Hello, Ability Powered gamers! Boy, do I have exciting news from World of Warcraft’s Azeroth! We have a new targeting macro that can literally change the game for many of us who are disabled in Azeroth. I know, I know, you are asking “but Short, HOW??” Let me show you!
What Are the Targeted Macro Commands?
I am going to cut straight to the good stuff. In thee case where you just need the codes then I will go into a little more detail about what they do.
Target Yourself
/cast [@player] spell name
Example: /cast [@player] Power Word: Barrier
Target Mouse Pointer
/cast [@cursor] spell name
Example: /cast [@cursor] Power Word: Barrier
What Do They Do and Why It Matters
For a few years now I have heard from disabled gamers about a problem they’ve had in Azeroth. Spells with an Area of Effect (AoE) targeting system require you to click the spell then click the ground where you want the spell to cast. For mouse only users it has been an issue with speed. The time it takes some of us to click on a spell, move our mouse to where we needed it, then apply it could be problematic. Especially if the user has accuracy problems. For keyboard only users it was even worse. The inability to use the mouse made some spells unusable. This hurt their performance and led to enough frustration that some actually quit. Now there’s a solution!
Quality of Life Targeting Macros
These macros now remove the need to target areas of the screen. Instead, the spell can be cast instantly with two results. First, you can choose to target yourself with the spell. With this targeting macro the spell will target in a circle around you. Just run to where you want the spell to hit, hit your button or keybind, and profit. This works with healing and damage spells.
The other targeting macro is helpful to a little smaller audience of disabled gamers. It lets you immediately cast the spell you have macro’d to your cursor’s current location. This can be helpful if you are a keyboard only gamer by pre-positioning your mouse pointer an inch or two in front of your character and just leave it there while you play. This is not optimal, I understand, but it’s a start.
How They Could Improve
Adding a few more conditionals could be a complete game changer for disabled gamers in Azeroth. Things like “@focus”, “@target”, or “@assist” could actually make our spell usage on par with players who can easily use mouse and keyboard together. Controlling the target with a pre-positioned cursor or with the current location of our character helps. Although, I feel like it will still make players relying on these methods a little behind players who do not.
Final Words on Area Targeting Macro
While these changes could be improved, they are still huge for Ability Powered gamers! By using your position wisely you can now control your targeted AoE spells. This is great since because being REQUIRED to move your mouse or use precious time with unnecessary movement or clicking is bad. But don’t take my word for it! Get out there and try out the new macros now! Let us know if they have helped you, and be sure to look for more World of Warcraft help on our WoW Short Guides!
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