Addons in Swtor

[Salaviir]

" I don't like addons. I don't want to use then. This is why I am happy they are not in game and equally happily cheer when they are denied from everybody else, too. You know, because I don't like them."

 

Few scenarios about the awful addons and how terrible they are:

- - -

I do a Warzone as a sorc healer. Another sorc healer is there. He does 300k more healing than I despite us being in very similar situations through the match.

World of Warcraft: I take a look at awesome, detailed, pietastic pie chart about the match. I get to analyze my own performance, and his. I get to see if he favors different heals than ones I got. If he crits more. If it's just his better gear. I get to see if there are differences in how we heal. Maybe it was just the case of him being busier than I through the game?Let's investigate!

SWTOR: Gee, I wonder why that dude healed so much more than I did! Oh well.

- - -

 

- - -

I'm doing some utterly irrelevant dumb flashpoint as a DPS. This game has no 4 man content that'd be designed to challenge you. Setting goals for yourself would be fine way to fight boredom.

World of Warcraft: I get to be in a DPS race against mineself! Nice, rewarding feeling of watching an upwards curve of your DPS output over the weeks, as your gear and skills get better.

SW:TOR: Hmm recon I tell em I need a " bio break" and go afk for 5 mins. I hope to god they are at boss by then..

- - -

 

- - -

I'm one of them weird roleplayer peoples who roleplay.

World of Warcraft: I get this huge toolkit of pure awesome utilities at my disposal. You suddenly have a very detailed profile page for your characters. You get an in-game way to write and read descriptions and biographies and such of yourself&your fellow players. You get an actual journal to write in. Ability to write in-game books. Ability to make any kinds of RP exclusive items you can think of.

SW:TOR: Well, at least we can sit on chairs now! : )

- - -

 

I've always hated terrible and impractical cooldown displays of TOR/WoW. They seeM designed for somebody who clicks the abilities, not for somebody who uses keybinds for almost everything important. It is really hard for me to keep track on cooldowns and them expiring. Due to reasonably low amount of complaints I see about this, I assume it makes some sort of a rare, personal problem. I bet you got couple of those too!

WOW: I have dozens of awesome cooldown mods to choose from. Each of them provides some increasingly different, weird and creative solution to displaying your cooldowns. It is almost certain I find one that is just right for me.

SW:TOR: Well, I get to pick if them abilities in them action bars are small, large, blue or..bit more blue.

 

- - -

 

Of course, none of the above matters. I'm super glad I can do none of it and I'm even more glad *you* can't do any of this either. No matter wether you'd want to or not. You see, I resist all of the above to death because SOMEBODY MIGHT OUT-DPS ME AND THEN POST A DPS LOG IN OPS CHAT :( WAAH ELITISM WAAAAAHHHH YOU DONT GET TO TELL ME HOW I PLAY MAH GAME STOP TRIGGERING ME

Edited March 19, 2015 by Salaviir

[danitodanito]

Salaviir, you are my hero ! Edited March 23, 2015 by danitodanito

[Ratajack]

" I don't like addons. I don't want to use then. This is why I am happy they are not in game and equally happily cheer when they are denied from everybody else, too. You know, because I don't like them."

 

Few scenarios about the awful addons and how terrible they are:

- - -

I do a Warzone as a sorc healer. Another sorc healer is there. He does 300k more healing than I despite us being in very similar situations through the match.

World of Warcraft: I take a look at awesome, detailed, pietastic pie chart about the match. I get to analyze my own performance, and his. I get to see if he favors different heals than ones I got. If he crits more. If it's just his better gear. I get to see if there are differences in how we heal. Maybe it was just the case of him being busier than I through the game?Let's investigate!

SWTOR: Gee, I wonder why that dude healed so much more than I did! Oh well.

- - -

 

Or, you could <gasp> ask him how he heals, what spells he uses. I'm guessing that he will likely tell you more than looking at a pie chart will.

 

I guess we don't need that add-on, after all.

 

 

- - -

I'm doing some utterly irrelevant dumb flashpoint as a DPS. This game has no 4 man content that'd be designed to challenge you. Setting goals for yourself would be fine way to fight boredom.

World of Warcraft: I get to be in a DPS race against mineself! Nice, rewarding feeling of watching an upwards curve of your DPS output over the weeks, as your gear and skills get better.

SW:TOR: Hmm recon I tell em I need a " bio break" and go afk for 5 mins. I hope to god they are at boss by then..

- - -

 

If only there were a way to send combat information to log and then a way to parse that information, you could have that DPS race with yourself.

 

Oh, wait, there is a way to do that. I guess we don't need that add-on, either.

 

- - -

I'm one of them weird roleplayer peoples who roleplay.

World of Warcraft: I get this huge toolkit of pure awesome utilities at my disposal. You suddenly have a very detailed profile page for your characters. You get an in-game way to write and read descriptions and biographies and such of yourself&your fellow players. You get an actual journal to write in. Ability to write in-game books. Ability to make any kinds of RP exclusive items you can think of.

SW:TOR: Well, at least we can sit on chairs now! : )

- - -

 

If only there were a way to write journals outside of the game and display them while playing, you could then RP.

 

Wait, there is. I guess that add-on isn't needed, either.

 

I've always hated terrible and impractical cooldown displays of TOR/WoW. They seeM designed for somebody who clicks the abilities, not for somebody who uses keybinds for almost everything important. It is really hard for me to keep track on cooldowns and them expiring. Due to reasonably low amount of complaints I see about this, I assume it makes some sort of a rare, personal problem. I bet you got couple of those too!

WOW: I have dozens of awesome cooldown mods to choose from. Each of them provides some increasingly different, weird and creative solution to displaying your cooldowns. It is almost certain I find one that is just right for me.

SW:TOR: Well, I get to pick if them abilities in them action bars are small, large, blue or..bit more blue.

 

- - -

 

If only there were a way to edit the UI, we could customize it to our liking.

 

Wait, we can already do that also. Looks like we don't need that add-on, either.

[Papazmurf]

If only there were a way to write journals outside of the game and display them while playing, you could then RP.

 

Wait, there is. I guess that add-on isn't needed, either.

 

I was with you for most of the post, but I didn't know you could write journals outside of the game and display them in-game. Or did I misread that? I've never played WoW, so I don't know how that works.

[Ratajack]

I was with you for most of the post, but I didn't know you could write journals outside of the game and display them in-game. Or did I misread that? I've never played WoW, so I don't know how that works.

 

It's not a visually pleasing as some WoW add-ons, but it works. It does require the use of an outside writing program, whichever one you choose.

 

It works the same way that parsing does. Run SWTOR in windowed mode and run your writing program simultaneously. After that, it's simply window toggling.

 

As I said, it is not as visually pleasing as some of the WoW add-ons, but it DOES provide the functionality, and it does so WITHOUT opening up the can of worms that add-ons inevitably become.

[Hockaday]

" I don't like addons. I don't want to use then. This is why I am happy they are not in game and equally happily cheer when they are denied from everybody else, too. You know, because I don't like them."

 

Few scenarios about the awful addons and how terrible they are:

- - -

I do a Warzone as a sorc healer. Another sorc healer is there. He does 300k more healing than I despite us being in very similar situations through the match.

World of Warcraft: I take a look at awesome, detailed, pietastic pie chart about the match. I get to analyze my own performance, and his. I get to see if he favors different heals than ones I got. If he crits more. If it's just his better gear. I get to see if there are differences in how we heal. Maybe it was just the case of him being busier than I through the game?Let's investigate!

SWTOR: Gee, I wonder why that dude healed so much more than I did! Oh well.

- - -

 

 

I stopped reading after this. You don't now how parsing and parsers work. The reason you can't do that is because of how the combat logs are done. In a game like EQ2, everyone's combat is in YOUR log so YOU can parse it. In SW:TOR, only YOURs is. They did this on purpose so we can't laugh at every scrub who does less damage than my tank does.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Hockaday

[Salaviir]

Or, you could <gasp> ask him how he heals, what spells he uses. I'm guessing that he will likely tell you more than looking at a pie chart will.

 

I guess we don't need that add-on, after all.

 

Thanks for repeatedly answering, on entire community's behalf, on question" what sort of add-ons would people like to have?" I bet entire community appreciates your insight on this.

 

" Don't need no numbers cuz we can ask ppl!" Dude. That's awesome.

 

 

Basically, your counterpoints are mostly you proceeding to present a little more tedious, much less reliable, much more impractical solution to what an add-on would provide.

Yes, you've figured it is actually entirely possible to play and enjoy this game without add-ons. Good job.

 

You can't seriously compare all the utility and wealth of options available in Damage Meters to some alt-tabbed parsing.

 

Comparing actual readable in-game profiles to you writing and sharing them via forums approaches arguing just for the sake of being able to disagree. It is two steps from " We don't need to play video games, we have our imagination and we can imagine much more fun games than anything BW makes! Don't need no game for fun. : )"

Can you seriously claim you've never missed ability to write in-game notes in this game, even if you aren't an Rper?

 

 

" Who cares of UI Customization mods cause you can customize some of it in-game!"

Pls. At least wait until you have even some measure of freedom in picking how your buffs, debuffs and cooldowns are displayed. Then you can come back here and - TRY -to make this argument. Then I will prove you wrong.

 

Ultimately, as far as UI is considered, it boils down to this:

A) 10 or so overworked devs have limited amount of time at their disposal. They use some of this time designing a UI they think people might like.

B) Few thousand people use some of their time to design a UI they like to use.

 

Which one do you recon results in a better toolkit for you?

" But you can move action bars now!!! " : D

Edited March 27, 2015 by Salaviir

[Ghisallo]

Here is the problem that people ignore. Add-ons are NOT the problem. Add-ons are simply a tool, no different than any other tool, there is no darkside or light side to them. They are inanimate objects for goodness sakes. You can't even you the argument that gun control people do "they are designed to kill things" because add-ons are designed to help people, to make their lives easier.

 

I think calling it a dark-side as some have is hyperbolic at best. I think "immature side" works better but this so called dark side is a very small but vocal minority of players. If we were to use this concept logically though, namely that tools should be banned/regulated due to people misusing them or treating others badly, then we should all be in favor of regulating the electronic devices we are using to contribute to this thread. I mean seriously...a hacker, stalker, whatever does far more damage than some elitist who critizes your performance in a fantasy world.

 

I get that people don't like the trolls who may make of them for poor performance, the raid leader who would require a certain add on so people can deal with the script easier and then say "hey the add on tells when to move. Why did you still stand in stupid?"

 

Thing is there is a way to deal with...use the same social tools we use IRL. If we don't like the above, don't associate with those people. If the above doesn't bother you or is only a minor annoyance, deal with it and adapt. Either way you are happy and the QOL issues can be dealt with.

 

Also don't forget they don't have to do a full API release. They could release just the the stuff relating to the UI, especially the stuff related to buffs and debuffs to make life a little easier in that regard (as an example).

 

Also remember one VERY important bit about the raid lead who may "require" a certain add on. Usually they only end up calling people on that if for 5 pulls in a row a player stood in stupid...if a player is running a dot class but the tank can see certain dots are not on the target. Its wrong from the host to have issues if someone is messing with his run?

[cloucks]

I would love an Auction House addon so I don't have to constantly look up the item to check the price. An addon that can do that for me would be great. WOW has many addons that are for the auction house that will not only price items just below the current items listed but also keep stats for the auction house.

[fushnchips]

I still think this game needs some type of anti spam add-on so you can filter what you want because the ingame system is lacking not in a small way either.

[mmmbuddah]

If we can't get addons i'd be pretty damn happy with Macros

 

With a bit of knowledge you can do some handy dandy stuff with macros

 

Like be lazy? Seriously, how hard is it to move your fingers 1 mm?

[Deewe]

Like be lazy? Seriously, how hard is it to move your fingers 1 mm?

Macros would be great for emotes.

[Nightblazer]

Anything they add would be built in directly just like with the interface editor. I could see them greatly improving things like the GTN to improve filtering or add a built in undercut price option or adding a filtering system for mail.

 

 

They have made it clear they won't allow for 3rd party add ons or macros and after 5 years I doubt they'll change their stance on that.

[Korparia]

I came from WOW, and I find the lack of Add-ons WONDERFUL! I got so tired of Gear-check add-ons, where if you didn't meet a certain level in gear, you were kicked from a group. I got tired of the DPS meters, and the kicking of people who didn't perform. The rest of us sat around, until the group could be filled again.

 

These tools (both player and add on) ended up replacing decent game-play with statistical snobbery. Please don't go to the dark side and allow add ons.

[masterceil]

I came from WOW, and I find the lack of Add-ons WONDERFUL! I got so tired of Gear-check add-ons, where if you didn't meet a certain level in gear, you were kicked from a group. I got tired of the DPS meters, and the kicking of people who didn't perform. The rest of us sat around, until the group could be filled again.

 

These tools (both player and add on) ended up replacing decent game-play with statistical snobbery. Please don't go to the dark side and allow add ons.

 

Whatever, if you're in green 210s and/or can't parse 2k, I don't want you in my HM ops run. Or even SM Rav/ToS. Git gud plzkthxbai.

[Neoforcer]

I came from WOW, and I find the lack of Add-ons WONDERFUL! I got so tired of Gear-check add-ons, where if you didn't meet a certain level in gear, you were kicked from a group. I got tired of the DPS meters, and the kicking of people who didn't perform. The rest of us sat around, until the group could be filled again.

 

These tools (both player and add on) ended up replacing decent game-play with statistical snobbery. Please don't go to the dark side and allow add ons.

 

Holy Nerco first BIo said no to both Macro and Addons and only caved on Parse prgram which players have to choose to use it. As long as bosses are dying no one care how much people Dps here or HPS. When you hit enrage timers is when people ask to see parse.

[Neoforcer]

Whatever, if you're in green 210s and/or can't parse 2k, I don't want you in my HM ops run. Or even SM Rav/ToS. Git gud plzkthxbai.

 

If you need a program to tell you what gear some one has your doing it wrong... Any one with half a brain can look at some one HP and know if they are geared in green or 248s..

[masterceil]

If you need a program to tell you what gear some one has your doing it wrong... Any one with half a brain can look at some one HP and know if they are geared in green or 248s..

 

Or they got End crystals/stim/augs (lol), or it's a Sentinel with Shield mods and augs because Saber Ward!!1! but nothing looks amiss with their hp pool, etc. Be nice to have a little button i can hold down while hovering over an ops frame to quickly glance at character sheets or something.

[HiltoftheDragon]

I came from WOW, and I find the lack of Add-ons WONDERFUL! I got so tired of Gear-check add-ons, where if you didn't meet a certain level in gear, you were kicked from a group. I got tired of the DPS meters, and the kicking of people who didn't perform. The rest of us sat around, until the group could be filled again.

 

These tools (both player and add on) ended up replacing decent game-play with statistical snobbery. Please don't go to the dark side and allow add ons.

 

What does being dark sided have anything to do with that, hmmm?

[Halinalle]

If you need a program to tell you what gear some one has your doing it wrong... Any one with half a brain can look at some one HP and know if they are geared in green or 248s..

 

Turns out it's not that easy.

 

I was doing a flashpoint on my commando (at 128k hp). There was also another commando with 125k hp. At one point he asked why I have so much more hp than he. His left side is 248 so that's already two 248s more than I have. He was also fully augmented in 228s. He explained that with "oh you have endurance augments" (228 alacrity and crit).

 

Datacrons?

Edited May 2, 2017 by Halinalle

[masterceil]

Turns out it's not that easy.

 

I was doing a flashpoint on my commando (at 128k hp). There was also another commando with 125k hp. At one point he asked why I have so much more hp than he. His left side is 248 so that's already two 248s more than I have. He was also fully augmented in 228s. He explained that with "oh you have endurance augments" (228 alacrity and crit).

 

Datacrons?

 

Datacron Master grants you 198 Mastery, 148 Presence, and 57 Endurance (a bit over 700 hp at Lv70). Any of your not-248 gear crafted? Crafted gear has more Endurance and less primary/tertiary stats.

 

Which is another reason you can't judge a book by its health pool, really.

[Stellarcrusade]

Addons and macros would make this game much better. Seems like a budget interface right now, addons would give huge upgrades.

[dethslovinembrac]

An Altoholic add-on would be nice though. hehehehehe

[dr_mike]

An Altoholic add-on would be nice though. hehehehehe

 

Just be like the rest of us and use spreadsheets to keep track of your munchkins.

 

Macros would be great for emotes.

 

I could have sworn keyboard or mouse macros were allowed as long as it was a one result for one action (or whatever you call it) motion. I know we have someone on Shadowlands who has three of the fancy dance macros one right after another and he does it via his mouse.

Edited May 2, 2017 by dr_mike

[ProjectHydros]

I think a roleplay "addon" should just be built into the game, I mean, it would make things easier, and wouldnt be atall hard for bioware to build into the current game, things such as DPS meters and UI changes are unneeded, I started playing this after having played WoW since it came out, and one of the first things I noticed was how good the HUD is, its customizable as hell, and theres nothing I can think of that would have a drastic affect on the game, yes there will always be arguments for readable buffs and debuffs, stuff like that, but they're not essencial. TL;DR, Put in a roleplay tab instead of allowing addons, and most of us will be happy