TMDM Encounter Client
What is it?
The TMDM Encounter Client is an addon developed specifically for use in our raids. It is a display addon that allows text, sounds, chat messages, emotes, frame glows and more to be triggered via addon messages sent by the raid leader.
Motivation
Before discussing how the client works, you should think about the current state of complex assignment auras and their downsides. Think about the following:
- How many times have you wiped to assignment weakauras not working or producing wrong results?
Example: Two players assigned to jump into the same hold on Jailer. - How many times have you wiped to players not having the same updated version of an assignment weakaura?
Example: One player still has assignment aura v1.2.2 and the rest of the raid has updated to v1.2.3. - How many times have you wiped to players not having the correct utility auras to make the assignment aura work?
Example: A player's assignments are not working in the Liquid pack because they do not have the LiquidWeakAuras utility aura or it is out of date. - How many times have you wiped to an assignment aura not updating automatically as people die on progression?
Example: An assigned player dies and instead of automatically assigning another player, the raid has to coordinate a backup at the last second in voice (if they even notice). - How much time has your raid wasted setting up the complex assignments that make these auras work?
Example: Ensuring all 20 people are manually assigned to a Reactive Froth on Queen Ansurek and ensuring these assignments do not conflict with the 8 people assigned to pop the Reactive Froths.
Example: A player joins in the middle of the raid and all of the assignments need to be updated to ensure the assignment auras keep working as expected. - How much time has your raid wasted waiting for a new player to get all of these weakauras installed correctly?
Example: Someone has to leave and you now spend 20 minutes setting up a bench player's auras. - How much time has your raid wasted figuring out who was assigned what after a wipe is called?
Example: An egg is not popped on Ovi'nax. Which two players were assigned to that egg by the assigment aura?
These auras are brittle. The auras are inflexible. They auras are buggy. These auras are inconsistent. These auras can be hard to work with and they often provide little information about what they did during each pull. Think about the total amount of time and wipes caused by some of the assignment auras. We should be progging the boss, not the weakaura.
Design
The client does not do anything by itself. It is simply a listener that allows addon messages triggered by the raid leader to display information on your screen. Any complex assignment logic is handled by code running on the raid leader's computer (typically done through custom auras written by Zarillion).
This eliminates entire classes of problems from the list in the previous section:
- Assignments cannot conflict. The assignments are run one time on the raid leader's computer.
- Assignments do not rely on auras. Simply keep the client addon updated in the CurseForge app.
- Time is not wasted installing auras for each boss. New & bench players install the client one time.
It is not currently possible for the client to replace all auras we may want to use on a fight. Sometimes complex displays or lists of players must be displayed and the client cannot (yet) display these types of things. However, the most important "go here now" or "do this now" type of assignments are what this client targets and are the ,most critical pieces of any complex fight.