Potting "in" bear/catforms discovered!

[Frag]

Well, you're not exactly "in form" when it happens, but as this thread shows, 0.2-0.4s of casterform usually doesn't get you killed. Macro portion copied for posterity:

Code:

#show Super Healing Potion
/castSequence [stance:1] reset=3 Dire Bear Form, Lifebloom
/stopcasting
/use Super Healing Potion
/stopcasting
/use Master Healthstone
/stopcasting
/cast [nostance] Dire Bear Form

You can also do additional things like pop Adamantine Figurine right before shifting for some additional security if you want/need to use this on say... Prince Phase 2. :D :blink:

Cheers,
~Frag B)

[Taelas]

Just to clarify what this macro does (I've known about it for a few weeks):

The first castsequence does two things: a.) it shifts you out of bear form, b.) it tries to cast Lifebloom (while in bear form). The first time you press it, you shift out and the conditional no longer applies. The macro remembers that you've already passed the first spell in the castsequence. Then you drink a pot and a healthstone and shift back into bear form on subsequent clicks. On the next click, you try to cast Lifebloom in bear form (which obviously cannot be done).

In other words, the only things this macro does are a.) shift you out, b.) use pots/healthstones, c.) shift you back in. No matter how much you spam it, you'll stay in bear form (as long as the macro isn't reset).

It's a very nice little workaround (and 'Lifebloom' can be replaced by anything that isn't castable in bear form).

[Bolty]

You're missing the crucial line in the macro...I'll insert it for you:

/castSequence [stance:1] reset=3 Dire Bear Form, Lifebloom
/stopcasting
/use Super Healing Potion
/stopcasting
/use Master Healthstone
/stopcasting
/innervate da Bolty
/cast [nostance] Dire Bear Form

There we go.

In other news, does Blizzard care about this? I can't imagine they would, since it's nothing more than the kind of advantages some mods give players.

-Bolty

[Tal]

You're missing the crucial line in the macro...I'll insert it for you:
There we go.

-Bolty

Less pew pew more healing imho.

[Frag]

You're missing the crucial line in the macro...I'll insert it for you:
There we go.

In other news, does Blizzard care about this? I can't imagine they would, since it's nothing more than the kind of advantages some mods give players.

-Bolty

That's posted it initially, there's no indication on the initial thread if they do or not and I figured there might be a for & against party with valid points here. I nearly posted it in the bugs/exploit forum (Can't spell Gnomer this morning :P), but it's technically not an exploit of game mechanics as far as I can tell, just a very creative use of them.

It certainly is interesting from a risk/reward POV... Every now and then, you've gotta take a hit using it and that very well could lead to wiping the group.

Cheers,
~Frag B)

[Watto44]

[Watto] begins Rant About Potting in Feral Forms. [You] Resist!

Good macro. :)

It certainly is interesting from a risk/reward POV... Every now and then, you've gotta take a hit using it and that very well could lead to wiping the group.

I haven't tried this, but assuming decent latency that should be minimized by making sure you don't press this while the GCD is up. (Captain Obvious strikes again!!)

Speaking of the GCD...

[Watto] begins Rant About Shapeshifting Being Subject to the GCD. [You] Resist!

(At least they don't have a cast time anymore.:))

[Taelas]

[Watto] begins Rant About Potting in Feral Forms. [You] Resist!

Good macro. :)
I haven't tried this, but assuming decent latency that should be minimized by making sure you don't press this while the GCD is up. (Captain Obvious strikes again!!)

Speaking of the GCD...

[Watto] begins Rant About Shapeshifting Being Subject to the GCD. [You] Resist!

(At least they don't have a cast time anymore.:))

Shapeshifting isn't subject to the GCD.

The shapeshifting bar imposes a CD to prevent accidentally shifting out, but only when you use the bar. You can turn it off in the Interface Options.

[Watto44]

Shapeshifting isn't subject to the GCD.

The shapeshifting bar imposes a CD to prevent accidentally shifting out, but only when you use the bar. You can turn it off in the Interface Options.

Shifting out of forms isn't subject to, and doesn't trigger, the GCD. Shifting into them is and does.

[Taelas]

I can spam a /cast Travel Form macro for my entire mana bar without ever waiting 1.5 seconds. Shapeshifting is not subject to the GCD.

[nobbie]

The macro doesn't seem to work for me. When I press it once it will tell me I can't use items while shapeshifted and then unshifts me. Isn't it supposed to not do this? Or am I just supposed to double-hit the macro?

[Xanthix]

The macro doesn't seem to work for me. When I press it once it will tell me I can't use items while shapeshifted and then unshifts me. Isn't it supposed to not do this? Or am I just supposed to double-hit the macro?

Depending on lag you may need to hit it several times. It is designed so you can mash it repeatedly and the only actions it will take are unshift you, then use potion and any trinkets you want, then reshift you.

[Watto44]

I can spam a /cast Travel Form macro for my entire mana bar without ever waiting 1.5 seconds. Shapeshifting is not subject to the GCD.

Might be my lag, but I doubt it. Just went and checked - even ported to Moonglade to cut my latency - used a simple macro, double checked that safe ability was off in the interface menu, and spammed as fast as I could.

Result: http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=503098

Sorry, the quality isn't fantastic, but it does the trick. You can see the "Ability is not ready" spam and the cooldown graphics on all the visible buttons as well as the shapeshift bar.

(Also note: I used an alt so I could 1) disable all my addons and 2) My druid main is out of macro slots. >< )

In hindsight, removing shifting from the GCD would indeed be a bad thing, as it's a short step from that to rejuv'fe bloom/NS+HT macros, effectively skyrocketting a druid tanks survivability. Not sure why I didn't think of that earlier. :whistling:

[Taelas]

Might be my lag, but I doubt it. Just went and checked - even ported to Moonglade to cut my latency - used a simple macro, double checked that safe ability was off in the interface menu, and spammed as fast as I could.

Result: http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=503098

Sorry, the quality isn't fantastic, but it does the trick. You can see the "Ability is not ready" spam and the cooldown graphics on all the visible buttons as well as the shapeshift bar.

(Also note: I used an alt so I could 1) disable all my addons and 2) My druid main is out of macro slots. >< )

In hindsight, removing shifting from the GCD would indeed be a bad thing, as it's a short step from that to rejuv'fe bloom/NS+HT macros, effectively skyrocketting a druid tanks survivability. Not sure why I didn't think of that earlier. :whistling:

Huh.

I guess it's just me, then.

[nobbie]

Depending on lag you may need to hit it several times. It is designed so you can mash it repeatedly and the only actions it will take are unshift you, then use potion and any trinkets you want, then reshift you.

Just to clarify if I have understood the whole thing correctly:

Assuming a very good latency, the macro does the following with just ONE button-click:

(Line #1 shows the number of the remaining healing pots on the macro icon)

1.) Perform the following cast sequence if the condtional (bear/cat form) is TRUE:
- Shift out of bear/cat form
- Try to cast a spell like Lifebloom, whose sole purpose is to cause a brief delay so that the following healing pots will not be accessed before approx. 200 ms (which would cause the error "you can't use items while shapeshifted")

2.) Use healing pot

3.) Use major healthstone

4.) Shift back to bear/cat form


If you have just mediocre or bad latency, the macro already fails in step 1. It doesn't exactly fail, but due to the latency, shifting out of bear/cat form takes too long, so that the second spell in the cast sequence will be skipped. The required delay of 200 ms is now missing, and the healing pot/healthstone are being accessed while still in bear/cat form causing the error "you can't use items while shapeshifted".

If you click the macro button again, the conditional is skipped and you use the healing pot/healthstone in caster form (which is now correct). After that, you will be shifted back to bear/cat form.

Good latency = just 1 button-click, mediocre/bad latency = 2 button-clicks, correct?

[Arnulf]

Just to clarify if I have understood the whole thing correctly:

Assuming a very good latency, the macro does the following with just ONE button-click: [...]

Stop right there.

/castsequence is special command where you have to click the macro repeatedly to go through the sequence of actions specified by /castsequence. So you have to click the button at least twice to quaff a potion.

[Taelas]

You want to MASH the button. Spam it. Hit it as many times as you can get away with until you're safely in bear form again.

The Lifebloom part isn't touched till after you get into bear form again.

I'm pretty sure you have to click at least three times: one for jumping out, one for using the consumables, and one for jumping back into bear form (I haven't actually tried the macro; I don't really like the risk involved when tanking bosses--I need to learn the attack speed of a boss very well to do this).

Assuming that's correct, here's what happens:
First click: Shift out of bear form (stance modifier no longer applies, so it doesn't attempt to cast Lifebloom).
Second click: Use consumables.
Third click: Shift into bear form (stance modifier applies again).
Fourth click: Attempt to cast Lifebloom (cast sequence isn't reset yet, so it automatically passes over the first spell in the sequence).
Fifth click: Attept to cast Lifebloom.
Sixth click: Attempt to cast Lifebloom.
Sevent click.... etc.

Due to its design, you can spam it, and you'll really, really want to.

[nobbie]

Ok, thanks for the clarification.