Bard AoE kiting How-to & Screenshots

[jerok88]

Just leveled from 34-45 over the last couple days. Here's my obligatory screenshot (63 mobs killed, counted when looting with /hidecorpse looted)

I use the first person mode, and just scroll out. I never see the mobs on the screen. When I do see them, they are in the very bottom left of the screen and I am extremely close to being hit.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8074/8...0746b89e6b.jpg

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.][/url]

Also shown is the time it took to kill them (about 12 minutes) and how much XP I gained. Note it is a hell level so it is less than you'd normally see.
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Trinidy]

I have been trying to AoE kite and I think im just terrible at it.

I played an Enchanter on the live server for years and never played a bard so AoE kiting is a new thing for me.

I have looked at videos online and they all say to do auto circles, then strafe, then turn with mouse.

I just have a problem keeping the circle constant. The auto circle that i make is just way to small. Is there a better method?

[jerok88]

I never use autocircle. I push auto-run, then I tap left, left, left, until my fingers bleed. Getting into a rhythm is hard, but once you've got it you can envision the circle you want to run. Also, I use first-person mode and scroll out. I understand this may be vastly different than most bards. I do not see any of the mobs on the screen, which I think results in a LOT less lag.

I've keymapped auto-run to the ` key and use wasd.

I don't ever strafe anymore, although I used to, and I usually stick to 1 dot unless I'm feeling frisky. With only 1 dot, killing speed is cut down by 33% or so, but that really means nothing for a bard, where a death is the biggest setback.

[Itap]

I auto-run + strafe right, and turn holding right-click + scroll right. It might sound complicated at first, but once you figure it out, its almost 100% safe. The only time I die is when I either lag (The one where you freeze for 0.5 seconds and I end up running directly at the mobs) or when my son decides to mush random keys on my keyboard [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]


Man that freeze lag thing is annoying, ive tried turning down all effects ect and it still happens

[Trinidy]

I guess I need to understand how to move first.....

I tried practicing with a ground of 3 greens, just in case i got annoyed I could turn around and kill.

First method I tried was autocircle with the mouse turn method. This was so damn annoying to keep turning with my mouse... i felt that i did not really have a free hand to push my macro button.

Then I tried the tapping method.

When talking with a bard that did this he kept telling me to push it fast... all that did was make my turns big and jerky. I litterally clicked the arrow button as fast as I could, which made no sense to me.

So I swtich to longer depression taps but quickly. Now that got me going in a circle, but im not sure if the lvl 2 dot just has such a short range it never landed or what. I had to stop mutiple times. just to have the dot land.... I did with with the lute in my hand so that the dot would hit harder. and selos still kept me ahead of them without a problem, no need to switch to drums.

I liked this method because i had a hand free to turn away if need be ,or avoid the tree or whatever while still having a hand free to push the macro button for dot/selos.

If the mobs had not been green then i would have died fairly easy due to the fact that they still hit AT me quite a bit.

I use first person zoomed out as well.

I guess its all in the technic of "tapping"??

I have heard the strafe method is the best due to the "push" effect or something. I woudl love to learn this, but I am still pretty confused on it....

Thanks for all the advice!

[SamwiseRed]

i dont get the tapping method. i just strafe run and mouse turn

[Trinidy]

I just dont understand the strafe run and mouse turn... i have not been able to do it correctly.

[Cwall 52.0]

i mouse run and hold Q(strafing left) while slowly turning my mouse to the right

[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

might be my biggest kite; don't even know how many

some of the lower level ones poofed before the kite was over

took me from 37 to 40 on red99

edit: after checking logs looks like it was 93 or 94 mobs

[Karafa]

I use the same technique cwall does. Assuming you have the same sized mobs and aren't dying due to hit box, aoe kiting with just the level 18 dot is extremely easy and still efficient. For those of you struggling to really get it down, don't put yourself into a spot to really be hit and killed, keep a pretty decent sized circle and strafe when the dot is about to apply.

Using the level 2 dot is tricky, requires you to see the mobs on your screen if you're wheeled out, and is generally the sole reason you'll die on your kites 90% of the time.

[t0lkien]

The margin for error on this is pretty darn small. I don't know if it's because of 200+ ping that I have, but I get hit a lot. I tend not to kite more than a few at a time, and at this point they're all blue.

Those of you who are directing things with a mouse, how do you twist? With the extra fingers on your left hand?