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The Creamy GUI Center: BlizzCon UI wrap up commentary and analysis
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Whelp, BlizzCon 08 is slowly fading to memory, but before it's completely out of our mind I wanted to take one last look and comment on some of the insight we got on how Blizzard design's their interfaces. Also the big 3.0 patch hit and I hope you're enjoying it. If you're anything like me it's been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows as I discover all the new features. For today, we'll take a look at the state of the interface and addon world with an analysis and commentary recap on the UI news that came out of BlizzCon. I wanted to look at that earlier, but the new patch took us by storm and made me rethink some issues. So kick back, relax, and get comfy as we examine where we're at and where we're going in the world of addons.
The Creamy GUI Center: Beginner Addons
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Welcome readers to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. With the expansion's release imminent and the new Recruit a Friend system creating buzz and attracting new and returning players, I thought this week we'd get back to basics with a look at addon essentials. Don't worry UI enthusiasts, in the coming weeks I'll be taking a look at more advanced addons, and what to expect from interface enhancements in Wrath. This week we'll look at addons that help new players and are considered "must haves." So if you're a new player or just want to take the first plunge into the addictive world of addons and UI enhancements, this one's for you.
The Creamy GUI Center Hardware Edition: Ideazon Fang Gamepad
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Welcome addon and interface enthusiasts to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. I hope my American readers are having a relaxing and safe Labor Day weekend. Because of all the positive feedback I received on my review of the Logitech G series gaming keyboard, I decided this week to look at another set of hardware accessories. In the coming weeks I'll be featuring more gamepads such as the Belkin Nostromo series, and Wolf King Warrior gamepad, but this week's showcase is the Ideazon Fang Gamepad and Merc Gaming Keyboard. How do they fair and will they be an asset to your WoW game play? Let's find out!
The Creamy GUI Center: Communications
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Let's face it, WoW without chatting to your party, guild, or friends would be pretty boring. One of the major reasons we log in sometimes is to see what everyone's up to. So when you stop and think about it, that little chat box is a cornerstone to the user interface. We spend a good chunk of the time when logged in looking at it. We might as well try to make it as functionally and aesthetically pleasing as we can. This week we'll look at addons that spruce up our chat box and help us communicate better. We'll also check out addons that help keep track of our whispers to other players, and addons that grab our attention when there's activity in the chat window. Let's get to it!
The Creamy GUI Center Hardware Edition: Logitech G series keyboard
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.I've been teasing you all with a surprise topic for a little while now, and here it is! OMG a hardware review in The Creamy GUI Center! That sound you're hearing are minds being blown across the planet! Ok, well maybe it's not that radical of a topic; keyboards, mice, and other peripherals are a vital and often overlooked part of the user interface. So this week I decided their time has come as we take a look at the Logitech G series keyboard. And who knows, maybe I'll sneak in an addon or two for good measure. I can't stray too far from my roots can I?
The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout Part III
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.I'm back this week to finish our look at inventory manager addons. In the last two parts we looked at addons that helped you organize and sort your inventory. Now we know exactly where to find that nifty new doodad you just got but how do you quickly equip it when you need it? We'll solve that question this week with a look at addons that help you swap equipment around in the thick of adventuring. With so many items that have a particular use,, the addons reviewed this week will hopefully take some of the hassle out of using them. And for those classes that have different sets of gear for different occasions, these addons will help you out the most. So let's get right into it with a look at outfit and gear managers.
The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout Part II
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play. Welcome readers to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. It looks like I stumbled upon an addon topic that, judging from your comments, a lot of people view as a cornerstone of their UI and addon experience. This week, thanks to reader feedback, I'm going to extend our look at inventory addons to three parts instead of two so that we can take a look at a couple of fan favorite bag addons that I missed. I did indeed hear your cries of wanting more in the comments, so let's get down to it with a look at ArkInventory and TBag.
The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play. Welcome folks to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. This week I tackle one of the great suggestions left by you the reader in the comment's section. We're gunna examine bag replacements and inventory managers in a special two part series. This week we'll see how to organize your inventory with bag replacement addons. And in the following week we'll look at which addons help you change gear around for different situations. But let's not put the cart ahead of the horse, first we have to organize all that equipment, so let's get to it!
The Creamy GUI Center: Combat Log-o-rama
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Howdy folks, and welcome to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. Before we get neck deep in addons this week I'd like to say thank you all for the encouraging words and warm welcome back left in the comments last week. Also in the coming weeks look for some of your suggested topics to be covered. But I digress, let's get back to this week's topic, the combat log and its addons. There's something for everyone this week as I show you alternative and supplimental addons to the combat log, and for the minimalists out there I'll show you how to add some bling to your combat log without needing any third party additions. Let's get started!
The Creamy GUI Center: HUDs
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.This week we'll look at Heads Up Display's or HUDs for short. These addons are an alternative to unit frames that show a variety of information about you and your target. They're displayed right in the middle of your playing field so your eye doesn't have to wander to get vital information. They accomplish this using non-traditional graphical elements like slices of rings representing health and mana bars. HUDs are used in real life jets to show the pilot information in such a way that their eyes don't have to wander to far from their field of vision. Many games use HUDs of varying types as well. In WoW, HUDs employ transparency effects so they can fade in and out so as not to obstruct the playing field. Let's get the show on the road with a look at Archud, MetaHud, and IceHud.
The Creamy GUI Center: Mirage UI
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play. Welcome back readers! This week marks the end of my look at compilation addons. I hope this series has been interesting and helpful. It was neat seeing an evolution if you will as we looked at oldies but goodies CTMod and Cosmos to newer compilations like MazzleUI. This week I wrap everything up with a look at the Mirage UI compilation (formally called Insomniax Recompilation) Originally Insomniax Recompilation was a collection of addons that the author liked and felt best represented their type, with a few small tweaking here and there for compatibility. Now the Mirage UI has grown and evolved as the author uses presets to form a nice layout using the included addons, much like the MazzleUI compilation I reviewed last week. How does this compare? Read on to find out.
The Creamy GUI Center: MazzleUI
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play. Welcome readers! Right off the bat let me thank you all for putting up with my sick on the 4th post, and for the well wishing. I really appreciate the kind words. Luckily this week I'm feeling much better, and even got to see the new Harry Potter movie. (Spoiler Alert, unlike last week's Nyquil induced hallucination, John McLane was nowhere to be found.) Anyways onward and upwards as we explore part 3 of my 4 part series on addon compilations with Mazzle UI. To paraphrase Optimus Prime, "a user friendly interface is the right of all sentient beings." Is Mazzle's unique blend of functionality and eye candy more than meets the eye? Let's find out!
The Creamy GUI Center: Sick on the 4th edition
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Howdy addon and UI fanatics. To our American readers I hope you all had a great and safe 4th of July. Mine was spent on the couch with a bottle of Nyquil and jug of Gatorade as I've come down with a dreadful summer cold. My day was spent re-watching the Die Hard and Harry Potter DVDs while clouded in a sneezing and Nyquil haze. Right as John McClane is about to finally get Voldemort (as I remember it), I suddenly sat up and exclaimed "oh crap, this week's column!" For those of you coming here to read my review of MazzleUI as I mentioned last week, I apologize. As with my 4th of July plans, so too did my plans for this week's article take an unexpected turn due to my cold. The review of MazzleUI will have to wait till next week, as under my current condition I don't feel I could do it justice. After using it for a few days the MazzleUI compilation demands I be at my best so I can fully articulate what this UI package has to offer. So instead, I'm present you a week in review of addon and interface news.
The Creamy GUI Center: Cosmos
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.This week I continue our look at addon compilations with a breakdown of Cosmos. Like last week's CTMod, Cosmos has been a part of the addon scene since WoW's early days and as such many comparisons between the two have been made. CTMod and Cosmos enhances the default WoW interface, but Cosmos bundles addons that stand on their own to provide an assortment of features. Does this compilation hold up to today's addon environment or is it an aging dinosaur? Let's find out!
The Creamy GUI Center: CTMod
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play. Collecting and updating addons can be a time consuming hassle. Wouldn't it be great if you could install a collection of addons that's all packaged together to eliminate the hunting and updating of each addon individually? Well there is an answer to this problem, addon compilations. What are they? What are the pros and cons of using a compilation? What options do I have when looking for a compilation that's right for me? This week I'll answer all of these questions and more as we begin a multi-part series on addon compilations. Over the course of the next few weeks we'll be taking a look at CTMod, Cosmos, MazzleUI, and Mirage UI (formerly Insomniax Recompilation). Let's get started!
The Creamy GUI Center: Macro Mania
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Welcome addon-aholics to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. I appologize for being a day later than usual, but this week's topic was quite the under taking. I wanted to do a little something different this week. I've been giving a lot of attention to addons as they are the main focus of my column, but they aren't the only focus. Inspired by this week's Big Red Kitty, let's take a look at macros. We'll learn how to write them, their limitations, and how they make your WoW career easier.
The Creamy GUI Center: Addon basics
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.Howdy folks and welcome to this week's edition of The Creamy GUI Center. I know last week I mentioned I was going to write about addon compilations; however some advice from my editors and comments left by readers got my attention. So instead, this week I'm going to take a step back and cover the basics of WoW interface customization and addons. I believe I should have covered this topic sooner and I appreciate my editors and readers for pointing it out to me. Much like the eager party member who pulls that group of mobs without warning, I dived into addon reviews and interface mumbo jumbo without covering the basics. Let's remedy that with a breakdown of WoW interface terminology as well as how to safely find, download, and install addons.
The Creamy GUI Center: Group Buttons
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.To finish my series on action bars and buttons, this week I'm looking at "Group Button" style addons. Group Buttons was an addon made by the venerable Lozareth of Discord Mods fame. Group Buttons attached action bars directly to an unit frame, making the frame the default target for the action or spell placed in the bar. A look at the original addon can be seen in this Addon Spotlight. Unfortunately Lozareth hasn't updated the addon for WoW 2.0 compatibility. However multiple other authors have stepped in with their own take on a group buttons style addon which has provided the community with several options ranging in complexity. Let's find out which suits your needs!
The Creamy GUI Center: Click casting
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.First off thank you for the feedback and encouragement I received from last week's column, I really appreciate it. I wanted to take a minute to discuss my background and the scope of The Creamy GUI Center so that people know what to expect. I'm a player of WoW just like you who happens to have a great interest in graphical user interfaces (GUIs, pronounced "gooey"), particularly when it comes to games. I was born with a disfiguring disability and my curiosity in UIs grew as I became more adept at computers and gaming. I found that a customizable interface like the one found in WoW goes a long way in allowing everyone the ability to play through a tailor made experience, within the guidelines setup by Blizzard of course. While our individual challenges and goals may be different, it is my hope through this column to share the tools and addons that helped me so that your WoW experience is the best possible. While the main focus of my column is addons, I intend to cover macros, and other tools ranging from Team Speak to game pads; as well as commentary on topics affecting how we play such as the decursive nerf. However I am hardly perfect and I am just one guy, so if I left something out or miss communicated (sorry Ace guys, I now know it's not an acronym) please send me feedback. (Or if you think I'm doing a good job too!) I hope this helps you get a better understand on what to expect. I thank you for reading and WoW Insider's editors for taking a chance on me. Without further to-do let's get to today's topic, click casting!
The Creamy GUI Center: Action bar break down
Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.As my first column, I wanted to start out with a review of action bar addons. WoW's default UI (User Interface) is built around the action bar and for many is the cornerstone for their interactions within WoW. Comparatively speaking, Blizzard's default UI is elegant and user friendly when contrasted against many other MMOs on the market. In fact WoW's two newest competitors, Vanguard and Lord of the Rings Online, both mimic Blizzard's design to varying degrees. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all. Blizzard's UI doesn't overwhelm the user with information or complexity, which can be a barrier of entry to new players. Its information is displayed cleanly, however its faults lie in the fact it's rather inefficient, and nothing about it can be moved or resized. The action bars are a decent size and buttons are easy to click using your mouse, but it's rather sprawled out taking a lot of screen space including the unnecessary art. For those content with the default layout or who prefer using key bindings, Blizzard's action bars get the job done.For a lot of users, this isn't enough. There's always room for improvement. Blizzard being the smarties that they are, gave us the freedom to add usability that they never even thought of through the use of addons. (Sometimes to unwanted effects, hello decursive nerf.). You may crave a customized playing field, or a clean and efficient layout, or maybe you just want to express yourself by creating your own UI for that personal touch. To accomplish this let's take a look at three addons that offer different ways to do the same thing: create and manage action bars.
