Not talking about things like map addons, bags, auctions, bets, etc…
I use the default ui, DBM, Plater and that’s it.
I tried Weak Auras but it felt too cluttered, even Plater took getting used to with all the colors and bars everywhere but I think it helps as a tank.
WA/DBM/Details/HR.
That’s it for me.
IDK about affecting gameplay, but I use about 70 addons.
DBM, Tidy Plates, Bartender 4 and Details really.
Everything else is things like ATT, Mogs/Pet helpers etc…
I would actually like to run as minimal as possible, though I don’t think any of the native UI options are even close yet.
There’s probably one addon I use for BGs that is needed because it tells me info like flag caps/gate health that blizz’s UI does not. If I didn’t use it the ability to play BGs well would go down quite a lot imo.
And I need every single one of em!
1 DBM of course.
2 Bartender to replace the action bars because I really like the ability to change bar with a modifier key. I tried using the new stock action bars and they were good except for missing that functionality so went back to bartender.
3 Pitbull for the ability to customize the look of unit frames. This is purely cosmetic and switching to the default frames wouldn’t be too big of a deal. I just like how I have my Pitbull set up aesthetically.
4 Slice Commander to track bleeds and dots. I find this incredibly important to keep track of all the rolling dots my class uses. Default UI is horrible at tracking short duration debuff and buff timers.
5 Weak Auras mostly for specific auras to help with certain encounters. Like marking the crabs on Stix Bunkjunker in this raid, and similar type of random things over the years. I don’t use any WA for basic gameplay functionality.
That’s it!
Cheap auras is by far the biggest offender of an addon that is “critical” and affects gameplay with DBM a distant second place. Anyone doing remotely competitive or challenging levels of content isn’t using rotation helpers like Hekill.
Cheap auras is the one I want to see nuked into oblivion though. The devs should always be on the hook for giving the players the information and designing encounters in a way that the human monkey brain can readily interpret and act upon. If your encounter and/or class spec “needs” cheap auras to serve as a mental crutch then you need to take another pass and simplify or otherwise make mechanics and/or the plumbing/functionality better.
I don’t use any, so they don’t affect my game at all.
DBM, GTFO, Dialogue add-on for larger quest text, BeQuiet, ConsolePort.
I’ve stopped using BigWigs and Details. They were using too much memory and WoW is too messed up these days. My WeakAuras are for my DoT timers, replacement Vigor bar and Bountiful Delves Tracker. No combat ones they’d be touching. And everything else is UI customization.
I don’t use any add ons
I remember telling people they needed to fix an add on to see the status of the amps on Rik Reverb….
Like, the boss abilities are actually harder for people with add ons some times….
When they would see the amp being charged if they just used the standard UI, instead, they are sitting around all confounded by their add on
No.
light slap
No you don’t.
You…you got anymore cra…ugh…I mean…addons?! Yea…addons!!
POLYMORPH DUCK IMMINENT
eh? Wouldn’t that just be checking whether an addon is messing with friendly name plates? Not a huge deal. I don’t know what’s been going on with the default UI since 11.1, but if it wasn’t for Bartender, I wouldn’t be able to see the cooldown on most things while in a vehicle without having to constantly mouse over the icon.
Plater, WA.
Doesn’t really matter who you ask.
It’s Gonna be Boss Mod + Aura Tracker + Optional Rotation Helper.
DBM - WeakAuras - (Hekili).
There’ll be a Meter in there too (Details) but realistically that’s not actively affecting gameplay in the way the others can. Very few people are going to look at their performance on the meter and start experimenting with alternate talents or whatever when the guides all say to stick to x.
If you are doing content with Interrupt Orders, you can add Plater to the list. But I think very few people are doing that, so Nameplate stuff just falls into a category of shuffling around how information is displayed but not actively affecting gameplay in the way giving you a timer for the next boss ability or a big flashing “MOVE TO {CROSS}” alert when you get a specific debuff does.
(I’ll say some Healer addons would fit this category too. Some of them do change the gameplay of healing a bit. That said, it’s because they’re bad addons from a different era that force people into clicker-adjacent playstyles. Fight me.)
We would need to agree on a definition of gameplay.
These would all fall under “gameplay”.