Parrot 3
If you have ever wished Blizzard's combat text looked the way you wanted instead of the way it ships, Parrot 3 is the answer. This addon replaces the default scrolling numbers with animated text that flies across your screen, and it puts every visual decision in your hands. Damage, healing, crits, misses, dodges, parries, power gains, procs, loot, reputation, and honor all become messages you can style, position, and route exactly how you like.
What makes this release stand out is its scope. Rather than juggling separate downloads, you get one addon that works across every supported client. The right code tree loads automatically based on the game version your client reports, so you never have to think about which build you grabbed.
One Addon, Every Version of the Game
Parrot 3 for World of Warcraft merges what used to be two separate builds into a single package. Each supported client has its own TOC file and a fully separate code tree, and the addon detects your version on login. Here is what is covered:
- Retail (Interface 120100 and 120105) via Parrot3_Mainline.toc
- Classic Era (1.15.9) via Parrot3_Vanilla.toc
- TBC Classic (2.5.6) via Parrot3_TBC.toc
- MoP Classic (5.5.4) via Parrot3_Mists.toc
Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm content runs through the appropriate client builds as well, so whether you are leveling through Northrend or pushing current Retail content, the addon behaves the same way. Existing Parrot 2 profiles and settings carry over unchanged, which means you can swap builds without rebuilding your configuration from scratch.
What Parrot 3 Actually Does
At its core, the addon takes every combat message the game generates and turns it into animated text you control. That control goes far beyond picking a color.
Scroll Areas
Scroll areas let you route any message type to its own screen location. Each area has its own direction, speed, and stacking behavior, so your damage numbers can drift upward on the right side of the screen while healing numbers rise gently on the left. Nothing overlaps unless you want it to.
Full Styling Control
Every category supports its own color, font, size, outline, and icon. Changes preview live as you make them, so you can see the result before you commit. If you have ever spent twenty minutes guessing at hex codes, this feature alone is worth the install.
Triggers
Triggers let you build custom rules for specific spells, procs, or conditions. Class and spec-aware defaults ship out of the box, so most players get useful behavior immediately and only need to fine-tune from there.
Interface and Language
A minimap button gives quick access to the config. Left-click opens the options window, right-click toggles the addon on and off. The settings include a modern options-window skin, About and Changelog panels, and a language selector covering 11 languages, set independently of your client language.
How to Install
Installation follows the standard addon process. Download Parrot 3, extract the folder, and place it in your World of Warcraft installation under Interface/AddOns. Make sure the folder name matches the TOC files inside it, then restart the client or reload your UI. The addon will detect your game version and load the correct build automatically. If you are upgrading from Parrot 2, your existing profiles and settings transfer without any extra steps.
If you would rather skip manual folder management, the foxygame.net launcher handles the whole process in a single click and keeps Parrot 3 updated whenever a new client patch changes the interface version.
What Changed From Parrot 2
This project continues the work of ckknight's original Parrot and Neb's Parrot 2, and it is licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License v2.1, the same license Parrot 2 uses. All original copyright notices and author credits remain intact, and every modified file carries an in-file notice describing what changed.
The technical differences matter for anyone running current clients. The addon has been audited and patched against deprecated APIs on modern Retail, embedded libraries like Ace3 and LibDBIcon-1.0 have been refreshed, and a client-side taint issue that could block combat-log access entirely has been hardened against. MoP Classic support required adapting the Retail trigger system to the older spell API, which is why spec-aware defaults and the focus unit work correctly there too.
The addon is not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment, ckknight, or Neb. Source code, the issue tracker, and the full technical changelog are available through the project repository.
Final Thoughts
Parrot 3 solves a problem most players do not realize they have until they try it. Once your combat text is styled, positioned, and triggered the way you want, going back to the default scrolling numbers feels like a downgrade. With one download covering Retail, Classic Era, TBC Classic, WotLK, Cataclysm, and MoP Classic, plus full profile carryover from Parrot 2, there is little reason to wait. Download Parrot 3, spend ten minutes in the options window, and watch your screen finally look the way it should.