Addon Spotlight: Little helpers

Each week, WoW Insider brings you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which focuses on the backbone of the WoW gameplay experience: the user interface. Everything from bags to bars, buttons to DPS meters and beyond -- your addons folder will never be the same.

Additions to the default user interface come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You've got your monumental addon and UI renovations that change almost every aspect of the substance and style of WoW's UI. You've also got the essentials, pieces of Lua code that change the fundamental nature of your class, like threat meters. Then there are the little guys -- utilities that add functionality to pieces of the interface that sort of live in the background.

Today is utilities day on Addon Spotlight. I've got three little addons for you that add functionality or just plain help you out with your game play experience. One of the greatest functions of addons is creating this sense of power in the user's hands, and I think these three little guys prove that point. Sit back, relax, and rev up those comments -- it's Addon Spotlight time.

OptiTaunt

Tanks! Tanks! Tanks! Sit down with me here, friends. You're a fan of helping out groups, right? Of course you are -- you're a tank for crying out loud. Selfless and courageous, stalwart and honorable, the success of the group hinges on your selflessness and ability. Or you can scream at healers. Either way, I've got an addon that will make both of those awesome activities a little more bearable for everyone.

OptiTaunt used to be the addon I would recommend for people to announce when taunts missed. Taunts, however, no longer miss. So what's an addon to do when a primary function is rendered useless? Upsell the other features!

It turns out OptiTaunt's truly awesome feature is working like a spell announcer like Raeli's but working specifically for tank classes and specs. When you use a cooldown ability like Shield Wall, paladin Shield Wall, death knight Shield Wall, or druid Shield Wall (what? I play a warrior...), you'll let the group or raid know about it!

Healers, especially the reactive types, value a tank whose cooldowns are communicated in a quick and no-frills fashion. Knowing that your tank is going to be taking a certain amount of incoming damage allows for mana conservation spells to be used, as well as the ability to replace less-efficient heals for something more standard. Good tanks communicate well. OptiTaunt can help with that.

Open up OptiTaunt's configurations by typing /ot config. You'll see plenty of options to set, including warning customizations for your party or raid. OptiTaunt comes loaded with all of the cooldowns and vital abilities that would require a shout or some warning. Your healers will thank you, and you'll look like you know what you're doing. What's not to love?

Download OptiTaunt at [Curse] or [WoWInterface].

BadPet

Bad pet! Bad! Stay. Stop. Hey, get back here. Stop it. Don't pull every spider in Tol Barad. HEY. You know what? Fine. Do whatever. I'm not going to save you. You're on your own, pet. Look. See? I just feigned death. You're surviving an awfully long time. Crap. Tenacity pet. It might actually just be quicker to kill the spiders. Fine. You win this round, bear. You happy?

Bad pets are in every hunter's arsenal or stables at some point or another. We are humans -- we are fallible. That goes the same for our pets.

BadPet seeks to help out your bad pets keep their composure in instances or raids. BadPet works best for hunters and warlocks and lets you know when your pet is taunting, growling, thunderstomping, and more. The addon was designed with hunters and warlocks in mind so that they could reign in their taunting pets, and for tanks who are sick and tired of hunters and warlocks forgetting to turn off their pets' taunts in instances.

We all jump into the dungeon finder queue while out soloing, so a gentle reminder that taunt or growl is still up and running might not be such a bad thing. It will, at least, make the tank happy.

Download BadPet at [Curse] or [WoWInterface].

Color Tools

I have probably talked about ColorTools in the past, but this addon basically epitomizes the concept of adding bits and pieces to the UI.

Picking colors is a tough business in the default WoW interface. You've got a color wheel and a slider. Yay. How about adding some RBG values, hm? ColorTools does exactly this, allowing you to input RBG values or enter your color into a hex edit box. It's simple and it works, adding these features to all of the color wheels you find from addons or even in the default UI itself. You'll barely notice the addon, but it is phenomenal for designing your UI.

Commenters are also a fan of more-recently updated ColorPickerPlus, which also provides a color swatch for copy and paste functionality. I absolutely love that feature, now that I know it exists. Ooooo. Curse being down for what feels like forever puts a bit of a damper on addon-related discoveries, yeah?

Download ColorTools at [Curse].
Download ColorPickerPlus at [Curse].

Juggler (it's that time of year)

It's that time of year again! Are you working on your Flame Warden/Keeper title and the Torch Juggler achievement? Were you screaming at the top of your lungs last year when juggling torches was the spiritual equivalent of punching yourself in the no-no spot just because you could?

Last year I recommended Juggler, an addon that made this achievement much more bearable for everyone, including gamers who just did not have the physical capacity to complete this achievement. Dalaran is a whole lot less laggy these days, but the Juggler addon is still a nice thing to have so you don't throw your computer out the window.

Juggler requires a mouse with a scroll wheel to work correctly. Just open up Juggler with the commands /juggler or /juggle, and your scroll wheel will be bound to your torches. Grab 15-20 torches from the Midsummer vendor, pick a spot to target on the ground, and spin that wheel like you're on The Price is Right. Your key bindings are restored to their original settings when the Juggler window is closed.

Download Juggler at [Curse].

That's it for this week, kids. Next week, I've got a few ideas, but I think I may end up with a Reader's Choice, so keep sending in those great addon recommendations and your favorites and maybe you'll see yours featured here. As for a commenter question this week, I was thinking about addons that have been so thoroughly made obsolete over the course of WoW's development. What is your favorite obsolete addon?

See you guys next week!

Addons are what we do on Addon Spotlight. If you're new to mods, Addons 101 will walk you through the basics; see what other players are doing at Reader UI of the Week. If there's a mod you think Addon Spotlight should take a look at, email mat@wowinsider.com.