Add-ons and disability

Community General Discussion
1

I have a disability. I am also heroic raid and just hit 3k io rating for the first time. I did this with add-ons designed around my disability, large icons to track my buffs and debunks, text to tell me to reapply debunks, audio cues to let me know when big cool downs are available and when I have enough holy power to use an ability, and flashing icons to tell me when a proc happens. This list of course doesn’t include things like dbm and nameplates to help keep track of mechanics. I need these add-ons to play my class at the level that I do.

Now I can see the point of view of blizzard that add-ons are not good, but they are either over confident in their ability to handle accessibility, or which is far more likely, did not think about people with disabilities. Now societal forces make ignoring disabled people easy to do, but I am imploding blizzard to rethink their ideas on this. While I have supports that I need via add-ons, there are other people with disabilities that need even more add-on support (a good example are blind people, they could not play at all without add-ons). And before anyone chimes in with the attitude “well I as a nondisabled player don’t need add-ons, so you shouldn’t either”, do keep in mind, disability is a when not an if for everyone. At some point you will need help with everyday activities including playing video games.

Please blizzard, rethink your goals with regards toward add-ons, we are all in the same ocean but we’re all in different boats.

6 Likes
2

Dw they will remove addons but at the same time they will make the game easier, rotations are simpler etc, mechanics are easier

1 Like
3

If I wanted simpler rotations, I could play classic. I want the same level of complication, but with the ability to make my own accommodations. In my real life I work a job that is intellectually stimulating with accommodations to make it possible to do so.

2 Likes
4

Blizzard’s stated aim is to remove Addons that negate Raid mechanics, and offer built in features that do what Addons do. Most of what you’ve listed won’t be affected, as far as I can tell.

2 Likes
5

theyre actually trying to make the game less complicated. This needs to happen or the escalation continues where they make fights and addons trivialize it, so they have to escalate again when some joker says hes bored. lol

addons trivializing mechanics/challenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hqJ210XWeU&t=771s

6

Classes will still be complicated because addons wont be there to help us :slight_smile:

7

The following logic path seems reasonable to me;

Removing combat addons with no significant changes to the game would brick higher endgame group content for many players.

WoW thrives on its endgame content and Blizzard doesn’t want to brick their game.

Blizzard probably won’t disable combat addons until they have made significant changes to the game to keep the challenge similar without them.