Dungeon queue should be performance-based

#1 - Dec. 28, 2010, 8:35 a.m.
Blizzard Post
There should be quests in major cities that must be completed to enable queuing for a dungeon.

To queue as DPS:
Destroy target dummy with x hp within t seconds.

To queue as Tank:
Hold aggro on this target and survive for t seconds.

To queue as Healer:
Keep this target up for t seconds.


For harder dungeons, higher difficulty quests must be completed, e.g. to queue for heroics:

To queue as DPS:
Destroy target dummy with x hp within t seconds, while keeping one target CC'd and interrupting spells cast by the dummy.
If the target is out of CC for even a second, you die and fail the quest.
If you fail to interrupt the spell, you die and fail the quest.

Quest will have to be tailored to each class to take into account CC abilities and interrupt cooldowns.


To queue as Tank:
Hold aggro on this target and survive for t seconds while interrupting spells cast by the dummy.
Occasionally burst damage will be taken, and the tank will be required to use CDs effectively to manage.
Adds will spawn occasionally that the tank must pick up.
Again, any failure results in death and failure of quest.


To queue as Healer:
Keep this group of NPCs up while they kill this target dummy that does things a typical boss might do (damage on tank, AoE).
Obviously running oom or insufficient hps results in death and failure of quest.


Why this is necessary:
Problems with restricting queues based on average item level:
- Item level doesn't take into account gearing for the most ideal stats for the class/spec.
e.g. dps casters taking spirit gear.
Not meeting hit/expertise cap.
Doesn't distinguish between a 'tank' wearing dps gear and a tank wearing avoidance gear.

- Item level doesn't take into account player skill.
I'm sure people have seen dps do under 5k at 85, while also seeing skilled players do over 5k at 80.

- Gearing to push up item level to enable queuing for new dungeons encourages ninja-looting, instead of only taking what is actually beneficial.
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Community Manager
#77 - Jan. 5, 2011, 4:14 a.m.
Blizzard Post
We would love to implement better ways for Dungeon Finder to detect if players know what they're doing in dungeons beyond just the gear they've accumulated. We have some long-term design goals in mind for this we're not quite prepared to share this early on though. ;)
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Community Manager
#84 - Jan. 5, 2011, 4:22 a.m.
Blizzard Post
01/04/2011 8:17 PMPosted by Dessaryth
We would love to implement better ways for Dungeon Finder to detect if players know what they're doing in dungeons beyond just the gear they've accumulated. We have some long-term design goals in mind for this we're not quite prepared to share this early on though. ;)

You shouldn't have to say that you are always looking for ways to improve the system, but thank you for the response, hopefully this will somewhat quieten the masses :)

Well, I felt compelled to respond because I actually had a conversation with Ghostcrawler today where he brought up this very point on his own.

I don't mean to placate by responding. It's something we really want to do. :)
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Community Manager
#92 - Jan. 5, 2011, 4:28 a.m.
Blizzard Post
01/04/2011 8:19 PMPosted by Leylah
We would love to implement better ways for Dungeon Finder to detect if players know what they're doing in dungeons beyond just the gear they've accumulated. We have some long-term design goals in mind for this we're not quite prepared to share this early on though. ;)
As a way to help more people improve instead of just blocking out the less knowledgeable players, does part of design goal have a sort of 'class coach' to help people realize their role, gear selection and abilities?

My fiance's best friend plays a mage, but she won't take advice from anyone and actually wore an agility cape from 78-85. :P

Sort of. One flaw with the current system, is if players fail in a pick-up group, they aren't told why they failed. People then tend to play the blame game, often directing malice at the healer(s).

So while I'm speaking more about class roles, I think the idea still lends itself to your question. It'd be helpful to get more information than just through trial and error. Groups could benefit if they knew they didn't wipe because the healer didn't manage mana well enough, but because the DPS wasn't high enough, or boss adds weren't properly rounded up, etc.