Since I'm usually tanking any instance group I join, the task of marking targets usually falls to me. I've developed my own patterns and preferences for which icons I use to set up pulls. It has become second nature to me to use certain shapes for certain things, and I usually ignore people that request a different icon for their task. I try to get the targets marked quickly, so I do not like to deviate from my habits.
I'm curious to see how my choices match up with my readers. I'm going to break down how I use each icon, and I invite people to comment about your personal preferences. This is one of those things, where there are no wrong answers, but I think it is fun to compare. As long as your group understands what each icon represents, then it doesn't matter which ones you use.
Yellow Star - This is my wild card. Shackle, Cyclone, or any other type of CC not listed below.
Orange Circle - I use this for Sap.
Purple Diamond - I use this for any type of Warlock CC. I will also use this for the fourth spot on my kill list, when dealing with large pulls.
Green Triangle - Hunter's trap. This is also used for the third spot on my kill list, because a triangle has three sides.
Silver Moon - Moon has always been my choice for a Polymorphed target. That goes back to when I was the one doing the sheeping.
Blue Square - I use the blue square when I have two of any CC class in a party. Commonly, I use it for a second mage or hunter. If I think I will have to tank three mobs of a pull, then I will use the blue square to represent a hunter's trap, instead of the triangle.
Red Cross - Second on the kill list. This always represents a mob I will tank off the pull.
White Skull - First mob that goes down.
I'm sure some people groaned as they read my list.
"Star is for Sap, you idiot!"
"Diamond is for sheep! Everyone knows that!"
Like I said, there are no right answers here. Everyone has their own habits, and I fully understand how we get attached to our routines. On the rare occasions I do not tank, I often grumble when the tank does things differently than me. As long as I know what is required of me, then it is all good.
What preferences do you have? Do you mark every mob, or just the CC'd ones? Inquiring minds would like to know!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
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Skull - Primary tank/dps target
X = secondary tank/dps target
Square = hunter trap
Moon = mage sheep
Circle = rogue sap
Star/Triangle = whatever else needs marking and so on (particularly in raids, for secondary traps, shackles, what-have-you)
Those aren't exactly cast in stone, but if I'm marking targets, that's generally the pattern I'll follow.
Everything is fairly accurate.. cept for that damned blue square! 99% of the time I find myself trapping a blue square. I mean, blue = ice, or something. Right? :)
I don't have any patterns myself, since I never ever do the marking. The only thing I have to say is that the circle will always be known as "the condom" to me. And that always reminds me of Cho'gall! :)
On Alleria Alliance, at least, it seems more or less consistent across the server. Skull is first kill, X is second. Moon is sheep, square is hunter trap. Occasionally the other ones get mixed around a little, especially if there's opportunity for less common CC like Shackles or Hibernate, but it's generally rather consistent. (As a dedicated healer, I don't need to pay -quite- as much attention to the symbols, so they don't stick in my mind as well.)
Skull = First Kill, Tank generates enough aggro for it to stick then moves to tanking the next non-CC'd target
X = Second Kill, same as above...tank gets enough aggro to hold it then gets aggro on #3.
Blue Square = Hunter Trap. I party with quite a few hunters, this is pretty much always the case. Alternatively, I have had a frost mage kite away blue square. Generally, it looks like ice, so we go with something cold for Square.
Moon = Sheep. Or if triangle is in use by something else, Hibernate.
Diamond = Something for a warlock or priest. Banish/Seduce/Mind Control. Maybe even Fear.
Circle = Whatever else. Wyvern Sting or sap #2, or Fourth Kill.
Star = Sap primarily.
Triangle = Third Kill. Trap #2, or Hibernate maybe.
There aren't a lot of undead in TBC 5-mans, but shackle will typically be star or circle in Kara.
As well, in reference to CC...After the non-CC'd stuff goes down, we go for saps first, then traps, then whatever else.
I would also like to add that I never change my icons in the middle of an instance. If I know I have large pulls coming up, then I will assign a Blue Square to the hunter at the start.
It is cool to see that I'm not too far off some player's expectations, and yeah Serenia, I still call the circle "The Condom" in game. I figure I have to do my part to keep the teenage kids interested. :P
Skull - Kill first
Red X - Kill second/ second tank target
Moon - Polymorph
Square - Hunter frost trap
Star - Sap
Circle - Second hunter frost trap/mind control
Diamond and Triangle - Whatever's left. Banish/Shackle/Hibernate/Root/etc.
That's the way I've seen most guilds do it on Staghelm (A), but I've also seen a few variations. I think everyone uses that "Skull first, X second" rule, however.
I'm a Mage and I always handle the markings in my groups of RL friends - I don't really PUG anymore since I have enough RL buds that play.
Since I'm the Mage I usually just mark two...
Skull = Main DPS (first death)
Red X = Secondary DPS (second death)
As long as opening DPS stays on one of these two targets then there's no need to mark the sheep, since I'm the one sheeping.
This works out great, but we all know each other and we're in Vent, so we'd be ok without marks. Speaking of vent, any word on the in-game voice chat, is it next patch?
I've read that the Voice Chat code is going in with 2.2, but that it will not be enabled until a later small patch.
For PUG 5-mans I try to be consistent throughout the runs, and accommodate requests.
PUG player seem to like: skull dies 1st, X, moon, and blue square are various CC with star, circle, diamond being other dps targets... triangle is whatever it needs to be... That's when you're lucky enough to get a PUG with 5 people who manage to actually listen and use raid targets...
Because of the way I (and nearly all raid leaders I know) have our raid icons bound to our keypad, for guild runs it's nearly always:
star->circle->diamond->triangle dps target order (order that they appear in the drop-down menu, and corresponding to 7->8->9->4 on the number pad).
moon, blue square, x are various CC targets (if the group makeup allows it, moon is usually sheep/shackle, blue square is freeze trap, x is banish/sap)
skull is wildcard... perhaps something to be dpsed immediately because it was not initially marked, or to mark the very short gnome that everyone is to bunch up on...
I mark guild 5-mans/heroics this way when I run them as well. I don't even look at my keyboard and have big pulls of 5-6 marked in seconds. PuG runs take longer because I have to actually think about what I'm marking (go all the way down to my 2 key to mark skull... :P).
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I love when I pug a group and all the symbols are completely different XD It always throws me for a loop. For us (in Kara) it is usually:
Skull = MT
X = OT
Triangle = Hunter Trap
Square = Sheep
Circle = Banish
Diamond = Shackle 1
Moon = Shackle 2
Star = Usually put on Raid Leader for positioning
:-D
Skull = main dps
X = off-tank
Square = frost trap
Star = primary shackle/seduce/MC
Triangle = 2ndary shackle/seduce/MC
Moon = Sap/Sheep
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My tags are about the same
skull = 1st kill
x = offtank/2nd kill
square = any additional cc needed
Diamond = lock banish/fear
Moon = sheep
Star = shackle
circle = sap
triangle = trap
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