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Mods (WoW)  

Mod is short for modification. Mods, also sometimes called add-ons, are extra additions made to your game to adjust your user interface to better suit your needs. Mods are usually designed to do one particular thing, and you may have quite a few of them running at the same time.

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Types of Add-ons

Most mods fall into one of a few categories:

  • Display mods - These change the way the interface actually shows on your screen, in case you would like to change the layout of the interface or alter the fonts used in the game.
  • Information mods - These add-ons are used to display information that is either not anywhere in the default UI, or is hard to see. Healers often use a mod that allows them to better recognize who in the party is injured, for example. Most very popular mods fall under this category.
  • Streamlining mods - All mods allow the player to do things more easily, but these mods actually let you *DO* things more easily. They don't just tell you what's going on, they actually help you do it. Considering many of these mods in the past have bordered on automation, Blizzard has significantly reduced the effectiveness of add-ons in this category, but some do still exist.

Please note that mods are created by someone who knows how to program XML, but only use functions that are allowed within the game. In other words, the use of any particular mod should not be a bannable offense regardless of what it does. However, there is another type of modification called a hack that is against the Terms of Service. There are external programs that help influence the way the game operates, and almost always do things that Blizzard does not allow. (Otherwise, why wouldn't you just make a mod instead?)

Installation of Mods

Incorporating a mod into your WoW gaming is not especially difficult. In general, using a mod requires the following steps:

  1. Locate a mod on the internet that you want to use.
  2. Download it to the Interface folder in your World of Warcraft folder. (It should have its own folder that will go in the Interface folder.)
  3. Unzip the file in your /Interfaces/Addons directory (some will put it there, others will not).
  4. To unzip you can use a program called FreeZip (google for it) or you can buy WinZip. Other unpacking options include 7-zip for Windows and UnRarX for Macs.
  5. Start World of Warcraft, and click on the "add-ons" button on the character select screen.
  6. The new mod should be listed in the checklist that appears. Make sure that it is checked.
  7. Make sure the "Load Out-of-Date" option is checked. (Some mods will work even if they are not up-to-date. It is in your best interest to keep your mods current)
  8. Enter the world.

The mod should be functioning at that point. Note that you can use a mod for some characters and not others using a pulldown on the add-ons menu. There may be silver check marks on the checklist that indicate a mod that is being used for other characters, but not the one selected. Also, if you decide to do away with a mod, it is as simple as returning to the add-ons menu and clicking the mod off.

Some mods are very obvious when they are first used, some create an activated button around the edge of the minimap, and others need to be controlled by slash commands. Most mods come with a small readme file, so if it isn't obvious how to use a mod, you should probably check the readme.

Finding Mods

There are many internet websites that specialize in hosting mods for various games. For World of Warcraft, two well-known sites that are worth looking into are WoW interface and Curse Gaming. They are available at many other locations as well, and there are mods that can adjust your interface to the game in just about every way imaginable. Keep looking til you find it! Another great mod, Wowmatrix, helps with updating some of the most popular in-game add-ons making patches less painful.

Note that when new updates and patches change the game, some of your mods may stop working until you download a new version. In fact, the game might deactivate old mods that work just fine. Check for new versions from wherever you obtained the mod, or use WoWace to do the updating for you. If there is no new version, try going into the Add-ons menu and allowing the game to load out-of-date mods.

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This page last modified 2008-06-05 11:24:03.