Cataclysm beginner tooltips option simplifies abilities for rookies
by Fox Van Allen 
Sep 17th 2010 at 5:00PM
While most of these new tooltips have yet to be implemented, the few that have been provide a basic level of instruction aimed at new and younger players. For example, the tooltip for the druid tanking ability Growl normally reads, "Taunts the target to attack you, but has no effect if the target is already attacking you." With the beginner tooltips feature turned on, the tooltip suggests it be used to "protect friends with less health and armor than you."
Beginner tooltips frequently lack numbers and often suggest when you should use the ability; the tooltip for the holy priest ability Holy Fire tells you to "use (it) as an opener." Not sure how to DPS as a rogue? Have absolutely no idea how to play a shirtless holy paladin that was forced upon you by hundreds of faceless voters? These new tooltips will give you clues.
The beginner tooltips may also help address one of Blizzard's longer-standing problems -- convincing new players to stay with the game long enough to learn how to play it. As reported here back in February, only three in 10 trial accounts ever get past level 10.
We chose a few noteworthy beginner tooltips from a number of different classes and put them side by side with their Wrath-style versions for you in a gallery.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm will destroy Azeroth as we know it; nothing will be the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from brand new races to revamped quests and zones. Visit our Cataclysm news category for the most recent posts having to do with the Cataclysm expansion.Filed under: News items, WoW Rookie, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Drakkenfyre Sep 17th 2010 5:05PM
The new tooltips are either helpful or "WTF?"
There are tooltips that say "Does damage at range". That's it. No description, no damage ranges, nothing.
Some other ones will tell you when to use abilities. For example some of the Paladin spells say it takes a long time to cast, so don't use in melee. Others say "Use this when at full Rage to hit hard."
The problem is, this is enabled by default. So new players get the benefit from them, but other players are just going to be frustrated that their tooltips no longer display damage ranges, and don't know it's an option that can be turned off.
nurmi Sep 17th 2010 5:10PM
If i remember correctly its Interface->Help->Disable Beginner Tooltips.
Drakkenfyre Sep 17th 2010 5:20PM
Yes, it is. But if you are on the PTR you know how many people say "WTF is with my tooltips?"
They won't realize you can turn them off.
It's like any other ability that they enable by default. You get swarms of angry people pissed off about a change, and they have no idea you can simply turn it off in the options.
Aurilia Sep 17th 2010 5:27PM
OMG This!
I was wondering about the seemingly simplified tooltips wherein some of my copied priest's abilities had numbers and others didn't!
Nipah Sep 17th 2010 7:14PM
So... we're helping the new people, and messing with the dumb people?
Hell... two birds with one stone.
Telwar Sep 17th 2010 10:13PM
@Nipah: Exactly!
I am terribly amused when I hear people who got onto ptr and don't know to check the interface about things like that.
Fox Van Allen Sep 17th 2010 11:16PM
Blizzard forced them on for my character as well, but the new characters I ported over the the PTR yesterday had beginner tooltips defaulted "off." Still, simplified tooltips for beginners would have to be default on, because beginners otherwise don't know how to turn them on.
rhorle Sep 17th 2010 5:05PM
One problem with these beginner tool tips is that they don't give the
duration of the spell. At least not on some of the ones that I've seen
on the ptr.
Jack Miles Sep 17th 2010 5:06PM
The description for growl seems like it's gonna cause problems.
The description for searing pain is classic.
"Causes the target to be very angry with you"
Lols!
prenden2 Sep 17th 2010 5:20PM
In before: Which joker keeps casting Searing Pain on my girlfriend once a month? =D
Aedilhild Sep 17th 2010 5:54PM
SON, COME HERE. ONYXIA IS VERY ANGRY AT YOU.
arrethyn Sep 17th 2010 10:07PM
i could see people using growl ON their friends to "protect them" like teh tooltip says
ioncat Sep 17th 2010 5:07PM
I've been playing WoW since beta and I might turn this on just to prevent paragraph long tooltips. I don't need to know the inner makings of a hunters mark to understand that it makes me pew pew harder.
Neyssa Sep 17th 2010 5:07PM
It would be a fun Breakfast Topic: recommend beginner's tooltips :)
To be honest, when I started playing, I did not understand the logic of the growl spell. I tried to use it while questing, but it did not do anything.
Then, once I was around lvl 40, someone whispered me: wanna come tank maraudon? I asked back what tanking is, and where is Maraudon. The group was kind enough to tell me that when I change to bear I am a tank, and use this button so they attack me, not them. I sticked to tanking ever since that :D
Docp Sep 17th 2010 5:08PM
Good idea.
Since Cataclysm is likely to bring in a lot of newer players making sure they get a good understanding of the basics will be mutually beneficial to all. The experienced players get newbs who understand their role and function better and the conditionality on when to use certain skills and the new players don't get shouted at for making basic errors by impatient idiots.
Fahltryn Sep 17th 2010 5:08PM
"Deals moderate Fire damage at medium range but causes the target to be very angry with you"
I lol'd.
rich Sep 17th 2010 5:09PM
Anyone else's first thought that the beginner tool tip for Divine Shield should say something like "Use this in conjunction with your hearthstone when the fight seems to be going south in a hurry"?
(cutaia) Sep 17th 2010 5:12PM
In loving memory: Bubble Hearth, 2004-2010.
Drakkenfyre Sep 17th 2010 5:18PM
It would, except Divine Shield is now nerfed to 8 seconds, and you can no longer bubblehearth.
jfofla Sep 17th 2010 5:35PM
but but...how else can a Pally hearth?
Bubble Hearth is mandatory