The idea for this add-on originated from a rumor about another add-on that alerts the group when someone pulls aggro from another group (commonly referred to as a „Ballgroup“) by displaying a big red „BLOCK“ message.

As it turns out, the rumor was true. There is now an officially available add-on that provides similar functionality: Agony Warning.

I later made BlockPooky compatible with it. This means that if one add-on sends a block warning, the other can receive and interpret it.

However, BlockPooky offers more advanced logic for triggering the block message. Over time, many additional features have also been added.

The features can be configured through the in-game settings menu. You can also open the configuration directly using the slash command: /blockpooky

The main and original feature: It tells Pooky (you) to BLOCK!

It displays the big red „BLOCK“ message shown above, along with a white CSA message and a sound alert. Optionally, a chat message can also be sent. You can even send a „They pulled me“ message to your group members, which triggers a block warning for them — similar to the functionality of the Agony Warning add-on.

If this feels overwhelming, don’t worry — everything is configurable in the BlockPooky menu:

CSA enables the Center Screen Announcement message, similar to those used in BAs. This shows a white “BLOCK POOKY!” text in the usual BA message area, accompanied by a sound (Duel Start Sound).

UI Frame refers to the red movable message. If CSA is disabled, you can choose to play the sound independently.

Send msg only on ROA/DC pulls means that only specific triggers (like ROA pulls) will send messages to group members. This mimics Agony Warning’s behavior, which only sends messages for ROA pulls.

So, what actually triggers the BLOCK message? This is also configurable in the menu:

If something is missing or the game evolves faster than the add-on, you can define your own custom triggers:

Just enter the ability ID:

You can also customize how long the BLOCK message stays visible:

Nice — now you know when to block, Pooky! But… sometimes you think you're blocking, when you're actually not. It's a common issue — and yes, there are even specialized add-ons for it: AmIBlocking

Fortunately, BlockPooky also tells you when you are actively blocking:

OFC BlockPooky gives you even more (or less) useful hints.

The „Blocking“ hint we already know. Then there are to „ready“ hints shown as CSA message:

• Hint if DC is ready to cast
• Hint if ROA is ready to cast

The recast echoing vigor hint helps you to optimize your vigor uptime and usage.

After ~8 secs „Vigor!“ appears for 4 secs. If you cast vigor it vanishes; if not it appears again around 16 secs and blinks. The blinking „Vigor!“ stops after 4 secs. Reminder: In a group of 12 you should cast it every 8 secs.

Now. Pooky. You're standing in a Negate. Realized? But friendly or enemy? The Negate Warning hint tells you:

btw… When you leave the negate, the message disappears. When you enter again, it reappears.

Another hint. Realized as a cooldown bar. If you roll dodge or if you take immunity potion and … you get CC immunity. This bar shows you its duration.

Actually the Potion thingy doesnt work since Update 46… seems the script-event is bugged

You can also define your own cooldown bars!

You can define cooldown bars for effects an for abilities. Here an example how to define one.

→ A cooldown bar for major resolve

You need the Effect Id for this. If you don't know it… Open Blockpooky menu

And activate Investigate Effects in the debug tools:

Leave the menu. Now cast frost cloak (for example) And you'll get:

„Größere Entschlossenheit“ is Major Resolve .. (in German ofc) You see the ID the start and the end time of the effect. Just memory the ID 61694. Now back to the BlockPooky menue and stop investigating by tuning it Off. Otherwise it will annoy you filling up the chat.

Now got to custom cooldownbars and enter a name for the bar:

Now Choose effect (!) enter the ID and a nice color 😉

You don't have to set the cooldown time on Effects, because as you see above in the investigation the times are part of the event information. See BT (Begin Time) and ET (End Time) in the investigation.

Exception: On some effect BT and ET are the sam. Who knows why… Here you can set the cooldown time manually.

But on all abilities. Set the cooldown time to the description of the skill / ability.

after this you can activate it (show):

Then try it:

There are some possibilities to customize the UI:

Set Colors and font size, …

and move the frames:

As seen before, there is a litte tool to investigate the ability and effect ids: