As much as I appreciate the changes to global logs and the “nerf”/hotfix to the Spy addon that has been causing so much grief for players on the classic realms, we really need to discuss the fact that this addon ruins the rogue playing experience and immersion.
Because of the spy addon- any player now has the ability to be alerted that there is a stealth player in their proximity, allowing them to respond with an AOE effect- This makes it very difficult for a rogue to play their class properly and ruins the idea of stealth as they can no longer get openers due to an Addon alerting the enemy of their presence.
There is a very simple fix to this- make it so that being stealth does not trigger global area logs.
This is already the case. However, entering and existing stealth does trigger a combat log event.
Personally I believe it should continue to do so. Just as the base game plays an audible noise when players enter stealth.
But it could be possible to hide those events similar to how Hunter Feign Death is hidden.
However, after 15 years you think Blizzard remembered to hide Hunter Feign Death but forgot to hide Stealth in the combat events.
It is intentionally.
Because even though a character is hidden by stealth the act of entering and exiting stealth is not hidden. You see it with your eyes when it occurs, you hear it from the audible sound, and it is placed in the combat log to make clear what is occurring.
the exact detail im discussing is that when a player in stealth proximity enters near the character with the spy addon- a seperate addon popup occurs that shows
[STEALTH PLAYER DETECTED] - including the name and coordinates-
its not casting/leaving stealth im discussing, its being in stealth and entering a players proximity that i am concerned about.
This doesn’t happen. Spy only detects you in stealth if you get close enough to be detected normally. Outside of that, you have to enter stealth within combat log range for spy to detect your stealthed presence.
Also, it doesn’t report the coordinates of the detected player. It reports the coordinates of the person running the addon.
That is not how it works. Spy reports when stealth players enter/exit stealth via the Combat Log and pops of the notification then. It has no ability to detect stealth players because the Blizzard API has no ability to allow it.
The coordinates that Spy gives are the Spy User’s own coordinate, not the enemy players. The API (hence Spy) has no functions for knowing enemy players coordinates.
Except that if you the player are out of range you do not hear it, and if you’re looking at some other thing or NPC or player you do not see it either.
NO ONE who’s any good in PVP is gazing at their combat log.
If you’re watching your combat log you’re getting rolled because your positioning is garbage simply because you’re fixated on that combat log.
The whole “Combat log” excuse is bullcrap, and has been bullcrap since the first player promoted that crap.
The Combat Event Log is the internal stream of event data the client keeps track of and is exposed by Blizzards Addon API.
The Combat Log UI is the basic UI created by Blizzard as part of the basic UI set. But it is also either extended or replaced by various Addons.
The basic Combat Log UI provided by Blizzard presents the Combat Event Log to the player in a readable form. The only purpose for it is for the player to ‘gaze’ at their combat log. Otherwise there is no reason to even have it.
The Combat Event Log that addons use is created by Blizzard specifically to provide data for the base UI and UI Extensions to utilize. The stealth notifications presented in the Combat Event Log are there intentionally. And are intended to be used by the UI and Ui Extensions (Addons).
Other Combat Log UIs exists, made possible by the API and Addon extensions. Spy is essentially a Combat Log UI.
The entire purpose of the Addon system is to extend the basic UI set. That is what Spy does.
You can get away with it in disorganized PVP and in situations that just don’t require any coordination or proper positioning.
Take things up a level or two where organized CC and control are king and you don’t have time to watch a combat log.
Spy on the other hand provides you with Arena frames; if you don’t know what kind of an advantage this is then you’re not using enough macro targeting.
I usually set mine for Spell Starts and a couple other things. For example I use it to know when a warlock starts casting Fear. You can intuit that or watch for animations, but I got in the habit of watching the combat log ui.
It is always up and I tend to also notice enemy activity near me via the log… I just notice it because i am in the habit of watching the log. I still do so even though I use SPy.
Yes without a doubt this is the most useful part of Spy. Not the notifications or ‘stealth’ awareness.
The most useful part of Spy is the list of names to click on. It would be nice if it was a part of the basic UI set. Luckily Blizzard provided the Addon API and the players extended the UI to include it via Addons like Spy.
As I said that works great, but it’s kinda like driving down the road on a mostly clear highway… You can get away with texting on your cell phone and browsing for potential traffic in distant areas while on that easy to pace road. (please do not actually do that)
However if you attempt to do the same in tight freeway city traffic with all that craziness you’re gonna get in a bad wreck.
It’s the same in WoW, you can gander at the combat log when things are easy going, but in the thick of very organized battle where tons of stuff is going on… the combat log is gonna kill ya or a buddy that did not need to die as a result.
This is entirely changed because of SPY, now you have the advantage of the combat log browsing while also enjoying the ability to see things in play and respond properly.
