Breakfast Topic: Do you wish we didn't have to use AddOns?
by Lesley Smith 
Jul 7th 2009 at 8:00AM
But, it's a start. In the past year Blizzard seem to have finally realised that their player base like the perks of AddOns and the way they enhance the game, but not the frequent updating which is required with every major patch. So readers, what are your thoughts on the whole Blizzard/AddOn thing? Do you think they are just taking the best ideas and adapting the most popular AddOns into their own versions? Do you prefer using AddOns like Omen and QuestHelper? Do you see yourself using them for a long time yet? What would you like to see AddOn-esque feature would you like Blizzard to implement next?
Filed under: Blizzard, Add-Ons, Breakfast Topics, Instances, Quests, Raiding, Leveling
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
Greg Jul 7th 2009 8:08AM
I wish we didn't have to use addons, but I also wish the Blizzard versions had the flexibility of the third-party ones.
I mean, I can barely imagine healing an Ulduar encounter without Grid and Clique or Healbot or some other mod. It's just to difficult.
Jon Do Jul 7th 2009 8:50AM
Agreed, as a fellow raid healer. I'm not going to even think about healing an instance or raid without DBM and Healbot.
I'm thinking specifically of the old Kara Maiden fight, where there was no way that I was going to dispel Holy Fire in time with the default interface and no add-ons.
In fact, I would argue that Blizzard has designed and tuned raid encounters with add-ons in mind for a long time, though they might not admit it.
On the other hand, the only reason I ever need to look something up is because of hopelessly vague quest text, and that's usually in old-world / vanilla content.
M Jul 7th 2009 10:26AM
I don't mind addons. I use them because the default interface doesn't match my preferences.
The difference between using Blizzard-based concoctions versus using an addon is that you have more ability to choose with addons; there isn't just one version, there are dozens. Even with something as simple as bag/inventory space management, people have wildly different views. Having somoene force a particular method down our throats goes against the customizeability promise of the game.
For the people who don't normally use addons but enjoy this new functionality, awesome.
For the people who don't use addons because they don't -want- this functionality, and for those of us who want to do things slightly differently, I hope they continue to allow all of this stuff to be disabled.
Axolotl Jul 7th 2009 8:08AM
Nobody forces anybody to use addons, I've leveled 3 characters to 80 now without any addons. I just use online resources like Jame's Leveling guides, thottbot, wowhead, ... to know where to go and how to do some things like solo 3-man quests.
The one feature I'd like to see incorporated, would be the coords one, since a lot of sites mention coords instead of how to get to someplaces.
Vladeon Jul 7th 2009 8:29AM
You're right, nobody forces anyone to use addons, but it seems that you're forced to alt+tab out of WoW in order to look stuff up on wowhead. The comments on wowhead really are invaluable to anyone who wants an edge in dungeons or whatever. The one thing that I don't like about questhelper is that it takes up so much memory that I could be running 60 fps in dal instead of 40 (15 when I first start up and the whole questhelper thing loads up). That's what I'm looking forward to the most, getting rid of my questhelper. Coords would be great too because for about 50 levels, I didn't even know what an addon was and couldn't figure out where people were telling me to go despite their fervent pleas that it was just around the corner from (40,24).
loutr Jul 7th 2009 8:39AM
Do you play a healer ? I would have quit long ago if I couldn't use Pitbull + Clique to heal 5-mans and raids with my priest. I don't get how people can stand clicking on an health bar, then hit a shortcut key.
And you should try leveling your alts with Tourguide + tomtom + ligthheaded, makes me feel like I'm on autopilot, and at the same time I get to do quests I had missed on my main. So for me it's main = no lvling addons to discover the new content, alts = Tourguide + tomtom + ligthheaded to rush to lvl cap :)
Agerath Jul 7th 2009 9:03AM
Loutr:
I and most other healers worth their salt use mouseover macros.
Naix Jul 7th 2009 9:11AM
I play a healer and the only addon I use is visualheal. Healbot and grid are nice but they make the game easy mode. I also have been healing without any addons without any trouble.
Just drag the groups out and drag the tanks out separate. Set focus to the main tank and your all set.
Tirris Jul 7th 2009 9:43AM
"Do you think they are just taking the best ideas and adapting the most popular AddOns into their own versions?"
Is this a serious question?
Clbull Jul 7th 2009 9:47AM
Nobody forces anybody to use addons
_____
What about when raids require or greatly perfer you to use an addon like Deadly Boss Mods or Bigwigs?
Pausanius Jul 7th 2009 11:08AM
Axolotl: You're certainly not alone -- Not everyone uses add-ons and I've always been one to stay away (well... with the exception of Peggle :)
Many of these add-ons I view similar to those guide books that GameStop is always pushing on you... Sure they may tell you exactly what you need to do, but I simply do not *want* to know. The joy (for me) is in the discovery -- that's why I've paid my $15/month since the original launch.
As for the healing and other DPS mods that might make you appear more skilled, 'auto-mode' (as someone refers to it further down) isn't my cup of tea. I enjoy playing my characters as intended instead of relying on meters/macros/mods -- for me, I'm losing value from my subscription by letting something else do the work for me.
Along the same lines, I tend to seek out first-timers when starting new dungeons and raids as again, the joy (for me) is in the discovery. I would much rather wipe time and time again with the eventual victory (or at least knowledge of what not to do next time) versus run to someone who can simply tell me how it's been done before.
Joe Jul 7th 2009 11:22AM
All I have to say is its about time they started doing all the stuff they're doing because all the stuff they are doing now should've been implimented some time ago to keep people more interested. One stroke a mine, finally in 3.1ish? WTF? Dual spec in 3.1? So many small things just improve the game so much and these 'genius'' are checking on so late in the game its sad.
The only reason people are still playing this game is because there's only about 2 other "decent" pay to play games and until something truly awesome does come out no ones going to give up the 2 years of having their souls sucked into this game and just throw it away by going to something new.
Blizzard needs to get their sh!t straightened out and head on right.
What they are doing is just a start but way to late in the game, but they are in fact making it better for 'newbs.' GO NEWBS!
Jon Do Jul 7th 2009 1:09PM
"As for the healing and other DPS mods that might make you appear more skilled, 'auto-mode' (as someone refers to it further down) isn't my cup of tea. I enjoy playing my characters as intended instead of relying on meters/macros/mods -- for me, I'm losing value from my subscription by letting something else do the work for me. "
IMO, the intention of the game is immersion in the role of a hero, not how the tool bars and party/raid icons are arranged by Blizzard on the screeen by default. The game has hot keys and clickable icons because that's the interface mechanism that a computer-based MMO has to use. The ideal interface would be something like the Star Trek - Next Generation holodeck.
Terethall Jul 7th 2009 1:21PM
@Pausanius
I'm going to bet that you're not in a raiding guild and that you don't mind missing out on content like Yogg'saron or Ulduar 25 hard modes. Furthermore, I'm also willing to bet that you've never raid healed a successful 25man Uld. And in terms of DPS, can you tell me how a chart gives an auto-mode advantage? It doesn't tell you what to do, it just helps you figure out what works more quickly.
Also, you say that you want to play classes as "they were intended." Do you honestly think that Blizzard is unaware that people use addons and that Blizz doesn't design and balance classes with addon functionality in mind? I can guarantee you that if addons were not allowed, we would see content get easier and we would see healers get buffs to compensate for the ridiculous amount of skill and luck it would take to properly heal a 25man hard mode raid.
Finally, you take a jab at raids that follow established strategies to down content. But let me ask you, how successful have you been at organizing 25man Algalon kills with puggers who don't know the fights? The fact is that often times, even with everyone knowing an exact set-in-stone strategy, certain content can STILL be nearly impossible to clear, like the Alone in the Dark achievement. It's anything but "simply telling me how it's been done before." The truth of it is that in order to realistically hope to see some end-game content, addons are a requirement.
No matter how loudly people yell "LAWL AUTO PILOT ENGAGE NAO," addons will never compensate for stupidity or lack of skill. As a co-raid-leader/organizer in my guild, I find it difficult to express my anguish at the fact that DBM can make a noise and put "RUNE OF DEATH - MOVE" on someone's screen, but can't make them actually run 10 yards.
For those of us who enjoy WoW by clearing end-game content and earning achievements, Blizz has made a game difficult enough that at least a few addons have become essential.
Stephen Jul 7th 2009 1:42PM
Healers generally have to use addons. It's possible to be a good raid healer without addons, but it's likely that you will be a better healer with addons. Blizzard's "healing" UI is awful.
Even those who say they raid heal with the default UI have had to make major modifications by building complex macros, mapping mouse keys & modifiers to various spells, and filling their screen with raid bars. You shouldn't have to write the equivalent of unix code in your macro box to be able to keep up with addon using healers.
I've been healing since MC. Blizzard has since added mouseover ability, debuff display & focus bars. It's certainly helped and my mouseover macros are there for use on patch days, but Blizzard still has really lousy raid bars & the debuff displays are still too limited.
All Blizzard really needs to add is a better and more customizable raid bar system to quickly target and cast, that can better show debuffs by category, and a simpler way to map heals to your mouse buttons. That's all that most healers use clique and healbot for anyway.
subtotal Jul 7th 2009 8:47PM
addons let me play the game the way I want play it.
That said, personally I don't go for the massive all enompassing UI mods, though this mainly due to their tendency to get broken by big patches.
The stuff I use can be boiled down to DBM,Omen,PallyPower and a few info/inventory addons
Andelorn Jul 7th 2009 8:09AM
In the past year? You know that the auto-cast-on-self feature was originally an addon right? They've been implementing particularly useful addons into the base UI from the very beginning.
I'm crazy with addons though. It was Morrowind's fault. That modding community and how amazingly they managed to work over that game has just made me addicted to customizability. I have LOADS of addons.
Brian Jul 7th 2009 8:11AM
Personally I love the way various addons allow us to customize the game to our liking. I have many I consider essential - SpartanUI, simpleminimap, questhelper, recount, dotimers, etc. and some like BrabbleRP that are just fun. I would rather Blizz focused on the game and left the addons to third parties - just because there are addons I love to use does not mean they are right for everyone; and my fear with Blizz providing addons themselves is that it may close the door to outside development. I guess updating can be troublesome, but I find that the time I spend updating my addons is no worse than re-spec or any of the other problems that can come with patches.
Gessilea Jul 7th 2009 8:47AM
I'm with Brian. I mean, there are thousands of addons. No one company could do everything that all the addons do. As some people mention, some addons are actually BETTER than what Blizzard produces. Which I'm fine with. They build the world, we play in it. Sounds good to me.
Wyred Jul 7th 2009 10:12AM
Agreed. I love add-ons, but part of what I love is how customisable they make things. Sad as it might sound I really like getting to grips with an add-on so I can make it do exactly what I had in mind. Coming at it from the other side, no newbie needs to contend with all the options and configuration that a lvl80 raider finds useful. The default UI is just fine for lvl'ing your first char, its once you know the game and your char that you find things you want to customise.