Breakfast Topic: Refreshing addons
by Mike Schramm 
Aug 21st 2007 at 8:00AM
I'll admit it-- I'm a lazy addon user. Whenever Blizzard updates the client, I always manage to forget about my addons. I'll log in, realize I have no addons working, and then jump back out and just "enable out-of-date addons." Eventually, those addons will show bugs, so I'll log back out, disable them, and then keep playing without them for a while.And sooner or later, as happened this past weekend, someone will point out that I'm not running KTM, or that I don't have the latest version of CTRaid up and running, so I'll write down a list of everything I need, go and download them all at once, and refresh them all completely. When I do this, it's a good feeling. It makes the game seem new again to me-- everything works, and everything does what I want it to once again.
Until Blizzard puts out a patch, and then the whole grueling process starts over. I would just download new addons when a new patch drops, but addon authors aren't all on the same schedules. And I know programs like the WowAceUpdater help (by checking for updates for me), but so far I've never gotten around to installing those programs either.
But that's just me, and I've got to deal with my own problems. How often do you refresh your addons completely? Do you have a good system for keeping your addons up to date, or, like me, do you only get around to redownloading everything when something stops working?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Add-Ons, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mystical Parrot Aug 21st 2007 8:10AM
i generally check curse every day to see if anything i use has been updated, and usually download new files to replace my out of date addons
Urofseron Aug 21st 2007 8:11AM
Alas; I am in the same boat as you. Unless it has stopped working then I don't mess with it.
Imogen Aug 21st 2007 8:12AM
I run WoWAceUpdater the first time I log in each day. The others that arent Ace addons I generally update when patches come out or when the urge strikes me.
Webb Aug 21st 2007 8:13AM
As you yourself mentioned, WoWAceUpdater is your friend. And it just needs downloading, no installing, youll run it after unpack. Another option is the Curse.com registration, which will remember every time you download an addon, and throw you an email when there are new versions. Or you can log in once every week and look for updates (which are then highlighted).
Personally ill take the WoWAceUpdater any day. It really makes my addon management so much easier. I even use it to download completely new addons (which means theres no files on your desktop or download folder to get rid of later).
Only downside is, youll never get to read about new features in those addons, unless you follow the development on forums or actually read the readme. But who will EVER do that?! ^^
Hyrican Aug 21st 2007 8:21AM
Funny i posted just a thing about this in the last comments but here i go again because it fits
There is a Program that will not only check ace but also almost any other modsites for updates:
http://wuu.vagabonds.info/
currently because of changes on curse addon identification numbers in urls only the beta version can update fom curse.
and the support of wowui was stopped, because it caused download traffic but wowui didnt like it that the user no longer surfed their site (ads, sponsors, etc).
But a very nice feature is also the possible version check and update of the program itself without surfing the web.
p3ngu11 Aug 21st 2007 8:22AM
at curse-gaming you can keep a list of your favorite addons, it will let you know that there has been an update when you look at the list
Lizardking63 Aug 21st 2007 8:23AM
Ya...each patch, I just delete my addon folder and start over. It kind of sucks but I haven't gotten into the whole Ace thing yet. I keep thinking I need to, but when I go to their website, it isn't real clear how to do it. I just need to take the time to figure it out.
Andrew Herron Aug 21st 2007 8:25AM
I guess you don't read every post other bloggers make on this site :)
http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/05/10/addon-spotlight-wow-ui-updater/
I used to run the Wowace updater every day but got sick of manually updating my non-ace mods; WUU solves that. It's a fantastic piece of software.
Dan Aug 21st 2007 8:28AM
My solution is to let someone else do the work, by using a pre-compiled pack (and then turning off what I don't want). Grimpack (www.grimpickle.com) was excellent for a while, with the author updating the package a few times a week. Unfortunately he's gone AWOL over the past few months. Maybe time to find another pack.
Unfortunately Wow AceUpdater won't work on a Mac, and everytime I try to register an account on Curse, it won't work. (Probably have to use IE or something.)
Rihlsul Aug 21st 2007 8:33AM
I only update every so often. But I will admit that the WoW AceUpdater makes the process so simple that I've been slowly switching non-Ace addons out for Ace based counterparts (like Omen for KTM, Recount for SW_Stats, etc).
For non-ace, yeah - fix it when it breaks or the whim catches me.
ce.ll Aug 21st 2007 8:37AM
i never change a running system ;)
Aaith Aug 21st 2007 9:42AM
i used to use the one from..
http://wowui.incgamers.com/
but only works with mods that they track on their site.. so have to use that and the ace updater..
most things are on there..
Abruzzi Aug 21st 2007 9:00AM
use WUU, pretty easy, he'll update everything for you lazy guy :D
Jens Aug 21st 2007 8:46AM
The WoW UI Updater over there at http://wuu.vagabonds.info/ really does a great job for nearly all addons (except those coming from ui.worldofwar.net)
PyroAmos Aug 21st 2007 8:46AM
there hasn't been an ace program i've liked yet... all their addons seem to be cheap-copy cats of good addons. I'll have to look into that registering on curse-gaming... havn't updated in a while, mainly cause i havn't raided in a while. that would make it so much easier.
deadly boss mods is cool, when you enter a raid, it scans everyones version of DBM and tells you if theres a new version out... if you want to you can even click update notes and it downloads the patch change list from the person with the new version... definatly an epic way to handle it heh... only thing better would be if it gave you an option to auto-update from the person who has the newer version, ingame. that would be truely epic.
Andrew Herron Aug 21st 2007 8:48AM
Oh and I forgot to mention, WUU works on OSX and even Linux :D
As Hyrican said though, go for the beta version. The old one can't handle the new Curse site layout.
ThorinII Aug 21st 2007 8:59AM
I use what post #8 listed. All my addons come from ui.worldofwar.net, so it works great.
squishy Aug 21st 2007 9:05AM
As others have said. Run WAU every day. I also check Curse, WoWInterface, and UIWoW every couple of days manually for new addons.
I tried two of those "global" updaters. Broke my addons HARD. I'll never run one again that claims to be able to update from multiple sources. Maybe it works for others, but because I use WAU without externals (so I don't have multiple copies of ACE libraries), they don't work for me.
squishy Aug 21st 2007 9:08AM
@12:
Sounds like you have some personal grudge.
I prefer Omen and ORA2 over KTH and CTRAID. Less memory. Less performance hit. Same functionality. I could go on and on, but you seem to have your mind made up about ACE.
fittiziofittizio Aug 21st 2007 9:14AM
I wrote down a lil perl program to check wowace files and update all my addons at once.
Ok, I am a nerd.