For improving your gameplay experience
Introduction
While Add-ons was not a major thing in vanilla, they have certainly made a great impact on Classic. Despite the fact that some vanilla veterans despise add-ons, there's no arguing that they make the game better by adding a lot of customization options and quality of life improvements - there's an irony here: players had wanted no changes, and then they've changed the game with add-ons anyway, sometimes to a point where Blizzard was forced to ban some of the more invasive add-ons. Despite some of them being rather controversial, Add-ons are an inherent part of Classic by now and most of the players can't imagine playing without them.
We are of the opinion that you should play the game for fun and that you have more fun if you are able to customize your experience, thus, we like add-ons and the possibilities they give. The recent release of TBC Classic is a great opportunity to share our favorite Add-ons, that will make your journey through Outland more enjoyable, with you. Here they are:
The Best Addons for TBC Classic
ATLAS LOOT CLASSIC | |
Category | UI/Loot Tables/Items Browser |
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We start with a big one; an addon that every player knows or should know about. AtlasLoot lets you browse through pretty much all relevant items available in the game. Moreover, it gives you detailed information about every single one of these items. With it, you can view Loot Tables of all Dungeons and Raids, check what items can be made by Crafting, or browse through PvP and Reputation rewards. The addon also gives you information on drop rates, materials required for crafting, required reputation levels, item prices, and all that sort of stuff. On top of all this, you can track your needed items with it, which makes gearing up easier. If you don't like going into a dungeon or raid blind, this addon is a must-have for you. It will point you towards Bosses that drop what you need and tell you what your exact chances of getting it are. If you don't like asking people for Recipe Links, you will also find AtlasLoot vital to your in-game experience - it not only allows you to check what materials are needed for each craft but also lets you generate links of your own, even if you don't have the relevant profession. |
ATLAS CLASSIC WOW + ATLAS QUEST | |
Category | Map Viewer + Quest Helper |
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Some Classic Dungeons were designed as mazes and getting lost in them is not an unusual thing. If you get lost, you have to refer to a 3-rd party map or a dungeon guide or retrace your steppes which wastes a lot of time. This design philosophy was revamped in TBC - TBC Classic Dungeons are shorter and more streamlined than vanilla ones, however, they still have some hidden areas here and there. There is no arguing that TBC Dungeons are different from Vanilla ones, they still have one important thing in common - the absence of a map that would help you navigate through them - this is where Atlas Classic WoW comes in. This add-on lets you view maps for every dungeon in the game. If you like exploring dungeons, you will find this Atlas extremely useful as the maps it features are very detailed and informative (much more informative than the official ones introduced in later expansions, in fact). If you install the Atlas Quest on top of it, you will also gain access to lists of pretty much all the quests that can be completed in each dungeon - this is very helpful, especially if you don't like missing out on experience and items, or simply don't like to do a dungeon more than once while leveling. |
QUESTIE | |
Category | Quest Helper |
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There are two types of players in TBC Classic; The ones who download a quest-helping addon immediately after installing the game, and the ones who try to play without such addon because "the game is meant to be played without it and it would not be a "true" Classic experience if you "cheated" by installing a quest helper" and... then download a quest-helping addon after 30 minutes of running around like a headless chicken, trying to figure out where the quest objective is. Questie (or another quest helper) is essential for an efficient and enjoyable leveling experience in TBC Classic unless you are a true hardcore, old-school player who REALLY wants to embark on a nostalgia trip. Having a quest tracker is a quality-of-life feature that's present in every modern MMORPG, and for a good reason - people want to have fun questing. Questie will mark quest objectives on your minimap, point you towards areas where quest-relevant mobs can be found, and display helpful tooltips so that you don't have to read through pages of flavor text to find useful information. Moreover, it will show you where you can get more quests if you run out of your current ones, and it will track all the quests you've already completed. On top of all this, it has a built-in NPC search feature that will come in handy on more than one occasion. |
GATHER MATE 2 CLASSIC + GATHER MATE 2 DATA | |
Category | Gathering Aid/Map Markers |
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Gathering materials is a big part of the TBC Classic, especially for players who don't already have large stockpiles of Gold. To farm efficiently, you have to know where the resources are located, but memorizing the location of every gathering node you come across is a titanic task. This is where the GatherMate 2 Classic comes into play - it not only remembers where the resources you've previously found are but also allows you to import a pre-filled database so that you don't have to search for node locations at all (remember to download the GatherMate 2 Data Module as well)! With this addon, you will be able to compete for resources on par with everyone else as, let's face it, every player who takes gathering semi-seriously is using it. |
DEADLY BOSS MODS (DBM) | |
Category | Content-Clearing/Boss Encounters Aid |
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If you are interested in the end-game group content of TBC Classic (both Raids and Heroics), you will find this addon essential. DBM helps you during boss fights by displaying warnings, playing warning sounds, flashing your screen, or even straight-up telling you what to do at any given time during a fight. With it, following mechanics is much easier, and progressing through content is much smoother. Most guilds will straight-up require you to have it, even if you decide that you don't need it (you think that you don't but you do). This addon is so deeply embedded into the WoW community, nowadays, that most players simply can't do Raiding without it. |
ATTUNE | |
Category | Quest Helper |
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If you thought that Classic was full of attunements, you've seen nothing yet. TBC Classic is where attunements get real - they often span across several dungeons and raids and have you complete dozens of quests. Tracking your progress in them is often quite difficult, especially if you give up and decide to finish on a later date. Attune helps you with your attunement process by saving up your progress, showing you what else is to be done, and making finding groups a bit easier. It tells you exactly what you need to do on each attunement step and points you in the right direction. Moreover, it allows you to upload your attunement progress and share it with your guild, which might be helpful if you're competing for a spot in a raid group. This is one of these add-ons that were great in Classic and remain great in TBC - if you don't have it yet, now is the time. |
NOVA INSTANCE TRACKER | |
Category | Tracker/Quality of Life |
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Instance grinding is the name of the game in the TBC Classic. If you want to level up efficiently, you spam 5 man dungeons; If you want to grind reputations efficiently, you spam 5 man dungeons; If you want to gear up for Phase 1 Raids, you spam 5 man Heroic dungeons. You get the idea. When you have a solid group or do a specific route inside of a dungeon, you often end up on a lockout. This add-on helps you track this and informs you about your current lockout status. Also, it helps you distinguish if you're currently on a 1-hour lockout or if you've already completed your 30 dungeons in 24 hours. While it is not necessary, it surely makes your life easier - with Nova Instance Tracker you won't have to wonder how long you have to wait before entering an instance again. |
SHADOWED UNIT FRAMES | |
Category | HUD/Unit Frames |
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While we have nothing against Vanilla Unit Frames as they are a part of our nostalgia, their customization options are extremely limited and they obscure a rather large portion of your screen, especially when in a Raid group with raid frames active. If you can't stand the vanilla UI, you should consider changing it with an add-on. There are multiple alternative Unit Frames available, but we recommend Shadowed Unit Frames as they offer the best customization options and they simply look amazing. With them, you will be able to extensively modify your Unit Frames, tailoring them to your needs. Also, your screen will not look cluttered anymore. |
DETAILS! DAMAGE METER | |
Category | Damage Meter |
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Players either love or hate parsing, there seems to be no middle ground. While we understand the hate - parsing breeds toxicity and makes people point fingers at "weakest links" in a group, we also understand that parsing can be a good thing - it allows you to improve your performance and lets eliminate mistakes in your rotation. Also, sometimes it creates a competitive environment that allows the whole group to improve quicker (but that requires good leadership, otherwise it might quickly turn into the before-mentioned toxicity). Details! the add-on is a user-friendly Damage Meter that will take care of all your parse needs. It's easy to customize - for example, you can view DPS and HPS at the same time in two separate windows. Moreover, its memory usage is very low for an add-on of this type which makes it great for those who play on older CPUs/laptops. If you Raid, you probably already have this one or a similar add-on installed, if not - give it a try, it will awaken your competitive side for sure. |
DOMINOS ACTION BARS | |
Category | UI/Action Bars |
Features |
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Vanilla Action Bars severely lack customization options; If you are one of those people who like to have every ability on a hot bar, your UI will inevitably turn into a complete mess when you use the vanilla UI. To take care of this problem, you should install a custom Action Bars Add-on - we recommend Dominos. This great add-on allows you to freely adjust your action bars - change their size, position, layout, opacity, and even make them disappear if certain conditions are met. With it, your screen will look tidy and you will have space for all of your abilities. |
ENDNOTE We hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. If we have missed a method that is worth mentioning, please let us know! Also, we will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work so leave your suggestions in the comments section below. |