Originally posted by Xasapis

That's not bad at all.

All they need now is a tutoring system (so you can play with your lower level friends) and it'll be perfect.

The tutoring system is not a bad idea in theory.  I think the problem is how do you scale a players gear and still keep the appropiate challenge of the dungeon?

On a unrelated note,  I hope they also add public quests (ala Warhammer) as another means of grouping in open world zones.  I'm probably dreaming here.

The Emblem of Frost reward is only for doing a random dungeon, you can use a non-random group for it.  (source)

Q: May I create a group with 4 friends and then use the LFG interface to gain the random dungeon reward?
A: Yes. In fact, you can join it with a full group of 5 and still get the random dungeon reward. The reward is for doing a random dungeon, not necessarily for having random members.

I hate to be a downer but the more I learn about this system the more my inner 12-year-old that keeps me playing MMOs screams "IT'S MEETING STONES ALL OVER AGAIN!  OMG HOW CAN THEY DO THIS AGAIN?!"

For those of you who weren't around then, let me elaborate

Back in 2005 or so, eons ago in Internet Time, Blizzard first introduced meeting stones into WoW.  They were supposed to solve all the woes associated with getting groups, which back in those days was mostly standing around in Org / IF spamming "LFG!" for whatever you were looking for.

You used the stones to queue up for the dungeon you wanted, and it would automatically match you with other people and drop you into a group.

It was a total flop; nobody used it.  It had some issues but the main thing that killed it is because healers and tanks refused to use a system that did not allow them any control over the groups they ended up in.  Since tanks and healers refused to queue, nobody else could ever get a full group, and everyone went back to the old way of doing things.

A lot has changed in WoW over the years, but one thing that hasn't changed is everyone is still LFG for a tank and/or a healer, and those people are not going to accept a system that does not allow them to control who they group with.  I think it *may* work with leveling dungeons, but for level 80 stuff, there's no way, as I understand the system right now.

Now the random dungeon thing, I think that's a great idea, personally.

lol Rast, I cant help but agree with you. Dont get me wrong, i think its a great idea, but as you say, people will still be the mercy of the lack of tanks and healers pugging. This is cross realm though, so It will still improve the situation.

Id rather have Guild Wars style npcs to group with tbh..its the "community"  I dislike most about wow nowadays...the game itself is great

@ both of you above.

You forget the new dual specs these days.

There isn't a day that passes that tanks/healers get replaced IN the groups we play.

The combo's of healers/tanks/dps dual classes are extremely handy.

They solved  "the lack of ..." in its end game.

While this cross server based solution is mainly a big boost to the leveling process.

Expect around 1000-2000 players on each "5 level" bracket, instead of 50 or so.

You'll be able to do the leveling dungeon with even MORE people than a newly launched game.

BTW Conavar: I LOVE that avatar above (where did you found it? not an mmorpg I suppose...

great soon I can farm on one server and sell to another.

like a korean server maybe

LOL

JK

I don't play WoW at the moment but I am a former player. I read up on the new PUG system they're going to add in the next patch for instances and it's brilliant. People can bash WoW and say stuff about the graphics, the difficulty and the overall 'theme' park feel of it, but think about why they have 11.5 million subscribers. It's because they know how to appeal to the masses. This PUG system is perfect for people who don't have time to LFG or maybe for people who aren't the most sociable just looking to get some gear. Plus the fact that it's cross-server allows you to find SOMEONE looking for a group in a instance no matter when you're playing. Blizzard is fantastic at what they do, and that's make a game everyone can play.

Originally posted by Bribarian

Not sure why everybody is celebrating this, it's pretty much admittance that the server populations are getting thinner and thinner.

Yeah I'm sure Blizzard is shitting their pants if their 11.5 dropped down to 11, lmao.

Originally posted by zethcarn

Originally posted by Xasapis

That's not bad at all.

All they need now is a tutoring system (so you can play with your lower level friends) and it'll be perfect.

 

The tutoring system is not a bad idea in theory.  I think the problem is how do you scale a players gear and still keep the appropiate challenge of the dungeon?

On a unrelated note,  I hope they also add public quests (ala Warhammer) as another means of grouping in open world zones.  I'm probably dreaming here.

Could do it like reverse of the heirloom system.  Have the gear scale down to whatever level the person currently is set at. 
 

Originally posted by Bribarian

Not sure why everybody is celebrating this, it's pretty much admittance that the server populations are getting thinner and thinner.

"Thinner and thinner"?

I currently play on a server that came online in '05, and I had a 12 minute login queue the other night.  Thats the first time I've had a queue since pre-wotlk. 

Originally posted by Bribarian

Not sure why everybody is celebrating this, it's pretty much admittance that the server populations are getting thinner and thinner.

All servers just had an upgrade because there was not enough space on the instance servers "additional instances cannot be launched". ( http://blue.mmo-champion.com/1/10431193314-additional-instances-cannot-be-launched.html )

You need to play WoW before you comment on something you know nothing about.

If you cannot see the value in this new feature then you really need to take the bind-fold off.

Originally posted by Bribarian

Not sure why everybody is celebrating this, it's pretty much admittance that the server populations are getting thinner and thinner.

I call Bullshit. Assume that the above is not true and you can think of 1000 different reasons to still make this change. Jumping to conclusions often is a jump off a cliff.

I think this change is to help alts leveling find a group for razorfin downs a hell of a lot more than an 80 looking for ToC.

Originally posted by Zorgo

Originally posted by Bribarian

Not sure why everybody is celebrating this, it's pretty much admittance that the server populations are getting thinner and thinner.

 

I call Bullshit. Assume that the above is not true and you can think of 1000 different reasons to still make this change. Jumping to conclusions often is a jump off a cliff.

I think this change is to help alts leveling find a group for razorfin downs a hell of a lot more than an 80 looking for ToC.

 

Come on, Bribarian never offer any proof.  He does not provide any details, as if he does not know anything about WoW other than the spelling of that word.

He thinks .. therefore its true.

This is an amazing new idea.  I've generally never cared for wow because of the endless solo grind to level and I love to group.  Wow just never satisfied me.  With this change It should be very easy to get a group anywhere anytime.  If this is true I'll have to be reactivating my wow account and might even retire from eq2!!

If only wow had housing and mentoring it would really have everything I love in eq2.

---

Originally posted by x_rast_x
The Emblem of Frost reward is only for doing a random dungeon, you can use a non-random group for it.  (source)
Q: May I create a group with 4 friends and then use the LFG interface to gain the random dungeon reward?
A: Yes. In fact, you can join it with a full group of 5 and still get the random dungeon reward. The reward is for doing a random dungeon, not necessarily for having random members.
I hate to be a downer but the more I learn about this system the more my inner 12-year-old that keeps me playing MMOs screams "IT'S MEETING STONES ALL OVER AGAIN!  OMG HOW CAN THEY DO THIS AGAIN?!"
For those of you who weren't around then, let me elaborate
Back in 2005 or so, eons ago in Internet Time, Blizzard first introduced meeting stones into WoW.  They were supposed to solve all the woes associated with getting groups, which back in those days was mostly standing around in Org / IF spamming "LFG!" for whatever you were looking for.
You used the stones to queue up for the dungeon you wanted, and it would automatically match you with other people and drop you into a group.
It was a total flop; nobody used it.  It had some issues but the main thing that killed it is because healers and tanks refused to use a system that did not allow them any control over the groups they ended up in.  Since tanks and healers refused to queue, nobody else could ever get a full group, and everyone went back to the old way of doing things.
A lot has changed in WoW over the years, but one thing that hasn't changed is everyone is still LFG for a tank and/or a healer, and those people are not going to accept a system that does not allow them to control who they group with.  I think it *may* work with leveling dungeons, but for level 80 stuff, there's no way, as I understand the system right now.
Now the random dungeon thing, I think that's a great idea, personally.

---

Meeting stones failed because they were limited to a small player pool for a single server. Most servers being top heavy with end level players meant very few people using meeting stones for non-end level dungeons. This system uses several servers to draw from so it will have a much larger pool of players looking for groups.

Also this system looks to be at least able to filter out players by their spec/class roles just like the current system does in WoW. Though admittedly not being able to talk to a player is a draw back but how much vetting is there in the regular system people use today when forming groups on a server? No much I tell you other then pug raids or heroic dungeon mode farming.

In the end the biggest draw to this system is the ability to find a group from a much larger pool of players looking to run a certain dungeon that may not be popular on your server but popular enough to form groups using people across other servers. This is IMHO a good way to promote and maximize grouping capabilities for players searching for Old world dungeons or Outland dungeons that aren't run often if at all on some servers.

Originally posted by M1sf1t

 

 

Meeting stones failed because they were limited to a small player pool for a single server. Most servers being top heavy with end level players meant very few people using meeting stones for non-end level dungeons. This system uses several servers to draw from so it will have a much larger pool of players looking for groups.

Also this system looks to be at least able to filter out players by their spec/class roles just like the current system does in WoW. Though admittedly not being able to talk to a player is a draw back but how much vetting is there in the regular system people use today when forming groups on a server? No much I tell you other then pug raids or heroic dungeon mode farming.

In the end the biggest draw to this system is the ability to find a group from a much larger pool of players looking to run a certain dungeon that may not be popular on your server but popular enough to form groups using people across other servers. This is IMHO a good way to promote and maximize grouping capabilities for players searching for Old world dungeons or Outland dungeons that aren't run often if at all on some servers.
 

Do the count: a server holds on average 3000/4000 players. In a bracket of 5 levels you would find at least 50 players (probably more) on one server.

By using the cross server LFG tool, you would find 50*20 people in that bracket to do dungeons. That's 1000 people or more. Give them the proper rewards and I am sure the mechanism starts ...

Once the mechanism is known everyone will accept the dungeon quests and try to level through dungeon play as a further option (combined with PvP leveling and solo leveling).... without much waiting times.

Like the clustered BG's, it is a pure revolution for 24/7 play.

Now combine it with the new leveling guild mechanism (PVE/PVP) and you end up with end content being played for Guild leveling on the realm with MUCH better players who practised group play and the Guilds are FREED of boring "boosts" asked by its lower members.

It solves the problem of creating "scaled" lower dungeons and it solves the problem of "parents" guiding the lower alts.

Add the dual specs (which already solved the end game's dungeons tank/healer these days)

WIN-WIN.