Q: Main backpack. Is it going to be made bigger/switching it out?
A: There were talks to expand it, but now with currency and pet changes, space has been freed up enough that it has been tabled for now. Possible for future.
Q: Pet UI. First time you log into Beta, you don't know how to get onto mount! Will new players get a tip on how to do this?
A: It's in the patch notes and on the website, but also in-0game the character and pet tabs flash when you gain a new pet or mount item. Hopefully there will also be new tips and hints for all the new features. They are trying to "bread crumb" you as best they can, but it's not rocket science.
Q: Why no skulls in China?
A: It's a sociological thing. In Germany you can't have red blood. Devs have no idea, that's just the way it seems to be.
Q: There is an addon for focus frame. Any official way to have a focus frame as well as a target?
A: There is a focus frame being added, yes.
Q: Confirmation boxes for talent trees. Misplaced talents mean you have to pay for a new respec! Can a system like on the website be added so that you can add/remove points and then confirm your selections? (Applause from the crowd.)
A: There is going to be a dual-speccing interface, hopefully a simple one, at some point after the expansion. They will be revisiting the speccing process at that point.
Q: Talked a lot about how UIs were made, but how do you discuss the details in the beginning? "Reactionary" designs don't sound pre-planned. Who comes to UI devs and says they need things done?
A: Usually there are not too many things going on at once. Game designers put togetehr basic designs, and then the UI team iterates it, making it even more functional and polished. Wrath has a lot of new UI features, so there were a lot of design feature "collisions" and craziness like never before.
Q: Will there be compatibility issues with addons? What sort of education should a UI designer have?
A: Compatibility should be OK. No huge LUA engine change this time. No keybinding resets. A lot of addons may just work the same as before with no issues. In terms of education/experience, data management and a focused interest in UI are common elements. One of the UI devs has a degree in architecture, but a lot of web design experience.
Q: Graphic user interfaces. Will there ever be more options? "Skins?"
A: They has been though about. They want to add the ability to move things about a bit. The problem is that in moving some things, it can interfere with elements that occur later in the game, are not available at low levels, etc. Issues with that can frustrate users. They are thinking about it. They want to do it in a "clean" way. The UI is some complex now that it's necessary. Devs prefer to let the amazing interface design community make all these options. Keep things customizable.
Q: As a raid leader, Pally Power is very useful. Is there a plan to integrate buff addon functionality into the game?
A: Not at this time. They try to stay away from class-specific UI elements. They don't want to tell players how to play or step on any toes. Sometimes they do take up concepts that work, but only when the addon targets a general need. They let addons target very specific needs so that every time they change gameplay they don't have to make huge changes to the UI. One example is Totem Timers. They added that functionality, despite its class-specific nature, because ALL shamans use totems.
Q: Minimaps are crowded with addon buttons. Any possibility for a separate button dock?
A: Blizzard doesn't want to impose that on the addon community. Thye minimap is a great place to put addon and other UI controls. They don't want to force people to use it or not. As another option, the new Options UI gives the addon community the ability to add to it and make new Blizzard-style controls.
Q: As player progress they get more skills and larger bags. Any plans to redo the bag UI? More action bars? One large bag?
A: More action bars may be added in the future, but they feel that if they need to do this, they are doing something wrong. Players shouldn't have a confusing choice of a hundred different things. It should be more streamlined. Class devs have been trying to consolidate some abilities and make that valuable action bar real estate really meaningful. There are no current plans to have one large bag. A lot of Blizzard devs really like the separate bags. They'll leave the one bag to OneBag (and similar mods).
Q: Will there be a /castrandom for Mounts/Minipets with the new UI system?
A: (Devs laugh.) Cool idea. We'll write that one down!
Q: Will mod authors have an easier way to add items to the minimap tracking menu or the minimap itself without having to do so much translation of server-side info and coordinates?
A: Not really. They want to keep that process a bit obtuse to help prevent botting.
Q: At last Blizzcon it was mentioned there might be a built-in boss timer or item rack...
A: There are a lot of things like that still on the plate. There are only so many features they can put in every time. Those two specifically they thought they would get to, and they want to put them in, but they do not know when it might happen. They want to make sure those features are properly implemented and that they "feel right."
Q: Can a terminator be added to castsequence to make certain codes easier?
A: There are some stop-casting issues that cause exploits. The castsequence system is tricky. Had to compromise to prevent ubermacros that do a whole fight with the press of a button. Changes like Auto Shot not clipping Steady Shot help streamline these issues.
Q: Would it be possible to have an instanced training area with dummies and free respecs that could give really accurate parsed info so that people can better test out talent specs?
A: The instanced testing area is an interesting idea, but more a gameplay thing. They will bring it up with devs.
Q: Will Hunters every have the quiver not use a bag slot?
A: They have been generally trying to free up bags, but there has been no specific talks about quivers or soul shard bags. The Hunter/Warlock devs feel your pain.
Q: Threat UI: IS the beta threat meter UI final? Right now you see threat as % of main tanks threat. Will there be an option to show hard threat numbers?
A: Yes, the beta version is final. Instead of hard "techy" numbers, they wanted an easier-to-read, polished gameplay experience. Organic version number crunching. The API, tho, gives all those numbers if you want to make your own more numbers-intensive version.
Q: Many UI additions seem to be based on mods that are popular. Does Blizzard give any credit to those original mod authors?
A: Putting it in is a great compliment right there! The UI devs talk to the big addon authors quite a lot. When Blizzard uses an idea similar to something from the addon community, it is rarely done in the very same was as addon devs implemented it. The devs go on to thank the addon community.
Q: The new threat meter is great,especially for 5-mans where everyone might not have had a threat meter once. In 10/25-man raids, tho, the larger packs with many mobs tend to clutter up the screen. Any fix for that?
A: Currently, when someone is about to pull threat off the tank, a text message come up over the mob that will lose aggro. This helps a lot in AoE threat. Originally they put a mark over the head of the raid member that was about to pull aggro, but it ended up being way too busy. The devs hope that this new threat meter and more accurate numbers will allow the addon community to get really creative with threat mods.
See the WCRadio.com Schedule Page for upcoming broadcast information! Check the Blizzcon page for a link to the WoW UI Panel audio broadcast as soon as it is available.