Friend thinks he doesn't need addons.

[MiniStew]

Okay guys my friend has been playing for about a month and is lvl 70. He thinks he doesn't need any addons apart from Boss mods and Omen3. Could you guys state reasons why he should use addons and configure his UI, because he thinks he is right and doesn't listen to anything I say. Cheers.

[Seerah]

Some of the players in the top guilds use the stock UI except for their boss mods, etc.

[Sniffles]

Addons aren't a "must have"...

[SDPhantom]

In my 6 years of playing WoW, I played an entire year not using any addons at all. I did perfectly fine just using the default UI. That was until I decided to start writing my own code. Even now, the only addons I run, I wrote myself.

Even though a lot of addons are useful, none of them are needed. A decent player that knows what they're doing can play perfectly with nothing more than the default UI.

The bottom line, if he's comfortable playing the way he is now, leave him alone. It honestly isn't any of your business trying to change someone else's playstyle.

[MiniStew]

But there a +'s to using addons. Name a few?

[mukunda]

Meters All Over Teh Screen

[tinyu]

Originally Posted by MiniStew But there a +'s to using addons. Name a few?

yes there are benefits to using mods but no mod is really needed to play, ive seen some people say that they refuse to play unless X mod works... thats just sad.

[MiniStew]

Originally Posted by tinyu yes there are benefits to using mods but no mod is really needed to play, ive seen some people say that they refuse to play unless X mod works... thats just sad.

Yes I saw it too, regarding carbonite? Don't understand that. But if addons aren't so essential how are websites like wowinterface, curse, and wowace generated lots and lots of hits?

[mukunda]

Personally I think UI's are just fun to concoct...

I played an arcane mage for a few months in ICC and I didn't use any addons (since the rotation was easy), when I switched to fire I found it hard to keep track of the DoTs on my targets so I got an addon for that...

For tanking there's not really any addons that really help out, its really easy to tank without any addons.

For healing I think it would be very difficult without addons, IMO you should at least need a clique like addon to heal properly.

As you play the game more, the blizzard UI kind of gets boring, so I guess a lot of people (me included) like to redesign their entire UI. It's also nice to have a unique UI to record for gameplay videos

[ravagernl]

Originally Posted by MiniStew But there a +'s to using addons. Name a few?

To be honest it really matters which class you play. I find myself needing to use a dot timer on my warlock to track improved soul fire and to track dots on multiple targets (tab immolate, corruption, repeat).

Healers might want a custom unitframe or clickcasting, the same can now (but not in the past) be done with the stock UI, even though it looks like mud in sandbags with letters floating in them.

Clickhealing can be done with macro's, and for some classes(priest or paladin) players might even prefer clicking.

[Vlad]

Once you go PlateBuffs in arenas you can't go back! :< I updated it since it's a bit outdated, and it rocks. ^^

[Nobgul]

Originally Posted by MiniStew Yes I saw it too, regarding carbonite? Don't understand that. But if addons aren't so essential how are websites like wowinterface, curse, and wowace generated lots and lots of hits?

Just because addon's aren't needed doesn't mean people do not enjoy them. This is the nature of the game and the industry. with over XX million players there are bound to be all types of players. Some who do use addons and some who do not. I personally only require my guild members to run a boss mod and that is it, and even at that there are 3 raiders who don't but they never cause us to wipe.


TL : DR
Unless blizzard bans addon, site like our here will always survive.


PS. Unless you bought your friend his copies of the game and pay for his account, then let him be. Now if he is causing you issues in raid then you can suggest that he use them but in the end it is up to him.

[tinyu]

id love to see what would happen if blizzard decided to not allow mods anymore.

[Rilgamon]

Originally Posted by tinyu id love to see what would happen if blizzard decided to not allow mods anymore.

hmmm ... take a look at the standard ui ... and now imagine to see it 5 years ...

I'd stop playing. I mean look at all the ui out there ... most come with player/target centered at the bottom ... and still default position is out of the normal players sight. I'm a clicker ... without clique I would suck playing big time (even more). And much more but I guess you see what I mean

[Crissa]

Blizzard devs boast they don't use addons in their raids.

Take that what you will... Personally, I think it means devs don't really play their own games. And from devs I know at various companies, it seems fairly true. But your mileage may vary.

Personally, I think the existence of addons is one of the reasons for WoW's success.

-Crissa

Originally Posted by Rilgamon most come with player/target centered at the bottom ... and still default position is out of the normal players sight. I'm a clicker ... without clique I would suck playing big time (even more).

You can't say 'most' as there's no way to see the installed base. Personally, I like everything on the left side, and have all the pop-ups vertically. Nothing but status bars and button-bars are at the bottom. And I don't click on anything - I mouseover cast and use macros bound to chorded keys. So playstyle is essential. (On some other games I had put the buttons on the top, but recently I kinda got stuck to the Apple style buttons at bottom, menu at top paradigm.)

Fifteen years ago It was WASD+mouse that was the addon which gave players of PC games an advantage over the default UI. And some people still do that. Obviously, from your target position, you like a Diablo or Wolfenstein type display. It's all a matter of choice. And I like that.

[sakurakira]

How about you just let your friend play the way he wants and have fun? He's only level 70, who cares?

If he starts raiding and is really subpar for his gear level, then is perhaps the time to suggest looking at addons. Also, phrasing it in a tactful way is helpful. Suggest that <addon> will help him to manage his energy/rage/runes, or an addon like grid will show more information to a healer than the default UI. Certainly don't suggest that he is "bad for not using addons," that will get you nowhere.

Originally Posted by Crissa You can't say 'most' as there's no way to see the installed base.

Rilgamon is referring to the prepackaged UIs on sites like this, not necessarily to what most players actually use. It IS accurate to say that most UI packages have center aligned unitframes that are near the bottom of the screen. You just have to browse through them to see that.

Some of you aren't taking into consideration that some addons have nothing at all to do with combat or meters, but only changing the appearance of the default UI so that it is pleasant to look at. This is important to many people.

[Dawn]

He doesn't need any addons. Not a single one, at all, ever.

Addons are intended to customize the appearance of your UI or add/enhance utility if wanted.

Threat is part of the default unitframes. Bossmods aren't needed at all either. I'm raiding since vanilla without one and doing just fine, in fact watching videos with boss mods are almost irritating to me, because of all that spam.

If he does his job and is a decent player, let him be.

[Moxie]

Mods are a pretty polarizing issue, with strong opinions on both sides. I didn't think it was possible to be so pro/anti mods until a friend of mine called my use of them a "crutch" and said I'd be better off with none.

Play and let play, IMO.

[MiniStew]

Originally Posted by sakurakira How about you just let your friend play the way he wants and have fun? He's only level 70, who cares? If he starts raiding and is really subpar for his gear level, then is perhaps the time to suggest looking at addons. Also, phrasing it in a tactful way is helpful. Suggest that <addon> will help him to manage his energy/rage/runes, or an addon like grid will show more information to a healer than the default UI. Certainly don't suggest that he is "bad for not using addons," that will get you nowhere. Rilgamon is referring to the prepackaged UIs on sites like this, not necessarily to what most players actually use. It IS accurate to say that most UI packages have center aligned unitframes that are near the bottom of the screen. You just have to browse through them to see that. Some of you aren't taking into consideration that some addons have nothing at all to do with combat or meters, but only changing the appearance of the default UI so that it is pleasant to look at. This is important to many people.

I'm not forcing him to try addons. But there are many addons which are very useful.

[MiniStew]

Originally Posted by Dawn He doesn't need any addons. Not a single one, at all, ever. Addons are intended to customize the appearance of your UI or add/enhance utility if wanted. Threat is part of the default unitframes. Bossmods aren't needed at all either. I'm raiding since vanilla without one and doing just fine, in fact watching videos with boss mods are almost irritating to me, because of all that spam. If he does his job and is a decent player, let him be.

But he doesn't. He just started playing and plays as a tank, he's pretty clueless about it.