Hey all, I have been playing WoW for the last few days using ConsolePort and a PS4 controller on my 65" samsung from my couch - the experience has been AMAZING! I tanked a SoB 9 as a Blood DK (two chested!) and it was so much fun - like an action RPG. Combined with DynamicCam addon and NeatPlates addon - it’s a whole new WoW experience. I highly recommend everyone try it!
The most difficult part is not keybinding - I can have 40 or 50 keybinds on the PS4 controller. What is cumbersome is targeting enemies. Does anyone else use ConsolePort and can share their targetting setups? I’m currently using ‘Target nearest enemy’ with one of the triggers, which is essentially tab targetting in a cone infront of you (up to 40 or 50 yards distance). This works ok when there are only one or two targets… but when there are 5 or 6 mobs plus a couple minor enemies/minions, it quickly gets overwhelming. You are tab targetting through 10+ mobs, and things can go south fast. Further to this, interrupting priority targets is almost impossible (so far). You have to tab through and hope you land on the target you want to interrupt, which is obviously quite difficult. Does anyone have a way around this? Other targeting options perhaps? Is there some sort of targetting assist keybind that will priortize targetting casting mobs?
I also want to try healing - has anyone tried this with ConsolePort? It’s definitely doable, there are people healing mythic raids and timing 20+ keys as healers, but these videos are few and far between, and unfortunately none of them really discuss their healing targetting setups. I know that ConsolePort has a sort-of ‘target unit frames’ option that is available, but I haven’t tried it- has anyone else?
Ground reticle targetting (heroic leap, death and decay etc) isn’t too bad. On a lot of skills, you can do a macro like /cast [@player] Death and Decay, and bind the macro to a keybind on the controller, which will cast it at your feet; great for DK tanking. I tried it on my warrior, and Heroic Leap - where you need to leap to a different location, not at your feet - takes maybe 1 or 2 seconds, as you need to press and hold your controller keybind for Heroic Leap, target real fast with the analog stick, and then release your keybind. It takes me a second or two to do this - but I’ve been playing wow with kb+m for 15 years, and with a controller for only a few days - I’m sure it’s just a muscle memory issue, and I will get faster.
Given that controller support is a thing in Shadowlands, I would like to think that more and more people are trying this type of playstyle. And BEFORE you knock it, try it: there are Youtube clips of people using ConsolePort and a controller to do Mythic raid dps/tanking/healing, high mythic+ dungeon dps/tanking/healing, even a 2600 Holy Priest in 2v2 arena playing (and winning) high-level rated arena matches.
It’s great to be able to play on the big screen, lean back and relax with a controller, instead of hunched over at a pc with a mouse and keyboard. I’ve also noticed its incredibly easy on the hands and wrists with a controller - not so much with KB+m, where you have finger strain, wrist pain, shoulder/neck/back pain, ergonomic issues with chairs/desk/monitor height, the list goes on and on.
Feel free to ask me questions about the experience or share some targetting tips/tricks. I’m a 2400 rdruid and I’m going to try out some arena healing once I set up the keybinds, I only have my DK bound right now. I plan on trying Shadowlands using a controller-only setup - might be ambitious but we will see how it goes; I’m hoping that Blizzard’s new controller support system that is coming out with Shadowlands will help make some controller issues, such as targetting, a bit easier. So far, melee experience seems to be pretty good; I will try with rdruid/ balance druid and report back on how that goes over.
Thanks! - YG