In World of Warcraft, your user interface (UI) is the most important tool you have for gathering data. As a researcher, I do not view my screen as a place for pretty pictures. I view it as a data dashboard. Every element on my screen has a specific purpose. If a piece of information does not help me make a better choice or gather better data, I remove it. I am Tomothy Davidson, and this is how I set up my game to get a “10x” advantage in every fight.
My UI is built to show me the facts of the game in real-time. I need to see my cooldowns, my resources, and the behavior of the enemy without any distractions. This setup allows me to record accurate combat logs and provide the research you find on 10xresearch.co. Below is a detailed look at the addons and settings I use to stay at the top of the game.
The Core Framework: ElvUI
The foundation of my interface is ElvUI. This is a total replacement for the standard Blizzard UI. I use it because it allows me to move every single part of the screen to exactly where I need it. In my research, I have found that keeping the most important information near the center of the screen is the best way to play. This is called the “Centralized HUD” approach.
I keep my player frame and my target frame just below my character’s feet. This allows me to see my health and the enemy’s health without moving my eyes away from the action. I also use ElvUI to strip away all the “art” and “flavor” from the bars. I want clean, flat bars with clear numbers. This makes it much easier to read data during a fast boss fight. I also use a very simple font for all my text to ensure I can read it instantly.
The Brain of the UI: WeakAuras
If ElvUI is the body of my interface, WeakAuras is the brain. This is the most powerful addon for any player who wants to use data to win. WeakAuras allows me to create custom icons and bars to track anything in the game. I use it to track my major offensive cooldowns, my defensive abilities, and important debuffs on the enemy.
For my research, I have built a custom “Rotation Helper” using WeakAuras. This does not tell me what to press, but it shows me the “internal” timers of my abilities. For example, if a talent has a chance to trigger a buff, I have a WeakAura that shows me the exact percentage of that chance and how long the buff will last. This helps me verify the data I find in the game files. I keep these icons small and organized in a grid so they do not clutter my view.
Combat Analysis: Details! Damage Meter
You cannot do research without a way to measure your results. Details! is the best tool for this task. While many players use it just to see who is doing the most damage, I use it to look deep into the combat logs. I use the “Advanced Logging” feature to see exactly how much damage each of my abilities is doing.
I have multiple windows of Details! open at the same time. One window shows my current damage per second (DPS). Another window shows the damage taken by the group, which helps me see which mechanics are the most dangerous. A third window tracks “Interrupts” and “Dispels.” This data is vital for my dungeon and raid reports. If I see that a specific ability is doing less damage than the math says it should, I use Details! to find the error and report it to the community.
Boss Mechanics: BigWigs and LittleWigs
To provide accurate raid guides, I need to know exactly when a boss is going to use an ability. I use BigWigs for raids and LittleWigs for dungeons. I prefer these over other boss mods because they are very clean and do not use loud, distracting sounds. They provide a simple timer bar that tells me what is coming next.
I configure these addons to only show me the “High Impact” abilities. I do not need a timer for every small attack. I only want to see the mechanics that require a change in strategy or a big defensive cooldown. This keeps my screen clear and allows me to focus on the data I am collecting. I also use the “Countdown” feature for the most important mechanics so I can prepare my character a few seconds early.
The Economy Tracker: TradeSkillMaster (TSM)
My research also covers the game economy. To track prices and market trends for 10xresearch.co, I use TradeSkillMaster (TSM). This is a very complex addon that tracks the price of every item on the Auction House. It allows me to see the “Market Value” of an item over the last thirty days.
I use TSM to gather data on which materials are the most profitable to farm. I also use it to track the cost of crafting different items. This data is the foundation of my gold-making guides. TSM has a very steep learning curve, but it is a requirement for anyone who wants to treat the game economy like a professional researcher. It provides the hard facts you need to make smart trades and build a fortune.
Performance and Technical Settings
A good UI is not just about addons; it is also about how the game runs. I keep my graphics settings optimized for “Performance over Visuals.” I want the highest frame rate possible to ensure that my data collection is smooth and accurate. I turn off “Screen Shake” and “Full Screen Glow” because these effects make it harder to see the data on the screen.
I also use a “Combat Log” addon that automatically records every fight and saves it to a file on my computer. I then upload these files to “Warcraft Logs” for a deeper analysis. This is a vital part of my research process. It allows me to see every single event that happened in a fight, down to the millisecond. This is how I find the “10x” advantages that I share with my readers.
Accessibility and Clarity
I believe that a UI should be accessible to everyone. I use high-contrast colors for my bars so they are easy to see in any environment. I also use “Class Colors” for all my unit frames. This means that a Mage’s health bar is always light blue, and a Warrior’s bar is always tan. This small change allows my brain to process information much faster during a chaotic fight.
I also keep my “Mini-map” and “Quest Tracker” hidden during combat. These elements take up valuable space and do not provide any data that is useful in a fight. I have them set to only appear when I am out of combat. This keeps my focus on the center of the screen where the research is happening. A clean screen is a fast screen.
How to Get My UI Profile
I often get emails at info@10xresearch.co asking for my specific UI strings and profiles. I am happy to share these with the community. I believe that having a good UI is the first step to becoming a better player. You can find my ElvUI and WeakAura profiles on the “Tools” section of my website.
I am always looking for new ways to improve my setup. If you have a suggestion for an addon that provides great data or a way to make the interface cleaner, please let me know. I value the input of other players who care about facts and efficiency. Together, we can build the best tools for mastering World of Warcraft.