Jubbergun wrote:
*What add-ons are absolutely essential?
-Some sort of boss mod that includes timers
-Some sort of raidframes that includes display of target of target, debuffs and mouseover functionality
-Some sort of readable scrolling combat text
-Viable nameplates mod
-Omen threat meter
This is the bare minimum to raid.
Jubbergun wrote:
*Why is said add-on absolutely essential? Do you need it for PvP/PvE, or for everything you do?
-You need boss mods because many encounters have hidden cues and timers that are not visible any other way and are necessary to be cognizant of to complete the encounter.
-You need raidframes for situational awareness and to be able to cast on other players. Blizzard nameplates are too limited in their functionality and will not display all relevant debuffs on many encounters.
-You need readable scrolling combat text to see exactly what is it your character is doing. Was your taunt resisted or did it come up immune? Is that mob taking only double digits of damage from your physical or melee abilities? Was that your Judgement that just got resisted or a taunt? Blizzard SCT isn't sufficiently readable for these purposes.
-You need viable nameplates because many encounters have huge numbers of mobs in close proximity and it is necessary to be able to click on a single one in short order.
-You need Omen because Blizzard threat meter is not only limited in functionality but is also conceptually incorrect. Threat is not a percentage of a single value; each target on any given target's threat table has a fixed, absolute value, and there are many encounters where it's vital everyone know their threat value.
Is it possible to raid with base UI? Sure. But it's not possible to do many encounters properly, because you won't have the necessary information. It will be completely unknown to you. And this will cause wipes that can't be avoided.
Jubbergun wrote:
*What are things to avoid when setting up your UI...aside from the obvious, like screen clutter?
-Clutter
-Wasted space - islets of blank area between oversized bar buttons, for example, or making a UI feature bigger than it needs to be.
-Redundancy
-Over-cosmetization - form should follow function.
-Bad positioning - try to minimize eye movement
-Bad/unreadable/excessively large fonts
Jubbergun wrote:
*Is there any good way to make use of...(ahem) I AM A BAD PLAYER...or is it a completely irredeemable trainwreck waste-of-space written by bads for bads?
Pretty much, yeah. Even insofar as it shows you an average level of gear, you can get the same idea from checking their HP/mana since those scale directly with gear level.
