At the moment, you really have a “all or nothing” for sounds. Yes there is some minor mixing capabilities in game for Music, Ambient, and Sound Effects, however if you are in a fight where you are grouped up you’ll hear a lot of spell effects, Power Aura notifications, your iTunes/Pandora playlist, as well as Vent/Mumble calls, there is a good chance your boss mod announces will be drowned out.

I recently have been using a in-game modification, Muted Sounds, that mutes combat sounds, enabling me to easily hear vent, boss mods sounds, and boss emotes. Before you say “Emotes are so RP!” The emotes are often very valuable, and key alerts to boss abilities… in fact, I didn’t truly appreciate how helpful those boss emotes were until I installed this Mod/Pack; many of the emotes provide really good predictive notice. (Not to mention the potential impact to ‘quality of gaming life’ to gamers who might have visual or hearing impairments) 

I use these boss cues as well as spell alert sounds (off cooldown) to be another source of information that lets me respond to the game and boss mechanics— Muted Sounds simply filters out the unnecessary sounds and leaves me with the important ones.

This pack has already been updated for the 4.3 PTR, and I raided on the PTR with it installed. Give it a spin!

(Special thanks to Alas for getting me the mixer screenshot on the fly)

Flash Heal articles are a short, quick, and easy to understand posts. Flash Heal posts are meant to be less involved and detailed than a full article you are used to seeing here at Tales. Flash Heal posts are posts post that will give you some form of tip, trick, or gem of insight on anything from a spell to a boss mechanic. Got a suggestion for a Flash Heal post? Send us an email!

Flash Heal: Healing and Sound is a post from: Tales of a Priest

Nothing drives me more crazy when I cast a cooldown on a tank, to then see (moment’s later) a 2nd cooldown used, only because the person didn’t realize a cooldown was used— so wasteful.  DON’T DO IT!! Spells like Guardian Spirit, simply cannot be stacked– they just overwrite each other. Meaning, if I cast a Guardian Spirit on a tank and 3 seconds later someone else casts GS on the same tank, my GS will fall off wasting 7 seconds of the buff.  Sometimes you can’t avoid situations like that (ie. Tank suddenly takes a huge dip in health and 3 priests all reactively cast GS within a fraction of a second of each other). Alternatively you could have a GS and a Pain Suppression go out on the tank at the same time– this could have been avoided if the priests used simple notification to minimize these overlaps.

Perhaps the easiest method is communicating over Vent/Mumble. “GS on Sev!” (one of our tanks) Our tanks also communicate via vent when they use Shield Wall, Last Stand, ect. Another method, which I have really taken a liking to, is using a mod like Raeli’s Spell Announcer (RSA). RSA is similar to the mod Guardian Spirited (which I made a post about in Dec 09) except that it has been updated for Cataclysm and includes a number of spells for every class. Meaning, if a Warrior tank has RSA installed, and uses Shield Wall, notification will be made.

RSA also can be fully customized to broadcast via whispers, channels, says, yells, etc… I find RSA superior to a standard /yell macro as it will only broadcast if the spell has been successfully cast and when it drops. This means, if your target is out of range or if the spell is still on cooldown, you won’t be spamming your raid with “Pain Suppression on %T!” when in reality, it hasn’t been cast. Here is an example of how it would look if I have successfully cast Pain Suppression.

Also, as a healer it is very important for you to have your Raid Frames to also notify you when those CDs are being used. I am a Grid user, and I have Grid set up to alert me when Guardian Spirit/Pain Suppression/Last Stand/Survival Instincts/etc is up on a tank and now much time is left on those buffs. You can either add the buffs to your Grid buff list or you can use the plugin GridStatusTankCooldown. I have given them a high priority within my Grid priority list, and have made certain that it also displays the time remaining of those buffs enabling me to chain cooldowns on fights that call for chained CDs.

Example of Grid Showing Cooldown Buffs (Pain Supp)

GridStatusTankCooldown Config Menu

Being sure to know when CDs go up and fade is one thing, but the most important thing you can do is:  know the fight and when your cooldowns are best utilized. This often can come from practice with the encounter, but often times simple raid preparation (knowing the boss fights, strategy, and mechanics beforehand) can give you the insight you need to know. For example, you know you’ll need a PW: Barrier on the raid/tanks during Halfus’ Furious Roar; you’ll need to be sure to have the CD ready. This lends itself to the importance of knowing when your spells come off cooldown. I have both ForteXorcist to provide me a “cooldown line” as well as Power Auras to notify me when specific skills are off cooldown. Mashing your Guardian Spirit keybind when there is still 14 seconds left on the cooldown isn’t going to keep your tank alive.

At the end of the day we are responsible for our cooldowns and using them in beneficial situations. How are you monitoring your cooldowns? Is your raid coordinating them to get the most out of them?

Cooldown Coordination is a post from: Tales of a Priest

It’s time for another contest and giveaway here at Tales of a Priest! As many of you know, I am a little obsesed with my UI… I love mods;, I love seeing what they can do to improve my gameplay. One of the most annoying things about having a UI that you love: is keeping it updated.

The Curse Client is a great  application that lets you search for mods, read the description, install them, and helps you be sure you have the latest and greatest version. If that was all that the Curse Client did, I would be happy. But wait –– There’s more!!

The Curse Client also helps you keep your mods synched up across different computers. Many of you who follow me ton Twitter, know I travel a lot for work  and I bring a gaming laptop with me. The Curse client helps me keep my Desktop PC and my Laptop synched up as the Client keeps my Mods and Settings synched up! Had to reformat your computer or zombies stole your hard drive? You can use the Curse Client to restore your mods and settings.

So today, thanks to the generous folks over at Curse, we are giving away 2 One-Year Subscriptions to Curse Premium!

What are the differences between a Premium client and a Non-Premium client? The Premium client is has all the great stuff the Non-Premium client, and much more:

• Update all your addons with one click
• Addon Sync
• Addon Settings Backup
• Faster addon downloads
• Automatic addon updates
• No ads

Visit www.curse.com/client and www.curse.com/premium for more information

How do you win? Easy! Send an email to contests@talesofapriest.com with the answers to these 2 questions:

1. With the release of a good deal of Priest Cataclysm information what one thing are you looking forward to the most.
2. What one thing do you want Blizzard to revisit in their reviews of the Priest class in Cataclysm? We all know that with Beta not even annouced yet, changes WILL happen!

(And of course, if you want to provide any comments or feedback or Blog Post topics, please feel free to comment in that email as well.)

Two winners will be selected, at random, from the emails received.  We will be accepting emails through June 22nd, 2010. Emails must be received by 11:59PM Eastern Time to be considered eligible for this prize. Each winner will be given One Year of Curse Premium. The two winning entries will need to provide their Curse username/email to us to have the Subscription activated.

A big THANK YOU again to the folks over at Curse.com and good luck to everyone!!

Cataclysm Contest! Curse Client Craziness! is a post from: Tales of a Priest

Raid Leader: “Ok now everyone remember, if you get the Super Bad debuff, you go over here.” *pings map*

The encounter begins, and Raider Joe is targeted by the Super Bad debuff and runs off to the wrong location.

Raid Leader: “Joe! Joe! Wrong way! Run to the east!!!!” *pings map incessantly*

Debuff goes off, and wipes the raid.

The End.

Now, in a perfect world this would never happen. But as we all know, this does happen in raids – Yes, this happens in my Guild’s Heroic 25 man raids.

Yes, we all can look at maps created in strategiy forums and other online venues… I’ve seen some masterpiece MS Paint strategy ‘maps’ that rival Picasso. However, even the best maps are paled in comparison to the raid itself. Enter the mod, AVR. AVR (Augmented Virtual Reality) is great for laying out strategies for your raid. You can provide illustrated locations for the boss in the actual raid environment.

AVR allows you to create lines, shapes, and other directions that display right on the screens of the other users in your raid. All they need to do, is have the AddOn installed, and you can share your layout with them. They don’t need to do ANYTHING except load the mod.

It is very intuitive to set up, you can access the menu via /avr menu and create shapes (aka Meshes) or you can draw lines using the Paint controls. I’ve created the Raid Icon star here in Dalaran. I could then share this shape with any number of people in my raid and they could see this shape. I could use this as the designated ‘debuff point’ or simply as a ‘ranged stand here’ marker.

My guild is progressing on Heroic Sindragosa and in our strategy we are strategically positioning the ice tombs in Phase 2. To assist with that positioning we’ve created an AVR for the raid with the corresponding Raid Icons and positioning.

This means if you are marked with a Skull, X, Diamond, Triangle, Moon, or Square – you know where to go.

Great… now the best part of this addon is that the created graphics are visible the entire fight. Yep, that means in the middle of the encounter you know exactly where these designated places are. The utility for this addon is endless:

Rotface – Collapse points for the inoculate buffs
Sindragosa – Tomb Placement
BQL – Healer Positioning

You just need to find the application for this mod for your raids. “Ok… I have a moon on my head, where am I supposed to go?”

NOTE: Sorry this post was up then down then up then down again. There were some complications regarding a number of aspects of this post. It is now back up again.

AddOn Corner: AVR- A Strat and Positioning Mod is a post from: Tales of a Priest

That my friends, is a mod called ForteXorcist.

I really do love ForteXorcist (for short, lets call it FX). One of the great things about it, is that it lets me look in one place quickly to see where my Cooldowns are at, instead of looking to each ability itself. FX provides a bar with time markers and each spells icon slides along the bar as the cooldown expires. That means if a CD is at the 30 second marker you can track where that ability is, and when the rest of your cooldowns will expire.

You can see ForteXorcist in action by watching any number of my Videos over at my YouTube channel linked here.

I have my Cooldown bar positioned right above my Grid frames, and in between my player and target unit frame. This allows me to quickly see where all my spells are, without diverting my attention too much from my player’s location, and my Raid’s health.

As spells come off cooldown (and slide from right to left), I get a pop up notification letting me know these spells were available.

This pop up also makes a slight ‘pop’ sound and flashes as you can see in the picture above, alerting me of this ability.

For classes with a number of cooldowns, FX can be fantastically helpful. Not only will FX track ability cooldowns, it will also track Trinket internal cooldowns, Ashen Verdict Ring Procs, Lightweave Procs, and any other proc that has a ICD.

Setting up FX is fairly simple. You can access the menu via “/fx” and unlock the panes. For the most part it comes pretty well set up and needs minimal set up. If you download it from Curse, it comes with a pre-package for each class.

ForteXorcist Config Menu

Now, ForteXorcist does more than just track cooldowns. You can also set it up to track buffs, debuffs, on you, your targets, and your raid members. For those of you who are ‘Renew Spammers” you can use this to track my renews on fights that require you to cast renew a lot. It will show you how much time is left on each target and the point when each will tick.

FX has become a mod that I have been very excited to have found. Especially in Icecrown I have found squeezing out each and every cooldown to be pivotal to our successes on Heroic 25 and Heroic 10. I strongly encourage everyone to consider using this mod, as it is invaluable to be able to know when each of your spells will be back at your fingertips.

AddOn Corner: ForteXorcist is a post from: Tales of a Priest

Anywho….these are a collection off PowerAura import codes I’ve been using for ICC. I have a bad habit of running in the door 5 minutes beore a raid starts and asking Derevka for an import code, because 98% of the time, he’s already made what I’m looking for. I also borrowed some from many of my DPS playing guild members that, while I personally don’t use as a priest, my alts appreciate.  So I’m positive many of you can benefit from them as well in one way or another. And yes, it’s an easy way to get Derevka off my ass for slacking in posts lately. Refer to the first paragraph for the reason.

As you know, we’re a big advocate of the Addon PowerAuras . It’s extremely customizable for almost any action in the game, and a big help in conquering the dreaded “Healer Tunnel Vision” issue. If you’re not familiar with how to set it up, Derevka made an excellent video tutorial explaining & demonstrating the basics here .

One of the MANY benefits of using PowerAuras is the ability to export and import your custom created warnings, and it’s so simply even a Death Knight can do it (Let’s take bets on how much DKP my guild leader docks me for that one). To access your PowerAuras control panel type “/powa” – from there, you can create your own, or import the codes I’ll be giving you here. Simply copy the code string given, open your Powerauras control panel, click “IMPORT” (note: DO NOT use Import Set) & simply paste your code in. The only thing left to do is test the code you just imported – make sure the visual cue is not currently positioned over any other warnings or mods, and adjust the color/look/sound of your visual cues – if you’re importing, it’s probably been set up for somone else’s style.

Bati over at Holy Nova Now! did a similar post on the benefits of Power Auras in ICC. The following are very important to have, in our opinion – no matter what your role.

Festergut

Gas Spore

The giant, prickly orange spheres that give you the shadow resistance debuff from the gaseous blight. This will alert you to when you have it, so you can move your ass and group up.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0.97254901960784; anim1:nu1; g:nu1; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Spell_Shadow_CreepingPlague ; size:nu1.3500000238419; torsion:nu1; r:nu0; y:nu43; x:nu94; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu1; alpha:nu1; aurastext:stYou have SPORE; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; InactiveDueToState:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; sound:nu17; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu125; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:botrue; aurastextfont:nu8; buffname:stGas Spore; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:botrue; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu1; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu1.6000000238419; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stMonofonto; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:botrue; timer.lastShownLarge:nu10; timer.lastShownSmall:nu92; timer.y:nu26; timer.x:nu-94; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.Transparent:bofalse; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu125; timer.cents:botrue

Rotface

Mutated Infection

The debuff that targets you to give birth to a baby slime ball. The two codes here are for the icon, as well as the timer to let you know how soon you have to make sure you’re out of the raid and by the ooze tank.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0; anim1:nu7; g:nu1; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Ability_Creature_Disease_02 ; size:nu0.75; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.11372549019608; y:nu110; x:nu180; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu51; alpha:nu1; aurastext:st; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; duration:nu20.25; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu3; spec2:botrue; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; TimeToHide:nu25531.425; InactiveDueToState:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:bofalse; sound:nu17; wowtex:botrue; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu121; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu1; buffname:stMutated Infection; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu1; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu1; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0.003921568627451; anim1:nu1; g:nu1; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Ability_Creature_Disease_02 ; size:nu2.5199999809265; torsion:nu0.5; r:nu0; y:nu5; x:nu103; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu1; alpha:nu1; aurastext:stStart MOVING; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; spec2:botrue; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; InactiveDueToState:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; sound:nu0; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu122; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:botrue; aurastextfont:nu8; buffname:stMutated Infection; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:botrue; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu1; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu1.5500000715256; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stMonofonto; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:botrue; timer.lastShownLarge:nu21; timer.lastShownSmall:nu33; timer.y:nu0; timer.x:nu-93; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.Transparent:bofalse; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu122; timer.cents:botrue

Professor Putricide:

Malleable Goo

The giant flying green goobs of goo

 Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0; anim1:nu4; g:nu1; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:st; size:nu2.4800000190735; torsion:nu0.80000001192093; r:nu0.90980392156863; y:nu116; x:nu19; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu13; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu1; alpha:nu1; aurastext:stMalleable Goo NOW!!!; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; InactiveDueToState:botrue; textaura:botrue; sound:nu24; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu124; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:botrue; aurastextfont:nu8; buffname:stMalleable Goo; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:botrue; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu6; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu1; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu2

Gaseous Bloat

The giant orange slime that you have to kite until DPS kills it.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0; anim1:nu1; g:nu0.43137254901961; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Spell_Holiday_ToW_SpiceClou d; size:nu1.4299999475479; torsion:nu1; r:nu1; y:nu-63; x:nu39; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu1; alpha:nu1; aurastext:stGaseous Bloat on YOU; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; InactiveDueToState:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; sound:nu0; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu129; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu8; buffname:stGaseous Bloat; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu1; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1

Blood Queen Lana’thel

Swarming Shadows

The big purple flames that show up under your feet. Run your fat ass to a wall and along it’s circumference.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu1; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.31372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Ability_Rogue_ShadowDance; size:nu0.81999999284744; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.77254901960784; y:nu72; x:nu-14; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu34; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:st; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; buffname:stSwarming Shadows; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; spec2:botrue; textaura:bofalse; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu9; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu1; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; sound:nu10; finish:nu1

Vampiric Bite

You get bit, duh. This one covers the timers for the resulting buff Essence of the Blood Queen as well as the secondary ten second Frenzied Bloodthirst – as SOON as you get FBT, find your target and start spamming your ’1′ button – a mistimed fear has the potential to make a good attempt go to shit, for if you don’t bite someone in time, you become a charmed minion of the Queen with Uncontrollable Frenzy . Game over, man – Game over!

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu1; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.31372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Ability_Warlock_ImprovedSoulLeech; size:nu0.26999998092651; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.77254901960784; y:nu72; x:nu-28; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu34; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:st; symetrie:nu0; owntex:botrue; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; buffname:stEssence of the Blood; textaura:bofalse; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu10; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu1; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; sound:nu19; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu1; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stDefault; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:bofalse; timer.lastShownLarge:nu2; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.lastShownSmall:nu19; timer.y:nu48; timer.x:nu23; timer.DurationInfo:nu105132.644; timer.Transparent:bofalse; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu10; timer.cents:botrue

Pact of the DarkFallen

The giant red beam that links you and another player, dealing damage until you both meet up in the center.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0.066666666666667; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.082352941176471; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Spell_Shadow_DestructiveSoul; size:nu0.81999999284744; torsion:nu1; r:nu1; y:nu72; x:nu-14; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu34; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:st; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:bofalse; buffname:stPact of the Dark; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; spec2:botrue; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:bofalse; sound:nu10; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu8; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu1; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1

Sindragosa

Frost Tomb

This warns you when you’re about to get a giant stiff…..ice block. It provides the timers to let you know how much time you have to get in the proper position. On a side note, make sure your raid frames show this as well, so you can buffer the incoming damage on other targets with a shield.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0.93725490196078; anim1:nu4; g:nu1; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Ability_Hunter_MarkedForDeath; size:nu0.26999998092651; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.9843137254902; y:nu238; x:nu0; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu2; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:st; symetrie:nu0; owntex:botrue; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:bofalse; sound:nu10; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu13; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:botrue; aurastextfont:nu1; buffname:stFrost Beacon; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:botrue; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu1; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stDefault; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:botrue; timer.lastShownLarge:nu1; timer.lastShownSmall:nu11; timer.y:nu141; timer.x:nu40; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.Transparent:botrue; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu13; timer.cents:botrue

Unchained Magic

Shows when you  acquire the debuff, as well as it’s duration.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu1; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.31372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Spell_Arcane_FocusedPower; size:nu0.26999998092651; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.77254901960784; y:nu72; x:nu-22; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu2; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:stStacks; symetrie:nu0; owntex:botrue; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; spec2:botrue; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:bofalse; sound:nu11; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu15; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu1; buffname:stUnchained; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu1; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stDefault; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:bofalse; timer.lastShownLarge:nu6; timer.lastShownSmall:nu21; timer.y:nu48; timer.x:nu23; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.Transparent:botrue; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu15; timer.cents:botrue

Instability

The resulting stacking debuff from the previously mentioned “Unchained Magic”. This will let you know how many stacks you have, and how much time you have left before you take the resulting damage from your stacks.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu1; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.31372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:st; size:nu0.95999997854233; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.77254901960784; y:nu47; x:nu46; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu2; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:stStacks; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; spec2:botrue; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu16; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu4; buffname:stInstability; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; sound:nu11; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu0.80000001192093; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stOriginal; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:bofalse; timer.lastShownSmall:nu42; timer.y:nu12; timer.x:nu63; timer.lastShownLarge:nu11; timer.Transparent:botrue; timer.a:nu1; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.id:nu16; timer.cents:botrue; stacks.a:nu1; stacks.Showing:bofalse; stacks.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; stacks.enabled:botrue; stacks.y:nu13; stacks.h:nu1; stacks.id:nu16; stacks.Transparent:botrue; stacks.UpdatePing:bofalse; stacks.lastShownValue:nu11; stacks.x:nu29; stacks.Texture:stMonofonto

Mystic Buffet

I always think this sounds like some sort of Paranormal Restaurant. In Phase 3, this buff will start to stack on everyone – the only way to clear it is to LOS behind an ice tombed player. This will warn you when you hit 5 stacks, and should start looking to stop what you’re doing and clear it. Note that we have it set for 5 – you may wish to adjust that number based on what you feel is needed. Beyond 5 stacks on the raid seemed to get unmanageable for us.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu0; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.031372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:stInterface\Icons\Spell_Arcane_Arcane03; size:nu1.9399999380112; torsion:nu1; r:nu1; y:nu-54; x:nu-59; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu5; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu2; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:stToo Many Stacks; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; spec2:botrue; buffname:stMystic Buffet; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; InactiveDueToState:bofalse; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; sound:nu27; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu17; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:bofalse; aurastextfont:nu4; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:bofalse; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu0.80000001192093; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stOriginal; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:bofalse; timer.lastShownLarge:nu4; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.lastShownSmall:nu14; timer.y:nu-35; timer.x:nu63; timer.DurationInfo:nu371981.868; timer.Transparent:botrue; timer.a:nu1; timer.HideRequest:botrue; timer.id:nu17; timer.cents:botrue; stacks.a:nu1; stacks.Showing:bofalse; stacks.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; stacks.enabled:botrue; stacks.y:nu-67; stacks.h:nu1; stacks.id:nu17; stacks.Transparent:botrue; stacks.UpdatePing:bofalse; stacks.lastShownValue:nu9; stacks.x:nu-106; stacks.Texture:stMonofonto

Chilled to the Bone:

This one is more for melee players, but it has been helpful to ours, so feel free to pass it along.

Version:st3.0.0E; gcd:bofalse; b:nu1; anim1:nu4; g:nu0.31372549019608; optunitn:bofalse; ignoremaj:botrue; stacksLower:nu0; target:bofalse; icon:st; size:nu0.95999997854233; torsion:nu1; r:nu0.77254901960784; y:nu47; x:nu46; customname:st; groupany:botrue; isAlive:botrue; timerduration:nu0; unitn:st; bufftype:nu2; stacks:nu0; focus:bofalse; raid:bofalse; texture:nu2; alpha:nu0.75; aurastext:stStacks; symetrie:nu0; owntex:bofalse; isResting:nu0; duration:nu0; mine:bofalse; multiids:st; inVehicle:bofalse; speed:nu1; anim2:nu0; stacksOperator:st>=; realaura:nu1; threshold:nu50; exact:bofalse; textaura:botrue; spec2:botrue; wowtex:bofalse; groupOrSelf:bofalse; customsound:st; combat:nu0; id:nu17; inParty:nu0; HideRequest:bofalse; Active:botrue; aurastextfont:nu4; buffname:stChilled to the Bone; inRaid:nu0; tooltipCheck:st; customtex:bofalse; stance:nu10; isSecondary:bofalse; thresholdinvert:bofalse; spec1:botrue; Debug:bofalse; beginSpin:bofalse; Showing:botrue; UseOldAnimations:bofalse; begin:nu0; off:bofalse; party:bofalse; texmode:nu2; inverse:bofalse; ismounted:bofalse; targetfriend:bofalse; randomcolor:bofalse; sound:nu11; finish:nu1; timer.InvertAuraBelow:nu0; timer.dual:bofalse; timer.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; timer.h:nu0.80000001192093; timer.ShowOnAuraHide:bofalse; timer.UpdatePing:bofalse; timer.Texture:stOriginal; timer.enabled:botrue; timer.Showing:botrue; timer.lastShownSmall:nu41; timer.y:nu12; timer.x:nu63; timer.lastShownLarge:nu47; timer.Transparent:botrue; timer.a:nu1; timer.CustomDuration:nu0; timer.id:nu17; timer.cents:botrue; stacks.a:nu1; stacks.Showing:botrue; stacks.HideLeadingZeros:bofalse; stacks.enabled:botrue; stacks.y:nu13; stacks.h:nu1; stacks.id:nu17; stacks.Transparent:botrue; stacks.UpdatePing:bofalse; stacks.lastShownValue:nu5; stacks.x:nu29; stacks.Texture:stMonofonto

Lady DeathWhisperer

Curse of Torpor :

A less important one. Chances are,your raid frames already displays this in some form, but can be more helpful to DPS players that tend to not watch frames as zealously as we do

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Those are some of the biggest ones we use. I know alot of people out there scoff at the idea of yet ANOTHER mod warning them and shitting up their screen, and claim they don’t need it, but no matter how good you are, sometimes it gets difficult to track everything in the middle of a fight, ESPECIALLY as a healer. I actually fought it as well for a bit, but once you try it, it’s hard to ignore it. I have the attention span of a gnat, and when I see giant flashing icons and sounds blaring at me, it’s usually a pretty good indicator that something is going on on the raid I should pay attention to….or the cops are after me, but that’s a different story.

A Quick PowerAuras Update for ICC is a post from: Tales of a Priest

Please go to the Derevka UI section of the blog to get download instructions. You can comment on that thread, or email me at derevkapriest@gmail.com.

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UI Update – January 2010 Version is a post from: Tales of a Priest

You can also view this video over at YouTube and clicking here to see it in Full Screen/HD or in a wider view as well.

BIG BLOG NEWS!!!

Tales of a Priest will be moving over to WordPress in the coming weeks. We’ve commissioned Lassirra of The Hunters Mark to create a fancy Custom Theme. WP offers us a lot more features that Blogger doesn’t. Please bear with us during the move, and as always remember to sign up for our RSS feed during that transition period!

Also, we’d like to thank RaidWarning for the liberal use of shout outs to us during their latest podcast! (If you don’t listen to RW, you definitely want to!) We’re looking forward to participating in their Healing Round Table (and a few beers) over at RaidWarning in the next few weeks. We’ll be certain to let everyone know when that Podcast episode is recorded and goes live.

As always please remember to subscribe to both of our Twitter feeds here: Avalonna and  Derevka.

If you are following us on Twitter you can be notified when our Livestream feed of our raids will be going on.

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UI In Action Video and Upcoming Blog News!! is a post from: Tales of a Priest

If you aren’t familiar with the benefits of being able to just have your mouse over the raidframe of a target and clicking or shift-clicking a mouse button to have the spell cast, instead of clicking to target that player, then hitting your hotkey for that spell – you really should give it a try. Further you can keep your current target while still mouseover healing another. Very handy.

Clique plus a mouse with additional buttons is a lifesaver and provides lightning fast reaction time and spellcasting.

I use the Microsoft Sidewinder X8. This mouse has 8 buttons which can all be assigned (or macroed) spells though either the mouse software itself, or through the clique menu. Using a combination of the mouse’s software, macros, and Clique, I have assigned a number of spells and abilities to most of these buttons: I leave left and right click alone, however I do assign shift-left and shift-right click spells. My two most used spells I have assigned to the two thumb buttons, and of course, I have a “Oh shit!!!” GS or PS assigned. (I have even set up a Disc and Holy profile which changes some of these defaults to Pain Suppression, PW: Shield, and Penance over their Holy counterparts)

You don’t have to spend tons and tons of money on a mouse that has 5 Million buttons. While, yes, the X8 is on the higher end of the spectrum- you can even use the most basic mouse. However, in this healer’s opinion, using a mouse that at least has a couple of extra buttons that you can assign can provide your arsenal of spells a kick in the ass. Even if you don’t have the hardware available, using your mouse’s buttons to their maximum efficiency can certainly help. Assigning Alt/Shift click or mouseover macro’s to even just your left and right clicks can be a great help.

Getting used to Clique’s configuration and the ability to quickly cast spells on mouseover will take a little practice to break your old habits, but the benefits of improved reaction time is certainly worth it – and can be life saving. How many times have you seen a tank die and you’ve said to yourself, “Just a split second too slow!” That can often make or break a first kill.

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Healing Hardware: Your Mouse and Healing Efficiently is a post from: Tales of a Priest

As a raiding healer, and perhaps a moderately obsessed UI fan – I find it always important to be certain that my UI is providing me the information that I need. The most important piece of information is the health and well being of your raid through raidframes. I would say the vast majority of healers use either Grid or Healbot as their raidframes. Personally, I prefer Grid over healbot for a number of reasons, but that is not what we really need to discuss here today.

Just by having your raidframes in a ‘grid’ set up, it can really make you focus on the ‘whack-a-mole’ mini game too much, ignoring everything else around you – healer tunnel vision. (dun dun dunnnn!) You sometimes can be too focused on being sure that you are healing your targets and guaranteeing their safety and livelihood that you didn’t notice that you were standing in a giant patch of fire, 3 Dark Orbs are coming at you when you have Light Essence, or that you are standing too close to your neighbor and will chain Blood Nova.

NoStockUI did a post similar to this in the past, but I do want to build upon that.

Let’s take a look at the following 3, very common layouts.

1. Grid in lower corner.

This layout allows you to free up a good deal of your UI allowing you to see a lot of the background. Which is great, however your eyes are focusing on the lower corner of your screen, forcing your peripheral vision to do a lot for you. In the past I have had my raid frames in this lower corner and raided very successfully – it just does take some training to get yourself used to being aware of your surroundings.

2. Grid in middle of the screen.

This layout allows you to be very aware of your raid since the focus of your attention is in your main line of sight, and further it allows you to see if you are being flanked by a creeping fire or something else. The downside to this, your player’s immediate area is very difficult to see and avoiding things like void zones or rocket strikes can be a bit obscured. If you do decide to use this layout, I strongly suggest you leave the direct area around your player visible by setting it slightly off center; either to the left or the right.

3. Grid lower middle section of the screen.

This is my preferred placement of my raid grid. It allows you to focus towards the middle of the screen, see a good deal of your flanks, as well as see the bulk of the instance ahead of you with minimal obstruction. Downsides to this, is if you focus too low on your grid, you can lose some peripheral vision benefits. Ive found having grid 1-2 inches above the bottom of your screen can be very helpful.

Some people really enjoy the mod Viewport. Viewport sets aside a portion of your screen to NOT be for the game camera, and only for action bars, grid, dps meters, etc… However, as a healer I feel that putting your Grid into a section that has ZERO game camera view can be risky and actually contribute too much towards tunnel vision since you have a ‘silent’ background. One of my earlier UIs (which is still in the Derevka UI section of this site – I’ll update it soon, I promise!) has a KGpanel that is semitransparent at the bottom of the screen. I feel that the semi transparency really helps with keeping tunnel vision at bay. My current UI, has a gradient that allows for the most important sections of my UI to be clear, as well as providing some aesthetic shading for easier reading of the chat and meter windows, shown here – in a 10 man raid (25 man the grid continues to the right with groups 3, 4, and 5).

My current UI is inspired and modified off of Bati’s UI, a fellow Priest Blogger and end-game raider. My Grid is bordered by my STUF Player and Target Frames, topped by ForteXorcist which manages my cooldowns.

None of the options discussed here are inherently any better than the others. When trying out different Grid placements, keep in mind each of the cons I have noted here. Grid placement can play a major factor in your Tunnel Vision – see which works better for you.

At the end of the day, tunnel vision is something every healer has to battle: focusing on the raiders you are assigned to protect as well as keeping your eyes on the ‘real game’. (not that whack-a-mole isn’t fun)… it’s just that this version provides purple epics, not tickets that you can trade in for an asbestos stuffed teddy bear.

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Tunnel Vision – A Healer’s Bane is a post from: Tales of a Priest