If we can still download all the same addons manually, why can’t someone come along and create an app that conveniently downloads them for us?
Am I missing something?
5 Likes
They bought the biggest platform that addons are hosted on and offer insentives for addon creators.
It sucks
This almost becomes the discussion about should mods/addon makers be able to make money from their work.
2 Likes
From my understanding it has to do with how the apps search and download the files. To do so based on my very bad understanding of how it works, they need access to code that the site uses to organize everything. Overwolf wants to block them from using that code.
They can deny the ability for other addon managers to download addons from their database.
They don’t actually own any of the addons though. There’s a community effort going on atm to create a new hosting platform for mods and a new addon manager.
Check out Wowup. Currently it pulls from curse/overwolf/whatever you want to call it but that should change soon.
21 Likes
So if someone makes an app where you can download, say, DBM and automizes all the manual steps you’d normally take downloading it from the DBM website, the company that owns Overwolf can stop and/or sue them?
No, Scraping a website is not illegal as long as it is not destructive. Overwolf is just trying to scare people, they have no legal rights to stop/sue anyone.
6 Likes
No, but that’s not how addon managers work. They use APIs that are provided by website devs to link directly into their databases to download the addons.
I mean… you COULD program something to yoink control of your mouse and keyboard and do it itself but that looks scary yo. Folks don’t like scary. 
There is actually a Morrowind mod with an installer that does that.
4 Likes
Blizzard should really invest in their own platform for add-ons.
That’s the kind of thing we should be asking for as customers.
43 Likes
Yes, this is what I was trying to say, but my poor understanding wasn’t letting me put it into words good…
They are trying to block anyone but their app and basic web browsers from accessing their API.
i literally have no idea what overwolf is. Sounds like twitch to me.
1 Like
Removed***
It’s a company that makes money by buying apps related to gaming and loading them down with ads. They recently bought Curse from Twitch. The problem with them is that they don’t vet their ads very well so they let through a lot of outright malware that can mess up your PC.
10 Likes
Overwolf is basically trying to monopolize our addons.
It is something you don’t want. Switch to Wowup or install your addons manually.
11 Likes
Noob question, if we have been using Curse to download our add-ons where do we go now to download them “manually”?
Enjoy late stage capitalism : )
8 Likes
I’ve tried Wowup and Cursebreaker and find them both nice, Cursebreaker’s a bit clunky if you’re not used to CLI but I’m a boomer who remembers DOS.
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As far as I know the regular Curse website’s functionality shouldn’t change. Though, you may get a lot more ads in your face if you don’t use an ad locker.
1 Like
What Ad locker would you recommend?
That would depend on what web browser you use. The one I use on Chrome is just called Adblocker. Stupid auto correct changed adblocker to ad locker…
2 Likes
Thanks!