In this case, it would be overkill to change your entire layout with a tool like ElvUI. Perhaps you are fine with the default chat box and map but want to move the location of your health and spell bars. The strength of this approach is that you can download only the features/AddOns that you need. Ground-up user interface strengths and weaknesses Let’s look at how you can download and setup ElvUI now. Some players argue that these extra features create bloat and impact their game performance or experience.įortunately, there is no risk in giving ElvUI a test run since it is free and can be easily disabled if you don’t like it. On top of that, because ElvUI is a full UI replacement, it means that it has many features - including ones that you may not want. This task can prove to be somewhat daunting and has a little bit of a learning curve required to understand how the various modules and options work.

However, the ease of setup and predefined templates means that you may have to do a bit of work to get your UI functioning how you want. Additionally, you can share your settings or import other user’s settings through websites like wago.io (I will talk about this more in a moment). This initial setup is straightforward and helps you produce a basic UI which is still a significant improvement over the default. Upon opening the AddOn for the first time, you are guided through a series of steps to choose your layout and theme (colors). The biggest strength of ElvUI is the time which it takes to get a full UI replacement up and running. We will look at the strengths, weaknesses and steps for both of these approaches now. When it comes to customizing your UI, there are two potential options: use a UI replacement AddOn like ElvUI or build your own. So, even if you aren’t interested in “improving your gameplay,” you may still get enjoyment out of making a UI that is your very own.īy customizing your UI, you can reduce the time needed to move your eyes between elements, add additional information, and personalize your experience. Or maybe you don’t like some of the colors or artwork used in the default UI. Time spent looking around increases your chances of missing important information or dying to a mechanic (perhaps a pool of bad stuff under your character). In an intense encounter, it can be difficult to quickly move your eyes between all these elements and the enemy you are focusing on - especially when played on a large monitor which increases the space between information. Health and resource bars are in the top left, buffs/debuffs are in the top right, spells are on the bottom and your character is in the middle of it all.

Elvui personal resource bar