Addon Spotlight: Best. Addons. Ever. -- The Bestening
by Mathew McCurley 
Aug 18th 2011 at 4:00PM
We haven't done this in a while, have we? Listen, students. There are two types of addons out there: addons that serve useful purposes and are functionally superior to the Blizzard user interface elements, and addons that provide information in new and exciting ways that make the minutiae of the game more palatable and accessible.
OK, I lied. There are also the best. addons. EVER.
Sometimes, addons don't have to be useful at all. In fact, some critical addons are the opposite of useful. Today, it's all about some fun addons that aren't going to make or break your raid game or drastically change the way you play in any meaningful way. Instead, these addons are about having fun.
Enhanced Bloodlust
One of the biggest things I miss over on the Horde side is the Bloodlust sound. Alliance, I love you guys, but Heroism has the lamest sound in the history of cool stuff that happens in WoW. Time Warp sounds like my microwave, and Heroism sounds like a standing ovation at the Northwestern Bell Festival. Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding cheers all around! It's not frightening -- it's adorable. When Heroism goes off, I turn around, look out the window, and think the ice cream truck drove by.
The gutteral, deep roar of Bloodlust is one of those iconic Warcraft sounds that has lived on in the game series for years. But what if you want something more ... enhanced? Enhanced Bloodlust is an addon that substitutes L80ETC's Power of the Horde for your Bloodlust and Heroism sounds, for that extra metal with your extra haste. Oh yeah, now we're rocking.
A quick word of caution: Don't use this addon during raids. Not only will you press your buttons too hard and just blow all of the other DPS out of the water, you will gain mega-DPS tunnel vision and kill extra bosses even after the one you're currently fighting is dead.
If you're Alliance and you don't want this song playing when you pop Heroism, well ... I'm sorry. Guild transfers are coming soon.
Download Enhanced Bloodlust at [WoWInterface].
All right, fine. Here's something for the Alliance that the Horde will have a bit more trouble finding use for. Worgen have the unique ability to swap between their two forms out of combat and walk around in their cool form or their dopey human form for some reason. Well, how can we make that transformation even cooler? Is that even possible?
Sure, it is. Anything is possible. It's possible for a man to turn into a wolfman, at least. Well, what do nerds like more than lycanthropy and video games? Transformers.
I can't really type out the Transformers iconic transformation sound. I'll give it a shot, though: KZZH kzzh KKZZH KZZTH KHZZ ZZZZ. Something like that? Hell, it's not Snikt, but it'll do.
So, yeah. This addon plays the Transformers sound whenever you go from human form to worgen form or vice versa. This addon is great for:
- Nerds
- Worgen who want to add to the list of awesome sounds they make, like the sniff
- Roleplayers
- Roleplayers whose worgen is actually a robot in disguise as a human in disguise as a wolf creature
- Moonguard roleplayers in the "garage" area of Goldshire Inn
Download Transformers at [WoWInterface]
Warcraft Music Maker
This one is actually pretty fun. I first found the Warcraft Music Maker back during Wrath and never really talked about it because it was my little secret for downtime during raids. The Warcraft Music Maker is a fun little tool that lets you set up tracks of in-game sound effects into a rhythm creator and make your own wacky songs. Sword clank dubstep? You betcha. How is this not the coolest thing ever?
You're going to want to avoid using Warcraft Music Maker anywhere where FPS is a problem, because it's a giant resource hog. But who cares? It's a music maker with WoW sound effects. Just remember to turn it off during raids, unless you are me and you want to have something fun while you wait for the damn Icecrown Citadel raid to start. Hoo, boy. Those were fun waits back in the day. Please, gentle WoW Music Maker, soothe me with the gentle rhythms of swords clanking and opening my bags.
Download Warcraft Music Maker at [WoWInterface].
I hope you guys enjoyed another edition of Best. Addons. Ever. Part 2. The sequel. If you've got some candidates for best addon ever, you're going to want to email those hot picks to mat@wowinsider.com. I always appreciate a good addon submission, but amazing addons like these go straight to the top of the list.
Mailbag, and then I will leave you.
Hey Mat,Well, Oroko, you have a few options. You can switch out Spartan UI for another compilation, like my preferred compilation ElvUI, or you can wait for Spartan to come back and suppress your Lua errors until the time comes that everything gets updated. The problem with compilations and such is the crazy number of hooks that the UIs get into your addons and setup, meaning if part of it breaks, it's hard to separate the whole from the parts that are screwing up.
I love SpartanUI, but the person who was last running the project has now
cancelled his wow account and is no longer publishing updates to SpartanUI.
While Spartan is currently working in this current patch, I am getting
flooded with LUA errors, and find that I have to stop and reload my UI a
minimum of two times per play session to keep it going. So I was wondering if you know if anyone else is working on new updates for the project, or can you suggest another similar UI? I love the sleek look, and ease of use of Spartan and I am hoping someone else is working on it or something very similar!
Thanks again!
-Oroko
I don't personally follow the Spartan UI project, but I know some readers do, so does anyone know what's up with Spartan, for our good friend Oroko?
Addons are what we do on Addon Spotlight. If you're new to mods, Addons 101 will walk you through the basics; see what other players are doing at Reader UI of the Week. If there's a mod you think Addon Spotlight should take a look at, email mat@wowinsider.com.
Filed under: Add-Ons, AddOn Spotlight
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Moeru Aug 18th 2011 4:03PM
Murloc getting strangled or heroic battle cry. Hmmm...so hard to choose.
Othgan Aug 18th 2011 4:08PM
Definitely the Murloc. It's a haste buff for a reason.
Skyrei Aug 18th 2011 6:36PM
Alliance Heroism sound!
Quaza Aug 18th 2011 4:22PM
"A quick word of caution: Don't use this addon during raids. Not only will you press your buttons too hard and just blow all of the other DPS out of the water, you will gain mega-DPS tunnel vision and kill extra bosses even after the one you're currently fighting is dead."
Not to mention, you'll go through keyboards 4x as fast with all that mashing.
SteveB Aug 18th 2011 4:24PM
I've just kept using SpartanUI with LUA Errors and all. I still haven't found a compilation that I could take its place.
I have been trying ElvUI on one of my alts. I moved the map to the center above the action bar. It makes it a little more bearable for gathering.
Something I just can't figure out is how to add more than one action bar. I don't know if I'm just stupid but I cannot find out how to do it.
justin Aug 18th 2011 5:08PM
There is a little "L" which i think stands for Lock in the lower right corner of the chat frame. Click it and it unlocks the UI elements allowing you to move them. When it is unlocked there is a little UP arrow above the action bar that expands it to 2, and there is a left arrow that expands it out allowing you to have 4 action bars on the bottom. Also, when it is unlocked there is a left arrow on the right side of the screen that expands out another 2 action bars there.
click the "L" again to lock your changes.
killer_tunes Aug 19th 2011 3:33PM
I just love ElvUI. I've tried Spartan in the past along with several others including MazzleUI. I noticed at least one reader here that is having trouble with adding bars. I have learned that you may have to adjust the resolution override setting to add a third bar at the bottom center. Just a little FYI. I did end up going back to Bagnon for my bag mod because Elv's bag display covers up my right hand bars and the bank display covers up my crafting/character window. Fortunately ElvUI makes turning certain skins on/off very easy in the settings.
The_Reflection Aug 18th 2011 4:32PM
I downloaded the transformers one and it did absolutely nothing
Angus Aug 18th 2011 5:01PM
That's because you are a Human paladin, silly.
yateschris3105 Aug 18th 2011 4:33PM
long as everyone knows,natural skill will always best people who are dependant on addons :) and macros for that matter
Thrasher Aug 18th 2011 4:49PM
And those who have natural skill and use addons to make them more efficient will always best both those without natural skill who use addons AND those with natural skill that do not.
wow Aug 18th 2011 5:08PM
@Thrasher Claiming someone who uses addons will always best someone who doesn't is absurd and without merit. Addons may help some be more aware of what is going in a raid or pvp environment, but that certainly doesn't make them better than another who uses zero addons.
thawedtheorc Aug 18th 2011 5:38PM
@ yateschris3105
Thanks for dropping in and setting us mongoloids straight. It must be lonely being part of that master race and all. Heil Chris Yates!
Skyrei Aug 18th 2011 6:32PM
There will always be people for and against add-ons...
But macros...IMO, If you're not using macros at all you're not being the best player you could be.
Revynn Aug 18th 2011 6:47PM
What the crap does skill have to do with addons that make transformers noises when you use the Worgen racial?
Ragen Aug 18th 2011 9:51PM
@yate and wow
This has been brought up many times already. You are both wrong just by simple, cold hard logic. (Paraphrasing and condensing here)
1. Those players with the most information about the game, it's surroundings, it's encounters, and it's classes are the ones who will have the most success.
2. The user interface is a gateway for the user to see what's going on in their world.
3. Addons have the ability to improve upon play styles and the interface by increasing either efficiency, knowledge of their surroundings, or quality of life improvements.
Therefore:
4. Those who use addons to improve their game are increasing their abilities as players, whether it's improving how fast they can get a heal off, or by having visual warnings of when bosses are going to do nasty things, or just being happier with the game in general.
Just as most min/max'ers tell me: "We may be equal in skill, but my composition will always beat yours", I tell you: "Those without addons may be equal in skill to me, but I will always have the upper hand when I have the information and you don't"
Jorges Aug 22nd 2011 12:46PM
Addons essentially give you more information, they can't and will never play for you. Information is the way to knowledge and knowledge is power. I will always have more power than you, even if we're equal on skill. If you think you're being more "pro" for not "cheating" fine, but know that you're just gimping yourself.
It's like telling an F117 pilot that he lacks skill for using flying instruments.
Cbeefman Aug 18th 2011 4:35PM
is there an addon that swaps out certain sounds? for example, i'd love to hear the gun sound no matter what weapon my hunter is using...i hate the silence of a bow, i FEEL more dps when i can hear my shots
Saeadame Aug 18th 2011 5:56PM
Just wait until the transformation thingy come out. The you'll be able to make any bow look like a gun and problem solved
kevin.luang Aug 18th 2011 11:56PM
In my inability to find what you want let me present you with the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you are looking for:
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/gun-sound-replace-bow-sound.aspx
Now you'll never hear gun sounds again and never feel that you're doing dps, which will inadvertently cause a loss in dps.
You don't have to thank me.