right, taking one less his requiring one less heal, or not dieing, is much beter than doing 3000 more hps

[moveth]

Honestly, I think that everyone should play a tank for a few months. I used to be complete garbage at awareness and such, but then after Wrath, I switched to tanking for all of Cata. Once I went back to DPS, I realized how truly phenomenal my overall awareness became from tanking.

Also the obvious things like Dont keyboard turn, dont click, use BigWigs / Whatever Bossmod, Get something like Weakauras to track your Procs. Addons are here to help with awareness and make raiders lives easier.

[Blueobelisk]

Lol at your car analogy. The truth is that if you're driving and you look around too often then you'll crash into the car in front of you. It's good to know your surroundings but you shouldn't ever stop paying attention in front of you, so for the most part, unless you're turning or changing lanes, you should focus ahead.

About tunnel vision, you should post a pic of your UI just to see how things are before I make any comments.

[trystero]

I've got a question. Anyone has a good addon to track CDs. I really hate having to look at my action bars to see if they're off cool down.

I'm a rogue btw.

TellMeWhen does this very well.

I put my major abilities around my character in the middle of my screen so I know when they're available. Use it for major CDs as well.

[Violetti]

I've got a question. Anyone has a good addon to track CDs. I really hate having to look at my action bars to see if they're off cool down.

I'm a rogue btw.

weakauras
you cant pretty much track everything, dots, trinketproccs, cds, ...

[Terahertz]

Force yourself to not tunnel vision. It sounds strange, I know, but it's exactly what it sounds like. When you're in a fight, force yourself to look away from your character/at other stuff going around you. Getting rid of tunnel vision is all about getting used to looking at other things but your character.

[eschatological]

Tunnel vision is a mindset. If you're having problems with raiders tunneling, remind them that no boss is mathematically impossible these days, and you have to care about mechanics first and then work on maximizing DPS after that. A good raid team makes it to enrage, and works backwards from there in fine tuning.

[clevin]

1) "But on WoW for some reason, I cannot pay attention to things that are going on. " is BS. You can, you just don't.

2) STOP CLICKING THINGS. Any ability that you need to use in combat should be keybound. Unless you have a physical handicap that prevents that don't waste time telling us you can't do this.

By all means, leave buffs etc on bars. Things you don't use in combat don't need to be keybound, but the 5-10 abilities you DO use in combat should be bound.

[dooble]

i've had alot of problems with tunnel vision, especially when im abit nervous (new guild etc). I lean back in my chair trying to relax more. I also move around more than necessary just to "stay active" instead of standing still with my eyes on the raid frames. (Im playing a healer).

[Khorm]

Get Tellmewhen (weak auras will just screw with you when new to it). Put all of your abilities to either the Left or Right but don't split them unless they are on very long cooldowns. You will end up trying to keep your left eye on the left side and your right eye on the right side abilities and lose focus on what is going on in front of you.

[Deleted]

Not really needed to bind everything, i have about 15 things bound rest longer cooldowns i click. I raid in a 10/14 heroic guild and im never the one whos fault the wipe is. Its usually our semi-bad other tank or DPS standing in shit. Actually id say id be more in my place in a 14/14 heroic guild, as many of our raiders loose focus couple hours after doing some progress. I have raided with tunnelvision ppl, and they usually do it ok the first 30minutes but it just seems to be too overwhelming to focus longer than that. Heroic modes are not for everyone.

[Sephius]

Stop keyboard turning. You need to move with your mouse. Anyone that says otherwise is wrong.

ZERO BUTTONS SHOULD EVER BE CLICKED EVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. USE YOUR KEYBINDS.