Addon Spotlight: Best. Addons. Ever.
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.
As Cataclysm draws near, some addons have begun to bubble to the top of the awesome pile, especially for the new leveling experience soon to be upon us. You've probably stressed over your user interface, getting ready for the new expansion in ... wow ... less than a month. Time sure flies, huh? Anyway, how about you hit the ground running in Cataclysm with the BEST. ADDONS. EVER.
I lied. These addons are completely awesome in their utter pointlessness. Someone once emailed and asked me what the best way to get into addon creation was. You could pick up a book and learn Lua or root around simple addons like these to learn a little bit about how the code works, functions, and all that jazz. So, here you go. Check out some of the best addons ever, and sound off in the comments with your "favorites" as well.
ATeam
What's more awesome than death knights popping Army of the Dead at completely inopportune moments, when threat and positioning are both super-important to the fight? How about having the awesome A-Team theme playing when it happens? That's right, you could have your very own undead Face, Hannibal, Baracus and Murdock ready and willing to open up a case of A-Team justice on, let's say, Devourer of Souls. Because I totally didn't need any rage to tank, right? Thanks, death knights.
Download ATeam at [Curse].
Comix (The Return)
Does your World of Warcraft not look ridiculous enough? Have you thought about ways
to make your interface even more crazy and your gameplay experience make even less sense? Oh man, do I have the addon for you. Comix (The Return) has all of this and more to annoy you and probably everyone around you as well.
To really get a feel for what Comix does, we need to check out the features list, which is amazing in and of itself:
cool stuff happens on crits (heals and damage)
plays fancy sounds
plays sounds ripped from other things
keeps track of up to two useless statistics
now includes a bad joke detector
an awesome objection system
a drama button for the unnecessary drama in the game (all drama -- it's a game, people :P)
now incorporates the Supermassive Fail mod for all the times when saying fail on its own just doesn't cut it (try using /awesome instead of /fail sometime, too; you'll be glad you did :P)
and more ...
"Fancy" sounds? Bad joke detector? Useless statistics?! I'm sold. Comix has got some really fun fonts for crits, and the sounds send you on a magical journey through WTF Town. Comix is definitely one of the best addons ever, especially in the category of absolutely random crap that I marvel at as much as I hate.
Download Comix at [Curse].
Doomed
Old-school PC gamers, rejoice -- have you ever wanted your player frame to look just like the health plate from Doom, complete with Doom Guy's face and class-appropriate energy meter? Who hasn't? Doomed is a reskin for the player frame that even shows creepy grin Doom Guy on awesome buffs and moves like Stealth and Bloodlust.
Doomed left me in a nostalgic state, reminiscing about all those hours playing with friends in TCP/IP multiplayer and getting mad at the modem for making loud noises at midnight. Doomed is one of the best addons ever, just for that fact.
Download Doomed at [WoWInterface].
Best Around Level-Up Addon
I hope this still works, because I know for a fact that this addon is getting turned back on for Cataclysm. Blizzard has added some pretty awesome notifications to the level-up experience, like telling you your new skills, talent points available, etc. However, all you get is the traditional "ding" and a little light show.
Boring, no more! Re-enact your favorite Karate Kid moments with Best Around Level-Up Addon, which will play a choice chorus selection from Joe Esposito's triumph You're the Best. Leveling has never felt better, especially in the face of certain doom for Deathwing. Because, remember, a man's got to learn to take it, and that includes hanging tough against the brutal hellfire of the fallen Earth Warder.
Download Best Around Level-Up Addon at [Curse].
Ice Stone
Speaking of nostalgia, do you miss when the Ice Stone used to alert itself to everyone about its certain change in composition? Personally, I always wonder when the Ice Stone has changed from a particular crystalline solid into a chaotic liquid.
Well, Ice Stone has got your back. At random times -- at least once every five minutes -- this addon will display the Ice Stone's famous alert: "The Ice Stone has melted!" Turn back time to crazy-bug-o-clock today.
Download Ice Stone at [WoWInterface].
Awwwww
Finally, we have Awwwww (that's five double-ewwwws), which takes pity on those who die with a fun death sound from classic video games like Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Zelda and others. The Price is Right loser horn is even part of the package.
Anything that makes me feel worse about dying in WoW is an okay addon, in my book, especially during the gank-fest that will be the opening days of Cataclysm. How else can my humiliation be even more painful than a toot of the ol' Price is Right utter-failure horn?
Download Awwww at [WoWInterface].
Thank you all for indulging me in a quick round of really pointless addons that are, at the end of the day, just fun bits of code that give you a little laugh. And like I said at the beginning, writing simple addons like these is a great way to get into the addon-writing business. Learning by doing is a great help to a lot of people, and starting simple isn't always the worst place to begin.
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.
