Hey guys, so I started playing this ranged dps add and I am having issues with orientation in dungeons as no matter what nameplates addon I use, it is always an utter mess. Maybe I am just getting old as I don´t remember struggling with it years ago when I quit… or maybe back then it just did not matter as there weren´t so many game mechanics requiring attention, but it´s just that in every combat there are the nameplates all over my screen and they keep moving as I move and I just don´t like that because I can´t really see what´s going on. Also it is difficult to target the particular mob (e.g. that needs to be kicked). And sometimes I can´t even say which plates are relevant (i.e. screen full of nameplates but some mobs are out of range, some are not in combat etc.). Also the nameplates usually overlap despite “stacking” being chosen in the interface setting which makes it just impossible to target the right mob.
I guess this could be solved by better addon configuration… does anyone have any recommendation of addon/configuration that makes the game look simple and clean? Ideally with tiny bars that only appear if the mob is in combat for example? And with cast bars that only show relevant abilities? There are many game mechanics that require you to pay attention to what´s going on (e.g. avoiding tornadoes in ToP), but I can barely see the mob over all the mess and spell effects so it is difficult to see which way it will go…
With my melee main I learned you can just stare at the ground which makes irrelevant bars disappear and it is then easy to target the right mob and then kick. But ranged dps staring into the ground obviously just does not work.
I think monitor might be an issue as I am using my good old 22 monitor. So perhaps this is not the addon issue and I should buy 27 inch screen and play 1440p? Have you noticed significant improve of the game experience after upgrading to higher resolution?
I’m using the default UI and do not have this issue?
Have you chosen the “large nameplates” settings? I have set it to small. I’ll try find a screenshot.
I failed at finding a screenshot with a lot of nameplates, but this is how mine look. I only show enemy ones though. Never had any issues with these, and they are from the default UI. They also show castbars and my own debuffs these days iirc, this screenshot is from Korrak’s Revenge last year I think.
Yeah honestly standard nameplates look good and probably I will return to those. It´s just they lack some of the cool features like showing interuptable spells in a different colors etc. I don´t really have time to study each dungeon and I sometimes keep wasting my interrupts on spells that cannot be interrupted etc. So I find these “tricks” really helpful. But being comfortable with the look is far more important so next run I will give standard UI another shot - thanks!
I use custom name plates (threat plates) and i had an issue.
To resolve the issue i had to uncheck an option that it was stack nameplates (or something like that ) in the interface options (not the threat plates addon option). That makes nameplates not to stack up (that was problematic in areas with a lot of enemies) and it is solved the issue for me
It’s a shield icon and frame around the ones that are not interruptable. I think it’s just a visual you have to get used to, if you are used to colour change. It’s fairly easy to spot if you know what you are looking for.
I’m using Plater and there is a lot of customization you can do for them. For example:
Adjust the frame strata for specific parts (like cast bar higher)
Make the selection area bigger/smaller and position the nameplate within this box
Add alpha for non-important (and LoS plates)
Scripts/mods to make important plates stand out more (like explosives and spiteful)
Sizes/positions of elements etc.
The only issue I have is that stacking nameplates as melee constantly causes a mess, and if I turn this off I can’t see the nameplates as they go off-screen. This is a blizzard issue though… Seems like addons can’t control this behavior other than setting a cvar.
Thanks - I guess I have to start paying more attention to the screen then. I never noticed that
You might be right guys… I thought stacking is the way to go so I can always see the plates of all mobs. But actually it just makes them weirdly move around no matter what addon is used so I guess this is trully Blizzard issue. Overlapping seems to really be much better, I just need to get used to use “focus” on the important mob in order not to lose it from sight… With some classes you don´t care as you can keep that mob targeted for the whole fight, but I change the target a lot to apply fire shocks and then it is tricky to find the initial mob. But that could be resolved by mousetover macro for Flameshock…
I also reduced the range of visible plates to 40 yd (i.e. only visible for targets in spell range) and it helped a lot. I have also Plater installed so I will try to give it one more go and will closely look on all those settings.
Yeah I wish I could sticky the selected mob to a static position on my screen. Can use the unit-frame for that, but doesn’t show me the scripts I have installed for plater
I think way too many people use add-ons by default because they think it will add missing features or additional ones when the add-ons they’re using are not…
Rule of thumb: before you pick an add-on check what it can do that the game does not already do. If nothing and it aesthetic suits you, don’t bother with the add-on.
In this specific case, since the overhaul of nameplates (that probably occured in WoD) and removal of many geographic information from the API (Legion pre-patch), there is actually very little that nameplate add-ons can provide you that the original game does not already.
The position of nameplates is not handled by add-ons because they cannot anymore. They are displayed where the game tells them to go. Moreover blizzard provides 2 types of displays and 2 logics for stack-pile of many units nameplates.
Ok so I just learned that won´t work… first group of mobs - nameplates of all mobs overlapping exactly on the same spot i.e. it is not possible to target any other mob with mouse, using tab is the only option… no way to apply Flame Shock to a particular mob. So I went back to “stacking” model. Bars are moving weirdly all over the screen, but at least it is possible to target particular mobs. This is weird.
