New Dungeon Finder questions..

Q u o t e:
- Will the random heroic search have the option of excluding certain heroics (i.e. oculus?)

You do not have the option to exclude specific Heroic dungeons, however, if you've already run a specific Heroic dungeon that day, it is less likely to be randomly selected for you.

Q u o t e:
- Will players still need to purchase keys to queue for TBC heroics?

All standard requirements for entering a dungeon will remain. For instance, if you log into the game just after patch 3.3's release and queue for a Random Heroic dungeon, you will not be selected for the Icecrown Citadel Pit of Saron or Halls of Reflection wings unless you've cleared your way through each preceding wing in order to unlock the next wing (i.e. you must clear Forge of Souls for Pit of Saron, and Pit of Saron for Halls of Reflection).

Q u o t e:
- I've heard players will no longer be saved to heroics. Does this mean we can farm Champion's Seals?

Heroic lockouts still exist. The only difference is that the Random Heroic option will ignore lockouts. So if you've run every single Wrath of the Lich King Heroic dungeon in a day, you can still choose the Random Heroic option to continue running them. You can do this as often as time allows since this option will ignore lockout timers. As I said above though, the Heroic dungeons you've run the most that day will be less likely to be randomly chosen by the system.

Q u o t e:
Looks like I was correct, although the lessening chance of entering the same heroic is news to me.

However, Zarhym, you aren't planning on having 'fun' on the live version of Forge of Souls are you?

If so, I'll bring some Dalaran party cake :)

I plan on having lots of fun in the new dungeons on my characters. If you're referring to the fun we had testing the system with players on the test realm though, that won't be happening on live realms. There's a time and a place for having fun in the game officially as a Blizzard employee, and that's limited to stress testing new content on the public test realms. ;)

Q u o t e:
Oh... so raid id's don't apply when using the random heroic LFG tool?

That is... VERY cool.

If you're speaking specifically about raid lockouts, they still apply. The new Dungeon Finder can only be used for five-player dungeons.

You can read more about the Dungeon Finder here: http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p3/newdungeonsystem.xml

Q u o t e:


Just 5p's, gotcha. Thanks Zarhym!

There is a new Looking For Raid interface coming in patch 3.3 as well, though it's not cross-realm and does not provide a way of circumventing raid lockout timers. ;)

Q u o t e:
This may be a silly question, but it's in response to the Random Dungeon tool 'ignoring' lockouts...

If you log on and are saved to nothing, and you jump into the Random Heroic ..... do you get saved to each one you do the first time you do it? or because it's the Random Dungeon tool, you never get saved to anything as long as you use Random?

No, choosing the Random Heroic Dungeon option will still save you to instances. The difference here is that you can still potentially run those dungeons again if you continue to use the Random Heroic Dungeon option. You cannot, however, run Heroic Trial of the Champion via the Random Heroic option and then run it again by choosing that dungeon specifically.

Q u o t e:
I run a Heroic, or low level instance, and it goes well, quick and fast. This group went so well, that we actually want to go do another one. If these players are from my server, it is obvious that it will be easy to remake. However, if these players are from another server, then will I be able to group with them (without RNG matchmaking), and if we need to replace just one member, can we still keep the same group?

When you leave an instance, you are not automatically removed from the group you're in, even if your group is comprised of players from other realms. You can still queue up with that same group and continue running dungeons together. :)

Q u o t e:
I've got a few questions:

- What happens when you die and release in an instance using the LFG tool? I'm worried people might die and then go afk leaving the other 4 "stranded"...

If this happens the other four members can "Vote Kick" the AFK player. An option will pop up asking the group leader if he or she wants to continue the instance. Clicking "yes" will put the group back in the Dungeon Finder tool to find a new party member.

Q u o t e:
- Are you automatically teleported into the instance when you use the LFG tool? I don't understand how you're going to "summon" people without a warlock.

Regardless of whether or not you're running in a pick-up group or with a pre-formed group from your realm, you will be instantly teleported inside the dungeon for which you're randomly selected, or for which you've specifically chosen, so long as you use the Dungeon Finder to select the dungeon.

Q u o t e:
- What happens when you walk out of the instance? Are you removed from the group? I'm worried people might just walk out if they don't want to do the instance they were chosen for.

No, they shouldn't be removed from the dungeon. If a player dies and has to run back to the instance they are still in the group. The same applies if anyone needs to leave the instance for repairs or anything of that nature.

Q u o t e:
- Can you use the "random heroic" option with your friends? (i.e. Can me+4 others queue up together?)

Yes. You simply create a party of five players from your realm, open up the Dungeon Finder, and choose the Random option. Once all party members select to enter the dungeon (similar to the way one enters a Battleground), they will be ported just inside the dungeon.

Q u o t e:
I'm curious about how the matchmaking system works: say I want to run a specific Heroic to get an item (like the shield from HCoS). I queue for HCoS only.

Will people from the 'random dungeon' pool be eligible to be matched with me, or am I only going to be matched with other people who queue for HCoS only?

I'm just trying to figure out if it'd be faster to run randoms, hoping for the dungeon I want, or if it's faster to queue for specific dungeons first and then randoms once I've done all the dungeons I'd like to.

If you choose a specific dungeon, you still have a chance of being matched with players using the Random option.

Q u o t e:


I don't understand what this is, can you dumb the whole thing down for me?

Or better, I should ask questions.

Is the queue similar to BGs, but with dungeons?

Can other level 70's find raids with other 70s, for instance, we want to do a full 70 sunwell, if there are 25 70s queued for sunwell, will we be able to do it?

I don't know what this is overall, or its restrictions, if anyone could stupid it up for me?

The queue is roughly similar to Battlegrounds. You enter the queue and can watch in the interface as members for each role are added (in other words, it'll show when the system has found a healer, a tank, and three DPS for you). Once a full party is matched, a pop-up will prompt you to enter the dungeon. Once you select this you will be ported inside the beginning of the instance.

You cannot, however, find groups for raids. The cross-realm Dungeon Finder works for five-player instances only. There is a separate Looking For Raid interface tool that is realm-specific.

Q u o t e:
One question..

If you run a random dungeon, will the bosses drop (and keep dropping) emblems themselves in addition to the reward (two Emblem of Triumphs)?

Or do they not drop emblems at all in the first place?

Thanks.

Yes, all Heroic dungeons will give players one Emblem of Triumph per boss. The Random option will award you two Emblems of Frost upon completing the first random dungeon. Each time you choose the Random option after that you will be awarded two Emblems of Triumph in addition to those which drop from bosses.

Q u o t e:
I know a deserter debuff has been put in place for these but doesn't it still concern you that people are willing to take that debuff and wait another 15 minutes if they do get Oculus?

Given the changes being made to Oculus in patch 3.3 and the speed at which the dungeon can be completed, we're confident most players will quickly find that skipping this dungeon rather than charging through isn't worth it.

Q u o t e:
You're destroying what little is left of the server communities.

Your customer base overwhelmingly favour instant gratification, instant queues, instant teleportation to wherever the loot or battle is. Great - you're doing the majority a huge favour with these changes.

However, you're also hurting yourself a bit in the long run by doing so - the communities and the bonds that tie people to individual servers and people they know are eroding here.

No longer
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again in WSG day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again in arenas day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again in AV day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again in SS-TM day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again in Blackrock Mountain day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again at Meeting Stones day after day.
* do we run into the same people over and over and over again on IQQ day after day.


You wanted to give people convenience and you were successful in this. But now we barely know the people on our own server more than we do the nameless, faceless multitudes on our battlegroup. You're killing the sense of a social, tightly-knit community here - which means there's little consequence to acting like a douchebag, or ninja'ing loot, or shouting obscenities and then leaving a group.

The player is no longer a partner in a small village enterprise, but a nameless, faceless drone working at a big corporation. Plug in, do your thing, plug out and go back to your nameless, faceless run-down concrete housing project where you barely even see your neighbours once a week.

I can understand your concern, but this is the way the Dungeon Finder will work. If this bothers you, you're welcome to find groups with players only on your realm and still make full use of the Dungeon Finder tool. The only way you'll be forced to play with players from other realms is if you enter the system without a full party of five.

Edit: Just to add to this, I think anonymity always has a tendency to lend itself to poor manners or social interactions. Whether or not someone acts like a jerk in the game doesn't really change whether that person is on your realm or a different realm. I always do what I can to be a positive, helpful player to those around me regardless of the realm on which they reside. That kind of attitude is just as easily reciprocal as acting like a jerk, or assuming everyone around you is a jerk.

Q u o t e:



I'm gonna have to throw the bull**** flag on that one.

Normally I have a great deal of respect for you, Zarhym, and I hope you take this as constructive criticism.

On a server there's a closed social environment. What one person does, will follow them. If they namechange I know what websites to check. If they apply to my guild I will find out their history.

On a battlegroup - nothing. Nada. There are NO REPERCUSSIONS for being a battlegroup wide jerk.

I'm not saying that this new system isn't an improvement. I applaud your efforts. You guys have done a great job making this game better and better.

/bow

But you're not putting even 10% as much effort into the open world as you are the instanced pve, arena, bg, WG and LFG content. That's all.

I disagree with you. I will say though, if you end up joining a pick-up group via the Dungeon Finder rather than running with a group of known and trusted players from your realm, you can always place someone on Ignore from a different realm if they're in your group being a jerk. Doing so will prevent them from being selected to join a group with you via the Dungeon Finder in the future.

Q u o t e:
So would it be possible to convert to raid, pass leader around have everyone invite people from their server and zone into a raid if such a thing were organized?

No. The only way to continue running instances with a group comprised of members from differing realms is to use the Dungeon Finder which does not work for raids.

Q u o t e:
Ok, here's my question:

Let's say I am a paladin (soy es Paladin! cuerpo-cuerpo!), and I can fill all three roles, but I need to change my spec for, say, tanking. I sign up for random LFG and I get selected to go tank.

Do I instantly get teleported in? Do I have time to go respec before starting? Can I hearth out to respec and get summoned back in?

What if I am a DK with 2 specs, but my tanking gear is in the bank (very common)? What then?

You have a window of time to choose to enter the dungeon once the group is matched. If you sign up for multiple roles, I'd suggest being prepared to fill either role given that, most times, groups will be created quite quickly. As soon as the warning pops up saying that a group has been created and asks if you want to enter the dungeon, it will tell you the role for which you've been chosen.

Q u o t e:
thanks for the answer Zar, nice to see a blue active in a post.

Is there a Raid-Finder coming out soon? Or is something like that being implemented? I'm a very nostalgic person and love the older raids, would it work for those?

We don't have any current plans to add cross-realm raid functionality, but there is a new Looking For Raid (/LFR) tool in patch 3.3 that will allow you to select raids you want to run, join a chat channel, browse for other players looking for raids, etc. This should work for all raid dungeons.

Q u o t e:


*sigh*

You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.
You've been selected to tank.

Yeah...that's going to get old fast. I don't suppose the system will ... I don't know ... more heavily weigh the role you're assigned to based off of the role you previous performed? In other words...I'll get to roll as a DPS every now and again?

If you don't want to tank all the time, select the DPS role. You don't have to opt in as a tank just because you have a talent set-up for it. :)