Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Add-on Overload

I’ve recently dabbled into and discovered what add-ons are in World of Warcraft. An add-on can be anything from a tool that records the damage each person in your group does to tracking enemy targets. They are mini-software packages that enhance/alter your game’s interface. Some of them are considered cheating but in the eyes of the rules, they are permitted.

Most MMOs that I have played are against cheating, macros, and any software that increases a players’ advantage. Blizzard on the other hand, allows this and it can make a nice customizable experience for players. Some gamers I’ve talked to say they would quit a game without a user interface (UI) they liked. This gives them just that opportunity.

Good Scenario: Some of my talent points are in “Dirty Deeds”, which increases my talents damage done by a significant percentage when a target is below 35% health. There is no health percentage meter on the normal WoW interface in order for me to decide when is the green bar is at about 35% full. With a simple add-on, I changed that.

Bad Scenario: A guild mate discovered a player tracker recently. You have a little window that makes a sound when an enemy player is nearby. Even gives you his level and class based on any spells he used. It can be tricked if lower level spells were used but the chances are low. Doesn’t this level of add-on and information just give every class the Druid/Hunter’s crucial track humanoid spell?

Those are my examples of good and bad add-ons. Note: many players have different views and this is a highly controversial topic once you start deciding where to draw the line. Do we lose an edge if we don’t have the right add-ons these days? Where is the line drawn?

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