World of Warcraft Combat Add-ons to be Eliminated; New Features Introduced to Take Over Some Functionality (Blizzard)
Attention, World of Warcraft fans! Ion Hazzikostas, the senior game director, just dropped a bombshell in a broadcast recently – and it's shocking, but not entirely unexpected: WoW is gearing up to stop add-ons from reading combat events or auras in the future.
Currently, popular WoW mods, including damage meters, boss encounter info systems, and many WeakAuras, rely on these read hooks to display information on the screen. For certain character classes and specializations, mods can make all the difference when it comes to high-level play, as crucial information about characters and targets might be impossible to see with the standard in-game tools.
Hazzikostas revealed that Blizzard plans to build functionality into the game to cover many of those uses, starting with patch 11.1.7. The aim is to eliminate mods that make computational decisions about player interactions with different encounters. Take those popular raid WeakAuras from Liquid and Northern Sky, for example – they automatically assign players to specific locations and duties in raid fights, which, in turn, causes designers to further complicate fights to keep them challenging.
Hazzikostas acknowledged the issue, saying, "You look at the dungeon journal and you're scrolling and scrolling and scrolling, and maybe half of it doesn't even matter because add-ons are going to handle it for you. That's not a great place for things to land."
Blizzard's plan is to build in the functionality that players need, then gradually turn off access to read live combat logs and events. The new built-in features will include damage meters, customizable additions to the Cooldown Manager, nameplate improvements, raid encounter information presentation, and even boss ability timelines.
Hazzikostas answered several questions in the video, which we've reorganized here:
Will this eliminate damage meters or combat logs, like Warcraftlogs?
Sort of. WoW will still generate the combat log, but it can only be read on a delayed basis. Damage meter mods, the single most popular type of add-on in WoW according to Hazzikostas, will no longer function. Still, "the large majority of players have a damage meter add-on installed, and so that indicates they still want to see that information."
Blizzard's plans involve measuring damage and healing, plus other factors like interrupts and avoidable damage, similar to what some mods currently do. Hazzikostas believes it'll have the advantage of being the canonical source.
What about rotational helpers, such as Hekili?
Blizzard plans to develop its own rotational helpers, with a Rotation Assist function in 11.1.7 that will highlight the next ability players might want to cast based on their characters and combat conditions. Additionally, Blizzard will introduce a one-button version of Rotation Assist that will automatically change to the next ability needed and be cast with a single button press, making it easier for new players or those with accessibility needs.
How are raiders supposed to handle fights of incredible complexity, such as Broodtwister in Nerub-ar Palace, without assistance in coordinating?
Hazzikostas admitted that fights like these would have been balanced differently if players didn't have WeakAuras at their disposal. Blizzard might have given more time for players to get to the eggs, for example, or simplified the mechanic. This will require Blizzard to build out new functionality in the game and to reassess its design approach.
What about non-combat mods, like aesthetic or role-playing mods, or even mods that change how abilities are displayed?
Blizzard plans to preserve mods that are focused on aesthetics, role-playing, and out-of-combat options. Mods that alter how abilities are displayed based on procs and character actions, or track those effects, are primarily based on the combat log. Aside from that, Blizzard plans to flesh out the recently-debuted Cooldown Manager with more customization starting in 11.1.7, hopefully making it more accommodating for complex gameplay styles.
What about mods that add audio cues?
Blizzard plans to add support for audio prompts in the Cooldown Manager, which players have long appreciated. Audio cues can be particularly valuable in hectic situations like Mythic Plus-difficulty dungeon groups, as the game may not always provide enough cues.
How quickly will access be turned off?
Hazzikostas stressed that the team will ease into this process, incorporating new functionality, listening to player feedback, and introducing changes when they're confident that the remaining features are largely unwanted automation or information players want returned, such as problem-solving, combat, and communication aspects.
How set is Blizzard on doing this?
Hazzikostas remains open to feedback: "My hope today is to begin a conversation about that direction, and what areas are welcome, what areas we have more to do to convince the community on, what areas we're wrong on. At the end of the day, this game belongs to our millions of players." He concluded by emphasizing that Blizzard would be reading, learning, and listening to the community throughout this process.
- Ion Hazzikostas announced that World of Warcraft (WoW) is planning to restrict add-ons from accessing combat events and auras, a move that could impact popular mods like damage meters and WeakAuras.
- Hazzikostas explained that this change is intended to simplify the game and reduce the reliance on add-ons for crucial information, such as damage meters and encounter details.
- Blizzard aims to build functionality into the game to replace many of the features currently provided by add-ons, starting with patch 11.1.7, including damage meters, Cooldown Manager customization, and raid encounter information presentation.
- Hazzikostas stated that while some popular add-ons, like damage meters, will no longer function as they currently do, the delay in combat log access will still allow for data analysis tools like Warcraftlogs to gather information.
- To help players with accessibility needs and newcomers, Blizzard plans to introduce a one-button Rotation Assist feature, which will automatically suggest the next ability to cast based on character and combat conditions.
- Hazzikostas admitted that removing WeakAuras could affect the balancing of complex fights, such as Broodtwister in Nerub-ar Palace, and that Blizzard might need to simplify some mechanics or give more time for players to react.
- Blizzard intends to maintain non-combat mods, like aesthetic and role-playing mods, as well as customize the Cooldown Manager for more complex gameplay styles.
- Hazzikostas emphasized that Blizzard remains open to community feedback and plans to gradually introduce changes, ensuring that the game remains accessible, problem-solving, and communicative for players.
