Since I sadly can’t post on the Alpha Forums and I won’t necro an older post:
A Review of Midnight’s current UI (from the sidelines): A Promising Start That Can’t Yet Replace a Legacy
The early alpha for World of Warcraft:
Midnight has provided a welcome, albeit controversial, first look at Blizzard’s vision for the future of the game’s interface. The decision to implement core-level API restrictions, effectively ending the era of powerful, long-standing addons like Plater, Details!, and WeakAuras, is a bold and divisive move. While it is commendable that Blizzard is showcasing their in-built alternatives so early in the development cycle, the initial implementation falls sadly significantly short of providing the necessary tools for meaningful gameplay.
The Good: A Proactive Approach to a New UI Philosophy
For years, the default UI has been seen as nothing more than a base starting point, from where players could then adjust and enhance it through the community-created addons. Blizzard’s new approach signals a departure from this, aiming to create a more robust and self-contained base interface. I totally understand the reasoning behind it. The introduction of features like a native Cooldown Manager and enhanced buff trackers is a clear acknowledgment of the community’s needs and a step in the right direction. By testing these changes in the alpha, Blizzard is inviting feedback at a crucial stage, which is a positive and transparent move that should be encouraged.
The Bad: A Lack of Foundational Capability
The core issue with the current UI offerings in the Midnight alpha is their lack of depth and functionality when compared to the very addons they are intended to replace. These new elements feel like placeholders, offering a fraction of the customization and information that we have come to rely on and appreciate for effective gameplay.
Nameplate Functionality (vs. Plater):
The new nameplates lack the nuanced customization that Plater offered. Players can no longer easily color-code nameplates based on mob type for quick identification, track specific debuffs with visual and audio cues, or create complex scripts to highlight important enemy casts. While Blizzard has incorporated some basic “important cast” markers, the ability for players to tailor this information to their own needs is currently absent. This forces players to spend more time reading text in a cluttered environment rather than reacting to clear visual information.
Combat Data and Analysis (vs. Details!):
A significant point of contention is the inability of the new UI to provide comprehensive combat data. The argument that Blizzard cannot fetch its own combat logs from the server is simply not credible. Addons like Details! have long been able to provide intricate breakdowns of damage done, healing received, interrupt usage, and much more, all by parsing the combat chat log. For Blizzard to not offer a native equivalent that provides, at a minimum, the basic damage, of a damage meter feels like a glaring omission. This data is not just for chasing high numbers; it is a vital tool for self-improvement and raid strategy.
Aura and Cooldown Tracking (vs. WeakAuras):
WeakAuras has become an almost essential tool for tracking a vast array of buffs, debuffs, and cooldowns with unparalleled customization. The new Cooldown Manager and buff trackers, while a good start, are rudimentary in comparison. They often prioritize duration over more critical information like stack counts (as seen with Ignore Pain for Protection Warriors) and lack the flexibility to track non-class abilities like trinkets, racials, and potion effects. Furthermore, the inability to create custom alerts, dynamic groups, and varied display options (icons vs. bars) makes the new system feel rigid and less informative.
The Path Forward: A Call for a More Robust Foundation
While no one expects Blizzard to replicate every feature of these complex addons overnight, there is a reasonable expectation that their replacements should, at the very least, cover the fundamentals. The current iteration in the Midnight alpha does not yet meet that bar and we all know there’s only a limited time of development cycle left.
To bridge this gap, Blizzard should focus on the following:
Embrace slightly more Customization:
The power of the old addons was in their flexibility. The new UI needs to offer players more control over what information is displayed and how it is presented. This includes everything from color-coding and scaling to sound alerts and positional anchoring. Blizzard has already offered some of those changes now in the Alpha, which is a great first step.
Provide a Native Combat Log and Damage Meter:
The ability to review performance is crucial. A built-in, detailed combat log and a functional damage/healing meter are not just quality-of-life features; they are essential tools for a significant portion of the player base.
Expand Tracking Capabilities:
The new UI elements need to be able to track a wider range of effects, including trinkets, enchant procs, and other temporary buffs. The system should also allow for more intelligent display options that can prioritize information like stack counts over duration when necessary.
In conclusion, while the initiative to overhaul the UI and reduce the reliance on third-party addons is understandable, the current implementation in the Midnight alpha is a step backward in terms of functionality. It is a promising framework that needs significant development to become a viable replacement for the tools that players have used to navigate the complexities of WoW for years. The community is ready to provide feedback, but it is up to Blizzard to provide a more feature-complete foundation to build upon.
