Quote Originally Posted by Ladon View Post
There will be some obvious need for some UI overlay because of the genre but we shouldn't need things like RaidUI or stuff like auto-healing scripting mods. Content needs to be crafted with the capabilities of the default UI in mind. This also in turn sets the requirement that a UI be standardized. If they want to do something that the current UI can't handle well then a UI update needs to be part of the content release.

The high customization abilities of the WoW UI really needs to be looked at as model of failure, not success to be emulated. Opening your UI to allow scripted mods just opens up way too much possibility of abuse and many MMOs that have come along after WoW have realized this and have elected to lock down their UI while maintaining a reasonable amount of customization of the UI within the game to satisfy most players.
I understand and agree with your sentiment that addon automation can be dangerous, but you are wrong in your assertion that WOW is an example of failure. In fact, WOW is the shining example of customization gone right.

The WOW developers have constantly kept an eye on addons. Addons that provided automation that was not replicable through the default UI were quickly stamped out; or they were integrated into the default UI in short order and TOSes were updated. The same for popular UI addons that didn't provide automation, like threat meters, floating combat text, raid warnings, or quest help.

WOW's default UI has steadily evolved over the years and "kept up" with addons, precisely for the reason that the developers didn't want let addons feel required. For all it's problems, UI development is the one thing that you cannot fault WOW on, because it's been getting it right since day one.