I'm not sure if one has been written before, but I thought I start a guide for add-ons.
Addon FAQs General Information
1. What is an add-on? It is simply a small file(s) that somehow alters the user interface in such a way that it enhances gameplay.
2. Are add-ons allowed by Blizzard? Yes, Add-ons are allowed by Blizzard as they are a lua addon. It's 3rd party software that is not allowed (i.e. botting programs etc.).
3. Is it hard to use an add-on? NO! You simply download the file, extract it and place it in the correct folder: usually open C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft then open "interface" folder and then "Addons" folder (make sure you only have one copy of WoW installed).
4. What do I do next? After placing the files in the "addons" folder, log on to the game. At the character selection window there will be a checkable button "Addons" in the lower left corner.
Complete Instructions
5. Please note that some addons may slow loading time and general performance, so I would limit yourself to a few of your most useful.
6. Some addons have dependencies- This means that they require another addon to function properly I will try to point these out.
7. Addons become "out of date" with each patch release. Some addons will continue to work fine whereas others will no longer function properly. Always check back with the site you downloaded from to look for updates after a patch (may take a week or two). To use an "out of date" addon, click on the load out of date addons box in the user inferface.
8. Many addons have multplie components (CT mods, cosmos) that the user can choose to turn on and off in the addons interface menu.
9. Addons may have conflict with other addons, most usually in spacing. For example, titan panel may partially cover the a stat counting addon that also sites at the top of the screen.
OK now for a list of some addon sites:
http://www.curse-gaming.com
http://ui.worldofwar.net/
http://www.wowinterface.com/
I will try to list some very basic ones that are applicable to all players and then, over time, add more class, profession, PvP, raid, etc specific addons. In general, I will try to keep the list more of a beginner's guide. Also please feel free to add your favorites too with a brief description. I will try to use the correct names, plus each name will be linked to the download site for a full description.
BASIC ADDONS- These are only the very basic, few addons that everyone might benefit from
Titan Panel Excellent addon, It provides general information on everything like bag status, money, location, PvP flag, group settings, regeneration rates (MP, HP), system performance, XP earned/time to next level, coords etc. The panel takes up minimal space and is very customizable.
Auctioneer This addon scans the AH and will, over time, provide suggested prices for items you want to sell and buy. Plus it tells you the vendor prices too. Can be a bit of a memory hog
Enchantrix This addon tells you what an item D/E's into. Very good for deciding whether to AH and item or get it D/E'd
CT Mailmod This streamlines your time at the mailbox. It allows you to send up to 21 items at once to a toon as well as open multiple mails in a row. Items can also be forwarded
Flexbar One of my favorites. This allows you to place scalable (can adjust size) buttons anywhere on your screen. So if you are a "clicker" like me I can keep all my important abilities/spells in a very accessible portion of my window. Initial set-up is a little time consuming
Drag Queen This allows you to drag windows (like open bag) around the screen. It's nice if you want a window open, but that window covers something you want to see. It can be a little buggy and sometimes the "window" drags, but not the contents.
CooldownCount Displays a visual number for abilities/spells cooldown -->Thx to Turicus
Atlas Atlas is a user interface addon for World of Warcraft that provides a number of additional maps as well as an in-game map browser. Also has Instance maps. -->Thx to Turicus
TRADESKILLS
----GENERAL
Profession Helper This addon allows you to quickly advertise your crafted items by listing what you can do, reagents required and your price.
Recipe Radar This addon identifies what recipes are available from vendors in your area on on the world map.
----ENCHANTING
Enchantrix This addon tells you what an item D/E's into. Very good for deciding whether to AH and item or get it D/E'd
Safe Enchanter This makes you confirm a disenchant by showing you the item by name and quality. No more accidental D/E's
EnchantingDB Provides the current market value of enchanting reagents so you can decide quickly how much to sell an enchantment for. Note: Auctioneer is a suggested addon (to get the prices, I think)
----MINING
Gatherer This addon tracks each node that you mine, so that after time, you build up a database of mining areas that show on your minimap. Also works for herbalism and treasure.
----HERBALISM
Gatherer This addon tracks each herb you gather, so that after time, you build up a database of herb locations that show on your minimap. Also works for mining and treasure.
----FISHING
Fishing Buddy This keeps track of where you've caught fish giving you a database that will tell you your best percentages for a particular fish. Plus it makes casting, changing gear, and adding lures easier. Also has preliminary info on tracking "cycle fish" like nightfin snapper or winter squid. Offers full titan panel support.
CLASS SPECIFIC
----Warrior
Warrior This addon lets you easily cycle through your stances as well as create key bindings for your abilities as the author states "Warrior is what I like to refer to as a smart keybinding mod. Meaning you can bind a single key to perform different actions based on a set of conditions or spell availablity"
OverPowerAlert This addon makes sure you never miss an overpower chance again.
----Mage
Fountain This addon gives conjured water to anyone that whispers you with the word "water". Good for groups/raids
Magex This addon adds several options, such as auto buff (arcane intellect etc.), reagent tracking, and portal management.
novawatch shows a bar of how long your frostnova should hold (with no damage to target). also shows frost novae by other nearby players. -->Thx to Turicus
sheepwatch same as novawatch for polymorph. -->Thx to Turicus
----Hunter: (Provided by Mazra-Thx!)
RangeHelp
Automatically switches actionbar pages depending on how far away from your target you are. Useful for saving space as you can put your ranged abilities on one page and your melee abilities on another and have it switch between them when you get within/out of range.
RangeRecolor
Changes the color of your actionbar buttons when out of range, out of mana etc. Also works with other classes.
Feed Pet Button
A movable button wherein you can put your pet food. When you pet turns unhappy, just click the button and it'll feed your pet.
Feed Pet Button Modified
Automatically feeds your pet when it turns unhappy.
Sorren's Hunter Timers
Shows timers for various spells and abilities like Hunter's Mark, Trap duration (before and after being triggered), Wing Clip etc. Also gives your Aimed Shot a cast bar.
----Warlock
necrosis LdC: Helps manage your summon, healthstone, shard etc. -->Thx to Turicus
More to come! please add suggestions!
Edited, Nov 18th 2006 at 7:28am PST by webbstock
Edited, Nov 22nd 2006 9:10am by webbstock