WoW Tips and Tricks

[sky_]

Just throwing up a thread as an NZG reference for little tips and tricks to share.

Anti-aliasing:
"This has come up occasionally. The full screen Bloom effect is essentially incompatible with Full Screen AntiAliasing. Disabling the Bloom should allow you to utilize and configure AA as you are accustomed."

Fix is to hard-set AA in your video card options. Disable the full-screen glowing effect. Supposedly works, haven't tested yet.


Paladins:
I keep seeing paladins who don't "buff" themselves when fighting. Make sure you have at least the Blessing of Might on you while fighting. Take care to use Judgement on your Seals and work out decent combinations. Quite often, different classes of monsters should have different combinations used against them. Think about it and experiment.

Custom UI:
www.cosmosui.org - Your friend. Get the Beta version. Back up your WoW's Interface directory and extract. Launch WoW via the Cosmos.exe program. If anything ever turns to custard, just remove your interfaces directory - WoW should download and recover.

[Cyberbob]

As a hunter, ALWAYS turn off "aspect of the hawk" before going into a different zone. It's bugged.

Let me give you this example.

say your total ranged attack power is currently 100.
When you turn on aspect of the hawk, it goes up to 130. (100+30)
When you turn it off, it'll go back down to 100. (130-30)

HOWEVER.

If you have it on (total 130), and go into another zone, it resets all stats, but doesnt take aspect of the hawk into account. (goes back down to 100)
When you turn it off, it will think the effects are still applied, and drops it further than it should. (100-30) Leaving you with a total attacking power of 70.
Turn it back on, it's only at 100. (70+30)

You'll have to re-equip your ranged weapon to get your true stats to show again. Sometimes this doesnt even work, and requires logging out.

Aside from that, Hunters rule!

[Evoke]

Originally posted by sky_

Anti-aliasing:
"This has come up occasionally. The full screen Bloom effect is essentially incompatible with Full Screen AntiAliasing. Disabling the Bloom should allow you to utilize and configure AA as you are accustomed."

Fix is to hard-set AA in your video card options. Disable the full-screen glowing effect. Supposedly works, haven't tested yet.

can you explain this a bit further? I saw somewhere that you should turn AA to full, so I did that, and the game looked like a smudge of charcoal in a sea of pastel. Turned it off (Let application control AA) and it's fine again.

[Roco]

Also the full screen bloom setting is ass on my machine.
If its on, i get a large blocky tiling effect on the screen (19" LCD).

GF-6600GT AGP.

[Baal]

Originally posted by sky_
Custom UI:
www.cosmosui.org - Your friend. Get the Beta version. Back up your WoW's Interface directory and extract. Launch WoW via the Cosmos.exe program. If anything ever turns to custard, just remove your interfaces directory - WoW should download and recover.

Noting that if you want something a little less heavy than Cosmos (I just wanted more buttons and buff timers, not all the other guff) there are a few other options.

CTMod
I use this, it's nice.

Gypsymod
Don't know much about it, and to be honest the layout screenshots didn't appeal.

[sky_]

Originally posted by Evoke
can you explain this a bit further? I saw somewhere that you should turn AA to full, so I did that, and the game looked like a smudge of charcoal in a sea of pastel. Turned it off (Let application control AA) and it's fine again.

No clue. Turning on AA to 4x with the NVidia card tools just did the proper antialiasing for me. Update video card drivers?


Mining:
If you're a miner and starting out, then you need copper. Best place for this is Dun Murough (sp?) around hills on the western side. Best place for copper and tin is Loch Modan. Simply travel around the land, hugging the mountains and you should come out with a nice haul.

[Yoda]

Originally posted by sky_
Btw guys: ALT + z gets rid of the HUD for s/shots.

[Zag0r]

nurfed is a very nice minimal UI mod: www.nurfed.com
automatically creates slots for potions.

if you get the loot bug - your char is stuck in a crouching position and you can't look or talk to npcs etc, and logging out doesn't fix it
: delete the WTF and WTB folders from your wow dir.

[TheReaper]

Don't waste your money in the AH on silly upgrades.

Quest for your gear and weapons.

Save your gold because at level 40 you're going to need it for your mount.

[sky_]

..unless you're a pally ;D

[Evoke]

download wowreader from http://wow.allakhazam.com
it's cool

it uploads data automatically to the server, sharing quests, and you can even show off your guild and char thusly:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/guildro...rver=Frostwolf

[Phantom]

To speed up quest text: -

/script QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS=600000
/script RegisterForSave("QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS")

[FireStorm]

Originally posted by Phantom
To speed up quest text: -

/script QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS=600000
/script RegisterForSave("QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS")

What are you meant to do with that?

[Phantom]

You type it in whilst playing.

[SID|DensitY]

Originally posted by sky_
..unless you're a pally ;D

or a druid like me and gonna use travel form for everything

[FireStorm]

Originally posted by Phantom
You type it in whilst playing.

Ahhh, thanks.

[Spink]

You can also copy and paste it

[Nightcrawler]

not that i have any exp with this.. couldnt u put that in as a macro and execute it like that?
prolly what it was intended for... :P

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Nightcrawler
not that i have any exp with this.. couldnt u put that in as a macro and execute it like that?
prolly what it was intended for... :P

If you read it, you can see that it's a "fire once" script; you change the value then tell warcraft to permanently save it. It's not rocket science

[Nightcrawler]

by fire once you mean what?
it can only be used once?
you have to do it each time you read a quest?
changing what value? and what for?

[sky_]

Originally posted by Nightcrawler
by fire once you mean what?
it can only be used once?
you have to do it each time you read a quest?
changing what value? and what for?

You type or copy and paste the text and the rate at which the quests are read out are increased. Permanently. If you need further clarfication, message someone.. keep the thread clean.

[Gambit]

Originally posted by Phantom
To speed up quest text: -

/script QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS=600000
/script RegisterForSave("QUEST_DESCRIPTION_GRADIENT_CPS")

www.cosmosui.org

get cosmos... then u dotn need that macro.. theres an option in cosmos that will speed it up for u

[Yoda]

Drive-by buffing rocks! Don't be afraid to hand out the buffs....

[blur^]

Originally posted by SID|DensitY
or a druid like me and gonna use travel form for everything

mounts are faster then travel form

[Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by sky_
You type or copy and paste the text and the rate at which the quests are read out are increased. Permanently. If you need further clarfication, message someone.. keep the thread clean.

Cheers sky_, all i needed to know

[RedeviL]

Read your quest info twice before asking for directions.
If it's vague and says, 'In Stormwind' - fair enough, but if it narrows it down to an area, 'In Old Town in Stormwind', don't ask for exact directions. Explore abit, the place isn't THAT big.

The guards will give you directions, and a waypoint on your map to certain people. Very useful.

If your unable to still locate the person, Thottbot. It has location maps and everything.

From the Spink:
Kill x number of mob quests are a suggestion on where you should fight for the quest level. Try to avoid getting bogged down by old kill quests that have turned green. They're not worth the time and effort - even with the quest bonus at the end, unless of course if the quest gives an item you need.

Once you find the leveling 'groove' you'll fly along.
Don't forget to plan your quest Completetions.
If you time them right, complete the tasks of quests but leave them until you log back on, when you Complete them, the exp will push the Rest experience along rather than using it up. Really just a personal morale thing than a real gain - but it gets you into the mood of the game quickly. At least does for me.

On the Rest Experience side:
Always camp out in a major city or an Inn. This will give you a very nice exp bonus when you log back on and kill things. In the range of 150% the exp. To locate places you can log out and gain Rest experience, watch your character icon up the top left - in the bottom left cornor of the portrait is a circle that shows you level.

This icon changes to swords when your in combat, level when out and turns into a Speech bubble with zzz when you are in a 'Rest' area. You will also receive the text message 'You feel rested'. You can then camp out and reap the rewards.

Additionally, your exp bar will change from a purple to a blue.

[OY636]

I tried out Gypsy this morning. And it is crap. So don't bother.

Cosmos is a lot better.

[Spink]

Hey now, Green quests can be some of the best solo xp. You should avoid clearing all your orange/red quests with a group or you may end up with no quests at all in a few levels

[RedeviL]

'Can be' :P

Alot Ive found can be long and drawn out, and definitly not worth the end reward.

I found it far faster to stick to yellow quests only - trying to avoid the orange or red ones till they become yellow.

Obviously theres the odd one that isn't so much, Kill this many mobs - but rather a run around and complete these tasks - Those are my own exception, if I can use the reward.

[RedeviL]

Originally posted by Evoke
download wowreader from http://wow.allakhazam.com
it's cool

it uploads data automatically to the server, sharing quests, and you can even show off your guild and char thusly:

http://wow.allakhazam.com/db/guildro...rver=Frostwolf

Have to see if this works with Cosmos - since Thott's profile creator is not work.

[Yoda]

http://www.andorion.com/

http://www.kaldorei.com/worldmap/

[OY636]

^^^^ the kaldorei one, thanks for that.

On my wanders I often wonder where I should go to find the flight path when entering a new area.

[Rince]

Originally posted by Yoda
http://www.andorion.com/

http://www.kaldorei.com/worldmap/

nice

[Zag0r]

Originally posted by OY636
I tried out Gypsy this morning. And it is crap. So don't bother.

Cosmos is a lot better.

cosmos is hardly bugfree, and has/has had fps issues.

what's so bad about gypsy?

[OY636]

I play a hunter and when you summoned a pet the Pet action bar fell on top of other bars.

I didn't like the way it order your picture and the person you were attacking.

I am slack and to make me happy with it I had to change to much from the default layout. Cosmos, meant I didn't have to chnage anything.

[Spidey]

priest, run in an area where you are meant to do a quest, fear them loot them run out untouched ^^

[Zag0r]

you do realise all the guis bits can be dragged around and put wherever you want with gypsy?
ie. you can move your player picture, target picture, and party pictures around.

[Cyberbob]

Originally posted by OY636
I play a hunter and when you summoned a pet the Pet action bar fell on top of other bars.

I didn't like the way it order your picture and the person you were attacking.

I am slack and to make me happy with it I had to change to much from the default layout. Cosmos, meant I didn't have to chnage anything.

I can't figure out of this is a good thing or a bad thing.

I'm a hunter too, and have no problem with the way cosmos displays the bars

[FireStorm]

Originally posted by Cyberbob
I can't figure out of this is a good thing or a bad thing.

I'm a hunter too, and have no problem with the way cosmos displays the bars

Hey's not talking about cosmos...

[OY636]

I was talking about Gypsy. And why I don't like it.