For the upcoming classic release, I want to improve my gaming skills. I’ve never been able to master the mouse as movement thing. I’ve watched some instructional vids, and I get it… it’s a matter of practice and getting used to that feeling while using keybinds. I’m going to jump into wow and practice before Classic is released.
My question: How do you do things that require the mouse when it’s being used to move? For instance, placing a spell target on the ground in a specific location (whether it’s an aoe spell like blizzard, a grenade, etc.) while actively moving? Or possibly a boss fight that requires a lot of movement, while still quickly picking up spawning adds.
I’ve always used my mouse to quickly select a spawn, or a player in pvp, or placing my blizzard, etc. I can’t wrap my head around how this is done when the mouse is being used to move.
Move with asdw. Mouse just moves your camera or helps you turn. Think of it as w is the throttle and s is reverse. Right click and hold is your steering wheel.
If you need to use a spell or do something then typically you just run straight for a second while doing that. So if your grenade is on a keybind or even if its on a bar you just run in the direction you need to be without turning while you perform the action.
When I read the topic, I thought you were referring to ‘click to move’ which was an option in original wow… this let you click on the ground anywhere in your field of view and your character would move to that spot (like an RTS). Hilariously ineffective, but I remember trying it for a while back in the day.
You can still do that. If I am flying long distance I click the top of a distant mountain, then go get something to drink while my character flies off on his own.
Typically how this is done is to rebind A&D to be strafe left and right. Leave W and S in their default movement.
S key is generally bad in PVP because you move backwards at about 50% speed. However, in PVE it is still useful sometimes. Generally it is fastest in either cast to turn 90 degrees and strafe in the direction you want to go. So instead of walking backwards I would turn my character’s body sideways and strafe which allows me to still use abilities on a target in front of me (technically my shoulder is pointed at it) and I can still dodge/parry etc.
A good example of that as a tank is moving Onyxia to the wall in the back of her lair. By strafing I take a little less damage and can move her at full run speed.
Leaving W bound frees you up to still use your left click to position things on the ground and click targets. You just momentarily W key (or W+ A/D to strafe) and then switch back to holding down both mouse buttons.
In my opinion one of the best ways to practice is to find some kind of pattern on the ground and run over it as precisely as you can for a while. It will become second nature in no time.
(I’m assuming you mean mouse-click to move, not a combination of keys and mouse steering).
Don’t mis-click, basically.
When you start a ground target spell, you can’t mouse to move. If you are already moving, you will continue to do so until you reach your target. If you try to click on an NPC and hit the ground next to them, you will run to that place.
If you mean mouse steering, i.e. holding down the right mouse button to change direction and having auto-run bound to Mouse4, you can’t select something while you’re using the mouse to steer.
A lot of players use a combination of movement keys and mouse movement (typically holding left/right mouse button at the same time) based on situational needs. If you’re pressing multiple keys with your left hand (e.g. a modifier and an ability) it’s often not practical to move forward at the same time with the keyboard, so instead you use the mouse to shove yourself forward. I couldn’t really tell you how often I do it, but having it as an option gives you more flexibility.
The point of having both options is that your character should never be paralysed simply by the acrobatics that your fingers need to do to activate abilities. You should only be locked in place if your abilities dictate that (casts/channels).