Addon Spotlight: Bati's Healer Grid layouts
Addon Spotlight 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. This week, Grid gets some pre-made loving thanks to Bati!
Thursday is here! Thursday is here! Excitement abounds in my secret addon lair for many reasons. First, my original vanilla WoW character is back in action. Originally, as many of you have read in my past columns, priest was my class of choice. Healers tend to be my forte because of group desirability -- selfishly and selflessly, I always rolled healer to get invited to groups and be there to support the healerless masses back when this was a thing. After a stint in Warhammer Online, tanking became my new love and, after a quick respec and some forum threads, my Burning Crusade healadin became my Wrath tankadin. After almost three years in the freezer, my priest has emerged from cryo-stasis.
Boy, has the priest game changed since the original Naxxramas -- the world is so different now for a priest. After witnessing the second best discipline priest ever rule the school with healing and absorption, I was in love with the spec. Quickly, I rushed to the internets, pulled up a talent build and went to town. Upon loading up my priest, it dawned on me that the cardinal rule had been broken -- I wasn't addon-prepared. Sure, heals went off and shields went up, but that was the extent of the information. It's been years, and I needed a healer UI setup but wanted instant satisfaction. Let me introduce you to Bati's UI Grid Layout, a set of healer-specific grid layouts for every healing class. This, my friends, is exciting.
Bati has created something that I truly appreciate: easy-to-use, easy-to-set-up, pre-made Grid healer profiles that give you everything you could ask for. The profile set even includes a DPS setup for your off spec, if needed.
An interface for every healer
Oren.1 is the paladin interface, showing all of the pertinent buffs on the target at the bottom of the Grid frame, with built-in timers from the excellent addon OmniCC. Bati is the priest Grid setup, displaying shields, Weakened Soul, Prayer of Mending and other vital priest information right on the Grid frame. Paired with a PoM counter addon, this setup proves very powerful for priests.
Shaman is, obviously, the restoration shaman profile, sporting Earth Shield and Riptide trackers. Personally, as a resto shaman myself occasionally, I've found most healing user interfaces that are too complex become only hindrances. Less has always been better for me as a shaman healer, but your mileage may vary. Bati's shaman setup is still in a state of flux, however, so any capable shaman should hit up Bati with some tips!
Maiie is the druid interface, and while I don't have much druid healing experience, I asked my buddy and he said it looked great. So yay, druids!
Arena is a profile setting that surprised me, mostly because of how some simple changes to Grid can have such a dramatic effect on the PvP healing game. Bati's specific arena setup runs with paladins in mind, but easy tweaks should be enough to let any healer make use of the basic work done. Enabling the arena setting nets a bigger Grid layout, with larger debuff icons for quicker recognition of what needs to be removed -- an excellent choice for the beginner arena player. Speaking of arenas, all of you who have been begging for some PvP talk on Reader UI of the Week should definitely tune in next Tuesday (hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge).
The Grid layouts Bati has created can also be found in a larger UI compilation known as Bati's UI, an excellent minimalist setup that is eye-catching and well crafted. For those of you looking to overhaul your entire user interface, Bati's would make an excellent learning tool, reference guide or just a place to snag some ideas from. I cannot commend Bati enough for putting together such a simple to use, multi-class and multi-role user interface.
Installation
Installation of Bati's Grid layouts is fairly simple. If you already have Grid, I would recommend making a copy of both your Grid addon folders and your grid.lua file from the Saved Variables folder in your WTF folder structure under your account. Just go to WTF > Account > Your Account > Saved Variables and copy out that file, just in case you want your old Grid layouts back. If you are a new Grid user, you have nothing to worry about. Just copy the new grid.lua file provided in the addon download into that folder, allowing you access to all of the pre-made content from Bati.
After all of the addons are installed successfully (use Bati's images as a guide if needed on the addon's WoWInterface page), type /grid config in game, select your profile and you're off to the races. It may seem a little bit complex, but I promise you, much like Sindragosa or Mimiron Firefighter, it's much easier in execution than the 30-minute explanation from your raid leader while everyone falls asleep.
Wrap up
Vuhdo, Healbot and the rest of the healer raid frame addons are also wonderful choices, no doubt about it. Bati's Grid layouts, however, are ready to go, and addition functionality can be added to the Grid layouts using a click-to-cast spell addon like Clique. If you aren't up to the somewhat daunting task of configuring up a perfect Grid setup, or just looking to see how other Grid setups work, Bati's configurations are excellent learning environments. Bati gets good marks for putting together many awesome setups for multiple healing classes.
Download Bati's UI Grid layouts at [WoWInterface].
Download Bati UI at [WoWInterface].
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@wow.com.
