Create Targeting Macros Within World of Warcraft - WotLK
Targeting and Macros
Clicking on targets or using the Tab key to select them is a thing of the past. Macros do all the work for you (if you tell them to, of course). Targeting players with the click of a button can be extremely useful for anyone, especially healers. Ever wanted to help someone kill something but just been a little too slow off the mark? Creating a Macro will prevent any targeting slipups and will conclude this Macro guide.
The / target Command
With this command, it is possible to enter the name of someone you wish to target and it will do so for you. For example, ‘/target [friends name]’ will ensure you can target your best friend to deliver those heals, even if you’re not in the same group. However, there is an easier way to target friendly companions that is proven to be more effective then typing in their names every time. This technique uses ID’s instead of names. For example, if you wanted so select your current pet, then ‘/target pet’ would be what you are looking for. This is a lot easier than writing in the name of the pet you are using every time you change your pet.
Also, ID’s can be used for selecting within parties and raids. Using ‘/target raid3’ will select the third member of your raid, and using ‘/target party4’ will select the fourth member of your party. This way, you can constantly have a player covered with heals by having them on a hot key. The numbers of each raid member can be found in the Social tab under the ‘raid’ tab.
The most important ‘/target’ command (and possibly most useful) is the mouse over command. This allows a player to move their cursor over a target (either friendly or unfriendly) and push the Macro to select them. To do this, simply type ‘/target mouseover’ into the Macro command window and exit. This is most useful for healers, but can be used by anyone in many different situations.
Target Assisting
The ‘/assist’ command is often used when players group together. Assisting a fellow player can max DPS output on the particular enemy or can be used to help fellow healers who are having difficulty healing their current target.
Targeting Macros have been proven to go side-by-side with communication Macros. If the tank has recently changed targets, they can make the group aware of this change by creating a social Macro. However, to inform the group of his or her exact target, they can use the ‘%t’ command. When this is included into a Macro, it will translate into your current target. For example, ‘/p Changed target! Now attacking %t!’ would be a good example of a warning to a party that the tank has changed target. This is because the ‘%t’ would appear as an enemies name, making clear to the group the change in target.
Conclusion
Hopefully by reading this guide you have gained a better understanding of Macros and how best to use them within World of Warcraft. I think everybody would agree that anything that makes a game less stressful and more fun is worth learning about! Happy Macro-ing!
This post is part of the series: A Guide to Using Macros Within World of Warcraft
Whether you think they are useful or just for the plain lazy, Macros are key to making any World of Warcraft player’s life easier. This 5-Part guide details how to create such macros, and also explains their purpose so your WoW experience is a little less taxing on the fingers.
