A new incident shows why addons in World of Warcraft urgently need to be restricted. This is at least what MeinMMO demon Cortyn thinks.
If you know me and my posts a little, you know that I like to use different addons. Whether for character descriptions in roleplay, better dungeon planning, or just a long chat log to look back on later. A damage meter also must not be missing.
But addons can do much more than just present information more clearly. In many cases, people talk about WoW addons as being “cheats.” While this is demonstrably not the case, in some instances, it is indeed so. Such a case has now become known. Because an addon allowed to completely skip a game mechanic.
To briefly explain the mechanic: The last part of the dungeon “Court of Stars” consists of a small puzzle game. The heroes know that somewhere at a party, a demon is infiltrated, disguised as an elf. Five different NPCs have hints about this “spy.” So you talk to the NPCs that are scattered at this party and receive tips such as: “The spy is definitely a woman” or “The traitor wears a long cloak.”
With all 5 tips, you can then pinpoint who the spy is, as the description only matches one single NPC.
- If you accuse the wrong party guest here, there is a small penalty: You get stunned, teleported to the foyer, and have to run back – thus losing time.
- If you find the culprit, you accompany them outside and defeat them to finish the dungeon with the final boss.
Some classes have an advantage here:
- Paladins can identify the group where the spy is located using an old shield from “Legion.”
- Demon hunters can, after all 5 pieces of information have been gathered, even directly identify the spy using spectral sight – they can see demons, after all.
Addon solves problem in seconds, which takes players minutes
One of the most powerful addons in World of Warcraft is WeakAuras. It’s like the all-in-one solution because WeakAuras can do just about everything imaginable in WoW. You can use WeakAuras to highlight individual effects and display them better. However, the addon can also do significantly more and reaches into many areas where I would say: A bot could play for me there.
The best example, in my opinion, has just been showcased. After the finale of the MDI, one of the participants, “Naowh,” has published a WeakAura that makes the entire last part of the Court of Stars simply ridiculous.
The WeakAura is able to recognize the spy without having to gather information first. All you have to do is simply right-click every NPC at the party. As soon as the “right” one is present, the WeakAura automatically starts the dialogue and reveals the spy.
How crazy this works is shown by wowhead in a video.
You simply run around the party, randomly click everything and everyone – and you are guaranteed to have found the right mob. If the entire group uses this WeakAura, it is of course just a matter of a few seconds.
And this is exactly where addons go too far. For me, the line to cheating is clearly crossed, and I find the distinction very clear. If the addon can solve something that is impossible for me as a human with the same level of information, then this cannot be what Blizzard wants.
It is one thing to have effects displayed larger and clearer. When a dragon starts casting a spell, and an addon reminds me whether I should dodge to the sides or move close to the enemy – I find that absolutely okay.
However, if the addon is capable of solving the puzzle independently, which is clearly intended for players, and also skips the solution path (gathering the information), that goes too far.
Therefore, I am quite glad that WoW with Patch 10.1 Ashes of Neltharion provides an option for developers to “hide” certain effects from addons so that these cannot interact with addons.
Honestly, I am also pleased that this WeakAura has now been made public by Naowh himself. Because it should reignite the discussion about addons and their capabilities, especially since it calls into question the victory at the MDI. Because without this WeakAura, perhaps Naowh’s team would not have been the winner.
For Blizzard, this is likely an indirect wake-up call to revise the rules for tournaments and addon usage.
Addons should be able to present information better – but should never solve player problems.
Or what do you think?
