Whats so wrong about Default UI?

[Synaxis]

I cannot comfortably play the game in default UI.. it makes me cry to think there are actually people that can.

/shudder

[mags is aman]

I used the default UI for ages in BC, i healed in SSC and TK with it... resto shammy life beams ftw. but as i got more used to the game, i realized things i didnt like, and gradually changed them via mods to meet my wants. ( notice, not needs)

[Gramgaido]

Unit Frames in the left corner are terrible, which is going to be changeable come 4.1.
Default action bars are messy, tacky, and inefficient.
I haven't had much experience with the new raid frames in stock but I hear good things, Grid however is highly customizable to help manage debuffs/buffs/mechanics in a raid.

That's about it for me, default UI isn't quite as bad as it used to be, but addons typically do things much better. I wouldn't stress a UI too heavily unless you need an efficent setup or heavy amounts of information the default doesn't provide (for instance tanks).

[skrump]

Top 3 big issues I have with default UI is

#1 Placement of player/target frames
#2 Gryphons (stops me from putting the chat window at the very bottom left of my screen
#3 Chat window (text box should be at the top instead of the bottom)

The other thing that annoys me is the keybind system I much prefer the way you set keybinds with Dominos

[roboscorcher]

What's wrong is that you could have your buttons much closer than you have them now. On a big screen, constantly moving your mouse to the edge of the screen for obscure spells takes too much time for endgame demands.

[Nereth]

What's wrong is that you could have your buttons much closer than you have them now. On a big screen, constantly moving your mouse to the edge of the screen for obscure spells takes too much time for endgame demands.

So does clicking.

[Anthas]

Nothing is wrong with the default UI. I have used it since I started, and I've been around since 12/04. It's all personal preference. I wish Blizzard would consider organizing a few things (buffs under my portrait, option to remove mini-map, etc) but other than that, I'm fine with it. The only thing about the default look that bothers me the most is the font. It's hard to read without jacking up the UI scale (which throws everything else out of whack).

[ComputerNerd]

Using addons allow you to customise the interface to display the information you want to know about.
There are many flaws with the default which can make it difficult to notice something specific and often important during combat when you are otherwise distracted.
That is where the likes of PowerAuras or similar really come into their own with you able to create visual and audiable alerts for something such as a specific buff on a hostile target which on the default unitframes could be missed easily.
It is the choice of a player what they do or do not use, but blizzard were brave and honest in allowing such capability in the first place.
While many can praise the default, blizzard were willing to admit it has some failings so being able to customise to the extent we can is a brave decision, and one that I feel has hugely improved the game.

[silentk59]

There isnt anything wrong with using it, its just that its easier to most to use a Unitframes addon. I personally love X-perl I wouldnt play without it. All I really need is that and DBM and Iam set. There are a bunch that you would practically require to raid but if your not in a hardcore guild that raids a bunch you dont even need them. If there not on when I use an alt Iam leveling I dont mind but I like to see my exact health and pets target and all that technical stuff when I play my main or capped level toon.

[Zidius]

i prefer having everything near the bottom of my screen (my character portrait, map, and spells as well as recount and omen)

I usually run with DBM turned off (minus fights with lots of spell CDs to watch) and have been praised for my awareness a couple times

When i'm healing i use the default raid UI because it does everything i need it to do; shows dispellable debuffs lets me watch other healers mana.

AND its latency is based on the game latency and shows more accurate health percentages, paired with clique it works just as well as healbot (save for requiring a cast actionbutton# macro for Holy: Words)

I try to keep add-on usage to a minimum after my nightmare of a UI in TBC...Ofc this is mainly because i am lazy and do not tolerate high maintenance add-ons that require lots of tweaking to get just right

[Deleted]

Nothing is wrong with using the Standard UI. Some of the best players do (for tournament reasons).

However, the Standard UI does have some practical limitations:
-tracking DoTs is hard
-lots of space is wasted on art-designs
-Player and Target-Frames aren't in your field-of-view

But besides that, it's fine. It's just that once you've become used to a certain level of customization, it's hard to switch back.

[fizikz]

Nah, there have been many improvements over the years, but i still like the looks of xperl better.

[Faenskap]

I'm using Dominos for my action bars. It's so easy that even I can understand it. I get the action bars closer together. I can make some action bars invisible, but still be there! I find it handy for those spells you use, but not so often, such as buffs, Leap of Faith, Hymns (yes, I play a priest), and keybinding is so simple (not that I keybind too much)!

However, I'm still using the Blizzard unit frames. I've been trying MoveAnything (if that's the correct name), but it didn't work as I wanted it to (DK runes, casting bars, target of target got screwed up), so I gave up. PitBull... too complicated. Never used x-perl, but I think it's ugly. IceHuD... just wasn't something for me, I guess.
Also using grid, though I'm a dps. It doesn't take too much space on my screen, and it gives useful information about my fellow raid members.

Despite having played for four years, I still don't know shit about UIs, addons (install them, yes, but not how to move timers on DBM, make PitBull look the way I want etc) and how to make it all look good. Neither do I have the patience to sit there and configure everything. I like Blizzard's unit frames. It gives the information I need for health, mana, target's casting bar, buffs and debuffs, as well as a portrait, so I get the idea of what chars look like. A name isn't enough for me. I am looking forward 4.1 though, where I can move the unit frames (myself, target and target of target) Yay!

I have looked at different UIs, and few, if any, had Blizzards unit frames. Being in a 2/13 heroic guild, I feel it's noobish to still use that, but I'm the one playing, and it works for me.

tl;dr: Dominos, Blizz' unit frames, I'm a noob with this shit. (putting everything in parentheses is fun!)

[Deleted]

The default UI is not very user-friendly... at least when in a raid environment. Having to look in the upper left hand corner to see health bars is the biggest issue. You look up there, and you could take 2-3 extra ticks of fire damage.

I think that is the only thing I would consider to be a actual issue. The rest is all about looks. I'm sure you have noticed how ugly and unfriendly the UI is. But I like a cleaner, easily read UI.

If you need to look at your health bar to check for fire on the ground, then you're doing it wrong... :P

OT: That said, for aesthetics, a mod is usually a lot better, and sometimes more useful in regards to raids/PVP, but it depends on what you prefer and can work with yourself. So it's not bad to use it, it just depends what you need and want with it.

[Jaerin]

No not at all. In fact in Wrath and Cata the UI has become more functional without addons at all.

The only thing addons do is organize and present information in different ways, and in some cases provide means to quickly shortcut to certain abilities and activities. The information isn't absolutely necessary to play your class at the top of its game and the shortcuts can all be written using ingame macros.

Addons allow you to customize things to a system that works well for you. It doesn't give anyone a direct advantage over someone else.

[Papabull]

I use the default UI. Been using it since the game came out. I have tried other UI's but always found myself going back to default. It is always a good laugh whenever a patch comes out and all I read is guildies bitching about their UI's not working or getting errors.

[Zero infiniti]

i make due with the default UI. the only mod i have is the magic runes that makes the DK runes look pretty and put them under my character plate

i look forward to 4.1 and moving the unit frames around, although i hide them when i'm on a dps class, it'll be nice to be able to move them a little more out of the way. i've healed, tanked, and dps'd for 3 years with the default UI and haven't had any issues. i can say the only problem i tend to have is with (dk particularly) is having to watch the runes in the corner and my cooldowns as they don't line up well and i can easily get out of whack, this makes it more difficult to keep an eye on the battle field.

and yes i do keyboard turn and click half my buttons

[Mitak]

Default UI is OK, but if you have a 22"+ monitor, then its a disadvntage as everything is far away and you really have to move your eyes to the end of the screen to see debus, and then back down to see if you are not standing in fire, trust me you really loose like a second or more. I love how clean it is though. I reently started using bartender and i made it even cleaner than deafault UI and im very happy with it.

[Toonaphish]

I think its important to point out that there's no problem using the default UI in its current state, but in Vanilla and even TBC, the default UI had nowhere near as many odds and end as it does now.