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_NPCScan

 
Project Updated:
Files Updated: Wed, Dec 9 2009
Supports Game Version: 3.3.0
Category: Achievements
Tags:

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Project Manager: Saiket
Additional Authors: No additional authors
Current Version: _NPCScan 3.3.0.2
License: GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3)
Development Site: CurseForge.com
Avg Daily DL (last 30 days): 643
Downloads Total: 474,360
Favorites: 673
Comments: 139
  • About _NPCScan
  •  

_NPCScan tracks seldom-seen rare mobs by proximity alone, making the old “/targetexact …” macros obsolete. It has the same range as those targeting macros, but you won't have to mash any buttons. Just go about your business and let _NPCScan alert you when it finds something.

Details

The Cache

This addon doesn't use nameplates or mouseover units to find rares. Instead, it checks your creature cache for the moment a rare mob is found. There is one catch to this technique however: Once a mob is “found”, _NPCScan won't be able to find it again until your cache is cleared.  If you find a rare mob's corpse—Dirkee for example—you would have to clear your cache before _NPCScan would find Dirkee again.  Thankfully, clearing your cache is a safe and simple matter.

Clearing Your Cache

To clear your cache, follow these straightforward steps:

  1. Exit World of Warcraft.
  2. Delete the “Cache” sub-directory inside your World of Warcraft folder.  For example on a standard Windows XP installation, you would delete the folder “C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\Cache”.

Note: Windows Vista and Windows 7 users see this info to find your Cache folder in WoW's Virtual Store.

That's it.  Log in after you've done that and you'd be able to find Dirkee a second time.  It's completely safe because WoW will recreate your Cache folder after you log in again.

Cache Warning

If a rare mob is already cached when you log in, _NPCScan will print a warning message with the names of those mobs.  If you see this message but still want to find the listed NPCs again, it's time to clear your cache by following the above procedure.  Otherwise, you can quit searching for those mobs using the Search options window detailed below.  You can suppress this log-in message using the main options pane, as well.

“Found” Alert

When a rare mob is found, _NPCScan alerts you by playing a loud and distinctive sound, making your screen pulse red, and displaying an animated targeting button.  To get a feel for what this alert looks and sounds like, try the “Test Found Alert” button in the addon's main Interface Options panel. (See the Options section below.)

Targeting Button

When clicked, the targeting button tries to target the most-recently-found mob.  You can also bind a key to hit this button. If the default button position isn't to your liking, you can move it while holding your <CTRL> key.

Note: The button cannot be shown during combat.  In the unlikely case that you do find a rare while fighting, the button will appear after you leave combat.  You will still hear the alert however, and the name of the mob will appear in your chat log.

Options

_NPCScan's main options window can be accessed from the Interface Options menu.  This panel includes a “Test Found Alert” button, various ways to customize the alert sound, and an option to suppress cache warning messages on log-in.

New sounds can be added to the alert sound dropdown menu by installing SharedMedia-type addons.

Search List

The list of mobs that _NPCScan searches for can be modified easily through the Interface Options panel, however it comes pre-configured with most rare Outlands and Northrend mobs.  To access the mob list, type “/npcscan”.

Grayed out NPCs in a list aren't being searched for, either because they're cached, a pet, or not needed for their achievement.

  • The first tab available lists Custom NPCs that you can enter or remove manually.  NPCs that are already cached show a red “X” in the first column.  You can add or remove Custom NPCs with the [+] and [-] buttons at the bottom right.
  • All other tabs control achievements like Bloody Rare and Frostbitten.  These tabs show an additional column on the right with green check marks for completed achievement mobs.  You may enable or disable tracking each achievement with its tab's checkbox.

The two checkboxes at the top left of the pane allow greater control over which mobs to search for.  “Search for tamable NPCs” controls searching for mobs tamable by hunters (to avoid the issues detailed in the “Limitations” section below).  “Search for completed Achievement NPCs” allows you to keep looking for mobs you no longer need for achievements.

Finding NPC IDs

A mob's NPC ID is its unique identification number, and it can be found on sites like WowHead or WowDB.  For example, search for the mob “Dirkee” on WowHead and go to the mob's page.  That page's URL will look like “http://www.wowhead.com/?npc=32500”; 32500 is Dirkee's NPC ID.

Limitations

The only problem mobs for _NPCScan are tamable beasts.  Even when you run across the tamed version, _NPCScan gets tricked into thinking that mob is nearby.  In order to prevent those false positives, _NPCScan only shows alerts for tamable mobs in their original zones.  That is, if you spot Loque'nahak in Dalaran instead of Sholazar Basin where it usually patrols, _NPCScan would ignore it.  When one of these tamable mob false-alarms happens, you'll see a message in your chat window explaining why it got ignored.

Since this makes tamable mobs are so difficult to track, I suggest you fly to the tamable mob's zone first, clear your cache, and then search for it.  Any time you pass through a populated area like Dalaran, you risk filling your cache with popular rare pets.

  • Downloads (7)
  •  
File Name Release Type Game Version Downloads Date
Addon Curse.com Beta 2.3.3 0 9/29/2008
  File Name Release Type Game Version Downloads Date  
  _NPCScan 3.3.0.2 Release 3.3.0 109,450 12/9/2009
  _NPCScan 3.3.0.1 Release 3.3.0 11,892 12/8/2009
  _NPCScan 3.2.0.8 Release 3.2.0 113,028 10/4/2009
  _NPCScan 3.2.0.7 Release 3.2.0 50,477 9/22/2009
  _NPCScan 3.2.0.6 Release 3.2.0 41,692 9/11/2009
  • Comments

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  • seo0drick said

    I find a automatic mining addon,with 3.3.2 patch
    www.RatingBuster.org
    I appreciate all the hard work you've put into it.Very simple.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Djuice said

    ^^^ Do NOT download this.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Saiket said

    Woah, sorry for the lack of replies! I usually get an email any time someone posts here, but I think Curse's emailer might have been busted for the past couple weeks.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Djuice said

    I got tired of clearing the cache myself, so I decided to write a tiny batch script that I use to start WoW. The script clears your cache (if it exists), and then immediately starts the patcher. Instructions are in the bat file.. hope this helps someone.

    http://wow.bosscube.com/downloads/clear_cache.zip

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Gho123 said

    Very helpful addon! It'd be almost perfect if there were a way to have it rest the creature cache automatically.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Tenaka30 said

    It's a limitation of the game (that actually prevents some mod writer from damaging or infiltration your operating system actually). I use a batch file that deletes the relevant file before running the launcher. I think the guy above your post has done something similar.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Clarx said

    Problem with this AddOn are tameable pets, as they also get cached from a hunter with i.e. a Spirit Beast in Dalaran (regardless if it's name).- Big hassle to always clear cache each login ... plus you can't do it when you loged out in Dalaran either.

    There should be a better way.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Tenaka30 said

    I know what you mean. My mage logs out elsewhere whenever possible now for this reason but other than having a mod that continuosly scans all spawned entitied within range, keeping tabs on when one is added to the cache is probably the best way to do it. The former method would create a large cpu load I would imagine.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • chris73760 said

    great addon love it! (wish it worked in azeroth to tho)any chance it can be used with gathering too? like herbs and minerals,sound an alarm when near it?

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Fomsil said

    Thanks for the addon! Anyways, the addon has found two mobs for me so far, both in Borean Tundra. But I wasn't notified before, like, a half zone passed the patrolling area, both times, while flying. Is it supposed to be like that?

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Daginni said

    This add-on is a Blight on Hunters trying to tame a Spirit Beast, or Rare Spawn.

    Every time I found a Spirit Beast like Skoll, a Loladin would come in out of nowhere while I was taming and kill it.

    Thanks a lot for making the world harder for Hunters.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • hmmm, how did you find that rare spirit beast.....oh yeah, this addon so calm down.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Tenaka30 said

    It's easier for people to blame the addon and not the player that wronged them in some way.

    I would suggest Daginni puts his complaint to Blizz themselves in the form of once a hunter starts to tame it, it becomes friendly to all but the hunter until taming complete.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • WoWEye said

    Since the last patch, the rares no longer drop the pets. They are in nests that the rare makes somewhere in its path. Is there a way for NPCScan to also detect the nest?

    Reply Report Permalink
  • livejamie said

    This would be perfect if it could clear the cache from the /npcscan menu

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Here is something I been doing about deleting the entire cache. I looked into the Cache folder and drilled down through the sub-folders in my case Cache\WDB\enUS and located a file labeled creaturecache.wdb. I assume this is the actual file where the actual creature names are held. I have been deleting just this file and it appears to work. Doing this several times got to be somewhat tedious especially when getting false positives when in Dalaran. As a relief from this procedure I simply made a shortcut of the enUS folder to my desktop and whenever I need to clear the creaturecache.wdb file I simply click open the enUS file on the desktop. I assume this is safe to do and found it quite convenient.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • flakes said

    yes, I can confirm that deleting only the creaturecache file seems to works

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Severitas said

    I've even created a shortcut to the cache folder on my desktop, right next to the WoW icon, so I remember to clear it each time I log in. It helps, but I still wish there was an easier way.

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Jessmine said

    I was just curious how this mod differs from Silverdragon?

    http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-addons/details/silver-dragon.aspx

    Reply Report Permalink
  • Alanray said

    One thing I noticed on Silverdragon is that is not a need to reset the cache. I just started using NPCScan and came across Morcrush on a flight over. Returning to where I had saw the rare NPCScan wouldn't pick it up again and the overlay removed the walking paths etc it used. I had to keep moving around to locate the beastie once again. With Silverdragon I just never seem to have that problem before. Still the restoring of the cache maybe a minor issue however the overlay removal of that Rares pathing was a bit of a pain. Could that be left in at least ?

    Reply Report Permalink
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