Poster: Tursi at 11/1/2005 12:38:32 AM PST
Subject: Don't be a Newb: Learn to Assist! |
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It's been a while since I've pinged this concept across the community board and felt it was time for a refresher course for the thick-skulled Battle.net kiddies who think they "know it all" and for folks new to the game who want to stand out in both their Pickup Groups (PUGs) and in their guild.
The Single Target Concept
Imagine the benefits of being able to quickly shift an entire group's damage output onto one target at a time. Realize that regardless of the number of mobs being engaged at once your group's potential DPS output remains the same, with the exception of AoE nukes. However, the number of mobs multiplies the damage being taken by the group the longer each mob survives. Quickly eliminating individual sources of incoming DPS is the most efficient means of disposing of enemies. (It does absolutely no good to get 8 mobs down to 5% health when all 8 are beating on your group at 100%.)
There are countless other benefits to focusing on one mob at a time including reduced mana drain on healers, reduced heal aggro on healers, and avoidance of trap, sheep, and seduction breakage. (Those familiar with this please expound, I don't want this OP to become too bulky.)
The built-in Assist Function
As with several other MMOs, WoW comes complete with an Assist Function. It is defaulted to the "F" key and may be remapped using the Key Binding menu under "Targeting Functions." The function is also available as a macro command, "/assist" or "/assist [Player Name]"
What it does:
Hitting Assist while targeting another player or mob will result in your target shifting to their's. Say I have a Monstrous Plaguebat targeted and you have me targeted. When you press Assist, you will now be targeting the same Monstrous Plaguebat. If your buddy targets me and hits Assist, he will also start targeting the same Monstrous Plaguebat as you and I.
Organized groups will assign a Main Assist or MA. This is not the same as the Main Tank or MT. The MA is a member of the party who will NOT be changing targets in the middle of a fight, but will hold his target on the same adversary until dead or nearly dead and then select the next target for destruction. The MT must remain free to change targets to round up aggro or pull aggro off his healer or the mage when his/her sheep wears off. Rogues make great MAs, as do Hunters and Padadins.
At some point almost everyone has heard the phrase, "Set your assists to [So and So]." True to human nature, if you had no clue what was being said you probably said nothing. What this means is that a MA has been assigned and that all party members should edit their Assist macros to include "/assist [So and So]".
This is how you now target. If you're Tab Targeting, you are a newb. All targeting should now be filtered through the MA. Using Assist eliminates any question as to whether or not you are on the correct mob. If you've ever been yelled at for being on the wrong mob consistantly, this is what you were being yelled at for.
Practice this, grab a guildie and work on it if you have to. (I recently spent almost an hour teaching a MC geared druid what Assist was all about. He was absolutely clueless.) Groups that successfully Assist perform better than a group 5 levels higher that does not. (I have witnessed a group of all lvl 35s wtfpwn Scarlet Monastery, and a group of all 40s wipe 3 times only halfway through.)
Being a newb is your prerogative. Take this for what it's worth.
The Shikar
http://ShikariTalons.guildportal.com
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| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=5579683&p=#post5579683 |
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Poster: Tseric at 11/3/2005 2:17:49 PM PST
Subject: Re: Don't be a Newb: Learn to Assist! |
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I'll throw my 2cp in...
I am a bit of a purist when it comes to this game and how I play it. Unmodded, very simple.
I have only two macros I have made or ever used. One is a macro for /assist.
Guess what the other one is?
Your Lucky Numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42
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| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=5579683&p=#post5620821 |
Poster: Tseric at 11/3/2005 2:28:27 PM PST
Subject: Re: Don't be a Newb: Learn to Assist! |
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Q u o t e:
It's /random 100 you noobs.
You win the internet!
Your Lucky Numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42
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| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=5579683&p=#post5621006 |
Poster: Tseric at 11/3/2005 2:17:49 PM PST
Subject: Re: Don't be a Newb: Learn to Assist! *edited post* |
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I'll throw my 2cp in...
I am a bit of a purist when it comes to this game and how I play it. Unmodded, very simple.
I have only two macros I have made or ever used. One is a macro for /assist.
Guess what the other one is?
Your Lucky Numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42
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| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=5579683&p=#post5620821 |
Poster: Tseric at 11/3/2005 2:28:27 PM PST
Subject: Re: Don't be a Newb: Learn to Assist! *edited post* |
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Q u o t e:
It's /random 100 you noobs.
You win the internet!
Your Lucky Numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42
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| | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=5579683&p=#post5621006 |
