Yes, they should be optional. I have never once required a group member to download an add-on. I have suggested that they may find it helpful a couple of times but I don't and wouldn't require them to install it. Ofc, I'm not a score pushing trial trifecta level player either. I understand they like to optimize things a lot so have greater requirements of players than regular vet clears. To each their own.

Well, the misspelling kinda works, many people believe that the optimal game play experience requires addons.

Addons are all optional already. Poll is pointless and lacks context.

This is likely bait to show that some raid lead who runs an optimized group and requires their raid group to run Wizard's Wardrobe/[Insert whatever addon name someone has an agenda against HERE] is gatekeeping the content and is an unfair 'burden'.

It was wrong in the other thread, and it's still wrong here. Raid leads can require whatever they want. Don't like it, form your own group with your own rules. Simple.

They are mandatory for me. I do not want to play this game without them. I have been backing up my saved variables religiously as well. All of my addons are configured properly for all my characters.

However i did not use some of the raid helper addons. Code's Combat Alerts doing it very well for many things right now. Srendarr addon also has a debuff screen which allows me to see many debuffs that is essential for me to understand what is going on and what i am being hit by.

Configurable group frame addons like LUI Extended also helps me to understand to see how much shield on my allies in the raid. I can not imagine raiding without my current UI configurations.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/add-on

edit: I feel I was being too snarky with that... look, they're called add-ons. They're optional things we choose to add to enhance our experience. Extras. It's fundamental in the meaning of the words. If it was required to have a thing, then that thing wouldn't be an "add-on" it'd just be part of the base thing. If, instead, you mean that certain groups of people set certain requirements to play with them then that's a different discussion.

If no one could do writs unless they had the writ addon, that'd be an issue. If no one could respec unless they had the respec addon, that'd be an issue. But this isn't the case. None of these are required to play the game.

Addons when mandatory are called game mechanics, which ZOS has in the past formed game mechs from popular addons. Thus all Addons are optional, it is pointless to make a poll asking this. This is where my vote lies.

Although I do see the underlying reason why the poll was created and I dont like it. Firstly, if you do not like your raid group demanding a single addon to use while raiding, then don't do anything with that group. Simple. Join another if you can't make your own, that does not require that specific addon. They do exist. I believe in free will, and if a raid leader wants everyone to use a specific addon in their group, or if they want everyone wearing the bucket helmet, hell if they want everyone to use the assassin personality during the raid for extra edge, then they are fully allowed to do it and you do not have to join. That is your right, and that is their right. You choose to not use addons, cool. Good for you. Do not force it on the rest of us. If you feel you are unfairly being held back because you choose to not use addons, that is really not our problem. That is a choice you made. You can absolutely do the exact same thing as everyone with addons while not using them, perhaps if you cant keep up, it is less the addons fault?

Addons are as much a part of the game as the character creation menu. Minion and ESOUI allow players to enhance and custom make their own UI preference through it. It takes a load off of ZOS if the community helps make gameplay improvements that ZOS oversees and can adjust when needed. However, it is totally optional and should remain that way.

So now I am going to be very kind here, and say with as much patience as I can muster. OP, you need to stop.

You have already made a thread about Addons, you have invaded other threads about Addons, and now a poll about addons. I understand it is difficult for you to grasp what it is we are all saying. I know you have read the facts that we have quite firmly told you before about why you are wrong, and you have decided it is nothing more then mindless opinions. You do not care to listen to us, and there is nothing more that we can say or do that can change how you feel. You do not care about anything BUT removing addons from the game, and you firmly believe they are a threat to the game. We get that. Trust me we ALL get that. Your message was loud and clear. However, myself and many others FIRMLY disagree with you on that. But at this point this has now turned into just an emotional vendetta against addons. I don't know what happened that caused such a... dramatic... reaction. But find new guilds if the ones you are in now have caused you to lash out on the forums like this. Addons will remain, Wizards will remain, if you don't like playing a game with addons well... I am sure there is other games that can take up your time. Its harsh, but really there is nothing left to say to you. Accept addons are a thing, or leave. Since I highly doubt that any argument, facts, or Todd Howard himself floating down from the sky to tell you Addons are not the boogie man of ESO and are here to stay would ever convince you otherwise, then you are going to have to have the realization that everything you are trying to do will never work and to either begrudgingly accept this and continue playing, or just dont accept it and either continue to play ESO miserably, or find another MMO that matches your opinion of addons. Either or, that is how this is going to end. As I have said my part, and the OP will not change their stance, I am bowing out of the debate entirely. As this is both exhausting and pointless.

heimdall14_9 wrote: »

FlameDark wrote: »

Addons when mandatory are called game mechanics, which ZOS has in the past formed game mechs from popular addons. Thus all Addons are optional, it is pointless to make a poll asking this. This is where my vote lies.

Although I do see the underlying reason why the poll was created and I dont like it. Firstly, if you do not like your raid group demanding a single addon to use while raiding, then don't do anything with that group. Simple. Join another if you can't make your own, that does not require that specific addon. They do exist. I believe in free will, and if a raid leader wants everyone to use a specific addon in their group, or if they want everyone wearing the bucket helmet, hell if they want everyone to use the assassin personality during the raid for extra edge, then they are fully allowed to do it and you do not have to join. That is your right, and that is their right. You choose to not use addons, cool. Good for you. Do not force it on the rest of us. If you feel you are unfairly being held back because you choose to not use addons, that is really not our problem. That is a choice you made. You can absolutely do the exact same thing as everyone with addons while not using them, perhaps if you cant keep up, it is less the addons fault?

Addons are as much a part of the game as the character creation menu. Minion and ESOUI allow players to enhance and custom make their own UI preference through it. It takes a load off of ZOS if the community helps make gameplay improvements that ZOS oversees and can adjust when needed. However, it is totally optional and should remain that way.

So now I am going to be very kind here, and say with as much patience as I can muster. OP, you need to stop.

You have already made a thread about Addons, you have invaded other threads about Addons, and now a poll about addons. I understand it is difficult for you to grasp what it is we are all saying. I know you have read the facts that we have quite firmly told you before about why you are wrong, and you have decided it is nothing more then mindless opinions. You do not care to listen to us, and there is nothing more that we can say or do that can change how you feel. You do not care about anything BUT removing addons from the game, and you firmly believe they are a threat to the game. We get that. Trust me we ALL get that. Your message was loud and clear. However, myself and many others FIRMLY disagree with you on that. But at this point this has now turned into just an emotional vendetta against addons. I don't know what happened that caused such a... dramatic... reaction. But find new guilds if the ones you are in now have caused you to lash out on the forums like this. Addons will remain, Wizards will remain, if you don't like playing a game with addons well... I am sure there is other games that can take up your time. Its harsh, but really there is nothing left to say to you. Accept addons are a thing, or leave. Since I highly doubt that any argument, facts, or Todd Howard himself floating down from the sky to tell you Addons are not the boogie man of ESO and are here to stay would ever convince you otherwise, then you are going to have to have the realization that everything you are trying to do will never work and to either begrudgingly accept this and continue playing, or just dont accept it and either continue to play ESO miserably, or find another MMO that matches your opinion of addons. Either or, that is how this is going to end. As I have said my part, and the OP will not change their stance, I am bowing out of the debate entirely. As this is both exhausting and pointless.

i wasnt going to speak in this poll other than saying sorry for misspelled word in poll but sine you want to bring up other post ive made while saying others have SHOWN me proof that what ive been saying is wrong id like to ask you what PROOF not opinions has been SHOWN ??????
ive seen more insults and belittlement then i have PROOF in every post ive made SINCE 1ST day of joining the forum's,

Bro there was literally a screenshot of a ZOS dev stating that addons that automate UI processes (aka, what WW is) are fully legal and do not break ToS or CoC.

You ignored it.

Dack_Janiels wrote: »

I think there’s some misunderstanding here about what ZOS actually considers automation or a violation of the Terms of Use.

I’ve spoken directly with ZOS staff about this topic, and the guidance is very clear:

• Automating gameplay actions (combat, movement, minigames, etc.) is not allowed.
• Menu navigation is not considered gameplay, and streamlining it is allowed.
• Addons may guide the player, but they cannot control gameplay.

Changing gear, skills, CP, or armory builds falls entirely under menu navigation, not gameplay automation. It doesn’t perform combat actions, it doesn’t move the character, and it doesn’t bypass any gameplay mechanics. It simply speeds up UI interactions the player could already do manually.

Nothing in the addon forces actions during combat, plays the game for the user, or interacts with restricted systems like Tribute, Antiquities, or lockpicking. Those are the actual categories ZOS flags as botting.

As for “bypassing armory restrictions,” the addon isn’t doing that. It’s using the same API functions available to every addon and every player. If ZOS wanted to block it, they would disable the API call — just like they’ve done in the past with other functions.

Speedrun leaderboards are not affected by UI automation. They are affected by combat performance, mechanics execution, and group coordination — none of which addons can automate.

This isn’t about attacking anyone. It’s just important to separate:

• Actual gameplay automation (not allowed)
• from
• UI convenience (allowed and explicitly acknowledged by ZOS)

If ZOS ever changes their stance, addon authors will adapt. But based on the current guidance from the developers themselves, these addons are operating within the rules.

Hint hint: open the spoiler.

Soarora wrote: »

(Not a reply to Heimdall, this is still a reply to FlameDark) This is the part that's really starting to irk me about this. I wouldn't change my opinion either if I thought most people were making fun of me instead of arguing with me. I did find some of the posts funny so I'm at fault for that, but making fun of Heimdall and assuming how he's using the AI are not conductive to a good argument.

That said, not trying to imply that I think Heimdall is right here; there have been some good arguments thrown out that iirc were ignored.

Bingo. There was definitive proof in the form of a statement from a ZOS dev that OP conveniently ignored.

So while I don't think people should be insulting OP, you can kinda see why it's happening if OP is repeatedly ignoring all the actual arguments and proof sent their way.

I slightly hope that the purpose of the poll is to understand the point of the community.
However, my experience whispers "hardly".

Soarora wrote: »

I wouldn't change my opinion either if I thought most people were making fun of me instead of arguing with me. I did find some of the posts funny so I'm at fault for that, but making fun of Heimdall and assuming how he's using the AI are not conductive to a good argument.

If you read the very first posts that have now been [snipped] it was clear from the beginning they were not changing their mind if even God themself came down from the heavens and spoke to them gently.

There's misspellings everyone makes and then there's the typing style and punctuation use that's consistent with a certain kind of behaviour I'm sure many of us are familiar with.

Sometimes you feel a little bad seeing so many dogpile on them in a row, then you read a fresh new reply and it is all erased.

Pointless poll - addons are optional in the game they are not made mandatory by ZoS

What raid leads ask to run groups is entirely up to the raid lead - if they want to make running particular addons a requirement of the group then they are allowed to do so. If you dont like addons a group that asks for addons is not for you and you should look elsewhere or setup your own group.

🍿

There was not an option for what really needs to happen and that is, no add ons in combat. If someone else's software is carrying you through a leaderboard, you should not be on it. No add ons in combat.

I believe they should be optional, but that wasn't one of the options, and I refuse to vote for the wrong word.

heimdall14_9 wrote: »

as put should add-ons for eso be optional tools or mandatory tools

By definition, all addons are optional. If you feel like you are pressured to run a specific addon, feel free to split from that playerbase and make your own guild that doesn't use addons. There are several of them on PC/NA that I know of.


As a side point though, ZOS's UI is loaded as an addon (it's a built-in addon called esoui), so in that case I guess you could say its mandatory? lol