Filed under: The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: BlizzCon UI wrap up commentary and analysis

by Matthew Porter Oct 24th 2008 at 7:00PM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

Whelp, BlizzCon 08 is slowly fading to memory, but before it's completely out of our mind I wanted to take one last look and comment on some of the insight we got on how Blizzard design's their interfaces. Also the big 3.0 patch hit and I hope you're enjoying it. If you're anything like me it's been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows as I discover all the new features. For today, we'll take a look at the state of the interface and addon world with an analysis and commentary recap on the UI news that came out of BlizzCon. I wanted to look at that earlier, but the new patch took us by storm and made me rethink some issues. So kick back, relax, and get comfy as we examine where we're at and where we're going in the world of addons.

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center, BlizzCon

The Creamy GUI Center: Beginner Addons

by Matthew Porter Sep 16th 2008 at 10:00PM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

Welcome readers to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. With the expansion's release imminent and the new Recruit a Friend system creating buzz and attracting new and returning players, I thought this week we'd get back to basics with a look at addon essentials. Don't worry UI enthusiasts, in the coming weeks I'll be taking a look at more advanced addons, and what to expect from interface enhancements in Wrath. This week we'll look at addons that help new players and are considered "must haves." So if you're a new player or just want to take the first plunge into the addictive world of addons and UI enhancements, this one's for you.

Filed under: Add-Ons, Guides, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center Hardware Edition: Ideazon Fang Gamepad

by Matthew Porter Aug 30th 2008 at 10:00PM

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center, Hardware

The Creamy GUI Center: Communications

by Matthew Porter Aug 16th 2008 at 11:00PM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

Let's face it, WoW without chatting to your party, guild, or friends would be pretty boring. One of the major reasons we log in sometimes is to see what everyone's up to. So when you stop and think about it, that little chat box is a cornerstone to the user interface. We spend a good chunk of the time when logged in looking at it. We might as well try to make it as functionally and aesthetically pleasing as we can. This week we'll look at addons that spruce up our chat box and help us communicate better. We'll also check out addons that help keep track of our whispers to other players, and addons that grab our attention when there's activity in the chat window. Let's get to it!

Filed under: The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center Hardware Edition: Logitech G series keyboard

by Matthew Porter Aug 9th 2008 at 10:00PM

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center, Hardware

The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout Part III

by Matthew Porter Aug 2nd 2008 at 10:30PM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

I'm back this week to finish our look at inventory manager addons. In the last two parts we looked at addons that helped you organize and sort your inventory. Now we know exactly where to find that nifty new doodad you just got but how do you quickly equip it when you need it? We'll solve that question this week with a look at addons that help you swap equipment around in the thick of adventuring. With so many items that have a particular use,, the addons reviewed this week will hopefully take some of the hassle out of using them. And for those classes that have different sets of gear for different occasions, these addons will help you out the most. So let's get right into it with a look at outfit and gear managers.

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout Part II

by Matthew Porter Jul 19th 2008 at 9:30PM

So many bags so little time (and money!).

Welcome readers to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. It looks like I stumbled upon an addon topic that, judging from your comments, a lot of people view as a cornerstone of their UI and addon experience. This week, thanks to reader feedback, I'm going to extend our look at inventory addons to three parts instead of two so that we can take a look at a couple of fan favorite bag addons that I missed. I did indeed hear your cries of wanting more in the comments, so let's get down to it with a look at ArkInventory and TBag.

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Big bag blowout

by Matthew Porter Jul 5th 2008 at 9:15PM

So many bags, how can you find anything?

Welcome folks to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. This week I tackle one of the great suggestions left by you the reader in the comment's section. We're gunna examine bag replacements and inventory managers in a special two part series. This week we'll see how to organize your inventory with bag replacement addons. And in the following week we'll look at which addons help you change gear around for different situations. But let's not put the cart ahead of the horse, first we have to organize all that equipment, so let's get to it!

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Combat Log-o-rama

by Matthew Porter Jun 28th 2008 at 9:30PM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

Howdy folks, and welcome to this week's The Creamy GUI Center. Before we get neck deep in addons this week I'd like to say thank you all for the encouraging words and warm welcome back left in the comments last week. Also in the coming weeks look for some of your suggested topics to be covered. But I digress, let's get back to this week's topic, the combat log and its addons. There's something for everyone this week as I show you alternative and supplimental addons to the combat log, and for the minimalists out there I'll show you how to add some bling to your combat log without needing any third party additions. Let's get started!

Filed under: How-tos, Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Resurrected and back in action

by Matthew Porter Jun 20th 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Add-Ons, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: HUDs

by Matthew Porter Aug 3rd 2007 at 2:17AM

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

This week we'll look at Heads Up Display's or HUDs for short. These addons are an alternative to unit frames that show a variety of information about you and your target. They're displayed right in the middle of your playing field so your eye doesn't have to wander to get vital information. They accomplish this using non-traditional graphical elements like slices of rings representing health and mana bars. HUDs are used in real life jets to show the pilot information in such a way that their eyes don't have to wander to far from their field of vision. Many games use HUDs of varying types as well. In WoW, HUDs employ transparency effects so they can fade in and out so as not to obstruct the playing field. Let's get the show on the road with a look at Archud, MetaHud, and IceHud.

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Mirage UI

by Matthew Porter Jul 26th 2007 at 10:15PM

Welcome back readers! This week marks the end of my look at compilation addons. I hope this series has been interesting and helpful. It was neat seeing an evolution if you will as we looked at oldies but goodies CTMod and Cosmos to newer compilations like MazzleUI. This week I wrap everything up with a look at the Mirage UI compilation (formally called Insomniax Recompilation) Originally Insomniax Recompilation was a collection of addons that the author liked and felt best represented their type, with a few small tweaking here and there for compatibility. Now the Mirage UI has grown and evolved as the author uses presets to form a nice layout using the included addons, much like the MazzleUI compilation I reviewed last week. How does this compare? Read on to find out.

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: MazzleUI

by Matthew Porter Jul 12th 2007 at 9:01PM

Welcome readers! Right off the bat let me thank you all for putting up with my sick on the 4^th post, and for the well wishing. I really appreciate the kind words. Luckily this week I'm feeling much better, and even got to see the new Harry Potter movie. (Spoiler Alert, unlike last week's Nyquil induced hallucination, John McLane was nowhere to be found.) Anyways onward and upwards as we explore part 3 of my 4 part series on addon compilations with Mazzle UI. To paraphrase Optimus Prime, "a user friendly interface is the right of all sentient beings." Is Mazzle's unique blend of functionality and eye candy more than meets the eye? Let's find out!

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Sick on the 4th edition

by Matthew Porter Jul 5th 2007 at 9:40PM

What do these iconic figures have to do with WoW? Barely anything

Each week Matthew Porter contributes The Creamy GUI Center, a column aimed at helping you enhance your WoW experience by offering an in depth guide to addons, macros and other tools we use to play WoW, along with commentary on issues that affect how we all play.

Howdy addon and UI fanatics. To our American readers I hope you all had a great and safe 4^th of July. Mine was spent on the couch with a bottle of Nyquil and jug of Gatorade as I've come down with a dreadful summer cold. My day was spent re-watching the Die Hard and Harry Potter DVDs while clouded in a sneezing and Nyquil haze. Right as John McClane is about to finally get Voldemort (as I remember it), I suddenly sat up and exclaimed "oh crap, this week's column!" For those of you coming here to read my review of MazzleUI as I mentioned last week, I apologize. As with my 4^th of July plans, so too did my plans for this week's article take an unexpected turn due to my cold. The review of MazzleUI will have to wait till next week, as under my current condition I don't feel I could do it justice. After using it for a few days the MazzleUI compilation demands I be at my best so I can fully articulate what this UI package has to offer. So instead, I'm present you a week in review of addon and interface news.

Filed under: Odds and ends, Add-Ons, Features, Humor, The Creamy GUI Center

The Creamy GUI Center: Cosmos

by Matthew Porter Jun 28th 2007 at 9:44PM

Default Cosmos looks a lot like default WoW

Filed under: Add-Ons, Features, The Creamy GUI Center

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