"Floating Names" Toggle

[Keovar]

I'd like to see more options for the floating names above various characters in WoW.

Most of the time I'd like to have floating names turned off, just because it makes the game more immersive. I especially don't want to view player names or the names they give their pets on a regular basis, because so many of them are godawfully stupid and don't fit the setting of the story.

However, when I am running through a dangerous area, I need the warning that seeing a red name provides. Also, when looking for a specific type of trainer or vendor it helps alot.

I experimented with using the "nameplates" toggle built into the default UI, but the range on that is so short you will be attacked before you see it on an enemy, and it doesn't show the trainer/vendor/etc. titles either. However, I do like the little lifebars, as it really helps you see how a battle is going against multiple enemies without losing your target or trying to mouseover everything. It would be nice to have the nameplate lifebars turn on automatically in combat and back off when leaving it.

I have tried just turning off playernames and leaving NPC ones on, and that's my current default, but it doesn't hide pet names and it'd be nice to toggle on player names and/or guild names temporarily when I am looking for someone.

Perhaps even a command like /find "Keovar" (just using my name as an example) where the name would show on anyone who matched the string you type in, and/or make it flash (if names are already on). This could also be useful for guilds; /find "Champions of Stormwind" would make names show on anyone with that guildname (just an example name, it's probably a real guild on some server but I don't know them). Spelling and capitalization is on the user to get correct. Gods know that the majority of the playerbase could use a workout for their literacy skills!

This could also help with finding NPCs, as /find "Trainer" would turn on names for every class or profession trainer, as they all have "xxxxx Trainer" as a title. If you are looking for a specific type, /find "Mage" would end up showing all the mage trainers, for example.

I suppose /findlist would be needed to give you a list of the current /find strings you are looking for, and /findoff "Keovar" would remove my previous example from the list.

A toggle for displaying PvP enabled folks would help in finding a target or avoiding flgging yourself by mistake.

So let's see... a wishlist summary:

1. A keybinding to toggle all names on or off.
2. The "nameplate" toggle switching on automatically in combat.
3. "/findhostile" to make red names always show by default.
4. "/find *******" to search for a string in a name, title, or guildname.
5. "/findlist" to return a list of your current searches.
6. "/findoff *******" to remove an item from that list.
7. "/findpvp" to show names on all flagged players and NPCs.
8. If possible, make player pets show or not along with the players, instead of falling under the NPC filter.

EDIT: Thought of another one... 9. "/findquest" to show names of all NPCs with an available quest, to help find ones that are grey to you and no longer show the exclamation point. Quests you can't get yet (silver exclamation) need not be shown.

I'm sure more features could be thought up, and the list is already rather long, so perhaps a GUI for it would be good. Support for MyAddOns would be great.

Thanks,
~K~

[Keovar]

So does no one else think this would be cool, or is everyone just scared of the size of the post?

[dcorban]

I like the idea of health bars automatically being enabled while in combat mode.

[jtbalogh]

(Sorry, forgot about thread necromancy ... )

Sounds good to me too. You could make an addon or use an existing addon, edit lua file OnLoad() and register the event with,
this:RegisterEvent("PLAYER_ENTER_COMBAT");
this:RegisterEvent("PLAYER_LEAVE_COMBAT");

Edit OnEvent() in lua file to toggle,

if( event == "PLAYER_ENTER_COMBAT" ) then ShowNamePlates(); end
if( event == "PLAYER_LEAVE_COMBAT" ) then HideNamePlates(); end

Edit xml file to add OnLoad() and OnEvent() to run functions in lua file.