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10-07-09, 02:50 PM   #3
Zidomo
A Cliff Giant
 
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Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 76
Skip the pre-configured UIs and use individual mods. Pre-configured UIs usually never have the mods that are a part of them updated/fixed after patches as soon as the mods themselves do. As well as lagging behind mod releases between patches (sometimes far behind).

For an 80 Arcane Mage, I use the following mods:

--For alerting you to when Missile Barrage (and/or Clearcasting) procs as well as the time left on activating it: GoodNewsEveryone. I used to use SurgeTrack, but its had some development problems recently.

--For timer bars showing you the stacks and time left on the Arcane Blast debuff: SpellReminder. If you prefer something different, Scorchio! 2 is an alternative to this (as mentioned by the above poster).

--For decursing: Decursive (as mentioned by the above poster).

--For polymorphing (something rarely needed these days unfortunately): ControlFreak.

--For target/focus target spell bars so you can see when to interrupt/spellsteal, the following. It also replaces your default casting bars: Quartz.

Quartz also shows you the total cast time of a spell on the bars (for example "x/2.1"). Which I find invaluable for showing when Heroism cast in your raid/party has expired, you are seeing how different haste equipment affects your cast times, etc..

--For more obvious enemy cast reminders: FocusInterruptSounds.

--For easy access to your portals without using a ton of action bar buttons: Broker_Portals (if you don't have a LDB display mod, you can access it through a minimap icon it provides).

That's it. Other mods I use are common across all characters.

--For a personal standard buff/debuff display to replace the Blizzard icons, I use Simple Buff Bars.

--Threat meter: Omen (you can very easily adjust the size of its window without a problem. Far more important is setting it to alert you when you cross 90%-110% threat).

--Damage meter: Recount (you can also very easily adjust the size of its windows). Recount uses a pretty hefty amount of system resources. But it has--for better or worse--become the generally accepted current "standard" for party/raid combat meters.

Using optimal spell rotations (obtained from studying Elitistjerks), I usually normally hit the "DPS limit" for my equipment as shown by the Rawr program. The default Blizzard bars I find are more than sufficient for casting/consumable usage/etc.. But if you really want action bars different from/in addition to the Blizzard bars, I recommend Macaroon!, Dominos or Bartender4.

Last edited by Zidomo : 10-07-09 at 03:07 PM.
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