Interface
Note that the majority of future add-on changes will be going into patch 12.0.1 with the expansion release.
A lot of things are actually looking promising, but they also still have a lot of work to do on some aspects.
The inbuilt Ui elements are very basic at the moment. The raid frames are very similar to the previous default raid frames. They made the default dispel indicator have a gradient, they changed the heal absorb texture, and they added a feature that shows defensive cooldowns on someone’s raid frame.
There is no feature yet to filter buffs or debuffs, or for a specific placement for them, but other visual customizations of raid frames in add-ons will be open since Blizzard showed intent on loosening API restrictions and allowing add-ons to do more than the default UI does by allowing certain buffs or tools to be tracked.
I would recommend the add-on Cell for raid frames. They have confirmed that they’re going to continue development on the add-on, and they are going to be back for midnight.
That said, the default Blizzard raid frames are already solid and more than sufficient if you prefer to keep things simple.
I would also recommend:
- Method Raid Tools: A helpful add-on for raiders, especially for raid leaders and officers, it provides essential raid utility that the default UI may lack, like notes, fight logs, organization tools, and much more.
- Deja Character Stats: Enhances the default character panel by providing more detailed and organized stat information.
- OPie: provides a highly customizable radial menu for quickly accessing spells, items, mounts, toys, and macros. It’s especially useful for streamlining abilities and reducing clutter on your action bars.
Notable Mentions (these add-ons are still in Development):
- Arc UI: This add-on allows you to fully customize the cooldown manager, move the positions of individual icons, and change individual aspects about every icon, such as the glow color.
- Plater: for nameplates, Plater is returning and already has a version where you can import your live profile. The majority of the relevant tools that plater is used for will be retained, most notably colored nameplates.
- Platynator: a good new nameplate add-on that has an easy-to-use customization UI.
- ELvUI: A very popular add-on that allows you to reskin almost every aspect of the UI. The team behind the add-on has confirmed they are continuing development for midnight but it is not ready yet.
An interface is extremely personal, but I highly recommend enabling the new features that come with the prepatch for the midnight expansion:
Enabling Boss Warnings & Boss Ability Timers
You can enable this feature through Options => Gameplay enhancements, or through the Edit Mode.
Enabling the Cooldown Manager
You can enable this feature through Options => Gameplay enhancements
With WeakAuras no longer available, we’ve lost the ability to create fully custom interfaces in the middle of the screen or set up class-specific HUDs to track all the information we need. To address this, Blizzard introduced the Cooldowns Manager, which provides a solid, built-in alternative.
Although it’s more limited than WeakAuras, the Cooldowns Manager still offers basic customization. You can drag and drop abilities into tracked or untracked areas, making setup simple and intuitive. However, it currently cannot track items such as consumables, trinkets, or potions.
Overall, the current version is a significant improvement over its initial release in patch 11.1.5, offering an easy-to-use system that helps you stay on top of your abilities without the complexity of external add-ons.
Enabling the Damage Meter
The Prepatch will introduce the new built-in Damage / Healing meter, a good thing, it consumes fewer resources in general since the meter calculations will be done server-side.
You can enable the damage meter through Options => Gameplay enhancements, or it can be enabled and positioned in Edit Mode, though if it still does not appear for you, try using this command to make it show:
/run DamageMeter:Show()
Enabling the Combat Audio Alerts
There is also the audio assist feature that has been made for accessibility. It is actually handy because there is a function that plays a sound (Text to speech) and other audio cues to announce important combat events out loud, helping players track what’s happening without relying on visual add-ons.
You can enable this feature through Options => Audio assist (under Accessibility tab)
Macros
In World of Warcraft, macros are in-game tools or custom scripts that let you combine commands, abilities, and items into a single button press. They allow you to sequence spells, create custom names and icons, cast different abilities based on whether your target is friendly or hostile, set targeting conditions, and much more. They help simplify gameplay, save time, and add flexibility.
Spell Mouseover Macro
All abilities can be used as a mouseover macro. The example below is a Rejuvenation mouseover macro. If you replace "Rejuvenation" with any ability name, it will cast the ability you have typed on the target your mouse is currently over.
#showtooltip
/cast [@mouseover,exists][] Rejuvenation
Since Dragonflight, the standard UI enables mouseover via an easy-to-access option. You can opt in or make your own macros if you prefer to customize them more.
Rejuvenation Mouseover Macro
Another example is a Rejuvenation mouseover macro, which will prio your mouseover, then your target (if friendly), and yourself (if you’re not targeting any friendly unit).
#showtooltip
/use [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead][@player] Rejuvenation
Cast at Cursor Macro
You can also use a macro to cast an AoE-targeted ability directly at your cursor’s position without clicking its position. Here are two examples with Efflorescence and Ursol's Vortex.
Efflorescence Cursor Macro
#showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Efflorescence
Ursol's Vortex Cursor Macro
#showtooltip
/cast [@cursor] Ursol's Vortex
Other Useful Macros
Incapacitating Roar Macro
If you’re not already in Bear Form, this macro will shift you into Bear Form and then cast Incapacitating Roar immediately.
#showtooltip
/cast Incapacitating Roar
/cast [noform:1] !Bear Form(Shapeshift)
Nature’s Swiftness & Convoke Roar Macro
This macro automatically uses Nature’s Swiftness before Convoke, helping you maximize its impact without risking an interruption to the channel.
#showtooltip Convoke the Spirits
/cast [nochanneling] Nature's Swiftness
/cast Convoke the Spirits
/cqs
Nature’s Swiftness & Rebirth Macro
This macro will use Nature’s Swiftness and then cast Rebirth instantly on your mouseover target (or your current target if you’re not mousing over anyone).
#showtooltip Rebirth
/cast Nature's Swiftness
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead] Rebirth
Nature’s Swiftness & Regrowth Macro
Same idea, but for Regrowth with Nature’s Swiftness.
#showtooltip Regrowth
/cast Nature's Swiftness
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead][help,nodead] Regrowth
Cancel Form Macro
This macro allows you to instantly leave your current form.
/cancelform