Breakfast topic: Worst new instance
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 10th 2007 at 8:17AM
Ok, I think it's been long enough-- we've all sat here talking about how great all the new content is and how thrilled we all are to have new 5mans to run and new items to collect for a few months now, so it's time to move away from the good and start getting into the bad.Awakener on Demon Soul says Shattered Halls is definitely the worst instance of the expansion. I have to completely disagree-- I think Shattered Halls is fun and simple once you've got it down, and the Gauntlet of Flame is one of the best 5man experiences in the game. Then again, not all long experiences are fun-- my pick for worst instance is The Black Morass in the Caverns of Time. Escape from Durnholde was brilliant fun, but BM is just (literally) a swamp-- there's no variety in the spawns, and no story to the event. Either you kill the nondescript bad guys or you don't, and I think it's a waste to be "fighting alongside" Medivh when really he's just standing there yelling at you.
But that's just me. What's the worst instance you've seen in the expansion?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Instances, Raiding, The Burning Crusade
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kirby1612 Apr 10th 2007 8:31AM
I'll probably have to agree with the Black Morass. You need perfect synergy with your group for it to work, and it just sucks to get to the last gate and have the boss time stop and kill you. I'm already revered with them since it was so easy, but imagine that place on heroic?
I've done Shattered Halls many times successfully so it isn't too hard for me. The 2nd most annoying instance might be Sethekk Halls, which is really gonna suck since I need to go there to get epic flying form.
Ryan Apr 10th 2007 8:26AM
The worst ones are whichever ones have the mobs with sweeping strikes on heroic. I know Blood Furnace and Slave Pens both have them.
Steve Apr 10th 2007 8:28AM
Pre nerf: Arcatraz
Post Nerf: Heroic Shattered Halls is the worst heroic by far.
So Medivh opening the dark portal and a bunch of *sweet looking* dragons start trying to kill him and stop the portal from ever opening has nothing to do with the Warcraft story line?
tommydavis Apr 10th 2007 8:32AM
Out of the non-herocis? Arcatraz, by far. I hate that place. I will run with rest of Tempest Keep all day, but I can't stand Arc.
Jorane Apr 10th 2007 8:32AM
I have to agree with tagging BM as pretty terrible. Yeah, the coordination of getting through the various waves is a bit exciting, but the instance just seems dull and repetitive - there's really nothing to it, other than trying to hold on to the end. I tend to like a little variety.
Twinny Apr 10th 2007 8:33AM
@2 arcatraz was nerfed? It always felt like a weird instance to me, the first pull in the first bosses room is always hit and miss.
ref the topic,
IMO mana tombs was aweful. the second boss was just OP compared to the last.
shadow labs is just too damn long, i love the instance but dont like the time sink it creates. Botanica a little too on that note.
Azzmodius Apr 10th 2007 8:35AM
I strongly dislike Heroic Shattered Halls. Orc packs. Another orc pac. Ad infinitum.
Regarding BM: it's a relatively unique instance style. I think that a lot of people like it because of the non-linear nature of the encounter.
Lenny Apr 10th 2007 8:34AM
The Black Morass is pain, at least for the first ten times I wiped in there. What's worse is that I found myself agreeing with the dragons and thinking we should bonk Medivh on the back of the head to stop the portal from opening in the first place. Nice way to really eff up the Warcraft universe, eh? Maybe they will make an expansion based on that, where the dark portal isn't opened for the first time until right now...
Andrew Herron Apr 10th 2007 8:43AM
On my server (Blackrock Alliance) it's Arcatraz by far - nobody will run it with me :(
I could do just the first boss to get my kara key, but I'd like to at least do one full run at some point.
Brad Apr 10th 2007 8:55AM
I would have to say Auchenai Crypts Non-Heroic. Hardly anyone runs that place. However, on heroic that instance is a gem. Go figure?
Delilah Apr 10th 2007 8:52AM
Toss up between Black Morass and Steamvault. Black Morass reminds me of being a waitress and having one table after another sat in my section, with me scrambling to keep up. Steamvault is just really boring, same pull over and over again.
Jason Apr 10th 2007 8:58AM
I'm thinking I'm the only person here who doesn't hate Black Morass. I've run it a couple times, and while Caverns of Time in and of itself is a bit away from the main focus of WoW, I personally enjoy going back and seeing all those pivotal moments again from a more personal perspective.
My personal most hated? Any of them that I get stuck running with a worthless PuG. My main is an Enhance Shaman; I offheal, drop totems and win the bad guys. Not a whole lot that I can do to wipe a group, short of not pulling up totems when we're moving.
blackjack21 Apr 10th 2007 9:12AM
BM is the suck. It is a beating to run that miserable instance.
alex Apr 10th 2007 3:21PM
BM
unless you have a good group, cause then its fun
Luciean Apr 10th 2007 9:37AM
I have to say that shattered halls is defiantly the easiest lvl 70 instance I’ve come across (at least on non-heroic) it’s a pally tanks dream come true.
As far as BM goes i too hated it after my first experience there, but after I respecced prot and found the ideal group makeup its really kind of quick and fun.
By far I hate shadow lab the most, because I have so many bad memories of that place when I first hit 70 trying to get my key frag. It’s not that bad now that I’m better geared, but its pretty rough your first time around.
robodex Apr 10th 2007 9:48AM
@6: The spawn rates in Arcatraz were nerfed a few patches ago because it was more or less impossible to get to the last boss without repops. Also, the 3rd boss was nerfed but it wasn't by much.
Drakar24 Apr 10th 2007 10:10AM
BM is cake with a shadow priest in your group. Arcantraz is the suck imo. I hate that place. Got my Kara key and got out. Shadow Labrynth is way too freaking long and I hate the room with the second boss. Other than that it's fine.
masterpat Apr 10th 2007 10:11AM
Cant say Ive ever had a problem with BM...pretty much ever. There have been some mistakes, but we run right back in there and clear it. Fun instance. Nice and short and fast paced. For me the worst instance in TBC has been some of the Coilfang instances. Not for level of difficulty but sheer boring factor. I haven't really enjoyed that place at all.
I am looking foward to the new 5 mans in the next patch. Since they are 70 only and have some new 'twists' to them as the Devs say; I think they'll be alot of fun. Hopefully Blizz does them right and keeps them interesting and not overly difficult to the point no one wants to run them either.
Ryan Apr 10th 2007 10:40AM
Black Morass? That has to be the easiest one of all... you can farm that place 30 minutes at a time if you know what you're doing.
I can't think of the worst, but anything with a lot of trash mobs is lame. Why make us kill endless mobs? Just increase the rep gains from boss kills and stop making us waste our time.
Shattered Halls and Slave Pens have way too many mobs. Just annoying and boring.
Matt Apr 10th 2007 3:06PM
Auch Crypts is terrible. All of the loot is healer loot. I disagree with your dislike of BM, I think it's fun and exciting.
My pick for worst instance has to be Botanica. So damn long and the fights take forever. Botanist Freywinn? Warp Splinter? Holy crap.
Arcatraz is teh leetness. The boss fights are awesome, specially the last one.
Gauntlet of Flame is also the best event in any 5 man, ever.