Playerbot DPS

'''Playerbot DPS''' covers damage-dealing Playerbots on the Shadowmourne Realm.

DPS characters are responsible for defeating enemies while allowing the tank to control threat and the healer to keep the party alive.

Damage Types

Playerbot damage roles generally fall into:

melee physical damage
ranged physical damage
caster damage

Common DPS Classes

Damage-capable classes include:

Melee DPS

Common melee damage classes include:

Rogue
Warrior
Death Knight
Paladin
Feral Druid
Enhancement Shaman

Melee characters normally fight close to the target.

Ranged Physical DPS

Hunter is the primary ranged physical damage class.

Hunters also rely heavily on:

ranged weapons
ammunition where applicable
pets
positioning

Caster DPS

Common caster damage classes include:

Mage
Warlock
Shadow Priest
Elemental Shaman
Balance Druid

Casters normally remain at range.

Creating DPS Bots

Examples:

.playerbots bot addclass mage
.playerbots bot addclass rogue
.playerbots bot addclass hunter
.playerbots bot addclass warlock
.playerbots bot addclass dk

Preparing DPS Bots

Run:

maintenance
autogear

Then verify:

specialization
weapon
equipment
spells
talents
combat strategies

Threat

DPS bots should allow the tank to establish Threat before using maximum damage.

Attacking too early may cause an enemy to leave the tank and attack the DPS bot.

A safer sequence is:

tank engages
wait briefly
begin damage
watch enemy positioning

Target Selection

The command:

attack

can direct the bot toward the master's selected target.

Coordinated targeting is usually better than having every character attack a different enemy.

Combat Strategies

Combat strategy is controlled through:

co

See Playerbot Strategies.

Different DPS specializations may use different strategies for:

single target
AoE
threat
movement
crowd control

AoE Damage

Area-of-effect damage is useful against large enemy groups.

However, uncontrolled AoE can:

break crowd control
pull additional enemies
generate too much threat

Allow the tank time to establish control first.

Melee Positioning

Melee bots should generally remain behind or beside enemies when possible.

Avoid standing directly in front of bosses that use:

cleaves
frontal attacks
breath attacks

Ranged Positioning

Ranged bots are often easier to control using:

stay

before a difficult boss encounter.

Position them in a safe area before beginning the fight.

Autogear

Playerbot Autogear helps DPS bots obtain role-appropriate equipment.

Different damage types value different statistics.

Physical DPS Stats

Possible useful statistics include:

strength
agility
attack power
hit
expertise
critical strike
haste
armor penetration

Caster DPS Stats

Possible useful statistics include:

spell power
intellect
hit
haste
critical strike

Weapons

Weapons are especially important for physical damage characters.

Check:

weapon type
weapon level
dual-wield setup
two-handed setup
ranged weapon
off-hand equipment

Dungeon Tips

During dungeons:

let the tank pull
focus priority enemies
avoid unnecessary AoE
use stay for ranged positioning
do not outrun the tank
watch healer mana

Raid Tips

During raids:

follow target priorities
control threat
avoid dangerous mechanics
position ranged bots
keep melee away from frontal attacks
use appropriate strategies

Troubleshooting

DPS is too low