WAR Addon FAQ!

[Aiiane]

Since there are some common questions that keep popping up, I figured I'd consolidate some answers about WAR addons here. Please note that the answers contained here are those I can provide to the best of my knowledge with regards to the WAR API as is available. Mythic has not yet released official documentation of the API.

Q: Does WAR have addons/mods?
A: Hopefully, if you've read up to here you've realized the answer to this question is yes. In more detail, however, WAR's interface is coded using the Lua scripting language as well as XML window templates, and thus allows modification by user addons written using those language.

Q: Where can I find WAR addons?
A: A large portion of the currently available addons are available at http://war.curse.com/downloads/addons/ (development versions at http://war.curseforge.com as well). The site http://war.mmoui.com also hosts WAR addons.

Q: How do I install WAR addons?
A: First, go to your Warhammer Online directory. Once you're there, look for a folder called Interface (the one inside the "user" folder is not the one you're looking for). If it's not there, create it. Open up the Interface folder (not the one inside the User folder - just <WAR DIR>\Interface) and look inside for a folder called "AddOns". If it's not there (or if you just created the Interface folder), create it. Then open up this AddOns folder. Now, extract the contents of the .zip file for the mod you downloaded into this AddOns folder. Extracting the .zip should create a new subfolder here with the same name as the addon, inside of which should be some files including one that ends in .mod - that's all there is to it! Start up WAR and you should be good to go. Remember, the end result should look something like <WAR DIR>\interface\addons\AddonNameHere where <WAR DIR> is the directory that WAR.exe is located in - don't put addons in the user\interface directory, that's not where they go.

If you want to check if the game is "seeing" the addons and loading them, go to the Customize UI menu, then expand the Addons and UiMods section, and then click Manage - note, unless you know what you're doing, DON'T mess with the Advanced options panel accessible from this window. If you have LibSlash installed, you can also use /addon to open the addon list.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer not to install addons by hand, the Curse Client can install and update addons hosted on Curse.com - all you have to do is select them from a list.

Q: How can I learn about writing WAR addons?
A: The first step is you'll need to know Lua. Lua is a relatively simple scripting language that is used by many games (as well as other programs). You can find documentation on Lua at http://www.lua.org and an online version of the book Programming in Lua (written by the Lua creators) at http://www.lua.org/pil - both are good references. Once you have a basic knowledge of Lua, you can look at the collaborative documentation effort for the WAR API available at http://www.thewarwiki.com/wiki/WAR_API for details about how to create an actual WAR addon. Mythic has not yet released official documentation for the WAR API.

A lot of addon authors also hang out in the #WARUIDev channel on irc.freenode.net - feel free to drop by. We also have a social group on WHA: http://www.warhammeralliance.com/for...hp?groupid=125

Q: Is writing WAR addons the same as writing WoW addons?
A: WAR and WoW both use a combination of Lua and XML for addon creation. Thus, there will certainly be many similarities. However, both the API and the capabilities of addons in each game are somewhat different, so things that work in one may not work in the other.

And now the big question....

Q: Is it possible to do (insert description here) with an addon?
A: I've compiled a couple of lists here, one of things that people have asked for which definitely are possible, and one of things which definitely aren't. If you don't see something listed here, it probably means it's either unclear whether it's possible, or just not a frequent request yet.

Possible:

• Modifying unit frames so they look different (including replacing the default)
• Creating HUD displays
• Modifying buff/debuff displays into different formats (including replacing the default)
• Scrolling combat text
• Filtering/changing alert text
• Moving/customizing tooltips
• Target-of-target display for friendly units only (sort of)
• Chat management (separate windows, ignores, etc.)
• Action-bar customization (limited)
• Career mechanic indicator modifications
• Automatic selection of items to loot once the loot window is opened
• Defensive target locking (players only)
• Auto-sell junk to merchant
• Tradeskill helper mods
• Audio alerts for various events
• ...and many more...

Not possible (without changes by Mythic):

• Target-of-target display for enemies
• AP information for targets not in your group
• Precise hp information for targets (only % is available)
• Casting bars for enemies
• Location of anyone except your group on the map
• Click-casting for any button other than the left mouse button
• Camera control
• Automatic casting of buffs

Q: How do I reset my interface if something goes wrong?
A: The first thing to try would be reseting the UI to default layout, you can do that from Esc Menu -> Customize Interface -> Layout Editor -> Restore Defaults. If that doesn't work, the next thing to try is hard resetting the interface. To do that, go into your WAR directory, and then go into the User folder there. Rename the folder called 'settings' inside the <WAR DIR>\User folder to something else (if it turns out hard resetting doesn't help, you might want to move it back to restore settings). Then try starting up WAR. Note that before doing any resetting, you may wish to delete the folders for any addons that were acting up, so that they don't cause the same issues again!

Q: When I install a new version of a mod, all my settings are gone. How can I keep them?
A: WAR keeps saved settings for a mod on a per-version basis, so that if the new version of a mod stores the settings differently, it won't break things. However, if you're fairly sure the setting storage didn't actually change, you can modify the lastLoadedVersion parameter in the ModSettings.xml file for the addon to match the version number you just installed, and the settings won't be wiped out. You can find the ModSettings.xml file for a mod in <WAR DIR>\User\Settings\SERVERNAME\CHARACTERNAME\PROFILENAME\AddonName\ModSettings.xml - just open it in a text editor, find the lastLoadedVersion="X" (where X is the old version) and change it to be the new version, then save. Make sure to do this before starting WAR again, or else the settings will be wiped out as soon as the interface loads.

Q: Help! I checked "Use Custom Interface" not knowing what it does and now my entire UI is gone?
A: "Use Custom Interface" does not need to be enabled to load addons. This checkbox is used to totally disable the default UI to replace it with another, which is not what most addons do. To turn using a custom interface off, do the following:

Go to <WARDIR>\User\UserSettings.xml while WAR is not running. If you're using Vista, make sure you have access to edit it (may need to run your text editor as administrator). Open the file.

Find this line:
<MainUI path="Interface/Custom" enabled="true" />
Change "true" to "false", and save the file.

Start up WAR again.

Q: Addon _____ doesn't want to save its settings! How can I fix this?
A: Sometimes an issue can pop up where WAR doesn't want to save the settings for certain addons. Most of the time, the problem can be solved by closing WAR, then going to <WAR DIR>\User\Settings\SERVERNAME\CHARACTERNAME\PROFILENAME and deleting the folders corresponding to the addon(s) not properly saving their settings. Some addons might have more than one folder, so look closely. Once the folders are deleted, start up WAR and set up things how you would like them to be, then log out again - your settings should now save.

[mils]

Originally Posted by Aiiane

• Linking items in chat
• Real-world-time clock

They REALLY have to get these two in before retail. ESPECIALLY linking items, this is something every modern mmo does and as they said they are an evolution, yet without that your not an evolution but a de-evolution

[Varking]

Originally Posted by mils

They REALLY have to get these two in before retail. ESPECIALLY linking items, this is something every modern mmo does and as they said they are an evolution, yet without that your not an evolution but a de-evolution

I can understand being slightly upset with the lack of linking items, but what is the huge deal about the clock?

[Rizzen]

This post needs a sticky, thanks for the info.

[thezenny]

Originally Posted by Varking

I can understand being slightly upset with the lack of linking items, but what is the huge deal about the clock?

MMO's are time consuming games and it can be important to keep track of time (for sleep, work, school, etc). In my case, I don't have a clock handy anywhere without having to alt+tab to the desktop.

[PekkaR]

Experience shows that pretty much any program could use an added clock. Or at least there are always some users who would like one and benefit from it.

[Murte]

What are:
TimeUtils.FormatClock()
TimeUtils.FormatSeconds()
TimeUtils.FormatTimeCondensed()
TimeUtils.FormatTime()
TimeUtils.GetFormattedTimeString()
TimeUtils.ParseSeconds()
used for if not a real time clock?

[Roffe]

There's a time stamp option for the chat, so I were much doubt that a real time clock mod is impossible.

[Zypher]

The Timestamp is handled in C, the only functions that interact with it are

LogDisplayGetShowTimestamp()
LogDisplaySetShowTimestamp()

[Aiiane]

Originally Posted by Zypher

The Timestamp is handled in C, the only functions that interact with it are

LogDisplayGetShowTimestamp()
LogDisplaySetShowTimestamp()

Exactly. You might be able to approximate a real-time clock by continually grabbing timestamps from log messages and treating that as the current time; I'll have to play around with it.

[Loekii]

Originally Posted by thezenny

MMO's are time consuming games and it can be important to keep track of time (for sleep, work, school, etc). In my case, I don't have a clock handy anywhere without having to alt+tab to the desktop.

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Call me old school, but I just glance at a real clock or my watch, in those cases. You can get clocks for .99 in some places, so it is an easy solution for someone that must have access to real time. Sorry to sound rude, but it just strikes me as an obviously simplistic solution.

Also, wanna give props to Aiiane for making this post. Thank you for doing it.
[/FONT]

[bigbaba1111]

• Target-of-target display for enemies
• Career information for target window for enemies
• Casting bars for enemies
• Linking items in chat
• Location of anyone except your group on the map
• Click-casting for any button other than the left mouse button
• True real-world-time clock

except for the item linking, i find the rest great! and hopefully, mythic will resist giving people the ability to write addons, which take over the micromanagement of their char in RVR!

such stuppid things like dot/CC timers, proximo, enemycastbar, easy CC/silence without haveing to select the target....can stay in WOW, but should NOT find their way to WAR.

people should play their chars self and not get them played by addons.

[Zypher]

To the person above me, remember that your opinion is just that. Others may have different opinions, but this topic isn't about debate.

[Eckdahl]

Originally Posted by bigbaba1111

• Target-of-target display for enemies
• Career information for target window for enemies
• Casting bars for enemies
• Linking items in chat
• Location of anyone except your group on the map
• Click-casting for any button other than the left mouse button
• True real-world-time clock

except for the item linking, i find the rest great! and hopefully, mythic will resist gieving people the ability to write addons, which take over the mirkomanagement of the char in RVR!

such stuppid things like dot/CC timers, proximo, enemycastbar, easy CC/silence without haveing to select the target....can stay in WOW, but should NOT find their way to WAR.

people should play their chars self and not get them played by addons.

I'm perfectly fine with the lack of your target's career, but it's annoying. From a gameplay and design perspective, they've worked hard to enforce silhouetting (making the different careers visually distinct and recognizable) so this is more of a "focus on the characters, not their unit frames" sort of change...it's just not what I and many others am / are used to. (see: all WoW platewearers sharing the same gear now)

There's no reason not to have a clock available though, especially since the day / night cycle doesn't follow the real world. It need not be intrusive (though the default UI is massively intrusive in my opinion, when viewed at normal scale, and unreadable at lower scales), but the option should be there.

Click-casting can stay gone too...it'd just be a nice way to dump your AP. It's not like there are six action bars worth of skills you'll be using...a comfortable set of keybindings just works in WAR.

Target of Target though? Why not? It's got a grand total of one strong use: healing. Without click casting, hover macros, etc. it's justt nice to be able to see who they're targetting. It's not an unrealistic thing to expect in real life battle: You can clearly see who somebody's attacking. Given the range of how collisions actually work right now, you can't tell which of the four people the enemy is facing the enemy is actually attacking. As long as it's purely a visual indicator (a clickable to target visual indicator), I have no problem with seeing this, and would actually much prefer it.

Who wants to see other people on the map anyway? It's not hard to spot things like the Troll Country scenario Troll Pacifier and it's 100ft high column of light emanating from the bearer. The issue has already been handled. This isn't WoW...there are no hunters...there are no tracking skills.

As for the linking items...With the broken items being repairable for multiple classes, it could well cause as much trouble as it creates. Goodness knows "need vs. greed" is confused enough under that system. That's not reason enough not to include it, but...it makes sense.

[Aiiane]

Please keep the discussion of why or whether things on the "not possible" list should be made possible to other threads. Thanks!