Since the much whined about, by me (and to be fair many other Warlocks), changes to the Affliction rotation I’ve been looking for an addon to assist me with my casting choices. I’ve always been a fan of DoTimer because it works very well and is clear and uncluttered. DoTimer shows a bar illustrating which of my spells are afflicting the target at any one time. These timer bars count down (textually and graphically) the remaining time on each spell. It also reorders the bars in terms of remaining duration, so that the next DoT to fall off is at the bottom. That should help you guage which spell to cast next.

Giving a duration remaining also allows you make decisions about when to begin recasting. Instant DoTs like Corruption are probably better just before, as, or (as in the case of Bane of Agony) factionally after they fall off. Longer casts (Haunt, Unstable Affliction or Soul Fire) can be started well before their buff or debuff wears off. For example, I ideally begin casting Soul Fire (SF) 2 seconds before the Improved Soul Fire (ISF) buff falls off, as SF is a 2.2 seconds cast. Equally if the next spell to expire is ISF in 3.5 seconds I will be casting another Shadow Bolt or two and casting SF ‘late’. DoTimer doesn’t make decisions for you it presents the information required to make decisions quickly in an easy to read and interpret format.
DoTimer
The only problem I now have with DoTimer (or it’s configuration) is that I can find no way to force the ISF buff onto the target’s set of timers. Casting Soul Fire gives the Warlock a 15% Haste buff so the ISF timer is with another set of buffs for the player. This doesn’t make decision making around when to reapply ISF. What I need is the cooldown on ISF to be shown and sorted with the DoTs and effects I have on the mob. Then I can see what will fall off next, for example Haunt or ISF. That information is currently only provided in two separate places with DoTimer, I want it in one.

So I’m currently questing for an alternative. My requirements are DoT timers for me debuff incorporating the ISF buff on me, it must be presented in a clear easy to read format (much the same as DoTimer) and be relatively easy to configure.

Raven: by merging the two ‘Bar Groups’, Buff and Target, I get all my buffs and my DoTs/effects on the target in one place, sorted by time remaining. This is useful because I can gauge, at a glance, if I’m properly self buffed – Fel Armour, pet out, Soul Link, Dark Intent on someone, potted Spellpower buff food. So far so good.

Currently this is a work in progress as all my buffs are shown…so I’m having to Blacklist those I don’t need to see: Kings, Fortitude, MotW, Flametongue Totem…equally I don’t need to see procs of Hymn of Power and Hurricane. I wonder if it’s possible to keep the Dark Intent 30 minute timer and remove the Dark Intent proc? There is an interface to create a custom bar…which would be perfect. Instead of Blacklisting all the things thrown up that I don’t want to see I could move all the things I do (much smaller subset) to a custom bar. However, the only timer I could actually get to work in a custom bar group was Fel Armour. I think that was because it’s all about me: cast by me, cast on me, action on me. I thought Bane of Agony, for one, would be equally easy: cast by me, cast on target, action on the target. This didn’t work and wouldn’t show up in the Custom Bar Group when it was ticking away on the Target Dummy. Needless to say ISF didn’t work, cast by me, cast on target, action on me. OK I have a timer it’s a pig to configure and is taking time to fine hone.

So I have a selection of others to try out and I keep going back to DoTimer now and then to see if I can bend it to my will. Recommendations of timers I can try most welcome.

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