Post by BlackMagister on Jul 1, 2009 14:44:04 GMT -5
The following tips do not help much, making effective use of shift click micro does not help tremendously in Enfos unlike some other custom games where you have to spam build, play mini games or control more than one unit. However it does help shave time off commands you could normally do so it can give you a slight edge.
Basic Information
With normal micro (control) that most people use they simply pay attention to their hero at all times giving one order at a time and canceling whatever command the unit was doing. Shift click allows you to set command lists where the next task will be done immediately after the last task, not canceling the unit's current task. So for example a simple command list is:
1. Shift Right Click Point a
2. Shift Right Click Point b
3. Shift Right Click Point c
This will make your character go to the first area you right clicked then immediately after go to “point b” and “point c” after “point b.”
Shift Click however does not work when your character is already doing something you told your unit/hero to do or even when your unit is just auto attacking. They won’t do your shift click command until they have finished their current order. As soon as their order is finished they will do the next task even if enemies are nearby (they won’t auto attack).
Order examples that will prevent Shift Click commands:
Auto Attacking- If your hero has been told to kill everything in this area he won’t finish the command until everyone in his acquisition area is dead. If you didn’t give your unit any orders (as in you just told them to move to a spot) and enemies appear they will go into auto attacking mode. So again they won’t consider this order finished until everyone is dead.
Patrol and Hold Position (when Auto Attacking)- This is the same as auto attack command in that your unit will do the next shift click command when there are no enemies in your unit's acquisition area.
Move- If you set your unit to move a spot they won’t do your shift click commands till they’ve reached the spot even if they can’t reach it because monsters are blocking it.
Types of Shift Clicks
Shift Right Click- Used for actions such as patrol, move, and pick items. To move items you need to drag them to target or area for drop.
Shift Left Click- Used for abilities, spells and items.
General Uses
Basic Use- To chain various commands together. There are many variations that you can make with move, hold position, attack this area/target and patrol. For example a move command chained to attacking one creep followed by hold position. Your hero should move to that area (unless you shift clicked when your hero was already doing something, which you can solve by just right clicking to override a command like auto attack), attack the creep until it’s dead and then hold position. Another simple and useful is example when trapped is to right click attack a creep then shift click to move out, your hero will immediately move out when the creep is dead. Basic idea is the same with abilities and spells.
Note: Does not help with Thief poison micro because shift click attack will make the Thief attack until the target is dead.
Picking Up/Selling/Giving Items- Shift Click allows you to pick up or drop items quickly. For example to give 6 healing potions instantly right click the receiver then shift click drops the items to the target hero. It’s best to finish the 6 potion drop command list before you reach the target or your hero might end up auto attacking random creeps (because your hero finished the move command).
Faster buying then getting back to the fight- Right click close the shop you want to buy from (make sure it’s close enough to buy), then shift right click the area you want to go to after buying. Then left click the shop you want to buy from and when your hero approaches then leaves, quickly purchase the items you want. If done right you should be purchasing items from a distance you wouldn’t normally be able to shop from, this works because it takes a second before the ability to shop disappears.
Shop Note: Harder to do on the shops when you’re below because for some reason the shop option doesn’t always appear. If you want to ensure that you can do this from below shops wait until you’re sure the shop option becomes available then click away followed by quickly shopping. Though this isn’t using shift micro just fast shopping. Shift click shopping works all the time when on level ground as long as you click close enough. As for selling it works even from below with or without the shop option.
Shop Note 2: There are three shops where your hero will try to go all the way around to sell items. The two middle right shops and the bottom right corner armor shop. You can easily solve this by not selling to the those shops or set a move command followed by shift click sell, then you’ll sell whatever shift you shifted in the time it took to get there and don’t forget to shift click move to get back in the fight quicker.
Character Specific Uses
Channeled Abilities- Use a channeled ability then set a command after like, use an item, command or spell. Shift click allows you to use whatever your desired defensive action is slightly faster.
For: Weapon Smith, Cleric, Warlock, Warrior Mage, Arcane Mistress, Entropist and Tempest.
Note: Does not work with Holy Warrior due to the fact the damage he takes from casting it does not take effect immediently after he casts "Fallen One." So if you try to cast "Fallen One" and set a potion use after as a shift command he will attempt to heal before he takes the damage from "Fallen One."
Spam Spells- There are only two heroes that can instantly cast a spell repeatedly (aka spam) and using shift click helps a lot when doing so. Normally when you want to cast spam a spell you would have to hit the hotkey for the spell (like the “d” key for MoonMage) then click the target then hotkey, target, hotkey, etc; hitting two keys for each spell. With shift click you only need to click the target in order to cast each additional spell which you do by holding shift + the spell hotkey then clicking the target(s).
This is most useful for the MoonMage as you don’t need to position yourself like the Warrior Mage. All you need to do is shift click cast Dinazen Olkar however many times it takes to kill them. So if all the creeps have 7000 hp and you have Dinazen Olkar maxed (which does 6000 dmg) and assuming the wave does not have spell damage reduction, all you need to do is shift click twice each creep. Of course early on it’s not required to spam Dinazen Olkar because of Moon Mage’s strong bounce attack.
Note: Best to set range to 0 (-range 0) so auto attack does not mess up your shift click commands.
For: Warrior Mage (Lance at lvl 10), Moon Mage’s Dinazen Olkar and Spell Bringer’s Whole Displacement.
Basic Information
With normal micro (control) that most people use they simply pay attention to their hero at all times giving one order at a time and canceling whatever command the unit was doing. Shift click allows you to set command lists where the next task will be done immediately after the last task, not canceling the unit's current task. So for example a simple command list is:
1. Shift Right Click Point a
2. Shift Right Click Point b
3. Shift Right Click Point c
This will make your character go to the first area you right clicked then immediately after go to “point b” and “point c” after “point b.”
Shift Click however does not work when your character is already doing something you told your unit/hero to do or even when your unit is just auto attacking. They won’t do your shift click command until they have finished their current order. As soon as their order is finished they will do the next task even if enemies are nearby (they won’t auto attack).
Order examples that will prevent Shift Click commands:
Auto Attacking- If your hero has been told to kill everything in this area he won’t finish the command until everyone in his acquisition area is dead. If you didn’t give your unit any orders (as in you just told them to move to a spot) and enemies appear they will go into auto attacking mode. So again they won’t consider this order finished until everyone is dead.
Patrol and Hold Position (when Auto Attacking)- This is the same as auto attack command in that your unit will do the next shift click command when there are no enemies in your unit's acquisition area.
Move- If you set your unit to move a spot they won’t do your shift click commands till they’ve reached the spot even if they can’t reach it because monsters are blocking it.
Types of Shift Clicks
Shift Right Click- Used for actions such as patrol, move, and pick items. To move items you need to drag them to target or area for drop.
Shift Left Click- Used for abilities, spells and items.
General Uses
Basic Use- To chain various commands together. There are many variations that you can make with move, hold position, attack this area/target and patrol. For example a move command chained to attacking one creep followed by hold position. Your hero should move to that area (unless you shift clicked when your hero was already doing something, which you can solve by just right clicking to override a command like auto attack), attack the creep until it’s dead and then hold position. Another simple and useful is example when trapped is to right click attack a creep then shift click to move out, your hero will immediately move out when the creep is dead. Basic idea is the same with abilities and spells.
Note: Does not help with Thief poison micro because shift click attack will make the Thief attack until the target is dead.
Picking Up/Selling/Giving Items- Shift Click allows you to pick up or drop items quickly. For example to give 6 healing potions instantly right click the receiver then shift click drops the items to the target hero. It’s best to finish the 6 potion drop command list before you reach the target or your hero might end up auto attacking random creeps (because your hero finished the move command).
Faster buying then getting back to the fight- Right click close the shop you want to buy from (make sure it’s close enough to buy), then shift right click the area you want to go to after buying. Then left click the shop you want to buy from and when your hero approaches then leaves, quickly purchase the items you want. If done right you should be purchasing items from a distance you wouldn’t normally be able to shop from, this works because it takes a second before the ability to shop disappears.
Shop Note: Harder to do on the shops when you’re below because for some reason the shop option doesn’t always appear. If you want to ensure that you can do this from below shops wait until you’re sure the shop option becomes available then click away followed by quickly shopping. Though this isn’t using shift micro just fast shopping. Shift click shopping works all the time when on level ground as long as you click close enough. As for selling it works even from below with or without the shop option.
Shop Note 2: There are three shops where your hero will try to go all the way around to sell items. The two middle right shops and the bottom right corner armor shop. You can easily solve this by not selling to the those shops or set a move command followed by shift click sell, then you’ll sell whatever shift you shifted in the time it took to get there and don’t forget to shift click move to get back in the fight quicker.
Character Specific Uses
Channeled Abilities- Use a channeled ability then set a command after like, use an item, command or spell. Shift click allows you to use whatever your desired defensive action is slightly faster.
For: Weapon Smith, Cleric, Warlock, Warrior Mage, Arcane Mistress, Entropist and Tempest.
Note: Does not work with Holy Warrior due to the fact the damage he takes from casting it does not take effect immediently after he casts "Fallen One." So if you try to cast "Fallen One" and set a potion use after as a shift command he will attempt to heal before he takes the damage from "Fallen One."
Spam Spells- There are only two heroes that can instantly cast a spell repeatedly (aka spam) and using shift click helps a lot when doing so. Normally when you want to cast spam a spell you would have to hit the hotkey for the spell (like the “d” key for MoonMage) then click the target then hotkey, target, hotkey, etc; hitting two keys for each spell. With shift click you only need to click the target in order to cast each additional spell which you do by holding shift + the spell hotkey then clicking the target(s).
This is most useful for the MoonMage as you don’t need to position yourself like the Warrior Mage. All you need to do is shift click cast Dinazen Olkar however many times it takes to kill them. So if all the creeps have 7000 hp and you have Dinazen Olkar maxed (which does 6000 dmg) and assuming the wave does not have spell damage reduction, all you need to do is shift click twice each creep. Of course early on it’s not required to spam Dinazen Olkar because of Moon Mage’s strong bounce attack.
Note: Best to set range to 0 (-range 0) so auto attack does not mess up your shift click commands.
For: Warrior Mage (Lance at lvl 10), Moon Mage’s Dinazen Olkar and Spell Bringer’s Whole Displacement.