Single‑Button Assistant: My Experience & Suggestions for Improvement
Hello,
I just wanted to share my excitement about the new Single‑Button Assistant feature introduced in Patch 11.1.7 — it is simply fantastic!
For me, it is a game-changer that has made things significantly easier and more enjoyable.
Why I Love It
It is easy to use and makes me enjoy the game much, much more. I genuinely prefer this over managing dozens of separate spells and abilities!
It allows me to add a new character and dive in without worrying about complex rotations — finally, I can experiment and try new races and classes.
Although there is a 25 % GCD delay, using the assistant sometimes results in better DPS when I do not fully know the rotation.
But I have Encountered Some Issues
Sadly, in one Mythic+ 14 group I joined, a player whispered insults about my DPS after I mentioned that I was using the Single‑Button Assistant.
It was so toxic that I actually submitted a report — my first ever in all my time playing WoW.
In general, players are unhappy when they know I am using the Single‑Button Assistant, especially if we fail the run due to low DPS.
It is disappointing that a tool meant to assist and improve the game is being used as a point of discrimination.
Suggestions to Enhance the System
Dynamic Spell Rotation Based on Talent/Specialisation
Right now, it uses a static set of a few spells — please extend the ability list based on the spec and chosen talents.
Customisation with Retained Prioritisation
Allow us to select our own spells and abilities to include in the rotation, while preserving the system’s intelligent prioritisation based on combat context.
Reevaluate the 25 % GCD Delay
The increased global cooldown was introduced as a penalty, but I find it outweighs the benefit.
Why It Matters
The feature is already a game‑changer for players with accessibility needs.
More broadly, communities such as Reddit and the forums celebrate the chance to try specs they had previously avoided.
It is a thoughtful attempt by Blizzard to make the game more accessible, whether for players who are less experienced or for those with disabilities.
In Conclusion
The Single‑Button Assistant is a wonderful addition to WoW. It:
Deepens my enjoyment of the game.
Opens gameplay to more people.
Delivers accessibility.
Reduces friction for veterans experimenting with new roles.
My suggestions aim to build on that foundation:
Expanding and tailoring the rotation list by spec and talent.
Offering customisation while preserving intelligent prioritisation.
Rethinking the GCD penalty to suit all play styles.
Thank you for introducing this feature — I am genuinely thrilled for what comes next!
if they remove the penalty it’ll just turn into a phone game. I’m actually of the opinion that the penalty should be a little higher considering the damage output.
Thank you for your reply, but I disagree.
Based on what I have seen myself, as well as feedback from other players and friends, your point is correct when it comes to new players who do not yet know how to play a specific class; in those cases, their DPS is often higher with the Single-Button Assistant.
However, for more experienced players or for those playing high-level characters, the situation is quite different.
Due to the current limitations (such as the small, fixed list of spells/abilities and lack of full synergy with talents), the DPS is noticeably lower, and the penalty only amplifies that gap further.
That is why I suggested that this penalty should be removed or at least reduced. The intention should be to make the Single-Button Assistant a helpful tool, not one that becomes unusable for anyone who plays seriously.
Instead of a single button you could just explain rotation in game. Make it less stupid and more enjoyable. Every Farming Bot is thankful for the change but beside that that change is really bad.
Thank you for your comment. However, I personally believe that such a restriction would unnecessarily limit players’ progress and enjoyment.
Instead, improving and refining the Single‑Button Assistant would allow players to participate and perform at any level of content, without needing to exclude them from higher keys or raids.
I do not think that a tool which takes away the learning curve of a spec should ever perform in a way that it can compete on the highest difficulty levels. For a weekly +10, or perhaps some bosses on HC? Sure. Beyond that? Then we get to a point where player progression beyond the baseline (One Button Rotation) should start to matter.
Because what you do then is make the content easier. Easier content tends to lead to more funky mechanics added in future encounter designs. And we get something similar to a design<->addon vicious cycle, but then 10 times worse.
Lets just keep the one-button rotation for the ones who actually struggle handling 10 rotational abilities, but have no goal of going for the sky (difficulty wise). For anyone else, manual rotation should have a significant higher potential.
Wait you are using OBR on aDemo Lock!? Flame was well deserved good sir. Idk if you are genuine or a troll trying to showcase the problem of OBR existing.
So I went back to the interview with Ion where he talked about the feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hqJ210XWeU&t=66s
"There will be a small GCD penalty. We want to make sure that this is for accessibility purposes … Ideally, this is NOT a tool where someone is told by their raid leader to stop trying to DPS manually and just turn on the One Button mode to meet some DPS check … "
The OBR is clearly described as a tool for beginners doing beginner content. If you want to go beyond that and learn your class better, you can use the assisted highlight feature, read online guides, etc.
Thank you for your message.
If you prefer using 100 keys on your keyboard and mouse and you enjoy mastering complex rotations, I have absolutely nothing against that.
At the same time, there are players who prefer to focus more on the graphics, the storyline, or simply enjoy playing with only a couple of buttons. I believe that should also be allowed and supported.
One approach does not exclude the other; both types of players should be free to enjoy the game in the way they prefer.
Absolutely, up to a point. That point should be casual content.
Being able to execute strategies whilst maintaining your rotation IS the game once you start doing m+ and higher raid difficulties. Taking the rotation out because you feel you should be able to cheapens what everyone else is doing and the concept of challenging content as a whole. Not to mention makes every other aspect of challenge content easier because you don’t need to think about how to do damage at the same time.