The next Heroic instance should be...
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 16th 2007 at 12:19PM
Now, Blizzard hasn't actually said that they're going to go back and create a Heroic mode for all the old instances. But I think we can all agree that they really should. Of course it's asking a lot for them to both tune up old instances and recreate all the loot tables, but they don't have to do that-- they can either create one big loot table for all the bosses, or just create a rep turn-in system (just like the current Heroic instances have).So let's assume, just for the sake of argument, that Blizzard does decide to go back and put Heroic mode on some old instances for the next content patch. The question is: which one first?
Zabba says Blackrock Depths, but as someone who has already spent too much time there, I winced when I first heard that-- BRD is neat, but takes long enough as it is. Lots of players say that Blizzard should start at the beginning and make a Heroic Deadmines, and I have to agree that it would be a lot of fun. Personally, I'd love to run a Heroic Scarlet Monastery, and considering that's one of the most popular instances in the game, that's the one I can see most happening. A Heroic Stratholme would also be a lot of fun for sure as well.
And which one would be the worst? While we all seem to agree that Blizzard needs to do something with the old 20 and 40 man raid content, I'm not sure making them Heroic is the best solution-- would you really want to go through the chaos of a Heroic instance with 20 or even 40 people? Making them Heroic 10 mans is a nice option though. And as for worst, I have to agree with what a few players said: Heroic Uldaman would just be ugly. Or Heroic RFC-- can you imagine wiping when Taragaman the Hungerer crits your MT twice for 10K each time?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Instances, Raiding, Bosses
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Freehugz Mar 16th 2007 1:08PM
ew, the last thing I want when I'm leveling my alt is a bunch of lvl 70 horde taking turns one shotting me outside the instances
Gman Mar 16th 2007 12:36PM
>But I think we can all agree that they really should.
Well, I don't. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Why do players want to go back to these old instances so badly at 70? If you want to run SM or other old instances again, roll a new character! You can always experience that content again if you like. But I've run through all of those old instances before, and I'd like to see some new stuff.
Actually, I think Blizzard was smart when they made the Outlands instances. Many players (like me) skipped instancing while leveling 60-70 because it often amounted to less XP gained. But with heroic dungeons, I'll need to go back there now that I'm 70, and I won't feel like I'm wasting my time.
Karl Mar 16th 2007 12:47PM
I doubt it'll happen, but would love to see it.
I really loved some of the old instances and could see some great storylines that would go into a Heroic mode of each.
Scarlet Monestary, Mauradon (my favorite), Scholo and even Deadmines/Ragefire. All of these could have some great additional storylines added to them.
Todd Mar 16th 2007 12:47PM
@Gman.
If you don't want to run the old instances, then don't. I wager Blizzard will eventually make Heroic version of MC, Blackrock, etc. A Heroic Dire Maul, Maraudon, or Zul'Farrak might be intereting. If anything, this might offer Heroic Badges to be used at quartermasters to get specific loot from the major cities.
I'm sure there's a plan in the works to make the old instances still viable. If the Outlands instances are all that remains, eventually the 70's will get very bored with them too.
Flit Mar 16th 2007 12:49PM
RFC: You level so fast past 16, that not many people run this instance seriously. I'd like to see 70's wiping in rfc :D. Scarlet Monestary, not so much. Because it's a favorite instance, it doesn't need more traffic. Retool the under ran instances to be more fun.
Zuuler Mar 16th 2007 12:54PM
I don;t know if this is for sure or not.
I hit lvl 60 on my first warlock right about the time patch 2.0 came out, so about a month before the expansion. I read up on the dreadsteed quest, especially the summoning encounter at the end. Every description of the encounter said that 4 felguards would spawn at intervals throughout the fight.
So after grinding the gold and mats necessary for summoning the dreadsteed, I gathered a group and headed for DM west.
We killed immolthar, I gave the rest of the group a quick run down of what was about to happen, and I started the ritual.
Well, 8 felguards spawned instead of 4. We still managed to hold them off right up until the ritual completed. We wiped JUST as the ritual completed, which was fortunate because that was really hard dealing with all those felguards. We recovered and got ready for the dreadsteed. But the fact that between patch 1.12 and 2.0 several more felguards were added led me to believe bliz adjusted the dificulty of this encounter in anticipation of having higher lvl characters doing the encounter.
If I am wrong about this, and consequently then every description I had read about the encounter was wrong, let me know.
Sylythn Mar 19th 2007 8:34AM
If they're going to have to re-tune to make something heroic, then I think for the 40-mans, they should use that re-tuning to make them 25-mans...THEN make 25-man heroic versions.
I think the only instances really in need of this are the old end-game. Regular runs should be for 60's...heroics should be for 70's who want to go back to old content and still get something worthy out of it.
Vince Mar 16th 2007 1:07PM
everyone knows that a heroic deadmines would be as epic as it gets. and on top of that it would do Edward VanCleef some justice.
roXet Mar 16th 2007 12:57PM
there is no *old* 25 man content. Between this and the "know your lore" person saying that Alleria was a Night Elf I am starting to wonder if you people even play this game.
Todd Mar 16th 2007 12:58PM
@Zuuler
You could be very correct with this line of thinking. Blizzard has already made instance bosses scale with the highest level player in the group/raid.
So... if a raid of 40 people, all 60, are doing MC and just one person happens to be 70 then things will get real interesting real fast. >.
Sylythn Mar 16th 2007 1:00PM
If I recall from my recent experience, we only had 2-3 felguards spawn the whole time...in fact we were 1/4 of the way through before I got to enslave the first one, and 1/2-way through before the other warlock got his. It was almost too easy with 2 70's, and 3 64-67's. We had no problem with the imps (I just hit them each with corr, and wanded what was left, while the felguard got put on aggressive) and I think we only had to actually down one felguard.
Sounds like you had an unlucky spawn rate.
Zuuler Mar 16th 2007 1:03PM
@Todd
I have heard about that, but this was an encounter designed to have 4 felguards and a known highest lvl player to be 60 (have to be 60 to get the dreadsteed quests). I did this quest after 2.0 but before the expansion, so no one in the group could possible be more than 60 as the lvl cap hadn't been raised yet.
So is it possible they added more felguards in anticipation of characterrs being over lvl 60 but before it was even possible to be over lvl 60?
I don't think its too far fatched to think they may have done this, as the first Eye of the Storm weekend was the weekend before the expansion came out.
Zuuler Mar 16th 2007 1:13PM
Even if they jsut upped all the mob lvls in the dungeons by 10 lvls would probably be enough to retool the dungeons for lvl 70 players. Maybe scale all the mobs in the dungeons by the highest lvl player, not just the bosses.
Zuuler Mar 16th 2007 1:14PM
Even if they jsut upped all the mob lvls in the dungeons by 10 lvls would probably be enough to retool the dungeons for lvl 70 players. Maybe scale all the mobs in the dungeons by the highest lvl player, not just the bosses.
multikast Mar 16th 2007 1:14PM
"Lots of players say that Blizzard should start at the beginning and make a Heroic Deadmines, and I have to agree that it would be a lot of fun."
Silly Alliance, Ragefire Chasm would be the first if they started from the beginning.
FOR THE HORDE! :)
fearyaks Mar 16th 2007 1:19PM
Thinking about it now, I'm not that jazzed about any of the pre TBC instances getting a makeover other than perhaps the Dire Maul instances. Most of the other ones weren't terribly fun and were too long after having gotten used to speed BC runs.
RogueJedi86 Mar 16th 2007 1:22PM
Definitely VC. The very interesting backstory(with its close ties to the rebuilding of Stormwind) was mostly lost when it was done when we were all newbies, with no clue why we're doing VC, other than the fact that it's there, and several random quests led us in. Definitely could be great. Add Scarlet Monastery right behind it, the other most memorable instance. Heck, even throw in a heroic Gnomeregan. Less so for RFC and Stockades, since those pretty much apply only for one faction doing each of them.
I like the idea of heroic tokens though, to redeem for rewards, possibly at the Command Center in SW, and the Orgrimmar equivalent. Maybe tokens that drop off each heroic boss?
Zarl Mar 16th 2007 3:03PM
Please god....make none of them heroic.
The thought of running UBRS any more to get one more person Ony or BWL attuned, to farm just one more piece of fire resist gear, etc etc...no...thank...you.
If I want to rerun those instances, I'll roll an alt.
Druid dude Mar 16th 2007 1:48PM
ZG and AQ20.
Robert Mar 16th 2007 1:49PM
AQ20/40 retooled for 10 and 25 respectively.
MC for 10.
BWL/Naxx for 25.