NeedToKnow allows you to monitor specific buffs and debuffs of your choosing as timer bars that always appear in a consistent place on your screen in a consistent color. It's especially useful for monitoring frequently used short-duration buffs and debuffs. For example, a rogue could configure NeedToKnow to show timer bars for Slice and Dice, Rupture, and their own stack of Deadly Poison VII. NeedToKnow also works with procs and on-use trinkets. The number, size, position, and color of timer bars are all customizable.
New in latest version
- Works with WoW 3.0
- Can now tracks (de)buffs applied by others
- Added option to only show buff/debuff if it was applied by you
Instructions
General options are available in the Blizzard interface options menu. You can type "/needtoknow" or "/ntk" to lock/unlock the addon. To configure individual bars, right click them while unlocked. Bars work while locked.
When entering your settings, be careful with your spelling and capitalization. Also remember that buffs sometimes have different names than the abilities or items that cause them. For example, the buff from Bloodlust Brooch is called "Lust for Battle".
To do list
Add support for tracking multiple (de)buffs with a single bar. Add more options for graphical customization: time display format, background color/alpha, bar spacing, and bar padding.
Note
The reminder icons from previous versions of NeedToKnow have been greatly expanded in functionality and split off into their own addon: TellMeWhen
Change Log - NeedToKnow
Version 2.0.1
- Updated for WoW 3.0 (Wrath of the Lich King)
- Can now track (de)buffs applied by others
- Added option to only show buffs/debuffs if applied by self
Version 2.0
- Added support for monitoring debuffs
- Added support for variable numbers of bars
- Added support for separate groups of bars
- Added support for monitoring buffs/debuffs on target, focus, pet, or target of target
- Bars are now click-through while locked
- Reminder icons have been been greatly expanded in functionality and split off into their own addon: TellMeWhen
- Cleaner bar graphics
- Users of older versions will need to re-enter settings
Version 1.2
- Updated for WoW 2.4 API changes
- Timer bars should now work with WoW clients of all languages (thanks to Zappster for the coding tip).
Version 1.1.1
- Icons should now work properly with item cooldowns.
- Reset button should now work properly when you first use the AddOn.
Version 1.1
- Icons will now show when reactive abilities (Riposte, Execute, etc.) are available.
- Added options for bar color and texture.
- Added graphical user interface. Most slash commands gone.
- Added localization support. Translations would be much appreciated.
- Users of older version will need to re-enter settings.
This bug occurs in both NeedToKnow and TellMeWhen... for buffs that have "charges" such as Holy Shield or Redoubt, the count does not update when charges are expended unless you deselect and reselect the target.
I love this addon, though. It has a tiny memory footprint and does everything I want.
One thing i'd really like to see which could happen with this addon is, for instance a Battle Shout button which:
1. If Bshout or Might is up, the button will be grayed out with a duration timer on the button itself.
2. If neither are up, the Button will be Highlighted and active.
I'd also prefer (for a dot class) to have the buttons faded out with a duration timer on them then lighting up when the dot expires - so you can plan ahead in your dot rotation.
Originally posted by lieandswell One of the core features of NeedToKnow that the bars always appear in exactly the same on-screen position you set them to and don't move around during combat. For some people, this makes them much easier to keep track of -- you don't have to look several places to find the information you want.
Well, it wouldn't change where I'm looking on the screen for the information -- it would simply make that space look nicer, because there wouldn't be gaps between any of the bars. It would condense the few bars I need to know about into the smallest space possible. The fact that I can set the colors of the bars already makes them stand out from each other.
Hey, just a suggestion to make the mod more accessible. I like it already, I just think this kind of option would make it better. No offense intended.
Last edited by Valustria : 10-25-2008 at 06:11 AM.
I don't know if this is a bug or not, but my bars do not stay put between sessions. I put em in bottom-center, then when I relog, they're in upper-left.
I hate seeing gaps between bars when not all of my buffs or debuffs are currently applied.
One of the core features of NeedToKnow that the bars always appear in exactly the same on-screen position you set them to and don't move around during combat. For some people, this makes them much easier to keep track of -- you don't have to look several places to find the information you want.
If the gaps between bars bother you, you might want to look at Elkano's Buff Bars or Satrina's Buff Frames. They're both pretty customizable and will condense bars into a single group.
That said, changing the position of bars in a group after you've set them up (like Farook mentioned) would be useful. There have definitely been times when I've decided that, for example, it'd be better to have the Rupture bar above Blade Flurry instead of below it. Right now, you have to change both bars to do that. It doesn't take a real long time, but it's not as convenient as it could be.
I really like the mod -- the visual style is clean and the UI is simple and intuitive. I only have the following requests/suggestions:
1) Can you add user profiles to it? I'd like to set up a different set of bars for PvP and raiding, as I don't always care about keeping up the same buffs/debuffs from one to the other.
2) Can you allow us to copy/paste the settings for one bar to another? This would be useful if, for example, you are a rogue and want all your stuns to be one color, all your poisons to be another, and all your haste effects another. You won't have to play with the color selector for every one of them... you can just copy the color
In lieu of the above, could you set the groups to "grow up" or "grow down", and have the bars appear in order of priority based on how we set them up in the window? I hate seeing gaps between bars when not all of my buffs or debuffs are currently applied.
Last edited by Valustria : 10-19-2008 at 01:57 AM.
Would it be possible to sort/rearrange buff/debuffs of certain group up/down after everything is setup already? Or is this already possible, and I just didn't see it?
lieandswell, imo just show the multiple buffs/debuffs by priority, option is best ofc, but it is an additional work to do and most of the cases on "stacked" bars only single buff/debuff will be shown anyway
Originally posted by lieandswell DrunkenDonkey is correct: this is possible in WoW 3.0 but not in 2.4. I actually already have this implemented in the WotLK version of NeedToKnow I've been testing on beta, so you should get it as soon as 3.0 hits live.
I'd like to see the time(r) for debuffs from other people
DrunkenDonkey is correct: this is possible in WoW 3.0 but not in 2.4. I actually already have this implemented in the WotLK version of NeedToKnow I've been testing on beta, so you should get it as soon as 3.0 hits live. In like two weeks, is my understanding.
Also, the ability to track multiple buffs/debuffs with a single bar is a really good idea and is now on my to-do list. Once it's implemented, you should be able to use one bar to track different paladin seals, different rogue stuns, etc.
What I'm wondering now is: if more than one of the watched buffs/debuffs are up, would it be better to have the bar show the one with the highest priority (set by the user), or show the one with the longest time left? The time left option will be more cpu intensive, since the addon would have to check for all of them instead of just the first in the list it comes across. But it might be more useful. PM me if you have an opinion. I suppose it could be an option, too.
Farook, afaik this is not possible with the current API, but will be possible in wotlk or patch 3.0. So it can be request for the wotlk version of the NeedToKnow
