The coming "UI Lockdown"
by Mike Schramm 
Oct 23rd 2006 at 10:55PM
Curse Gaming has a new site version up (they're calling it "Curse 3.0") and the first thing on the menu is a wikipage for what they call "the UI Lockdown." That's a good a term as any to describe the changes to UI Addons coming in the Burning Crusade patch. In case you missed it, Blizzard has decided that widely used mods like Decursive and Benecast are providing functionality that the game wasn't meant to have, and so there's some pretty restrictive changes in store for addon makers.There's a few little loopholes involved, but the basic gist is that addons can no longer choose a spell or target for the player (I originally thought the changes meant click casting was a no go, but it's now clear that one click casting is still possible). Whereas before, addons like Decursive would let you click on one thing to cast different spells in order of priority (or choose different targets for those spells), that's no longer kosher. There hasn't been a ton of backlash from the player community yet, but I'm guessing that's just because the changes haven't shown up on the public servers. As of this weekend, my guild was still using Decursive in MC-- when the expansion patch hits, all those raiders will be out of luck, and I think then is when we'll see the real fireworks from players.
Of course, not everybody is concerned-- my guildleader recently announced to us that he was planning some raids to be run without addons, just to get some practice in before the changes come (I plan to try at least a ZG run with my addons turned off as well). And I assume the changes are already in place in the Expansion beta-- have you players in there had issues with not using addons like Decursive? It could be that the new "functionality" isn't an issue, and addon makers will just find a way to work around the changes Blizzard has made. But I know that at least a few guilds, especially those just starting out in MC, will find their way to be just a little harder without these addons to help out.
Filed under: Tricks, Add-Ons, Instances, Expansions
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Woild Oct 23rd 2006 11:36PM
I've never used decursive and as a druid, most other druids have it but I always seem to do pretty well come decurse counts, it's not that hard so I don't think too many people will complain, 'cept maybe the addon modders themselves.
trankillity Oct 23rd 2006 11:58PM
I am an extremely heavy UI modder but believe these changes are actually good. They will make for more interesting ways of highlighting actions that need to be taken, rather than taking those actions for you. There's already a lot of really inventive new unit frames coming out which will make the boring old "whack-a-mole" healing style much more intuitive.
If you're looking to get ready for the BC UI changes then I recommend grabbing some good unit frames such as X-Perl or ag_UnitFrames and getting a good click-casting mod (Clique is the best/easiest IMO and already works in BC). This way you will be good to go when the expansion hits.
ImGladAboutTheseChanges Oct 24th 2006 12:37AM
It's a change like that that will show whether those "uber guilds" are really as good as they really are or they're just a bunch of mod jockeys that relied more on scripts than skills!
odgit Oct 24th 2006 1:07AM
people are forgetting that priests get mass dispell! no need for decursive just bunch everyone up in a big pile every time a AoE curse hits, and have a priest on dispelling duty ^^ (still curses and poisons might be tough :o)
Bill G Oct 24th 2006 1:20AM
I think the "raid without add ons" is a bit of an overreaction. The functionality of the vast majority of add ons will still be possible in BC. I think the biggest changes will be healing and decursing.
Also, there won't be any 40 man raids in BC [yeah, yeah, we all know you'll still be going to MC/BWL,etc. stop kidding yourself], so you'll only have to heal/decurse at most 25 ;)
One hassle will be that since *all* existing add ons will break, there will be a time after BC launch when a whole bunch of add ons won't work as the authors scramble to update them.
Also, if the author isn't still in the game and someone doesn't pick up the broken add on, you'll lose that legacy functionality. There are a couple handy old add ons [for a rogue] that I sure hope someone picks up or I'll be a bit bummed.
Noroth Oct 24th 2006 1:49AM
There is a new functionality in the expansion UI called 'focus' now, though. You can hit one button to set your current target as your Focus, then hit another button to target your Focus at any time. Basically Blizzard removed conditionals from spell-casting buttons, so you either cast the spell when you hit the button or you don't have a spell attatched to it. I may've also heard something about AddOns no longer being able to change your target for you. Perhaps, and this is only speculation as I haven't looked too much into it yet, one button can set your Focus for you (say, look for a cursed raid member and set them as your focus), then you can just press your focus recall button and cast your decurse.
Or, maybe an addon can simply show or hide a somewhat large button in an obvious place on your screen with your decurse spell in it. You can have that spell set in, let's say, 5 buttons, one for yourself and 4 for your other party members, in the same place overlapping each other. So the AddOn just shows/hides the button, and you just click the space if it lights up. No priority-sorting, sure, but it's probably as close to a replacement decursive as we'll get (though keep in mind, this is coming from a Mage who only has to worry about Remove Lesser Curse).
Noroth Oct 24th 2006 2:13AM
Hmm, never mind about my last comment, here's the list of comments on the linked Curse Gaming story from the topic itself, sorry for my hasty comment.
List of Restrictions
A key or button MUST be the trigger to targeting something or casting a spell.
The function of a button or key cannot be changed while in combat
Any part of the interface that uses an ability or changes targets will not be able to move, hide, or show while you are in combat.
Macros cannot be modified during combat
This means that addons with clickable lists (such as emergency monitor) will no longer work. The addon can be edited, however, to take away the ability to cast directly from the monitor.
TopExceptions
PLAYER_REGEN_DISABLED is called before buttons are locked. This means you can still make bars change function when you enter combat.
Very simple automated decisions are allowed such as a druid casting a different spell depending on whether they are in cat or bear form.
Click casting will still be possible.
Addons that make use of a “Tank List” will still work. The tank list will simply not be able to be modified during combat.
Tigraine Oct 24th 2006 6:42AM
But this isn't really changing the MT-Target functions isn't it`?
I mean.. its basically a /assist that happens when you click that button there.
If they block this too I will be damn unhappy because It's one of our key concepts to let focus fire be done through MT Targets
synack Oct 24th 2006 7:39AM
According to the restrictions and exceptions listed on cursebeta.com you CANNOT move/show/hide buttons while in combat but you CAN change make bars change function.
This should be interesting.
energy72 Oct 24th 2006 7:58AM
For this very reason, my epicced out 60 paladin may very well not be leveled first when the expansion hits.
I will probably level up my low level rogue for the expansion instead.
IndirectTargetingAnyone? Oct 24th 2006 9:05AM
Does anyone know if they're ever going to implement "indirect targeting?" that they had (and mostly still have) in EQ2.
Basically, it works when you target an enemy and do beneficial actions (buffs, heals, etc.), it after to the enemy's target; and conversely, if you target a friendly unit and do harmful actions/spells, it go to the friendly's target. So it lets backup priests target the mob and heal whomever the mob is hitting at the time, and it lets melee types to always target their main tank and be hitting whomever their MT is hitting.
Is this already a mode?
KB Oct 24th 2006 10:35AM
I'm a 60 priest who's guild has been in ZG for several weeks and is just starting MC. I have weaned myself off of emergency monitors (and actually like it now since I don't feel quite so "whack-a-mole").
Next to go is decursive. Although the biggest issue I see with it leaving is not the ability to mash the tilde key to clear stuff, but decursive's clear list of debuffs. CTRA's shading of player boxes doesn't seem to convey this to me as effectively as the nice decursive icon/name/type listing.
Samidare Oct 24th 2006 2:02PM
At first this really irritated me. But I am still waiting for BC to hit before I see how it really will affect things. Changes are still being made, and just like many others I am weaning myself off of decursive. And hoping I can find a better ui set up for raids to help with target dispelling.
It would be nice if all dispelling/cleansing classes got a mass version added to their spell books. Either way I am not worried.
WalkInMyShoes Oct 25th 2006 10:33AM
Many times it is the players using decursive who take up the slack of the people who don't. I asked a druid friend of mine did he use the mod, he said he didn't bother decursing in the first place.
And anyone who thinks they can target a player by sight and decurse them quicker than Decursive allowed you to do is sorely mistaken.
Rogue329 Dec 14th 2006 9:52AM
I never used the single button decursing with decursive. I simply double clicked on the name in the list showing the curse. Since Paladins really only ever use cleanse, how is the double clicking on a name any different than what Blizzard is asking us to do by selecting a player and choosing an action? Looking for a different colored box that may or may not blend with a background of an environment on a 40 man raid is just not working to the extent that it should during heavy decurse fights.
I can see the problem with emergency monitor selecting the level of heals for you so that you can just smash a button but I really don't see why decursive cannot be allowed to work without the single button decursing. The double click to decurse still requires me to take action on an individual target and with only one action to take it is not rocket science to figure out which action that was going to be.