WowPad 1.4.1

Native-feel controller support for the World of Warcraft 3.3.5a (build 12340) client, resembling WoW Forever's controller support: move and look with the sticks, a round controller action bar on the triggers, menus you can drive with the D-pad, a radial main menu and a crosshair. Client-side only; nothing on the server changes.

Full D-Pad Menu Navigation

Edit Mode with center line snapping

It has two parts that work together:

• version.dll reads the controller and sits next to Wow.exe;
• the WowPad addon (bar, menus, options) goes in Interface/AddOns.

Made and tested on Linux (CachyOS, Faugus Launcher / Proton) with an Xbox-style pad and the 2026 Steam Controller. Windows has been tested as well.

Using a DLL with a game is your own call. Ask your server's staff before using or sharing it.

Compatibility

It is currently being tested which addons this is compatible with, but so far these addons have been either fixed to work or were working by default:

• AIO
• Auctionator
• Bagnon
• DialogUI
• DragonUI and DragonUI New Era (with !!!ClassicAPI)
• Immersion
• Postal
• Questie-335

Download

Get WowPad-1.4.1.zip from the Releases page (not the green "Code" button: that is the source code). Unzip it and follow Install below.

Requirements

• WoW 3.3.5a client (build 12340).
• An Xbox-style controller (XInput). On Linux under Proton most pads show up as one. Steam Controller: close Steam while playing, otherwise Steam Input takes the controller.
• WoW's default key bindings. WowPad is tested with them, with only F changed (bound to interact, see below). It moves your character by pressing W/S and Q/E (strafe); if you moved those, set your keys in wowpad.ini under [Move]. Its own signals use numpad keys and some Alt+Ctrl+Shift combos as temporary bindings, so they don't change yours.
• Windows: reported working by players (including the Steam Controller through Steam). Windows Defender may remove version.dll, see Install.
• Recommended: Awesome WotLK (client mod by someweirdhuman, based on FrostAtom's original). Its interaction keybind is what makes X loot, skin, gather, open doors and mailboxes and talk to NPCs. Bind it to F (see "X = interact" below). WowPad works without it, but then X only starts attacking.

Install

The release zip mirrors your WoW folder: everything in it goes into the folder that contains Wow.exe.

1. Copy version.dll and wowpad.ini next to Wow.exe. (Already have a wowpad.ini you edited? Keep yours.)

2. Copy the WowPad folder from Interface/AddOns/ in the zip into your game's Interface/AddOns/ folder.

   • Linux: folder names are case-sensitive. If your game folder has interface/addons in lowercase, put WowPad in that folder. Don't create a second Interface/AddOns next to it.

3. Linux only: tell Wine to load the DLL. Add WINEDLLOVERRIDES=version=n,b to the game's launch settings:

   Launcher	Where
   Faugus	Edit the game > Game Arguments: add WINEDLLOVERRIDES=version=n,b at the end
   Lutris	Configure > Runner options > DLL overrides: version = n,b
   Bottles	Bottle > Settings > DLL Overrides: add version, "Native, then Builtin"
   Steam (non-Steam game)	Properties > Launch options: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b" %command%
   Plain Wine	WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b" wine Wow.exe

   Windows needs no setting.

   Windows Defender may delete version.dll. It reads the controller and sends key presses, which antivirus programs sometimes flag. If the game won't start with WowPad, or the file disappears: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history, find the item and choose Restore / Allow on device. Adding your WoW folder as an exclusion stops it happening again. Scan results: VirusTotal. Its SHA-256 is bf24eb36348f25fd63cd9022f1059013810329307207b0106cb7827f7964e258, so you can check yours is the original.

4. Start the game. A wowpad.log appears next to Wow.exe; its first line says wowpad 1.4.0 loaded (the DLL is unchanged in 1.4.1).

Updating from an older version? Replace version.dll and the whole WowPad folder, then restart the game fully (a /reload doesn't pick up new addon files).

Your WoW folder should end up like this:

Wow.exe
version.dll        <- from the zip
wowpad.ini         <- from the zip
Interface/AddOns/WowPad/   (or interface/addons/WowPad on Linux)

First time in game

1. The setup window opens: it checks your controller, movement keys, interact key and camera setting, and shows where everything lives. Reopen it any time with /wp firsttime (or Options > First-time setup).
2. Pick up the controller: WowPad switches to controller mode by itself.
3. Left-click the gamepad button on the minimap (or Start > page 3 > Edit Bar, or /wp edit): drag spells, items, macros and mounts onto the round slots. Drag bars to move them (they snap to the screen's centre line; pull further to let go), mouse wheel to resize. Click again to finish.
4. Right-click the minimap button (or Esc > Interface > AddOns > WowPad) for sensitivity and other options.

Controls

Button	Does
Left stick	Move (optional: slight tilt walks, full tilt runs)
Right stick	Camera. In menus and pointer mode: the pointer
A	Jump
B	Clear target / back out of menus
X	Interact + start attacking a hostile target
Y	Target menu
LB / RB	Target nearest friendly / enemy (can be swapped in Options; see Healer mode)
LB + RB held	Right stick zooms the camera
D-pad	4 action slots
LT / RT / LT+RT held	Left / right / bottom set: D-pad + A/B/X/Y = 8 more slots each
L3	Autorun
R3	Pointer mode: right stick moves a cursor, RT = left click, LT = right click
Start	Close windows, open the radial main menu
Back	Tap = map, hold = bags
Back + A	On-screen keyboard (see Chat); in the keyboard or chat box: send
Back + B	Esc: close the keyboard or chat (elsewhere: like the Esc key)
Back + Start held 1 s	Kill switch: WowPad stops sending anything

Mouse or keyboard input switches back to normal desktop control at once; any controller input switches to controller mode.

PlayStation pad? Pick PlayStation buttons in the setup window or Options > Buttons: hints and the bar then show ✕ ○ □ △, L1 / R1, L2 / R2, Share and Options instead of the Xbox names.

In menus (a window open, out of combat)

Button	Does
D-pad / right stick	Move the selection (at the end of a list, the D-pad scrolls it)
A	Click
X	Right-click (use, equip, sell). Quest log: track / untrack the quest
Y tap / hold	Preview gear in the dressing room / compare with what you wear
L3 (in bags)	Item actions: Disenchant (if you can), Destroy (asks first), Cancel (preselected)
LB / RB	Switch between open windows
B	Close / cancel (Esc menu: Return to Game, option windows: Cancel)

A hint bar under the window shows what the buttons do for the selected item. Works with default bags and with bag addons such as Bagnon. Each open window remembers its selection, so switching windows or selling an item doesn't send you back to the top.

Dungeon finder and loot rolls: when a dungeon is ready, the window gets the selection with Enter Dungeon selected (B = Leave Queue). Group loot rolls get it too, with Need (or Greed) selected (B = Pass, Y = preview / compare the item). In combat these windows leave your controls alone; roll when the fight is over.

Chat: on-screen keyboard

Back + A opens a small keyboard above the chat window (controller mode, out of combat). It's meant for short messages and commands like /reload; a real keyboard (or the Steam Deck's) works as usual.

Button	Does
D-pad	Move between keys
A / X	Type / type a capital
Y	Space
B	Delete a letter (on an empty line: close)
LB / RB	Channel: Say, Party, Guild, Raid, Reply
Start or Back + A	Send
Back + B	Close

Slash commands work (/reload, /w name ...). You can also click the keys with the mouse or a touchpad. Don't need it? Turn off On-screen keyboard in Options: Back + A then just opens the normal chat box, and Back + A / Back + B send or close it while you type.

World map

The map gets its own cursor: a gold diamond with crosshair lines, plus cursor and player coordinates.

Button	Does
Right stick	Move the cursor
A	Zoom in on the zone under the cursor (on a pin: click the pin)
X	Zoom out
D-pad	Jump between pins and map buttons
B	Back a level (zone, continent, world), then close

Ground-targeted spells

Spells you aim at the ground (Blizzard, Flare, Death and Decay, ...): aim with the camera, then press A or the same button again to place the spell at the crosshair. B cancels. A hint above the cast bar shows this while you aim. Let the camera come to rest before placing; placing while it's still turning can cause a small hiccup. Needs Hardware Cursor (Esc > Video, on by default).

Healer mode

Off by default: Options > Buttons > Healer mode, then Apply.

• Tap your ally bumper (LB, or RB if you swapped them) to target your last party pick (you at first).
• Hold it and flick the right stick down / up for the next / previous party member (you, then party 1-4). Left / right still turns the camera.
• A gold frame briefly marks the picked member's unit frame.

Works in combat. With healer mode off, the ally bumper targets the nearest friendly as before.

Utility ring

Eight spells, items or macros on one button. Options > WowPad > Bars > Utility ring: pick the button that opens it (a D-pad button, or any slot in the LT, RT or LT+RT set), then Apply. Fill its eight wedges in Edit bar layout (the ring shows in the middle of the screen). In game: hold the button, point the right stick at a wedge, let go to use it. Let go in the middle to cancel. Works in combat. In Edit bar layout, drag its centre to move it and use the mouse wheel there to resize it.

Lite bar

Options > WowPad > Bars > Lite mode shows one cluster instead of four: your default set, and while you hold LT, RT or both, that set in its place (a small badge says which). It has its own position and size, and can sit right on the bottom edge of the screen. In Edit bar layout, tabs above it (Default / LT / RT / LT+RT) pick which set you're filling.

Radial menu (Start)

A radial wheel with three pages (LB / RB). Point the right stick at a wedge and press A; B or Start closes it. In **Edit bar layout** it shows in a blue box: drag it to move it, mouse wheel to resize.

X = interact

X presses whatever is bound to your F key, plus starts auto attack on a hostile target. 3.3.5 has no retail-style interact key ("interact with what's in front of me"); Awesome WotLK adds one. It loots and skins mobs and interacts with nearby objects (veins, chairs, doors, mailboxes) and NPCs.

1. Install Awesome WotLK: unpack its release into the WoW folder, then run AwesomeWotlkPatch.exe once (or drag Wow.exe onto it). On Linux, run it with the same Wine/Proton your launcher uses.
2. In game: Esc > Key Bindings, find Awesome WotLK's interaction binding and set it to F. (Or make a macro with /interact and bind that to F.)
3. Type /wp interact. It should say Interact follows key F -> INTERACTIONKEYBIND.

Prefer another key? /wp interact KEY makes X follow that key instead. Awesome WotLK's interactionMode and interactionAngle settings tune what it picks; see its page.

Options

Esc > Interface > AddOns > WowPad (or `/wp options`). Settings marked `*` need **Apply** (reloads the UI).

• Sticks: camera sensitivity, pointer speed, zoom speed, invert camera.
• Crosshair: dot on/off, crosshair tooltips ("peek") and peek delay. Keep crosshair tooltips on: turning it off is experimental, the camera can jump after closing a window.
• Buttons: X also starts auto attack; swap LB / RB targeting; healer mode; PlayStation button labels; on-screen keyboard.
• Messages: status line, debug messages.
• Experimental: walk/run by stick tilt, smooth camera (glides the camera; [Camera] SmoothMs in wowpad.ini sets how much).

WowPad > Bars (click the + next to WowPad in the list):

- **Controller bar:** always visible, hide Blizzard's bars, size, edit layout. - **Lite mode:** one cluster at a time (see "Lite bar" above). - **Utility ring:** which button opens it (see "Utility ring" above). - **Extra bars:** WowPad's own XP bar, reputation bar, pet bar and movable cast bar. Each can be turned off, e.g. to use another addon's version instead. Move and resize them in **Edit bar layout**. - **Minimap:** show or hide the minimap button (left-click: edit layout, right-click: options, drag to move it around the minimap).

Advanced settings (deadzones, key names, speeds) are in wowpad.ini next to Wow.exe; restart the game after editing it.

Chat commands: /wp firsttime, /wp options, /wp edit, /wp scale 0.8, /wp bar, /wp blizz, /wp crosshair, /wp peek, /wp sens 0.5, /wp interact KEY, /wp xattack, /wp status, /wp debug, /wp navinfo.

Troubleshooting

• Nothing happens with the controller: check wowpad.log exists. No log = the DLL isn't loading: the WINEDLLOVERRIDES=version=n,b setting is missing or in the wrong place. Log says no controller: close Steam, reconnect the pad.
• Hand/sword cursor visible over the crosshair: turn on Hardware Cursor (Esc > Video).
• Game won't start, or version.dll vanished (Windows): Windows Defender removed it, see Install.
• Camera jumps after closing a menu: turn crosshair tooltips (peek) on.
• X doesn't interact: /wp interact shows what F is bound to.
• Ground-targeted spells don't place: turn on Hardware Cursor (Esc > Video) and let the camera come to rest before pressing.
• A Lua error mentions WowPad: send the error text and wowpad.log.
• Crosshair stuck somewhere other than its usual spot: press R3 twice (pointer mode on, then off). That puts it back.
• Steam Deck (or another low resolution) with UI scale maxed: the radial menu goes partly off the edge: make it smaller or move it in Edit bar layout.
• Stuck input / something odd: hold Back + Start for 1 second (kill switch), or touch the mouse/keyboard.

Planned / TODO

• Turning crosshair tooltips (peek) off without the camera jumping after closing a window.
• Assigning action bar slots with the controller (picking from the spellbook) instead of dragging with the mouse.

Have an idea or found a bug? Open an issue with your wowpad.log.

Uninstall

Delete version.dll next to Wow.exe and the WowPad folder in Interface/AddOns. On Linux, remove the WINEDLLOVERRIDES launch setting too. Your wowpad.ini and wowpad.log stay until you delete them.

How this was made

WowPad is 100% vibe-coded. Every line of the DLL and the addon was written by Claude (Anthropic's AI) in one long conversation. I tested each build in game and sent back logs, screenshots and Lua errors; Claude read them, fixed things and sent the next version. Many versions later, this is the one that plays the way I wanted.

What that means for you: the design and testing are a player's, the code is an AI's, and it has only been tested on one setup (Linux, Faugus/Proton, an Xbox-style pad and the Steam Controller). It works well for me. If something breaks on yours, open an issue with your wowpad.log and what you were doing; that's exactly how it got built.

Credits

• Claude(really tho? homie just yoinks everything from the internet)
• WowPad: made for a private AzerothCore setup, with Claude (Anthropic).
• Interact: Awesome WotLK by someweirdhuman, based on FrostAtom's awesome_wotlk. Not included in this package; get it from its page.
• Icons and cursors used by the addon are the game's own files; nothing from Blizzard is bundled.

Building from source

The DLL is built on Linux with MinGW (i686-w64-mingw32-g++): run ./build.sh, the result is build/version.dll. Code layout, signal design and launcher details are in docs/DEVELOPMENT.md; the test checklist history is in docs/TESTING.md.

License

MIT. Awesome WotLK is a separate project with its own license.