Patch 4.3 Raid Finder

Daxxarri has written a comprehensive preview of what we envision Raid Finder being in patch 4.3, and how it might evolve beyond this patch.

Check out here: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/3608426/Raid_Finder_Coming_in_Patch_43-9_29_2011

Feel free to discuss the system in this thread as well. :)

09/29/2011 06:21 PMPosted by Thaukhan

But will it make me new friends?

Possibly.

09/29/2011 06:35 PMPosted by Arovane

Just to make sure I understand this, if I were to clear Dragon Soul with Raid Finder and receive no loot, then anymore attempts with said character for that week means auto-pass on all loot until the following week?

Indeed. You won't be able to fully equip yourself with Raid Finder raid loot in the first week via marathon raiding.

09/29/2011 06:40 PMPosted by Goatcaller

Does this mean recolored stuff like normal/heroic, or the whole item will be replaced with a new model?

Likely the items will be re-colored, if their appearance differs.

09/29/2011 06:40 PMPosted by Soliria

Spaghetti

I prefer ravioli if sauce is involved, or capellini if we're talking olive oil, garlic and parmesan.

09/29/2011 06:38 PMPosted by Gurlnextdoor

So basically, they both stopped posting :(

"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change?"

Daxxarri! A typo! "lootalong"

I must advert my eyes. Although, picking up something called a 'lootalong' sounds pretty awesome. Anyway, I hope the system works out well. I have a feeling the first couple of weeks will be plagued with /need rolling for Off-Off-Spec.

The shame will plague me for all of my days.

09/29/2011 06:30 PMPosted by Hippeaux

I know it says that it might be expanded if it's popular, but how popular can it be if it's only one raid?

It can potentially be quite popular. It's a really, really complicated system, and it worked best to have a raid that could be partially designed around the system, rather than vice versa.

For now, we just wanted to make sure that the system would be available with the patch. We also wanted to use it to give players who haven't historically had a chance to see cutting edge content the chance to do that.

Relax, it's back up.

Just to clarify...

Completing the raid in 'LFR' mode has no affect on my eligibility for loot in normal/heroic raids?

No. Since it doesn't cause you to be locked to the raid, so you'll still be eligible for normal and heroic modes.

09/29/2011 06:56 PMPosted by Jep

i.e. If I do a Raid Finder Dragon Soul, then a normal Dragon Soul, will I be able to loot the same bosses twice, or will I be ineligible to recieve the normal version loot (and vice versa)?

You'll still be eligible for loot in the normal and heroic modes. You can think of the Raid Finder Dragon Soul raid as being distinct from the normal or heroic mode versions.

09/29/2011 07:02 PMPosted by Burlex

How about while grouped in a Bnet party? (Works for dungeons, not for battlegrounds)

That's still to be determined, though it's certainly something we'd like to make part of the feature. There are still technical hurdles to leap.

09/29/2011 07:18 PMPosted by Kibbles

otherwise you might as well just lock the raid as you do normal and heroic modes.

We disagree. We want Raid Finder raids to provide items at roughly the same rate that another raid, complete with locks, might. A lock out doesn't work as well for a solo queuing player, since there are more random variables involved, which aren't as much of an issue for a player who runs normal or heroic raids with an organized group.

09/29/2011 07:15 PMPosted by Dotstatus

Need before greed and vote kick cooldown, no thank you.

Well, I'm just glad that you're willing to give it a chance.

Wouldn't allowing for multiple raids, at least the ones in this particular expansion, be a better gauge of the actual long-term usefulness of this feature?

It wouldn't, for some of the reasons that I've already named in the FAQ and in this thread, but also because when performing an experiment, it's best to work with a more limited set of variables rather than a broader field of possibilities and the confounding factors they introduce.

Daxx, why not consider perhaps a limit of 1 or two drops per week instead of the way you currently have it. Because one person could easily wait till the end of the week and then possibly get multiple drops while anybody else doing it might get none. It seems a little unfair, I think it would make more sense to have a cap on gear earned, maybe 1 or 2 pieces, so that players first of all won't be relying on one boss and second of all, won't instantly leave the group when they see multiple players eligible for the loot they want to roll on.

This is a very flawed system, I hope to see a change to it.

The system will distribute loot the same way a raid with locks would, without the difficulties often associated with raid locks.

For a moment, think of the Raid Finder raid much as you would any other pick up raid. In any raid, pug or organized, you only have looting opportunities one time for each boss - once that boss is dead, your chance is over for the week. The same is true in the Raid Finder. The difference with the Raid Finder will be that if your raid falls apart then you won't find yourself stuck and unable to raid again until the following week just because someone else cleared the lock out. Instead, you'll still have the opportunity to receive loot from any boss you haven't already beaten that week.

09/29/2011 07:34 PMPosted by Oudhp

1) Will Raid Finder do experience/capability check for players who queue as leaders? What is the stop someone from queuing as leader even though they have never done Dragon Soul previously?

Ideally, players who queue as leaders will want to succeed, and will ensure that they have the tools to help their fellow Raid Finder raiders succeed as well. If the raid doesn't make progress, no one gets any rewards, after all. Unlike a normal raid pug though, if one group doesn't work out, you aren't stuck, and you can try again.

Would I be able create a full group of 25 people on my own server and queue for LFR or am I required to leave at least 1 spot open to be randomly filled to use this difficulty setting?

Also, is this lockout exclusive from the normal and heroic mode lockouts or are they all sharing the same lockout?

Both of those questions are answered in the FAQ:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/3608426/Raid_Finder_Coming_in_Patch_43-9_29_2011#blog

For clarity's sake, you can fill a full raid and still queue using the Raid Finder. Raid Finder raids do not have a lock out, and are independent from normal and heroic mode raids.

09/29/2011 08:04 PMPosted by Spinnerdh

Players will be leaving as soon as they get there if they see to many people in the group that may and probably will roll on their gear.

I'm not sure that players will leave readily:

Q. What happens if I leave a Raid Finder raid before it’s over?
A. Players who leave the Raid prematurely will receive a Deserter Debuff, though it will likely be of longer duration than the one applied to users of the Dungeon Finder. This debuff will only apply to the Raid Finder system.

This deserter debuff is likely to be of a significant duration.

Since I was treating this thread as a Q and A, I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be stepping out for the evening. Thanks for your feedback, and I hope that you'll give the Raid Finder a shot once 4.3 arrives.

As an update, some of you have expressed concerns about how loot rolls will work with regard to class role in the Raid finder.

I wanted to let you know that we're aware of your concerns on that subject, and we're considering some options to address them. It's unclear at this point whether any of those options will make it into patch 4.3 alongside the Raid Finder though, or whether they're even feasible in the short term.