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1. - This is embarrassing, but would someone be willing to school me on the basics of macros? I've just been using the little bars at the bottom of the screen, and to be perfectly honest, the worst wipes we've had have been due to my inability to frantically scroll to the right button. I've read several FAQs and nothing really makes sense to me. I am barely computer literate, but I would *really* like to know how to set up a basic, solid spread of healing macros.
I must say I don't use macro's much at the moment, the very basics. Type /m to bring up the macro interface and from there you can create a new macro, choose the icon you wish to use for it and then enter the text component.
Macro's can be used in a few key ways, primarily to cause a sequence of actions to happen simultaneously. For example my favourite on any class that can res is:
/cast res
/p Casting res on %t
What this does is simultaneously cast my res on my selected target and announce in party chat that I am doing so (you can substitute or add raid chat or say if you/your raid leader prefer). The %t will cause the game to automatically enter the name of my target. This is particularly useful in raids with multiple ressers.
To enter the spell name simply shift click it from your spell book into the macro text (rather than typing res, though I'm sure you got that).
You can also use macro's to use multiple abilities, for example:
/cast Inner Focus
/cast spell
Keep in mind that this format will not work if the first spell triggers the GCD. In this case you would need to use a cast sequence macro.
/castsequence spell; spell; spell
A macro like this will require you to press the button 3 times but will cast the next spell in sequence with each press.
The final type of macro I use is a mouseover macro.
/cast [target=mouseover] spell
This will cause the spell to cast on the party member who's portrait your mouse is over, if your mouse is not over a party member it will cast on your target. This allows you to drop heals, shields etc on party members without having to re-target, combined with a mod like grid (and maybe even clique) this is a powerful raid healing tool.
I am still relatively inexperienced with macro's myself so I'm sure one of the others can expand or correct me on a few points.
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2. - This is less embarrassing! Those of you who have respec'd from shadow to holy - what's your experience been? Was it a difficult shift? How late into your character's leveling did you make your shift? When exactly *should* I respec? Is fifty too early or too late to respec? Are there any particular details I should know - any tricks or important bits of info - that will help me as a "pure" healer?
Honestly it's really easy, I waited until 71, healed almost every 5 man in outland as well as UK and Nexus as full shadow with few issues. The transition was no challenge, by healing in a shadow spec all those levels you have been forced to really hone your skills and reactions. The respec only gives you a few truly new abilities, it primarily just buffs and improves the abilities you already had.
If you really want to spec over as soon as 50 I would recommend a hybrid disc/holy build to give yourself more soloing viability unless you are really sure of getting plenty of instance runs and no matter what keep 3 points in shadow for Spirit Tap.
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3. - GEAR. Once I make the clear choice about *when* to make the shift to holy (as in, level 50 or 60?), I would really like to have some good gear waiting on my shift. Can you explain to me what the best stats are for a purely healing priest? As it is now, I have an assortment of armor that blends INT (mostly for soloing purposes), SPT (for, well, everything), and Spell Power (for healing runs). I've been kind of neglectful of Stamina, though - is that something I should be considering more carefully?
On a related note - staves or daggers with off-hands? Which stats work best on weapons in general?
Int, Spirit and SP is still pretty much the combo you will want, MP5, Haste and Crit are great when you can get them, hit is useless. If you focus on holy spirit becomes particularly valuable as it gives you spellpower also. Stamina is no big deal, it will be on a lot of your gear but it's not something to focus on.
As far as weapons go, whatever gives you the best stats, my priest varied between various combinations of these as he leveled.
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4. Glyphs. Which are essential, and which are crap? Can you switch the glyphs out at will from party to party, or are you stuck with the ones you chose first? I am sort of confused by the entire glyph thing, to be honest.
Glyphs are a bit like gems, you can change them at will but the old one is destroyed in the process. You also need to be near an inscription tome to change them, you can find these in all the capital cities.
By general consensus Glyph of renew is a waste as it reduces duration but the total amount healed is the same, meaning Renew needs to be cast more often. My current majors are Flash Heal, Prayer of Healing and PW:S. Other nice ones for healing are Circle of Healing, Spirit of Redemption and situationally Fear Ward.
Minors are personal choice though I do love Glyph of Shadowfiend for aoe intensive fights and Levitate frees up a bag slot.
This is a nice tool for plotting possible glyph combo's. It should come up with my current setup in it.
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5. I want to be an asset to my party, but I do get frustrated when I feel as though they aren't listening to my OOM calls and continue to pull before I'm close to full mana. This is hardly ever a problem in my regular group, but in situations where you have a new party, how tdo you make your needs as a healer clear to the group without coming across as Bossy Priest From The Far Side?
If I call mana and sit down to drink and the tank proceeds to pull the tank dies, I finish my drink then res. If they start on me for that (or do it again) I leave. End of story.
They can think what they want, it's just not worth it. You shouldn't even need to call mana, the tank should be keeping an eye on your mana bar really but pugs are pugs.
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6. Money. I'm a miner/skinner, but neither of those professions seem to be making me much of anything. Should I redo my professions to herbalism/alchemy or something else? I do fish, which seems to be a bigger moneymaker at this level than the other two put together, but is this a level thing or a profession thing? I really don't have nearly the kind of money I'd like to be pulling in a this stage of the game, and it's bugging me.
And OMG, is a flying mount ESSENTIAL later in this game? Because if so...Jesus.
Once you start mining thorium you should start making heaps of cash out of it. Herbalism is a great one too as it supplies both Alchemy and the new Inscription but I would not recommend combining it with mining as you cannot track both herbs and mines at the same time. Skinning is a great one to mix with either as you simply skin what you kill and the higher end leathers can make you a lot of cash too.
As far as the flyer goes don't worry about it till 77, you'll probably head to Northrend at 68 and not be able to use it till then anyway and you'll make more than enough by then if you're not wasting cash on unnecessary AH purchases especially with the combo of two gathering trades (well 3 really if you keep your fishing up). You can also sell all your cloth on the AH as first aid is pretty unnecessary to a healing priest and you're not a tailor.
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Oh, one more quick question: what about silence? Any potions that can erase it?
Because omg the suck cannot be contained when I get silenced.
Yes it truly sucks, not much you can do about it really, just keep renew up and hope your tank can take the pain.