# World of Warcraft General Discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 4, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294 "2009-03-04T17:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 105
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2081 "2009-06-17T13:51:44Z")
> [@martu](#): > > Can someone explain to me what the ‘Focus’ macro command actually means? I keep reading that it is a way of targeting two mobs at once but I haven’t read an explanation I understand yet! You have two target types, your target and your focus. There are all kinds of ways to use this in marcos. For instance, my lock is banishing a mob, and doesn’t want to have to switch his target to it to reapply the banish, so I create a macro like this: /cast [target=focus] Banish Simple enough. Then there’s the way I control my extra mages when I’m multiboxing. First the follow macro: /focus Mage1 /follow Mage1 Which always resets the following mage’s focus to Mage1. All spells used by the extra mages are of this format: /cast [target=focustarget] frostbolt Which means that all the mages cast their frostbolts at Mage1’s target. You can use this to always attack what the main assist is attacking, if your raid is using a main assist. If I’m tank healing a fight where the tanks swap often, I might use something like: /cast [target=targettarget] Holy Light And use my focus to either bop or salv a high threat dps. Does this help answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2082 "2009-06-17T13:56:49Z")
> [@martu](#): > > Can someone explain to me what the ‘Focus’ macro command actually means? I keep reading that it is a way of targeting two mobs at once but I haven’t read an explanation I understand yet! A focus macro is something that you can use to keep your target (your “focus”) on one mob, while still being able to watch what’s going on with another and do something to it without having to take your focus off the first mob. Say you’re a mage (like me) and your job is to sheep one target while DPSing another. If you set a focus macro, you can have your main focus on the target you’re DPSing, while keeping an eye on your sheep target. I have mine set so I can hit a key to periodically re-sheep my sheep target (I’m also running an addon that allows me to keep track of when the sheep is due to break, so I can re-sheep before it does) without ever taking my focus off my DPS target. If I didn’t have it set this way, I’d have to manually re-target my sheep target, cast Polymorph, then relocate my DPS target. When you’re in a raid and there are 24 other people making things glow and flash and otherwise be distracting, finding a single target in a group of mobs isn’t always easy. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2083 "2009-06-17T15:13:36Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > he’s… him… him Pssssssst! Not a dude. 😃 > [@SteveG1](#): > > There is a round about way, by using the neutral auction house. You forgot to mention that the Goblin AHes take a \*\*\*15 percent \*\*\*cut of any sale. > [@ArrMatey](#): > > There’s an INSANELY long quest-line that deals with going into both Stormwind and Undercity (far into both) as well as many other dangerous areas that rewards you, at the end, amongst other things, with an extra language: Draconic. I’ve never heard of this. Link please, because that would be awesome. If you’re talking about the Wrathgate quest in WotLK, that doesn’t give Draconic–there was just a bug that allowed some people to see what Alextrasza said, or something like that. > [@Bosstone](#): > > There’s no benefit to completing the quest these days, if it’s even possible. The AQ opening quest chain is still doable–I’m actually in the middle of it so that I can get the only Cooking recipe I’m still missing. And while there’s “no benefit” in the sense that you won’t get a title or a mount, it’s still a pretty damn epic chain, from what I hear. > [@Quasimodem](#): > > Case in point: Saw a level 15 standing in front of a mailbox as I was checking my mail, and I was asked for one silver, so I sent it to her. > > Not even a “thank you” whisper. 1.) Don’t give money to strangers who beg. It’s easy enough to earn it quickly, and you’ll only encourage them to beg more. 2.) If you mailed the money to her (instead of opening a trade window), it would take an hour for her to get it, even if she was standing right next to you at the mailbox. > [@Electronic\_Chaos](#): > > Depending on your guild, they may not even notice you’re online - I don’t think it alerts you someone’s online unless they’re actually on your friends list. There’s an Interface option that lets you choose whether or not to get an alert when people from your guild come online and go offline. It never hurts to say “hi” when you log in, though! And if no one greets you, they might just be distracted doing other things–I have a whole separate chat window that I stay in when I’m running raids and instances, which doesn’t include guild chat. > [@martu](#): > > Can someone explain to me what the ‘Focus’ macro command actually means? I keep reading that it is a way of targeting two mobs at once but I haven’t read an explanation I understand yet! I don’t think anyone’s yet mentioned the most visible aspect of setting a target as your focus–you get a whole 'nother little portrait for them, which you can then place anywhere on your screen. You can set a focus target through a command, or by right-clicking on the portrait of your desired focus and selecting the option that’s something like “Set as focus.” Once the new portrait pops up, right-click it and select the “unlock” option to move it wherever you’d like it, then right click and “lock” it again to keep it there. Not only can you use macros to do specific things to the focus target, but the extra portrait will also show cast bars and target-of-target if you have these things enabled (useful for, e.g., Razorscale, who will target for a split-second the person she’s about to spit fire at during the air phase, allowing the healers a bit of warning). You can also click the focus portrait to manually reselect your focus as your main target. When you’re done, you can right-click the focus portrait and select the option to clear your focus. ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2084 "2009-06-17T15:18:21Z")
Thanks both of you but I still must be missing something - as far as I can see I can only have one mob ‘selected’ at a time. Say I have two mobs in front of me and I start attacking one of them, is this my target? If so how do I make the other my ‘focus’? ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2085 "2009-06-17T15:22:20Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I don’t think anyone’s yet mentioned the most visible aspect of setting a target as your focus–you get a whole 'nother little portrait for them, which you can then place anywhere on your screen. You can set a focus target through a command, or by right-clicking on the portrait of your desired focus and selecting the option that’s something like “Set as focus.” > > Once the new portrait pops up, right-click it and select the “unlock” option to move it wherever you’d like it, then right click and “lock” it again to keep it there. > > Not only can you use macros to do specific things to the focus target, but the extra portrait will also show cast bars and target-of-target if you have these things enabled (useful for, e.g., Razorscale, who will target for a split-second the person she’s about to spit fire at during the air phase, allowing the healers a bit of warning). > > You can also click the focus portrait to manually reselect your focus as your main target. When you’re done, you can right-click the focus portrait and select the option to clear your focus. Ah this is what I have missed thanks, ignore my previous post which I must have been writing as you were posting. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2086 "2009-06-17T15:48:34Z")
> [@martu](#): > > Ah this is what I have missed thanks, ignore my previous post which I must have been writing as you were posting. Happens all the time. 😃 Also, macros that involve focus will often include a line to set the focus to your current target if there isn’t one yet, so you don’t have to manually set it via the right-click method. ---
**Author:** ![martu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@martu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martu)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2087 "2009-06-17T16:12:21Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Happens all the time. 😃 > > Also, macros that involve focus will often include a line to set the focus to your current target if there isn’t one yet, so you don’t have to manually set it via the right-click method. Yep this is exactly what is happening in the macro I was trying to understand and now it makes sense completely. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2088 "2009-06-17T16:49:43Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I’ve demonstrated no lack of understanding about meters–I’ve demonstrated a disdain for people who use their position at the top of them to show how “great” they are at DPS or healing, because often it’s the case that those people are topping the charts by doing other stupid things, and their DPS/HPS is no real indication of their performance. > > My objection was, and always has been, that _all you did was talk about your position on the top of the charts_ as an argument as to why Priests are the best healers. You have yet to actually give me \*any hard data \*or forumlas comparing a Priest to any other class with comparable gear in a comparable role. You mean other than when I explained the mathematical process by which one can make the appropriate adjustments? You’re right, I didn’t write out a specific set of equations as this isn’t a theorycrafting forum; however, I did direct to a place whereat you can look at the relevant maths in detail. Wombat, no I haven’t directly insulted anyone. If speaking about a theoretical person is dangerously close to this line, then I’ve misread the forum rules. Even if that weren’t the case, it remains patent that dangerously close to the line isn’t either on over it, correct? I don’t maintain my way of playing WoW is the only way to do it, and even a cursory reading of my posts would indicate that: I’ve made many references to the idea that if one’s playstyle suits him and his guild is ok with it, then it’s a sufficient case. I don’t see how any other reading is possibly derivative therefrom. Moreover, my discussion wasn’t about my playstyle; it’s about objective evaluation of one’s performance in a raid, which is a mathematical concern wholly divorced from how people feel. If the reality of mathematics and the deductions therefrom provide issue for people, then I suppose on these types of topics, I can be of no benefit as the only concern which apparently has any relevance here is how people feel about things. While that’s a nice world in which to exist, it isn’t a particularly helpful way to _improve_ one’s performance. It’s entirely possible to get better at the game and still have fun. I don’t see how these are mutually exclusive. I’m sorry that you’ve misread my comments to mean what you want them to mean instead of taking them on their own terms. Perhaps I can adopt a different writing style about how to interpret raw data, but I don’t see why there needs to be any emotion in it at all. I just don’t understand the hurt feelings some people seem to have when they say something which is very obvious untrue and they’re shown that they’re wrong. So, I guess for the sake of everyone, I’ll just agree with everyone’s opinion at all times. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2089 "2009-06-17T17:13:15Z")
**ashman** , I’m pissed off because you assumed that because I didn’t know that you knew how to correctly adjust the meters and parse the info that it meant that I didn’t know how to do those things. You’re pissed because I assumed that you hadn’t made the adjustements or compensated for things like healing assignments and other non-healing duties, which a reasonable person would do. So, can we agree that neither of us is a moron and move on? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2090 "2009-06-17T18:13:15Z")
> [@martu](#): > > Can someone explain to me what the ‘Focus’ macro command actually means? I keep reading that it is a way of targeting two mobs at once but I haven’t read an explanation I understand yet! Focus is a very helpful thing. The most basic way to use it is to focus your main tank in the group. Then, whenever a fight starts, mouse his “focus” portrait and hit the F key to assist. That way, you will be attacking the same mob he attacks. It’s a good way to stay on the primary kill (the skull usually) mob. Another and more powerful use is as follows: Go to the raid tab and drag the main tank to your screen. To assist him, use the F key and attack what he attacks. Set the focus on “your” mob for crowd control, be it sheeping, fear juggling, banishing, trapping (the frost arrow is a good one), cyclone, shackle, whatever CC you have. By doing this, you can assist the tank, apply your CC, and watch your CC. Example: the Moroes fight in Kara. On my priest, I could assist the tank, and keep “my” mob shackled with far less hassle than frantically turning and looking for it. Focus can help prevent wipes. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2091 "2009-06-17T18:21:38Z")
Just a “progress report” here. My warrior and deathknight both hit level 77, got their Deraged War Axe, and their cold weather flying. My priest is busy making and stockpiling ebonweave so my priest, balance druid and mage will have nicer threads, and I’ve got my feral drood and rogue in some decent pre-heroic gear (a combination of Eviscerator and instance gear). ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2092 "2009-06-17T19:45:32Z")
To add onto the focus discussion, there is apparently a known issue where you can’t right-click on a player and set focus using the right-click menu. That, or using the F key, have never worked for me to set my focus. :dubious: (I use Xperl, but it’s generally been labelled a Blizzard issue in the addon thread) Until I found out about that and set my focus manually, I didn’t get how focus worked, either. – That said, my 67 hunter finally said goodbye to the last bits of the old world quests and moved on to picking up Outland quests. Bit of a bittersweet moment for me, dropping quests that I’d been hoping to do, but on the other hand, I can’t wait to finish exploring beyond Hellfire Peninsula and Shatt to see what’s out there. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2093 "2009-06-17T20:12:04Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > To add onto the focus discussion, there is apparently a known issue where you can’t right-click on a player and set focus using the right-click menu. That, or using the F key, have never worked for me to set my focus. Something I use occasionally bugs it out, too (or it’s a Blizz issue), but trying again usually works, and when that doesn’t, resetting the UI will. I’m pretty sure that F is by default the assist key though, isn’t it? Not for setting focus? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2094 "2009-06-17T20:22:05Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > That said, my 67 hunter finally said goodbye to the last bits of the old world quests and moved on to picking up Outland quests. Bit of a bittersweet moment for me, dropping quests that I’d been hoping to do, but on the other hand, I can’t wait to finish exploring beyond Hellfire Peninsula and Shatt to see what’s out there. 67? Seriously? And here I thought my GF was wringing every last bit of XP she could out of Azeroth by staying there until level 63. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2095 "2009-06-17T20:31:16Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > 67? Seriously? And here I thought my GF was wringing every last bit of XP she could out of Azeroth by staying there until level 63. Heck, at 67 you could practically skip straight to Northrend, were you so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2096 "2009-06-17T20:36:26Z")
I don’t remember what level my first character was when he went back to Winterspring to pick up his wind-up yeti. But I don’t know if that counts =). ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2097 "2009-06-17T20:58:18Z")
I know. 🙂 I’m not that good at abandoning quests and want to try everything now, especially since the next highest toon is about 44 or so. I’m trying to break myself of this so I can get to Northrend in a few more levels. I’ve pretty much cleared out Hellfire Peninsula already except for the group quests, and am doing Nagrand because a guildie suggested the Ring of Blood chain when we were looking for either rewards or cool factor. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2098 "2009-06-17T21:11:29Z")
> [@lizardling](#): > > I know. 🙂 I’m not that good at abandoning quests and want to try everything now, especially since the next highest toon is about 44 or so. I’m trying to break myself of this so I can get to Northrend in a few more levels. Generally I try not to do everything on one character simply so that future characters will have new content to do. Like, toward 60 I was happily questing in the Plaguelands with my Paladin (Undead and Demons, oh my!) but moved on as soon as I could, and only helped my GF, who’s like you, with the bare minimum necessary in the other ex-endgame zones. Because of this, Winterspring was a brand new area for my Hunter to explore, who’s just finishing up the quests there at level 59 and will move on to Hellfire next. I can only take so much repetition of landscape and quests before the game gets tiresome; most of the Alliance newbie areas have gotten to be really stale to me because of this. (Thankfully Hellfire is a _neat_ place.) To each their own, of course. I honestly find it kind of impressive that you got that far just in Azeroth alone. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2099 "2009-06-17T21:25:52Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Oh, god…EQ is about 10 times as confusing as WoW. At least the last time I played it (a couple of years ago), there was no consistent quest system. Half of the quests you get you have to reconstruct from conversation. Half of the quests you get end up in a quest log. Travel sucks. > > EQ is just very not-WoW. IIRC correctly, the trick to EQ was finding a nice quiet corner to grind out XP. Questing was not an effecive means of levelling past level 10 or so. The main reason to quest was to get an epic or because you needed to complete a quest to get access to some zones (I remember vex thal, plane of time, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![twilly80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@twilly80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twilly80)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294/2100 "2009-06-17T21:27:06Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > You forgot to mention that the Goblin AHes take a \*\*\*15 percent \*\*\*cut of any sale. I’m willing to take the 15 percent hit dude, so can I please have some gold ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294.md?page=104) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-of-warcraft-general-discussion/488294.md?page=106)