Allow Custom Addons, Please! (poll inside)

[Dunzo]

So Bioware is working on a damage meter and a more customized UI, though frankly based on their current UI I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

So why not just allow custom addons? Let the mod-making community do it for you, so players can have the look and feel that suits their needs! This is one of those 'nothing to lose, everything to gain' sort of changes.

 

Be heard! Poll here: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=4f1458cdc2e1b0e4be6ac294

[Sharma]

posted this in a different addon thread:

 

if this game had addons, this is what we could expect to have addons for already:

• target of target frames
  
• focus frames
  
• scalable UI windows
  
• additional quickslots
  
• combat log
  
• shift clickable names in chat (to see what level/class, without having to do /who)
  
• group invites via guild window
  
• a map that isnt 95% blue
  
• raid frames that can show health/energy/force totals, percents, buffs, and debuffs, with choosable color scheme and everything scalable.
  
• cast bars that arent an inch wide that show up in the bottom right of the screen away from the action
  
• cooldown timers
  

 

and many, many more.

 

basically any problem or complaint that isn't bug or content related can be solved with an addon. these are playability problems. addons, which some people might not agree with, undeniably solve problems like those listed above.

 

i also mentioned in another post how floating combat text started out as an addon, i'd like to add that quest trackers also started out as an addon. anyone remember MonkeyQuest? good times.

 

basically arguing against addons is like arguing against open source innovation. just relying on a few big companies to make everything thats great in the world, even though most great things start out as someones free time hobby. but the people against addons will tell you that it "destroys" community, even though games with addons still have millions of people playing them. and games, not specifically MMOs, that would otherwise be dead are kept alive solely thanks to mod communities.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Sharma

[plots]

It's been said that arguing against addons is fruitless and this is true. However depending on how rushed development might have been they may not have the infrastructure to allow for addons at this time. Given the success of this MMO already though I could see this as a long term (over a year possibly) goal.

[wolveroach]

After several of my friends got their WoW accounts hacked due to "Must Have" Addons, I am dead set against them. Sure I would like several of the features mentioned above but not at the cost of installing 3rd party apps and having to update every time there is a game patch.

[NuanceNW]

This is part of why I don't support addons, they take away from the game, e.g. you're poll leads to an external site to get around the actual subscribers and churn numbers by people that could work for the competition and intend on making this or any game something less marketable.

 

Addons drive profit for Curse or some other company who simply want to make profit from games they didn't write, they haven't invested in or really could care less about except for scamming a few bucks off players who go to their sites for updates - which include a lot malware to break account security to sell gold from their hacked accounts.

 

It also empowers professional bloggers or pro gamers that might not even have an interest in this game or any game they comment on, but drives ad revenue their way.

 

No thank you to external, community drive addons, especially in a game out less than a month.

Edited January 16, 2012 by NuanceNW

[Santium]

After several of my friends got their WoW accounts hacked due to "Must Have" Addons, I am dead set against them. Sure I would like several of the features mentioned above but not at the cost of installing 3rd party apps and having to update every time there is a game patch.

 

 

 

The Amazing thing about Addons and Macros is that you don't have to use them-

 

So let the people that wish to have such feature use them-

Edited January 16, 2012 by Santium

[Kasperion]

After several of my friends got their WoW accounts hacked due to "Must Have" Addons, I am dead set against them.

Unless your friends were ignorant enough to accidentally download and run an .exe file along with the addon, which would be THEIR fault, they did not get hacked by downloading an addon.

 

Sorry, but they are the ones that did something wrong. A real addon has no files in it capable of "hacking" you.

 

People have been saying they got "hacked by addons" forever, and it's been refuted every single time.

[KWAiRT]

Arguing against addons or mods in an MMO is not the same as arguing against open source. I prefer the standard interface and no addons because it keeps things secure and keeps everyone on a level playing field.

 

By far the best default UI I've seen yet although the top center bar could use an autohide function. Perhaps adding macros for secondary bar and a few other things would help the UI a bit. It's by no means a bad UI as it has all standard options including the built in map quest and very clear and labeled maps.

 

I'm torn on the issue myself. On the one hand some mods are good like ctraid and a few others that proved vital to the game. Does TOR need these mods I don't know but in general aftering seeing what mods can do I would have to say no to any SDK or mod tools that give access to any server or client functions. Basic interface mods would probably be ok.

[TradewindNQ]

After several of my friends got their WoW accounts hacked due to "Must Have" Addons, I am dead set against them. Sure I would like several of the features mentioned above but not at the cost of installing 3rd party apps and having to update every time there is a game patch.

 

No that's not why they got their accounts hacked. They got their accounts hacked because they were stupid.

 

Or you're just making **** up.

[imtrick]

No that's not why they got their accounts hacked. They got their accounts hacked because they were stupid.

 

Or you're just making **** up.

 

To be fair, you can get your account hacked without being stupid. But yeah, not from a WoW add-on. It's not even possible.

[Santium]

Unless your friends were ignorant enough to accidentally download and run an .exe file along with the addon, which would be THEIR fault, they did not get hacked by downloading an addon.

 

Sorry, but they are the ones that did something wrong. A real addon has no files in it capable of "hacking" you.

 

People have been saying they got "hacked by addons" forever, and it's been refuted every single time.

 

 

From years of using addons in wow I tried Useful ones I tried Silly ones and tried mini game ones and horrible ones - I never got my account hacked once -

[Vydor_HC]

So Bioware is working on a damage meter and a more customized UI, though frankly based on their current UI I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

So why not just allow custom addons? Let the mod-making community do it for you, so players can have the look and feel that suits their needs! This is one of those 'nothing to lose, everything to gain' sort of changes.

 

Be heard! Poll here: http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=4f1458cdc2e1b0e4be6ac294

 

Pretty sure add-ons are in the future for the game, just what the API will provide is the big unknown.

[NuanceNW]

Haven't seen any bots farming in game

 

Addons will create just that...

[zootzoot]

Haven't seen any bots farming in game

 

Addons will create just that...

 

LOL. Go to Illum and get back to me..

 

...and addons don't create BOT's. People use game hacks to make BOT programs. Addons are text files that run dev approved code and access dev approved parts of the game. Stop spreading falsehoods please.

[Kasperion]

Haven't seen any bots farming in game

 

Addons will create just that...

And again, the anti-addon people show just how little they know about the subject.

[Cormey]

I'd be for addons only if Bioware payed the people making them, if people must do their jobs for them then surely they should be payed for their time and effort.

 

EDIT: That or bioware puts in a store interface so the makers can sell their addons directly via paypal or something.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Cormey

[Soulchilde]

Haven't seen any bots farming in game

 

Addons will create just that...

 

Yeah, go to Ilum... Btw, how do you get a lvl 12-13 to Ilum?

[Setanian]

And again, the anti-addon people show just how little they know about the subject.

 

Well here's a thing.. Most add-ons use the LUA scripting language right. LUA allows code to read/write to the hard disk.

 

Do you know what it is reading and writing? Have you checked?

[Slightlycampana]

I can't vote in the poll because the firewall at work blocks it, but will do so from home.

 

I'm against add-ons mainly because it ruins healing. Fun healing is when you watch the players in front of you and follow the flow of battle. The aim of the healer is to try and anticipate what's going to happen next by looking at player avatars... who is going to be focus fired? Who needs a prot? Who is most in danger? Who needs a quick top up?

 

By adding something like grids/squares, the game changes to one where you focus on the UI and push up hp bars. It becomes more efficient, so once you add a healing add-on everyone will be forced to use it.

 

If I want to click on coloured squares I will play tetris.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Slightlycampana

[Kasperion]

Well here's a thing.. Most add-ons use the LUA scripting language right. LUA allows code to read/write to the hard disk.

 

Do you know what it is reading and writing? Have you checked?

Actually, as an amateur addon writer, yes, I have a fairly good idea. Although for SWTOR, I couldn't say, as they have not yet released a framework for their addons.

 

Equating an addon to a botting program, or implying that addons somehow allow botters to do what they do is utterly ridiculous.

 

Botting programs do not need addons to work, nor will addons make botting more prevalent. To insinuate that they will shows a complete lack of understanding of the difference between botting programs and addons. And unfortunately, this lack of understanding seems to be fairly rampant in the anti-addon community.

 

EDIT: If you were trying to imply that the ability to read/write to the hard disk is somehow capable of writing an .exe file to it, I'm just going to /facepalm and leave it at that.

Edited January 16, 2012 by Kasperion

[monjiay]

Haven't seen any bots farming in game

 

Addons will create just that...

 

Oh please. All you need is a keyboard that does macros to farm in this game. Addons won't change that at all.

 

There is nothing you can do with a macro keyboard that you cannot do with in game macros so just shell out the cash.

[soulreapinz]

This is a funny thing to argue about because its kinda like asking someone if they want cake but some people don't want cake and that's OK but do u really wanna be the kinda person that makes it so no one can have cake just cuz you don't? If u don't like it you can jst choose not to eat any.. another idea is that if some addons do help you in gamellay like a person said earlier about the healing well then couldn't Bio have an icon beside every persons name that uses addons thus u know not to fight them or fleel that if u lost to them u have the satisfaction of knowing they needed addons to beat you? Just an idea

[zootzoot]

I can't vote in the poll because the firewall at work blocks it, but will do so from home.

 

I'm against add-ons mainly because it ruins healing. Fun healing is when you watch the players in front of you and follow the flow of battle. The aim of the healer is to try and anticipate what's going to happen next by looking at player avatars... who is going to be focus fired? Who needs a prot? Who is most in danger? Who needs a quick top up?

 

By adding something like grids/squares, the game changes to one where you focus on the UI and push up hp bars. It becomes more efficient, so once you add a healing add-on everyone will be forced to use it.

 

If I want to click on coloured squares I will play tetris.

 

This post makes no sense.

 

So right now you say you never look at the Party/Raid frames? That you heal by watching the player models or something?

 

So your argument is we should have a poor UI where we can't see Buffs/Debuffs or their durations clearly since it makes healing less efficient which allows you to "feel" who should be your target or not instead of keeping an eye on Health frames?

 

This post is pure win. Probably the most misguided post I've ever read.

 

Guess what? I play a Medic healer who needs to track HoT's. I'd love something like Grid that I could place at the bottom center of my screen so it's in my FOV. I want Grid and Mouseover so I can STOP staring at lame, slow Raid Frames and actually pay more attention to the action.

 

UI add ons like Grid and Interface changes like Click Casting and Mouseover targeting actually make healing enjoyable. They let healers get info in an efficient manner so we can actually pay more attention to the action not less. You're so FOS that I'm stunned right now.

Edited January 16, 2012 by zootzoot

[Setanian]

Actually, as an amateur addon writer, yes, I have a fairly good idea. Although for SWTOR, I couldn't say, as they have not yet released a framework for their addons.

 

Equating an addon to a botting program, or implying that addons somehow allow botters to do what they do is utterly ridiculous.

 

Un true.. If I write an add-on that reacts to an event within the world, which most of these add-ons do.. It is automation. Robot/Bot is an automaton reactive to it's environment.

 

Botting programs do not need addons to work, nor will addons make botting more prevalent.

 

Entirely untrue. Any add-on that reacts to events of any kind within the world environment, make booting easier.

 

To insinuate that they will shows a complete lack of understanding of the difference between botting programs and add ons.

 

See above about add-ons.. Add-ons can be automatons too.

 

And unfortunately, this lack of understanding seems to be fairly rampant in the anti-addon community.

 

Not me, I do macro/code injection/scripting for a living.

 

EDIT: If you were trying to imply that the ability to read/write to the hard disk is somehow capable of writing an .exe file to it, I'm just going to /facepalm and leave it at that.

 

You can face palm all you want. LUA as the most common scripting language can call upon other libraries on the OS, including .NET, C++ and a myriad of others. As such it can make a call to the script compiler to compile a text file into an .exe. Further, it can add that file to the auto-launch in the registry [Run Once] and have it launched on next start-up.

 

Do you really want to throw insults at me without the knowledge to back them up?

[TItanten]

I don't really need the game to be easier. Thanks though.