BattlePlates

World of Warcraft — The Burning Crusade 20th Anniversary Edition Version 1.2.1 | Interface 2.5.x

Nameplate enhancement addon providing threat tracking, cast bars, debuff icons, dispel awareness, tank/healer modes, elite/rare classification, and combat automation — all layered on top of Blizzard's native nameplates.

Features

Threat color reference

Skull Modes (Tank Mode only)

Dispel types by class

Installation

1. Download or copy the BattlePlates folder.
2. Place it inside your WoW AddOns directory:

   World of Warcraft\_classic_era_\Interface\AddOns\BattlePlates\

The folder must contain BattlePlates.toc directly inside it.

1. Launch WoW, log in, and verify the addon is enabled on the character-select screen under AddOns.
2. You will see [BattlePlates] v1.2.1 loaded. Type /bp for options. in chat when you enter the world.

In-Game Options Menu

Open the options panel from any of these places:

• ESC → Interface → AddOns → BattlePlates
• Type /bp or /battleplates in chat to see the command list

Options Panel

The panel is divided into two columns and a slider section.

Display column

Behaviour column

Sliders

Reset to Defaults button restores every setting to its original value.

Chat Commands

All commands use /bp or /battleplates.

/bp                     — Show command list
/bp help                — Show command list
/bp tank                — Toggle Tank Mode on/off
/bp skull <mode>        — Set skull mode: off | target | sticky | weak | healer | key
/bp healer              — Toggle Healer Mode on/off
/bp castbar             — Toggle cast bar on/off
/bp threat              — Toggle threat display on/off
/bp debuffs             — Toggle your debuff icons on/off
/bp dispel              — Toggle dispellable buff icons on/off
/bp toggle              — Toggle combat auto-show/hide on/off
/bp autodist            — Toggle auto nameplate distance on/off
/bp distance N          — Set nameplate distance to N yards (1–41), disables auto
/bp reset               — Reset all settings to defaults

Skull mode examples

/bp skull target   — skull follows your active target (default)
/bp skull sticky   — mark the first enemy you pull and keep it marked
/bp skull weak     — always mark the lowest-health enemy you're holding
/bp skull healer   — mark enemies casting heals (great for interrupt priority)
/bp skull key      — manual; bind a key in Key Bindings → BattlePlates
/bp skull off      — no skull marking

Key Bindings

/bp skull key enables manual skull placement. Bind the key in: ESC → Key Bindings → scroll to BattlePlates → "Mark Skull on Current Target"

File Structure

BattlePlates/
├── BattlePlates.toc   — Addon manifest (interface version, load order)
├── Bindings.xml       — Registers the skull keybind with WoW's Key Bindings UI
├── Core.lua           — Event handling, saved variable init, startup
├── Config.lua         — Defaults, settings loader, slash commands
├── Options.lua        — In-game Interface > AddOns options panel
├── Plates.lua         — Nameplate frame creation, aura icons, health text, classification
├── Threat.lua         — Threat coloring, skull/X markers, tank mode logic
├── CastBar.lua        — Cast/channel bar update loop
└── Utils.lua          — Shared helpers (print, CVar queue, class colors, ranges)

Saved Variables

Settings are saved automatically when you log out and restored when you log in.

Compatibility Notes

• Requires TBC Classic / 20th Anniversary (Interface version 20501–20505).
• Uses C_NamePlate, UnitThreatSituation, UnitDetailedThreatSituation, UnitCastingInfo, UnitClassification, and SetRaidTarget — all available in TBC Classic.
• Safe during combat: CVar changes are queued and applied on PLAYER_REGEN_ENABLED to avoid Lua combat lockdown errors.
• Does not replace or taint Blizzard's default nameplate frames — all extras are layered on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: The cast bars are not showing. A: Make sure Show Cast Bar is enabled in the options panel. Also confirm that C_NamePlate returns a valid frame for the unit.

Q: Tank Mode shows nothing. A: Tank Mode requires you to be in a group or raid. Trivial mobs below your level may return nil from the threat API.

Q: The skull isn't appearing on the right enemy. A: Check your skull mode with /bp skull (no argument). For a static priority target, try sticky or weak. For fully manual control, use key and bind it in Key Bindings.

Q: Nameplates aren't appearing at range. A: Check that Auto Distance is ON, or set it manually with /bp distance 41. BattlePlates re-applies the CVar on every PLAYER_ENTERING_WORLD.

Q: Icons appeared during combat but now they are gone. A: Auto-show plates in combat only is ON by default. Toggle it off with /bp toggle if you want extras visible all the time.

Q: The threat % shows values above 100 %. A: This is intentional in Tank Mode. When you hold aggro, the display switches to a threat-lead scale: 100 % means second place is right behind you (danger), 200 % means you have the maximum possible lead. When not in Tank Mode, the scale is the standard 0–100 % (how close you are to pulling aggro).

License

Free to use, modify, and distribute for personal or community use.