Improving World Of Warcraft Gameplay With Minimap Add-Ons

I love the minimap in World of Warcraft as much as anyone - but it's just that, a map. It doesn't have any special features, nothing to enhance playing.

Never fear! Minimap add-ons for World of Warcraft will enhance your minimap, and your playing, helping you navigate better, and even enjoy the game more.

What Are Add-Ons?

An add-on is something that 'mods', or modifies, a game to enhance your gaming experience. There are tons of add-ons out today, doing an enormous amount of different things, and Blizzard completely allows it.

Don't mis-read this, though - an add-on isn't a cheat. It won't make you stronger, it won't allow you to be invincible, and it certainly won't let you get extra gold. The Horde can't talk to the Alliance, and vise versa. But add-ons can tell you how badly you need your equipment repaired; they can give you more action bars, and make playing easier and more fun.

Blizzard allows this - however, according to the Exploitation and Client/Server Manipulation Policy, if you give yourself an unfair advantage, such as getting access to information no one else has, or allowing teleportation, your account will be either suspended, or cancelled entirely.

Add-ons can be made using a tool that Blizzard supplies or pre-made add-ons can be found on many websites online. To make an add-on, you need at least basic knowledge of Lua or XML. The ones I'm going to talk about now are pre-made add-ons found online, but feel free to make something similar using Blizzard's tool.

Minimap Me Baby!

Here are a few different add-ons that you can find on almost any add-on website for WoW. A few are good, a few are great, and a couple are just plain silly.

BigMiniMap

The big minimap allows you to toggle between two minimap sizes, instead of just one. You bind a hotkey to it so you can have the option at just a click of a button. It's great when you're completely lost and have no idea where you are, and only a very vague idea of where you're going.

CornerMiniMap

This one doesn't do much to actually help you, but it makes the overall appearance of the screen visually attractive. You can change the shape of the minimap, allowing for rounder edges. It's really nice if you're a stickler for style.

GuildMap

The Guild Map is quite possible one of the greatest add-ons for a player who is active in their guild. Members of your guild will show up on both the minimap and the world map, making it easier to locate friends and acquaintances. If you're like the rest of us and tired of searching for someone in a sea of NPC's and PC's, this is the add-on for you.

MiniMapAutoHide

The name pretty much explains this add-on, but for those who don't get it, I'll explain. This is actually a really cool add-on, and a lot of players use it. You can hide the minimap and bring it back to the screen at will, so when ever you're tired of dealing with it, or feel it's just in the way, you have the option to get rid of it.

MinimapButtonHider

You know those annoying buttons on the minimap? They just seem to get in the way, huh? Well, this add-on appreciates that fact, and gives you a great option - you can hide those pesky buttons at will. Really, when ever you'd like!

There's so much more you can do with your minimap, and even your world map, that you probably never thought was possible. The use of add-ons really makes the game feel more like your game, and less like just another video game.

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