How do you manage your debuffs/cooldowns?

[Mordekhuul]

With the pre-Cataclysm patch imminent, I've been looking at re-vamping my UI a bit, particularly in light of certain mods not being in working condition when I try them on beta (namely DoTimer and TellMeWhen).

Cooldowns - for PVP and PVE you need to know at a glance which cooldowns are just about to come up and which are available. I've been using a combination of TellMeWhen and DoTimer for this (the cooldown anchor of DoTimer, well customized to show only large icons with timers).

Debuffs - for PVP and PVE, it is important for most classes to have a quick glance on when debuffs they have on mobs are about to expire or have been dispelled. I use TellMeWhen for this, for the important ones.

How do you do it?

Click the following image to see a full screen version of my current live UI:


Note that across the feet of my toon and below it are two rows of 4 (large) icons. That is "TellMeWhen". Those icons only show up when one of my major cooldowns is "on cooldown", with a nice timer for how long until available, or when an important debuff is up on my target (note flame shock with a timer).

Below that, just above my unit frames, you can see DoTimer's cooldown anchor. It shows an icon for anything that is on cooldown (except I've blocked certain timers that are already shown by TellMeWhen), and organizes them from coming off cooldown soonest (right-most) to furthest from being available (left-most).

I look at the TMW icons by far the most. By design, these are the big icons that are very obvious at a glance what is not yet up and how long until it is.

The DoTimer icons are more for reference, like if I wonder "When is Bloodlust off cooldown? or whether Astral Recall is off cooldown."

P.S. I also posted this on the Keeper forums, and feel free to read responses there if the topic interests you - they receive less traffic than the Lurker Lounge, however.

[shoju]

I use a lot of class specific addons and I'm sad to hear that you are saying these addons aren't in working order I was contemplating making the switch to more streamlined add ons.

Right now I use

CLCBPT - Holy Paladin
Mage Fever - mage
Shock and Awe - Shaman

are the most popular ones I use, Some of the others are old archaic add ons that I have patched up the best I can to keep running.

[Ziig]

I use CoolLine (scrolls icons across a timeline), Satrina's Buff Frames, and Power Auras Classic to help keep track of cooldowns and buffs. For debuffs on the target, I use the auras the Shadowed Unit Frames provide. I filter it just so it shows my debuffs. Hope that helps, either in what or what not to do .

[LavCat]

My shaman uses ShamanFriend and my warlock uses DrainSouler. I can't stand having UI elements in the middle of my screen.

[PapaSmurf]

I moved from dotimer to fortexorcist some time ago. It has a cooldown bar very similar to what you have from dotimer. Fortexorcist has been getting updates lately so it will surely be updated for 4.0. I use fortexorcist to show me when an buff procs have occured, track hidden cooldowns on trinkets, track cooldowns for "on use abilities". I also use it to track all debuffs on my targets. I actually like it better than dotimer.

---

I moved from dotimer to fortexorcist some time ago. It has a cooldown bar very similar to what you have from dotimer. Fortexorcist has been getting updates lately so it will surely be updated for 4.0. I use fortexorcist to show me when an buff procs have occured, track hidden cooldowns on trinkets, track cooldowns for "on use abilities". I also use it to track all debuffs on my targets. I actually like it better than dotimer.

And while fortexorcist is targeted at warlocks. I works fantastically well for my druid. I don't use squakandawe because forte does everything I want it to do for eclipse tracking.

[Treesh]

I moved from dotimer to fortexorcist some time ago. It has a cooldown bar very similar to what you have from dotimer. Fortexorcist has been getting updates lately so it will surely be updated for 4.0. I use fortexorcist to show me when an buff procs have occured, track hidden cooldowns on trinkets, track cooldowns for "on use abilities". I also use it to track all debuffs on my targets. I actually like it better than dotimer.

---

I moved from dotimer to fortexorcist some time ago. It has a cooldown bar very similar to what you have from dotimer. Fortexorcist has been getting updates lately so it will surely be updated for 4.0. I use fortexorcist to show me when an buff procs have occured, track hidden cooldowns on trinkets, track cooldowns for "on use abilities". I also use it to track all debuffs on my targets. I actually like it better than dotimer.

And while fortexorcist is targeted at warlocks. I works fantastically well for my druid. I don't use squakandawe because forte does everything I want it to do for eclipse tracking.

Does fortexorcist allow you to see HoTs that the other healers cast on people? Or the tank abilities that decrease the damage taken so when it wears off I know they're going to take more healing? Or is it basically JUST for dpsers?

[TheDragoon]

I currently use ClassTimer for all of my characters. I should probably check to see if it will still work in Cataclysm.

[Mordekhuul]

Fortexorcist has been getting updates lately so it will surely be updated for 4.0. I use fortexorcist to show me when an buff procs have occured, track hidden cooldowns on trinkets, track cooldowns for "on use abilities". I also use it to track all debuffs on my targets. I actually like it better than dotimer.

And while fortexorcist is targeted at warlocks. I works fantastically well for my druid. I don't use squakandawe because forte does everything I want it to do for eclipse tracking.
[/quote]

I gave Forte a look in beta, and it seems to be in perfect working order already. FYI.

Thanks for the posts, all...keep them coming, and any screenshots are welcome. I'm always looking at a new expansion as a time to refine/modify my UI

[Mavfin]

I currently use ClassTimer for all of my characters. I should probably check to see if it will still work in Cataclysm.

That's what I use. Hope it still works.

[RTM]

Did you try out this version of TellMeWhen, Morde? I would be INCREDIBLY sad if I couldn't get TMW working. It's a major part of my interface.

It doesn't look like there's an updated version of NeedToKnow yet, but there are lots of other timer bar addons out there that I suppose I can futz with. I really need to log on to the PTR to see what kind of shape my interface is in. My guess is "very bad".

[Mordekhuul]

Did you try out this version of TellMeWhen, Morde? I would be INCREDIBLY sad if I couldn't get TMW working. It's a major part of my interface.

It doesn't look like there's an updated version of NeedToKnow yet, but there are lots of other timer bar addons out there that I suppose I can futz with. I really need to log on to the PTR to see what kind of shape my interface is in. My guess is "very bad".

Nice - I haven't tried that cataclysm version yet. I'll let you know.

NeedToKnow works fine in beta. I did notice that NeedToKnow, Forte, and probably others don't seem to handle the Lava Burst cooldown well in beta.

They seem to set a timer for the cooldown and don't drop it to zero when Lava Surge procs (resets the cooldown). Maybe TMW or Classtimers or Satrina will handle that case better, as Lava Burst coming off cooldown early will be a major part of elemental shaman DPS in Cataclysm.

[Jester]

I kinda eyeball it.

Probably best I don't play a dot class.

-Jester

[Mordekhuul]

Nice tip on the Cataclysm-friendly version of TMW! It not only works, it works better than any of the other cooldown timer mods I've tried, in that it actually responds to Lava Surge procs.

If Lava Burst is on cooldown and Lava Surge procs, the Lava Burst icon immediately goes away, indicating it is off cooldown. The other times (forte, neettoknow, others) continue counting down even when lava surge procs, as if the ability is on cooldown, even though I can cast it already.

I think I'll use TMW for my major cooldowns, a single NeedToKnow bar for a Flame Shock timer on my current target, and ForteXorcist to catch any miscellaneous, less important cooldowns. Something like the following screen, only with filtering out anything shown in the TMW icons.

Click the image for a full screen view:


Thanks!

[LavCat]

I don't suppose anyone knows an addon that can figure out when your target has used their trinket?

[Treesh]

I don't suppose anyone knows an addon that can figure out when your target has used their trinket?

Natur's has bars for your target's cooldowns.

[Mordekhuul]

I don't suppose anyone knows an addon that can figure out when your target has used their trinket?

Natur's has bars for your target's cooldowns.

Afflicted is another good addon for showing enemy cooldowns/buffs/etc, though in the past it has been a bit buggy. The version I have in live, taken from a compliation of addons someone put together, works well, but...

If you want to blow your mind in PVP, you might try a mod called Plate Buffs, and be sure you have enemy nameplates turned on. What it does for your awareness of when enemies use cooldowns like pain suppression, divine shield, or are under any form of CC/slow is not much short of amazing.

[LavCat]

I don't suppose anyone knows an addon that can figure out when your target has used their trinket?

Natur's has bars for your target's cooldowns.

Afflicted is another good addon for showing enemy cooldowns/buffs/etc, though in the past it has been a bit buggy. The version I have in live, taken from a compliation of addons someone put together, works well, but...

If you want to blow your mind in PVP, you might try a mod called Plate Buffs, and be sure you have enemy nameplates turned on. What it does for your awareness of when enemies use cooldowns like pain suppression, divine shield, or are under any form of CC/slow is not much short of amazing.

I just read up on platebuffs, thanks. Unless I am wrong, it takes the buffs/debuffs from your target icon that show in the vanilla WoW UI and displays them over the target's head. Trinketing though is not a buff or a debuff (though of course it removes debuffs) and, correct me if I am wrong, trinketing does not show explicitly in the combat log. At least I have never noticed such a message. I think an addon would have to infer trinket use from removal of debuffs, and who removed them, e.g. if you removed your own fear or polymorph, you probably used your trinket (or Every Man for Himself, if you happen to be human).

From the screen shots I also had a problem with platebuffs' UI because it sticks the information in the middle of the screen, whereas the vanilla UI shows the information at the top of the screen.

I don't think I would even need to see a cooldown timer. What would help is just something that would play a sound when your target trinkets. There is of course the problem of remembering what the sound is for. One of my characters uses an addon that plays a sound when something happens, but I can't remember which character or event, and what the sound actually means. Usually I think it is a problem with the sound card.

[Mordekhuul]

I don't suppose anyone knows an addon that can figure out when your target has used their trinket?

Natur's has bars for your target's cooldowns.

Afflicted is another good addon for showing enemy cooldowns/buffs/etc, though in the past it has been a bit buggy. The version I have in live, taken from a compliation of addons someone put together, works well, but...

If you want to blow your mind in PVP, you might try a mod called Plate Buffs, and be sure you have enemy nameplates turned on. What it does for your awareness of when enemies use cooldowns like pain suppression, divine shield, or are under any form of CC/slow is not much short of amazing.

I just read up on platebuffs, thanks. Unless I am wrong, it takes the buffs/debuffs from your target icon that show in the vanilla WoW UI and displays them over the target's head. Trinketing though is not a buff or a debuff (though of course it removes debuffs) and, correct me if I am wrong, trinketing does not show explicitly in the combat log. At least I have never noticed such a message. I think an addon would have to infer trinket use from removal of debuffs, and who removed them, e.g. if you removed your own fear or polymorph, you probably used your trinket (or Every Man for Himself, if you happen to be human).

From the screen shots I also had a problem with platebuffs' UI because it sticks the information in the middle of the screen, whereas the vanilla UI shows the information at the top of the screen.

I don't think I would even need to see a cooldown timer. What would help is just something that would play a sound when your target trinkets. There is of course the problem of remembering what the sound is for. One of my characters uses an addon that plays a sound when something happens, but I can't remember which character or event, and what the sound actually means. Usually I think it is a problem with the sound card.

Yeah - platebuffs is not for showing enemy cooldowns. Just thought I'd mention it. it is for showing enemy buffs/debuffs (the important ones..and you can filter it down to just ones you really care about) in a way that is a ton more obvious than they are normally presented....like, see that that priest just used PS on another player you are fighting out of the corner of your eye, even though you don't have that player targeted atm.