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Addon Spotlight: Commenters' favorite addons
Each week, WoW Insider's Mathew McCurley 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. Thank you to everyone who commented on last week's Addon Spotlight with your favorite addon for a chance to win the Razer Nostromo that I've been rocking for a few weeks. Hopefully the winner of this piece of hardware will find as many uses for it as I did during my time reviewing it. You all had an incredibly diverse array of addons that you deemed your favorites, and I was not surprised at the direction those suggestions took. Today, I'll pull a bunch of commenters' suggestions, and we can give those addons a quick rundown and see which are your most recommended. Altoholic Altoholic had a huge showing in the comments, as people attested to its robustness for making sense of a huge stable of alts. It is no surprise that WoW players are invested in their game and even me, master of hating alts and having trouble playing any other character than my designated main, have alts and appreciate addons that make managing them easier.
Addon Spotlight: Addon Roulette and win a Razer Nostromo
Each week, WoW Insider's Mathew McCurley 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. I'll be honest -- this week is a resting week. BlizzCon 2011 was awesome, way too much fun, and exciting for us on the ground. I am tired. I am so tired. My plane got delayed, my train didn't come when it was supposed to, and my cats moved in to my spot on the bed. I was gone for like five days, and they already think they own everything. Alex Ziebart, your new editor-in-chief of WoW Insider, said I should do something different to shake out of the post-BlizzCon excitement slump, so here's Addon Roulette. What is Addon Roulette? I went to Curse, closed my eyes, and started clicking on things. These were the addons that I hit. Event Alert My first series of random clicks brought me to the Buffs and Debuffs tab of Curse's site, which then lead me to EventAlert. EventAlert is a addon similar in vein to TellMeWhen that displays your big class procs when they happen, right in the middle of the screen for you to see. Along with the visual proc indicator, you get a timer that tells you how long you have to use that proc. From what I've seen, it's particularly useful for death knights and paladins, both proc-heavy classes.
Reviewing the Razer Nostromo: A comfortable place to rest your hand
Back in July, I featured a submission on Reader UI of the Week from reader Steppinrazor which featured a dual-peripheral setup of the Razer Naga MMO mouse and the Razer Nostromo. The Razer Nostromo is a peripheral that acts as a keyboard for input commands, with buttons for clicking, a D-pad, a scrollwheel, and much more. In my discussion of Steppinrazor's UI, I made note that I was not privy to the Nostromo, having never had the pleasure of resting my fingers on its keys. Now, however, I've spent considerable time with the Nostromo and can tell you my story. Here is my review of the Razer Nostromo. The Razer Nostromo features: Ergonomic form factor and tournament-grade layout 16 fully programmable Hyperesponse keys Programmable eight-way directional thumb pad and scroll wheel (can be used as keys) Instantaneous switching between eight key maps Unlimited macro lengths (this is really cool) Storage of up to 20 different game profiles Adjustable soft-touch wrist pad for exceptional comfort Backlit keypad and scroll wheel for total control, even in dark conditions Enhanced Razer configurator software Works with Mac or PC
Reader UI of the Week: Peripherals take center stage with Steppinrazor's UI
Each week, WoW Insider and Mathew McCurley bring you a fresh look at reader-submitted UIs as well as Addon Spotlight, which spotlights the latest user interface addons. Have a screenshot of your own UI that you'd like to submit? Send your screenshots along with info on what mods you're using to readerui@wowinsider.com, and follow Mathew on Twitter. Reader UI of the Week is an interesting experience for me. There are moments of awe, moments of sadness, and (more than you probably would guess) moments of utter perplexity. Today's submission from Steppinrazor features a peripheral that many players have been asking me to do a spotlight on: the Razer Nostromo. Once developed by Belkin, the Razer version is the updated model, still created in partnership with Belkin but featuring spiffy new features. Many people ask me about peripherals like the Razer Nostromo, and while I would love to have an answer for them about the usefulness of something like the Nostromo, I can't give the best account. I'm a keyboard and mouse guy, through and through. However, there is nothing on the books that says I can't bring in someone who seems to know what he's doing with a peripheral as versatile as the Nostromo. If you've got an interesting UI setup that features peripherals out of the keyboard-and-mouse box, let's see them! Email your UI along with an explanation of your addons, setup, and other details to readerui@wowinsider.com. The community will love you for it, I promise.
12 Days of Winter Veil Giveaway Day 2: Razer Nostromo gaming keypad
12 Days of Winter Veil is underway here at WoW Insider. That means 12 days of giveaways, from loot codes to literature and gaming mice to graphics cards. Even if you've been a good goblin or a naughty night elf, there's a chance that WoW Insider has a holiday gift for you this season. Razer has new surprise under the tree today. The Razer Nostromo Expert gaming keypad has 16 programmable keys and a programmable 8-way directional thumb pad and scroll wheel, and it can switch between eight different key maps. My favorite part? It has a backlit keypad and scroll wheel for playing with the lights out. We even have some tips for keybinding if the winner plays a rogue. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. You must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec). You can only enter once. Make sure your email address is up to date, because that's how we'll get hold of you. We will pick one winner randomly. Official rules here. Don't forget to check back every day through Jan. 2, 2011 for new contests celebrating the 12 Days of Winter Veil! EDIT: Contest closed. Thanks and good luck to all who entered!
Razer Nostromo gaming keypad supplants Belkin's n52te Speedpad, does it proud
Think you've been gaming on the PC for awhile? If you can't vividly remember gushing over this thing (and scrounging up pennies from under the couch in order to finance one), move along. If, however, you're still the proud owner of an attic-bound Belkin Nostromo n52, you can definitely prepare yourself for a healthy dose of nostalgia here. After co-developing Belkin's n52te Speedpad a few years ago, it looks as if Razer has now fully taken over the gamepad by today introducing the Nostromo. Yeah, just Nostromo. The design is certainly a familiar one, boasting a 16-button keypad, a soft-touch rubberized wrist pad, 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse gaming buttons and an eight-way directional thumb pad. As for improvements, you'll get the ability to switch instantly between eight keymaps (up from three), and the flexibility of storing up to twenty gaming profiles (up from the previous limit of ten). It's available to order now for $69.99 / €69.99, with an estimated ship date of November 29th worldwide. You know, in plenty of time to stuff your own stocking. %Gallery-107868%
Cabestan's Nostromo watch is geared for success
You might think, given our recent bout of attentiveness toward wristwear, that we're starting to develop an Enwatchet subsection, but that's not entirely accurate. It's just that when we come across such wild and quirky designs, there's nothing to be done but share them with the world. Case in point: the Cabestan Nostromo watch, inspired by the ship from the Alien movie. In the words of its own designers, the Nostromo combines traditional watchmaking with "retro-futuristic audacity," and when we gaze upon its exposed vertical mechanics, we can't exactly argue otherwise. With a titanium case, Superluminova phosphorescent coating for dusky situations, and side windows (see them after the break), this is as appealing a watch as any geek can dare to imagine. Sure, you could probably buy a sports car for less than the 150,000 Swiss Francs ($141,400 in American currency) asking price, but it's not like you can strap a Porsche to your wrist, now is it?
Gearing up for PvP: Gaming surfaces and keyboards
My wife recently won a Facebook contest run by those Razer guys to win a Sphex "gaming grade desktop skin", which is actually just a fancy name for a mousepad. That was great timing, too, because she'd been confined to using a ratty Manila envelope as her mouse surface for the past couple of months. She'd been able to raid just fine (apparently Manila paper works better than some conventional mousepads), although a new mousepad might help.Once you've gotten your mouse, you'll want to pair it off with a proper gaming surface. My wife, who doesn't PvP, uses a generic two button optical mouse which she bought simply "because it's pink". She did drool at SteelSeries' Iron Lady gear (also colored pink), but all the fancy tech and extra dollars would be lost on her. On the other hand, if you've splurged on a mouse for your PvP, make sure to get a mousepad that at least takes care of your mouse. At its most basic, a mousepad is easier to clean and keep clean than, say, your desk.
Encrypted Text: Tips for key binding your Rogue abilities
Every Wednesday, Chase Christian of Encrypted Text invites you to enter the world of shadows, as we explore the secrets and mechanics of the Rogue class. This week, we discuss the how to properly bind your abilities to the keyboard.While on a Sartharion 25 raid this past weekend, I noticed one of the other Rogues in the group moving very peculiarly. It took me a second to put my finger on it, but I figured out what was happening. He would be running around normally, and would then stop in place for two seconds every time he used Fan of Knives. I sent him a friendly whisper, asking why he was pausing when using Fan of Knives. He replied back that he had to stop moving and click the FoK button on his action bars, of course. I asked why he didn't simply bind FoK to a key for easier access, and he replied with "My 1-9 keys are already full!"Many Rogues spend hours choosing between different gems and weapon choices, when often the difference is less than 1% of their DPS. I see the control aspects of the class as more important than gear choices (not that gear is unimportant!). Without the ability to perform your rotations and combinations with finely-tuned timing, you could be losing as much as 25% DPS on certain fights. Making proper use of key binds and user interface addons are crucial to maximizing your DPS and reaction times in PvP.
New Logitech G13 gameboard offers in-box WoW support
Our friend Drayner over at twinkinfo.com sends word of a brand new Logitech "gameboard" (keyboard extension?), called the G13. It actually looks really cool -- it's got the G15's screen, but it's actually an extra set of 22 keys that you can control outside of your normal keyboard. And plus, the keys are all backlit (with hundreds of available colors), and it even has an analog thumbstick on there for extra-precise movement. World of Warcraft gets mentioned not once but twice in the press release, and they say that it comes with support for "Burning Crusade," which we would assume also means Wrath of the Lich King as well.Pretty groovy. It works with both Windows and OS X, and it'll set you back a tidy $80, which seems like a lot for a "gameboard," but then again, if this is the kind of thing you play WoW enough to actually make good use of, you've probably got a way to justify the purchase anyway (and if anyone's looking for a gift for me this year...). Anyone intersted in replacing their Nostromo with this one?
The Colosseum: Retrospective and Analysis, pt. 2
The Colosseum takes us inside the world of the Gladiator (Brutal, Vengeful, Merciless, and otherwise), to interview some of the top Arena fighters in the battlegroups. Our goal is to bring a better understanding of the strategy, makeup, and work that goes into dueling it out for fame, fortune, and Netherdrakes. We heard a few days ago that even rated matches being played out now will not earn Arena points (which would reset at the opening of Wrath anyway.) That's kind of a slap in the face! for folks who were hoping to win that one last piece of gear before the expansion hits on Thursday. Still, this really cements the idea of us being stuck in a Limbo Season, and supports the idea that now is the time to review the last few months and take some time to understand our lessons learned.Last week, we started reviewing the answers given by Colosseum interviewees through the last three months. There were three basic themes that seemed to repeat themselves. We'll take a second to review those, then progress with our analysis of the Colosseum so far.
How to set up and use the Belkin Nostromo N52
Our good friend Phaelia from Resto4Life (who, I'll have you know, will be live on our podcast this week -- more info tomorrow) has an extremely in-depth guide to setting up and using one of the most popular controllers for World of Warcraft, the Belkin Nostromo keypad. Some people swear by the G15 or the Zboard, I personally like to keep things vanilla with just an Apple Keyboard and a gaming mouse, but whenever you ask WoW players what they use, it seems like the Nostromo always comes up.And Phaelia's got it down -- from setting up button mods (she's using Bartender, one of Adam's essential addons for 3.0.3) to configuring the keyboard itself and even putting in macros for all three Druid forms, if you've ever wanted to use the Nostromo, there's probably something interesting to learn here. Seems really complicated to me -- I'm not sure if I'm willing to commit that much work into getting my interface exactly right, especially if there's a chance that a big patch could wipe it all out.But I can see how half the fun of playing the game is getting the controls just perfect, and if tweaking things that much makes you play that much better, more power to you. If you want to dive into the world of custom controllers, Phaelia's guide will probably be invaluable.
Massive giveaways: N52 SpeedPad winners
It's been an amazing first couple of weeks here at Massively, and we've been thrilled to be able to give away so many treats. Our very last two launch contests are still running all weekend long, and they're worth tuning in for -- you can enter once per day to win a GeForce 8800 PCI-E video card and a 24-inch Samsung LCD monitor. Good times! If you can remember all the way back to our Day 3 old skool giveaways, you'll know we had two Nostromo N52 SpeedPads up for grabs. We're pleased to announce our winners: Winner of Nostromo N52 SpeedPad number 1: Commenter #21, Carrie! Winner of Nostromo N52 SpeedPad number 2: Commenter #47, retroguru (who has a thing for candied yam sandwiches, yum!)! Once again, thanks to everyone who took the time to enter, grats to the winners, and good luck to those entering to win the GeForce 8800 and a 24-inch monitor! For those of you dying to know about the rest of our contests, bear in mind that we have sent out notifications to all of our winners -- so check your mailbox (and spam folders) for messages coming from massively.com or weblogsinc.com, and we'll announce all of our winners as soon as we've heard back from everyone.
Massively's Massive Giveaways Day 3: Old skool
O hai, have you come back for free stuff? We've been expecting you! Today's theme is a salute to the classic MMOs of the past. How many folks here played UO back in the day (how many do still?)? Where my DAoC vets at? Even EQ is still kicking. In honor of a wide variety of titles, our prizes today are something that can help you be more ergonomic in all of them: two Belkin Nostromo N52 SpeedPads. Want to win one? Leave a comment in this thread by 10am EST Monday morning November 5. You need to be 18 and live in the US to enter (official rules!). We'll choose one random winner from the comments of this post, and tune in later today for another chance to win an N52 gamepad!
Reader WoWspace: Wulf Knight
This edition of WoWspace comes with actual photos of an actual person!! This is a first for us, as the rest of you have been showing off your rigs, but not your mugs (the non-coffee kind). This is a really great setup, which I'd love to mimic myself, but I'm pretty sure I'd get complaints taking my TV out of the living room and putting it into the office.My name is Wulf Knight, I'm 31 and living in Madison WI. My main is Felixia, a level 70 main-tanking furball in the progressive raiding guild of Persistence on Uldum (of which I am also a founder and occifer). I suppose one of the more unique features of my WoW environment is that fact that what you see is it's natural state... I can't stand clutter. As you can see, my computer is my entire entertainment centre... We have the Logitech Z-5500s to which the XBOX 360, PS2, primary monitor and PC are running through, all via optical (Impact Acoustics A/V Selector FTW!).
WoW Insider QuickTake: Nostromo n52
The Nostromo n52 Speedpad was listed by several readers as an essential WoW tool, so we're putting it to the test. I'll be using the n52 for the next week's play, and will return with an updated take on the peripheral; here's a quick first look at it. For some reason the n52 Speedpad seems popular with rogues; to get a feel for its functionality, in the first day of play I've tested it with a druid performing every role from tanking to group healer as well as soloing.Setting up the n52 was easy, although substantial changes were made to its default WASD-style setup. With fifteen buttons as well as a directional pad, scroll wheel and orange thumb button, the most obvious mapping seemed to be to assign the numbers 0-9 to buttons 1-10, with the other keys reserved for shift, information panes such as map and bags, and jump.By spending some time tinkering with both the n52 Profile Editor and WoW's keybindings, the pad was ready to prove its worth in real combat.
