As this is the first content patch for ESO, there are likely many of you that have never experienced one. This post is intended to help you get through it, at least in so far as dealing with your addons.
Often when a content patch is pushed, there are changes to the User Interface API that authors use to create their addons. If there are changes to the API, there is usually a change in the version number as well. These API changes
may break some addons, either temporarily or permanently, depending on the changes in question. The change in the version number means that all addons
will be marked as "out of date" until the author has a chance to update the version number of their addon.
Most authors will not update the version number for their addon until they have had a chance to test their addon in-game to make sure that it is still working properly and, if necessary, 'fix' it to work with the new API changes.
While authors will do everything they can to make sure that their addons are working, please remember that they, just like you, have to:
- download the patch
- wait for the server to come back on-line
- and then find out if their addon is still working
If it isn't working they then have to:
- figure out what the changes to the API are and how they've affected their addon
- make the necessary changes to the addon
- check in-game again to make sure that the fix has worked
- rinse and repeat if it hasn't
Then they have to
- change the version number
- package it up
- write up their change log
- submit it to the site(s)
- and wait for it to be approved
Most of the authors (so far, at least) have more than one addon that they've written, so they have to do this for each of them. It takes time.
Now, in many cases, the addons will be working just fine with the patch. They will just be marked as "out of date", along with all the rest. What you can do while waiting for the author to push out their update is to go to the "AddOns" tab on the in-game menu and simply check the "Use Out of Date" check box. Most likely the majority of the addons you are using will work just fine with that. In that case - "Yay!" just use as is until the author bumps the version number.
If you find that an addon is
not working, then disable it in the same "AddOns" tab on the in-game menu. Next, go to the site(s) that you have downloaded the addon from and check to see if the error has already been reported to the author, or if they've already commented that they know there is a problem. If there hasn't been a report, or a comment by the author, then go ahead and let them know. Give what details you can, provide a screenshot of any error messages you may have seen, etc. Then just keep an eye out to see when the author is able to provide an updated version.
But please, be patient. Remember that they have to go through all the same stuff as you,
plus then fixing it. And also remember that they, like you, have other responsibilities as well. They have jobs, families, school, whatever. They write these addons as a
hobby, in their spare time. Give them time.
TL;DR Use the "load out of date" check box on the addon menu in-game, watch for updates from the authors, and be patient.