Addons have always been a contentious topic. Some people LOVE them, while others think they should have never been allowed in the game.
One thing I think most of us can agree on; addons have caused somewhat of an arms race in WoW. Addon authors/developers create addons that give players an (unfair?) advantage over content (indirectly giving them an advantage over other players doing the same content). This creates 2 sets of players; those who play with addons (with an advantage) and those who don’t.
The above scenario has created 2 problems:
Blizzard now needs to develop content that remains challenging…that means for players using addons too. So, the same content needs to be challenging for both sets of players. Early-on, this was a smaller problem. A manageable problem. But, as the addon arms race has progressed it eventually got to where we are today. It’s almost impossible to create content that challenges players with the varied and numerous addons that exist for use, while still keeping content possible for players NOT using addons.
Players wanting to play competitively (PVE or PVP) are on un-even footing due to the varied players mixing together and competing against one another. Players with an advantage (using addons) are almost always going to win a competition against players without an advantage (not using addons)…unless that disadvantaged player is truly exceptional (and they ARE out there…I am not one of them…).
Now, since addons have become such a large and integral part of playing every facet of the game, trying to ban them or remove them from WoW would be a disaster! I think we can all agree that trying to take away such a long-lived and beloved feature of any game does not end well for the majority of the community or the game as a whole.
However, the 2 problems listed above are not necessarily problems that are game-wide. To me, the problems only arise when competition comes into play.
The solution?
Disallow joining RATED Content if addons are enabled (yes…any addons). I think that’s the only way to do it, if you truly want to make competition in WoW fair and equitable. I don’t think Blizzard could realistically differentiate between a simple inventory addon, and a “simple” inventory addon with a little extra feature that pops up an alert if you happen to be standing in an AOE puddle while trying to check your bags.
There are too many ways for clever authors/developers to trick Blizzard’s API to realistically allow ANY addon with a solution like this.
So, if you are joining a Mythic Dungeon, a Heroic Raid, a Rated PVP event, Arena, etc. Block joining until all addons are disabled.
Regular content can still be done with as many addons as you like. Use them because you just don’t like the way your default UI looks. Use them to learn mechanics. Use them for convenience. Use them to learn a new Class or Spec. Practice with them in non-rated content. Slowly disable them to get used to that content without any training wheels. When you’re ready, queue for the rated content you’re interested in without the aid of addons. See how good you truly are. Compete on level footing with everyone else.
I think if this was the policy 2 things would start to happen:
Blizzard would be free to design and create content without the need of taking addon advantages into account. They would be free to design encounters and UI Elements that complement one another without having to worry about whether an unforeseen widget will pop-up to completely trivialize a mechanic they designed (that widget may exist, but it won’t effect anyones eventual race to world-first).
Addon developers and authors will start designing/redesigning their addons with the knowledge that they will not be allowed for competitive content. They will naturally become a training/convenience tool and evolve into something that will help you adapt to no longer need them in combat. The best addons will be those that teach you to no longer need them.
Anyone else interested in seeing a policy like this implemented? Not banning addons for the majority of the community, but disallowing them when competing for Current Season and/or Relevant rated content?
There was a thing in the patch notes where Blizzard is going to “inspect the possibility of limiting certain addons through the API” or something so now people are running with it for trolling engagement.
Outside of a few exceptions because of people bending the rules, addons can be obtained by everyone which makes their advantages not really an issue as everyone can get them.
Also consider that timers can be used outside the game, you could have a phone app that calls mechanics. FF14 actually has a discord bot that calls mechanics which people playing on console can use.
Moreover, there’s nothing that guarantees they would fix the problems that some addons can fix/make better. Either mechanics lacking clarity or buff tracking there’s a lot they can do before even thinking to remove addons.
I’m certainly all for limiting more what some addons can do but being against all addons for me is simply not realistic.
Zero of them are worth complaining about. Everyone can use them. There is no “inherent advantage” when everyone can use them. If you’re refusing to use addons, you’re intentionally limiting your capabilities and that’s a personal problem.
Playing devil’s advocate here. I use the addons.
But if someone has issues with addons, it’s realistically those 2 specifically.
So if it’s going to be discussed, it should be targeted at killing / limiting those addons, not addons in general.
There’s some merit in the base game being the way EVERYONE sees an encounter.
Having specific times mechanics are going to happen is a bit much when the game already has resource bars and announcements for the BIG ones. It’s information pretty much no one would have without Boss Mods. No one is running a stopwatch and figuring out the exact timing of anything manually.
It would be nice if you reacted to things actually happening into the game instead of reacting to third party information the game isn’t feeding you.
Similarly, Weakauras has an INCREDIBLE amount of freedom. There’s a reason there are weakauras packs for every boss and why it’s common for certain bosses to just about require running the one for that boss. There have been weakauras to out people who aren’t using the correct weakaura for a given boss. Blizzard basically can’t make mechanics intended to require active on-the-fly communication because there will 100% be a weakaura to automate it instead.
I said I use the addons, because of course I do, it’s efficient.
But efficient isn’t always the way things should be.
I’m not out here fighting to remove addons, but I’d be fine with it if Blizzard went that way, at least in regards to those 2 addons. I don’t think it’s reasonable to say there is no argument. You just view the game differently than those that do want addons gone. Which is fine, but there is an argument.
I think personally bliz should have doubled down hard on private auras. But unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot with a last minute redesign of echo of neltharion and sullied the idea of private auras in the minds of every raider forever.
Conceptually, there are no Weakaura mechanics in WoW. Every mechanic that requires Weakaura in reality just requires players to communicate. The problem with them has been the time allotted to manage that communication. Conceptually there is nothing wrong with debuffing 5 players and letting them work out between themselves which corners of the room they’re going BUT THEY CANT DO IT IF YOU ONLY GIVE THEM 6 SECONDS.
Same with smolderon soaks on mythic, or Ovinax eggs in the original iteration. If you want players to communicate, use a private aura, but then you have to make sure the mechanic gives players enough time to then do the necessary communication.