The Dungeon Finder: What to Know

#0 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:08 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!

We’re happy to announce the launch of the cross-realm Dungeon Finder, the long awaited successor to the Looking For Group system. Using this in-game tool, you can queue for a dungeon individually, as a group looking for additional members, or as a premade group of five—all with just a few quick clicks of your mouse button.

In addition, you’ll gain access to our new dungeon teleport system, revamped "Need Before Greed" looting option, special rewards for joining a random dungeon, and even achievements!

This thread will explore the various features of the Dungeon Finder and explain both how to use them and how they may affect your game play. Whether you’re a casual or hard-core player, though, finding a dungeon group has never been easier (or more fun).

Table of Contents


Should you possess any questions or concerns related to the Dungeon Finder which are not covered by this sticky post, please do not hesitate to create a topic within the Customer Service forum. Comments, suggestions, and recommendations regarding this new feature, however, are best directed to our Suggestions forum.

Thank you, and happy gaming!
#1 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:10 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Queuing up Solo

Step 1) Open up the Dungeon Finder.

This tool can be accessed by hitting "i" or by clicking on the "Dungeon Finder" icon in your navigation tray (it’s the small, green eyeball previously used for the Looking For Group tool).

Step 2) Choose your role!

Available roles are Tank, Healer, and Damage (represented by a shield, plus sign, and sword symbol, respectively). If multiple roles are available for your class, you will be provided the option to choose which role you’d prefer to fill. If you feel comfortable performing all available roles, you may select them all. Please note that you will only be asked to perform one role per dungeon group. This role will be automatically chosen for you during the group formation process, so please do not select roles which you are not capable of fulfilling.

You may also identify yourself as an experienced player, or someone who is comfortable guiding others through dungeon encounters. To do so, mark the checkbox beneath the green flag symbol before queuing. While groups formed through the Dungeon Finder will not possess a normal "group leader," the Dungeon Finder will still attempt to place at least one experienced player in each group. If multiple players in a dungeon group have identified themselves as experienced, or if no players have, the Dungeon Finder will use various criteria (gear, quests completed, achievements, etc) to automatically decide who the "most experienced" player of the group is. This player’s character portrait will then be marked with the same green flag symbol. Characters recognized as experienced will not gain any additional features or abilities (they will not be able to remove players from the group or exclusively mark targets, for example) and may pass on this particular designation to any other group member through the normal right-click, "Promote to Leader" option.

Step 3) Select your dungeon(s).

You may queue up for a random dungeon or select from a list of dungeons appropriate for your level. The "Random Dungeon" option will appear in the Dungeon Finder window by default; however, you can easily switch over to the list of level-appropriate dungeons by selecting "Specific Dungeons" from the drop-down menu. If you wish to queue up for a level-appropriate dungeon, mark the corresponding checkbox next to the dungeon’s name. While there is no limit as to how many level-appropriate dungeons you may queue up for at one time, you cannot queue up for a random dungeon and a dungeon from the "Specific Dungeons" list at the same time.

Step 4) Enter the queue.

Once you’ve selected which dungeons you wish to queue up for, or if you wish to queue up for a random dungeon, click on the "Find Group" button.

Queuing up as a Group

Step 1) Group leader: open up the Dungeon Finder.

While all group members may access and browse the Dungeon Finder while in a group, only the group leader will be able to make the appropriate dungeon selections and enter your group into the dungeon queue.

Step 2) Group leader: choose your role!

As with solo queuing, your group leader will need to select the role(s) he or she wishes to fill. (Please note that the option to label oneself as an experienced player will not be available when queuing as a group.)

Step 3) Group leader: select your dungeon(s).

After your group leader’s roles have been selected, he or she will then need to decide for what dungeons your group will queue. These selections are made in the same manner as queuing solo; the button that was previously marked as "Find Group," however, will now say "Join as Party."

Step 5) Group members: choose your roles!

Once your group leader has selected his or her role and the dungeon(s) for which your group will be queued, a pop-up window will appear for each group member. This window will request that each group member confirm his or her role(s) and "Accept" or "Decline"; the dungeon selection(s) made by the group leader. Your group will not be entered into the dungeon queue until all members have confirmed their roles and clicked "Accept.";

Note: Premade groups of five which use the Dungeon Finder to queue will function more or less like a normal group. The group leader will retain the ability to remove other group members and set the group’s looting rules. The difference is that these groups, unlike normal groups, will be able to earn daily random dungeon rewards and access the dungeon teleportation system. Certain features and benefits, however, like the Vote Kick system and "Luck of the Draw" buff (detailed below), will not be available for these group types.

Leaving the Queue

You may leave the dungeon queue at any point by opening the Dungeon Finder and selecting the "Leave Queue" option noted on both the "Random Dungeon" and "Specific Dungeon" pages. This will remove you from the queue for all dungeons for which you initially queued.

Dungeon Requirements

All dungeons possess a minimum and maximum level range. These ranges are displayed within the Dungeon Finder window just to the right of each dungeon’s name. If your level is too high or low for a specific dungeon, it will not populate as an option when you switch to the "Specific Dungeons" option from the drop-down menu.

Some dungeons also require attunement to enter, often in the form of a key or quest, and many of the more difficult dungeons (like Wrath of the Lich King Heroics) possess a minimum gear requirement. If you meet the level requirements of a particular dungeon, but not the additional requirements, a lock icon will replace the check box next to the dungeon’s name. To see which additional requirements were not met, simply hover over the lock icon; a window noting that "You may not queue for this dungeon" will appear and any missing requirement(s) will be listed below.

The lock icon will also appear for group leaders if a group member does not meet all dungeon requirements (level, attunement, etc), and the list of missing requirements will also specify to which group member they apply.

Random Dungeons

If you’re feeling lucky, or simply don’t know which dungeon you’re in the mood for, you can leave the matter up to fate and queue up for a random dungeon. To do so, simply select the "Random Dungeon" or "Random Heroic" option from the drop-down menu and then click "Find Group" or "Join as Party." Random dungeons will always be level appropriate, and you will not be placed into a group for a dungeon for which you do not meet the requirements.

The first random dungeon you complete each day will also function similarly to a daily quest and provide you with specific rewards. For example, Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeons will award two Emblems of Frost and Wrath of the Lich King normal dungeons will award two Emblems of Triumph. After a player has received two Emblems of Frost for completing a random Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeon, he or she will receive two Emblems of Triumph for every other random Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeon completed that day in addition to the Emblems of Triumph which drop from each boss in all Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeons. Lower level characters will also receive level-appropriate rewards for running classic World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade dungeons while leveling up. These rewards will only be provided once per day, and will be listed on the "Random Dungeon" page within the Dungeon Finder for ease of reference.

These daily random dungeon rewards will replace the old daily dungeon and daily Heroic dungeon quests. The NPCs who offered these quests previously will now be offering weekly repeatable raid quests instead.
#2 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:11 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Once you/your group have confirmed your role(s) and dungeon selection(s), you/your group will be placed into the dungeon queue. If you queued up solo, or if your queued group requires additional members, the dungeon tool will immediately begin to seek out compatible players.

Matchmaking

Players will be grouped together based on several conditions, including:
  • Level
  • Class type and designated role
  • Prior dungeon experience

The Dungeon Finder will use these conditions to create the most balanced and well-rounded group possible. Waiting for long periods of time for these conditions to be met is not always favorable, though. To help with this, the Dungeon Finder will expand its search more and more as time goes by. The longer you’ve been waiting, the more lenient the Dungeon Finder will be when searching for compatible group members. If one character is on another character’s Ignore list, though, these characters will never be grouped together, regardless of how long either player has been in queue. This also applies to characters from other realms placed on one’s Ignore list.

Note: You may now ignore characters from different realms. To do so, simply right-click the character's name next to a line of chat and select the "Ignore" option; type "/ignore <playername>-<playerrealm>" into your chat window; or open up your Ignore list, click "Ignore," and then type in the character's name and realm.

Tracking Your Progress

While you are in queue and your group is being assembled, an icon resembling a small, green eye (much like the Dungeon Finder icon in your navigation tray) will display on your mini-map. This icon will allow you to track the progress of your group’s formation and see the roles for which a player has been found. Simply hovering over the icon will bring up a rectangular window in which five circles will appear; each circle represents one slot in the group and a role a player may fill (one Tank slot, one Healer slot, and three Damage slots). As players are located to fulfill these roles, the corresponding circle will illuminate with color. This window will also show the role(s) for which you are queued.

Ready Check

Once players have been found to fulfill each role, a pop-up window will appear for all members of your newly-formed group. This window will list the name of the dungeon for which your group has been formed (if the Random Dungeon option is selected, the name of the dungeon will simply display as "Random Dungeon"), your role for that dungeon, what unique rewards will be available, and the options to "Enter Dungeon" or "Leave Queue." If you select "Enter Dungeon," your spot in that group will be confirmed; if you select "Leave Queue," you will be removed from both the group and the queue for this specific dungeon, and the remaining players in your group will be placed back into the queue.

After you select "Enter Dungeon," a "Ready Check" window will appear in the middle of your screen. The "Ready Check" window, like the group assembly window, will represent all five slots and roles for your group using the same imagery. In this window, however, each circle will be marked with a yellow question mark until the corresponding group member selects the "Enter Dungeon" option. After a group member selects "Enter Dungeon," the yellow question mark will change to a green check mark.

Entering the Dungeon

Once all group members are ready and have confirmed their spots, the group will be automatically teleported to the entrance of the designated dungeon.
#3 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:12 p.m.
Blizzard Post
There are two notable debuffs and one notable buff that are unique to the Dungeon Finder system: Dungeon Cooldown, Dungeon Deserter, and Luck of the Draw.

Dungeon Cooldown

Each time you enter a random dungeon for which you have queued, you will receive a 15-minute "Dungeon Cooldown" debuff.

Q u o t e:
Dungeon Cooldown
You recently queued for a random dungeon and must wait before using the dungeon tool again.

While this cooldown is active, you will be unable to queue up for another random dungeon. If you attempt to queue up for a random dungeon while this debuff is active, you will receive the message: "You can not queue for random dungeons while on random dungeon cooldown." A similar message will be received by group leaders in the event that a group member has an active Dungeon Cooldown debuff.

Please note that the Dungeon Cooldown debuff will not prevent you from queuing for specific dungeons. You will only be prohibited from queuing for random dungeons groups.

Note: If 4 out 5 group members leave or are removed from a random dungeon group, the group will automatically disband. The last remaining member of the group will also have his or her Dungeon Cooldown debuff removed (if still active at the time).

Dungeon Deserter

Should you leave a dungeon group too early after it is formed, you will receive a 15-minute "Dungeon Deserter" debuff.

Q u o t e:
Dungeon Deserter
You abandoned a dungeon and must wait before using the dungeon tool again.

Much like the debuff received for leaving a Battleground prematurely, the Dungeon Deserter debuff will prevent you from queuing for any dungeon while it is active. While you will still be able to interact with the Dungeon Finder interface, as soon as you click the "Find Group" or "Join as Party" options, you will receive the message: "You can not queue for dungeons until your deserter debuff wears off." A similar message will be received by group leaders in the event that a group member has an active Dungeon Deserter debuff.

Players who are removed from a dungeon group through the Vote Kick system, are uninvited by a group leader from a premade group of five, or leave willingly from a premade group of five, however, will not receive the Dungeon Deserter debuff.

Luck of the Draw

Looking for additional members through the Dungeon Finder can be exciting; there’s a definite element of chance involved. So, in the spirit of playing the odds, groups which use the Dungeon Finder to seek out additional members will be provided with the "Luck of the Draw" buff:

Q u o t e:
Luck of the Draw
Increases damage done by 5%, healing done by 5%, and base health by 5% whenever you use the Dungeon tool to find other players for your group.

All players within these group types will receive this buff, including those who queued up solo and were then selected to complete a partial premade group. This buff will persist through death and for the duration of the dungeon.
#4 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:12 p.m.
Blizzard Post
If, at any point during your run, you need to leave the dungeon temporarily, you may use the dungeon teleport system. Dungeon teleports are available to all groups who use the Dungeon Finder tool.

To exit the dungeon, simply click on the Dungeon Finder icon on your mini-map (the small, green eye) and select the "Teleport Out Of Dungeon" option. This will return you to the location from which you entered the dungeon initially. You will not be removed from your group as a result of teleporting out of the dungeon, and your Hearthstone will not be placed on cooldown.

You may also use this system to return to the dungeon. Once you’re ready to rejoin your group, click on the Dungeon Finder icon again and select the "Teleport to Dungeon" option. This will return you to the beginning of the dungeon.

Fortunately, the dungeon teleport system has no cooldown, so you may teleport in and out of your instance as often as you wish. Please be mindful of your group members, though, and try to keep the time you spend outside of the dungeon to a minimum.


Edit - corrected information
#5 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:13 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Need Before Greed

Need Before Greed will be the default and unalterable looting system for all groups formed through the Dungeon Finder (excluding premade groups of five). This system has been revamped and will now restrict "Need" rolls based on several factors:

  • The player’s class must be able to equip the item, either at the time of the roll or at a later level. For example: A level 38 shaman would able to roll "Need" on a level 42 mail item; however, he or she would not be able to roll "Need" on a plate item.
  • The armor proficiency of the player’s class must not be higher than the item being rolled on. If it is, the player will unable to roll “Need.” For example: A level 75 warrior would unable to roll "Need" on certain mail items. (This restriction will only come into play for items with an iLevel above 70.)
  • If a player’s class is pure melee, he or she will be unable to roll "Need" on spell power items. Pure melee classes include rogues and warriors. Druids, paladins, death knights, and shaman may still roll "Need" on spell power items, provided that the above two conditions are met.

All players may roll "Greed" or "Disenchant" on items which drop within the instance, however, regardless of class, level, or armor proficiency.

Disenchant Loot Roll Option

A fourth loot roll option is now available for dungeon and raid groups: "Disenchant." This roll option will always be visible within the loot roll window; however, it will only be "active" if: 1) the item can be disenchanted, and 2) if an enchanter with the appropriate skill is in the dungeon or raid group.

This particular option is equivalent to a "Greed" roll and will therefore not take priority over "Need." If a player selects "Disenchant" and wins the roll, the item will be automatically disenchanted and the player will receive the resulting materials. If another player selects "Greed" and wins, however, the item will be moved to that player’s inventory, as normal.

Item Trading

The ability to trade certain Bind-on-Pickup items (http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=10222126297&sid=1) will be available for all dungeon groups which use the Dungeon Finder, including those consisting of players from different realms. In order to facilitate this type of trade between group members from different realms, though, both the item’s current owner and the intended recipient must be inside the shared dungeon at the time of the trade.

Similar to Battlegrounds, you will be unable to trade gold and Bind-on-Equip items created outside the dungeon to group members from other realms. Consumable items such as Healthstones or Mana Strudels created within the dungeons may be traded; however, they will disappear from your inventory should you leave the dungeon for any reason.
#6 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:14 p.m.
Blizzard Post
The Vote Kick system is now available for all dungeon groups formed through the Dungeon Finder (excluding premade groups of five). This system will allow players in a dungeon group the opportunity to remove a member from the party based on a group vote.

To initiate a vote kick, simply right-click on the target group member’s portrait and select the "Vote to Kick" option from the drop-down menu. You may also initiate a vote kick by using the "/kick [player’s name]" command; the player’s name and realm will autofill, so this method may still be used to nominate group members from different realms.

Once a vote kick has been initiated, your remaining group members (excluding the group member being voted on) will be prompted to vote against or in favor of the vote kick. A pop-up window will appear and note that "A vote has been initiated to remove [player name] from the group." It will also ask: "Do you want to uninvite [player name]?" Group members will need to select "Yes" or "No."

In order for a vote kick to be successful, three group members must vote “Yes" (one initiating vote + two supporting votes). If a vote kick fails, all voting group members will receive the chat line message: "The vote to kick [player name] has failed." If a vote kick succeeds, the target group member will be automatically removed from the group and the "group leader" (the player marked with the green experienced player flag) will be provided the option to search for a replacement.

Some important notes about this system:

  • Group members may not be immediately nominated for a vote kick after joining a dungeon group. If you attempt to vote kick a group member before the imposed grace period expires, you will receive the message: "That player may not be kicked yet."
  • Players who are removed from a group through the Vote Kick system will not receive the Dungeon Deserter debuff.
  • Players who are removed from a group through the Vote Kick system can immediately re-queue for a dungeon, Dungeon Cooldown permitting; however, the Dungeon Finder will prevent these players from being placed back into the group from which they were kicked.
  • Premade groups of five which use the Dungeon Finder to queue for a dungeon will not have access to the Vote Kick system. This system is only available for those groups which are formed through the cross-realm Dungeon Finder. Group leaders of these group types, however, will still retain the ability to remove other group members at will.



Edit - updating text
#7 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:14 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Daily Random Dungeon Rewards

As described in the "Queuing Up" section (LINK#1), players will earn rewards for the first random dungeon they complete each day. These rewards will vary based on the selected dungeon type (classic World of Warcraft, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, or Wrath of the Lich King Heroic) and the player’s level. All players will receive a sum of gold for this accomplishment, however.

Players who are level 80 and elect to complete a Wrath of the Lich King Heroic as their first daily random dungeon will receive two Emblems of Frost. Should players continue to choose the Random Heroic option after receiving the daily reward, two Emblems of Triumph will be awarded for completing random Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeons in addition to the Emblems of Triumph which drop off of each boss. Level 80 players who elect to complete a Wrath of the Lich King normal dungeon as their first daily random normal dungeon will receive two Emblems of Triumph. Players level 25 to 70 will receive a Satchel of Helpful Goods for completing classic World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade dungeons. These satchels will contain random items appropriate to the player’s level and class.

These rewards will be placed in your inventory automatically. To make sure you don’t miss them, a pop-up notification will display on your screen when they are received. The name of dungeon will be listed within, and two circular icons will appear at the top of the window. One icon will always be that of a stack of gold, and the other will be a small image of an Emblem of Frost, an Emblem of Triumph, or a Satchel of Helpful Goods. These notifications will stack on top of (and not overlap with) loot and other achievement windows.

Note: Given that the daily dungeon quests have been removed, Commendation badges awarding reputation can now be purchased with emblems in Dalaran.

Achievements

Players will also be able to earn specific achievements by using the Dungeon Finder. These achievements include:

Q u o t e:
Looking For More
Use the Dungeon tool to finish random Heroic dungeons until you have grouped with 10 random players total.

Q u o t e:
Looking For Many
Use the Dungeon tool to finish random Heroic dungeons until you have grouped with 50 random players total.

Reward: Title: the Patient

Q u o t e:
Looking For Multitudes
Use the Dungeon tool to finish random hHeroic dungeons until you have grouped with 100 random players total.

Reward: Perky Pug
#8 - Dec. 9, 2009, 6:15 p.m.
Blizzard Post
For those of you who greatly appreciated the LookingForGroup channel, fear not—this channel is still available in all major cities! The LookingForGroup channel is not associated with the Dungeon Finder, however, so you may now use it at any time to search for questing partners, Battleground teams, outdoor PvP raids, or even dungeon groups (if you wish to do so manually).

To join this channel, simply type "/join LookingForGroup," ensuring that capitalization and spacing are correct. Similarly, to leave this channel, type in "/leave LookingForGroup."


Edit - slight information change