FAQ & Troubleshooting
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”How accurate are the results?
Section titled “How accurate are the results?”WoW Gear Sim uses the exact same SimulationCraft engine as other popular gear simulators. With the same settings (iterations, fight style, fight length), the results should be statistically identical. The only difference is that WoW Gear Sim runs locally on your machine instead of in the cloud.
How long does a simulation take?
Section titled “How long does a simulation take?”It depends on:
- Number of combinations — more items selected = more combinations
- Iterations — default 10,000 per combination
- Your CPU — more cores = faster simulations
Rough estimates at 10,000 iterations per combo:
| Combinations | Approximate Time |
|---|---|
| 10 | 30 seconds |
| 50 | 2–3 minutes |
| 200 | 10–15 minutes |
| 500 | 30–60 minutes |
| 1000 | 1–2 hours |
Can I compare items from different sources (raid + M+)?
Section titled “Can I compare items from different sources (raid + M+)?”Yes. You can add unowned items from any source using the search feature. Mix raid drops, M+ drops, and crafted items in the same comparison.
Can I change talents between simulations?
Section titled “Can I change talents between simulations?”Not within the app. Talents come from your SimC export and are fixed for all combinations. To test different talents, change them in-game and create a new /simc export.
Does the app need an internet connection?
Section titled “Does the app need an internet connection?”No. After installation, the app works fully offline. The only online feature is the Wowhead item search fallback, and the local database covers the vast majority of items.
How often should I re-export my character?
Section titled “How often should I re-export my character?”Re-export whenever:
- You get new gear
- You change talents
- A new patch updates item stats or SimC
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting””SimC binary not found” error
Section titled “”SimC binary not found” error”The bundled SimC binary wasn’t detected. Try:
- macOS: Right-click the app, select Open, confirm the security dialog
- Windows: Run the installer again (don’t just copy the .exe)
- Check that your antivirus isn’t quarantining the SimC binary
macOS: “App can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”
Section titled “macOS: “App can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer””- Right-click (Control-click) the app in Finder
- Select Open
- Click Open in the confirmation dialog
This only needs to be done once.
Simulation seems stuck / no progress
Section titled “Simulation seems stuck / no progress”- SimC uses all available CPU cores — your machine may feel slow during a sim
- Large combination counts (500+) take a long time. Check the combination counter before running
- You can cancel a running simulation at any time
Results don’t match other simulators
Section titled “Results don’t match other simulators”Check these settings match:
- Iterations: Most simulators use 10,000–25,000 depending on the tier
- Fight style: Default is Patchwerk for Sim Gear
- Fight length: Should be 300 seconds
- SimC version: Make sure your app’s bundled SimC version matches what you’re comparing against (shown in the footer)
“Too many combinations” error
Section titled ““Too many combinations” error”You’ve selected more than 1,000 combinations. To reduce:
- Deselect items you’re confident are worse
- Remove gem or enchant options
- Run gear and enchant optimization separately
- Focus on one or two slots at a time
Items show as “Item #12345” instead of names
Section titled “Items show as “Item #12345” instead of names”Item name resolution requires either:
- A cached name from a previous lookup
- An internet connection for the Wowhead API fallback
The simulation works correctly regardless — names are cosmetic only.