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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPatch 3.3 PTR: New LFG interface
by Gregg Reece 
Oct 21st 2009 at 8:00PM
In the latest build of the PTR, Blizzard has included the new Looking for Group interface they've got in the works. As they had announced in at BlizzCon, the recent fix for the "Additional Instances" errors that were plaguing us a few months ago also adds the ability for them to allow cross-realm LFG. A new feature usually means a new interface and the trend proves true. It incorporates a lot of the long asked for features as well as removes several older features from the panel.
They've taken the current system that allows you to select your available roles (healer, tank, or dps) as well as select if you're willing to lead the instance. One thing that should help out is the ability to earn emblems as well as gold for doing just a completely random pug each day. While some of you might be groaning at this thought, they are willing to reimburse you for the inconvenience with 68G for completing a random level 80 heroic. This money scales based on how much of your party is random and how much is premade. The less random your party is the lower the cash return.
It's still early in the PTR and several features, like the ability to use the LFG panel to look for a raid, don't appear to be completely finished yet. I've included a gallery of what the new interface looks like thus far.
They've taken the current system that allows you to select your available roles (healer, tank, or dps) as well as select if you're willing to lead the instance. One thing that should help out is the ability to earn emblems as well as gold for doing just a completely random pug each day. While some of you might be groaning at this thought, they are willing to reimburse you for the inconvenience with 68G for completing a random level 80 heroic. This money scales based on how much of your party is random and how much is premade. The less random your party is the lower the cash return.
It's still early in the PTR and several features, like the ability to use the LFG panel to look for a raid, don't appear to be completely finished yet. I've included a gallery of what the new interface looks like thus far.
Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to the Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Instances, Screenshots, Galleries, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 9)
jorge_av Oct 21st 2009 8:09PM
From the look of it, you can clearly use it for all the original low lvl dungeons too. I'd really like to see how my low lvl alts will do going through Deadmines, Stocks & Shadowfang without looking for a lvl 80 to blow through everything.
mmason91 Oct 21st 2009 8:10PM
this is going to be so great. instead of haninging out in dal for 20 min spaming lf tank we can just press a button and get everything together. and no more fighing about who summons. the only problem will be undergreared ppl...
volrathy Oct 21st 2009 8:25PM
Undergeared people ??? Its heroics man there is no undergeared people in heroics
mmason91 Oct 21st 2009 8:52PM
i have run with tanks who just dinged 80 using recruit a friend so they have no gear
Oni Stardust Oct 21st 2009 10:58PM
Recruit a friend stops working at level 60
Sky Oct 22nd 2009 11:44AM
your trolling sucks gtfo
EZ Oct 22nd 2009 12:29PM
Hopefully they will match groups based on iLvL. This way there will be no dead-weight in the group, and people with above-average gear can have smooth sailing, whereas people in greens can really "earn their stripes" and do a real heroic. It's the most fair way to implement a matching system like this. The only people that really end up getting carried are the players in ALL greens, with 1-2 BoE blues. At least run some regular level 80 dungeons and put in some effort like every other respectable player did. (this rule applies to pugging only, not guild's carrying around under-geared alts).
So yeah, my vote if for Item level matching.
lilrabbit129 Oct 22nd 2009 4:32PM
The point of this is to help get more people into Heroics faster, with less hassle. Sorting or trying to group by ilvl just further segregates people into unnecessary buckets.
Besides, these are heroics there are no "dead weight", they were meant to be done in blues and greens, the people in full epics just happen to outgear the instance.*
*Excluding non-def capped tanks or the newer instances of course.
Sky Oct 23rd 2009 12:25AM
Actually there is such a thing as "undergeared" for heroics especially in the more difficult ones (ToC comes to mind)... Dont expect to clear much, especially when your tank or healer is in greens and blues. Even more so when your tank and healer are fresh 80's who are still in the process of learning how to properly play their class or fight the bosses (You know the guy that doesnt run when Ionar in HoL uses disperse? Don't be that guy)... Nothing is more annoying than getting saved to an instance after the first boss only to find out that you can't clear the rest
I just dinged 80 not so long ago, so i can relate to the whole "well how can we get geared if you wont let us in your group in the first place" argument, but I had the decency to get some ilvl 200 epics via crafting, rep grinds, wintergrasp and the AH. Unfortunately, you cant expect everyone to do the same.
Then there's the "If you hate it that much then dont do it" argument. But players like me, who rely on dailies and the short raids (VoA, OS, Onyxia) to get geared cannot afford to not do this. So I really hope they implement a system where players are sorted according to their gear. If you think about it, the players who are gonna suffer from this (be grouped with people in blues and greens) are gonna be the ones in blues and greens. Then maybe, just maybe, they will realize how being undergeared makes them a liability and do their best to get some gear before entering the PuG circuit.
EZ Oct 24th 2009 12:09AM
yeah that post was a little rushed and probably came across wrong. I didn't mean to match by gear to "keep the new player down", or "keep the time-challenged" or "careless" player down. The emphasis of my point should have been that I believe it is the fair way to do things. I'm not trying to hate on people who expect to go into a heroic with a pug the moment after dinging (wasn't my choice, but whatever), I just think it's a good way to set up the system. Assuming there will be PLENTY of people waiting in the queue. There's never a shortage for 80 person battleground, so I don't see why there would be for 5mans that award better gear. It just seems like a smooth way to implement the system. Unless you want that 1 geared guy dropping group everytime he zones in and sees that 1 under geared guy, then have to wait for replacement, someone else drops, etc. Just make the new people (or under geared) work for their emblems, and make the experienced raiders cruise through the dungeon with relative ease.
This is not meant to be judgmental it is just a fact. New players, or under geared players, are a liability in a pug. The under geared alts of raiders will just go with guild anyway, and if under geared raider alt wants to pug then group him with under geared people. If my new hunter in greens wants to run a heroic, then I would have no qualms at all with being grouped with similar geared people. It may cause some frustrating runs, but that is the way it is. When I get my emblems, the gear will improve, my skill as a hunter will improve, my groups will improve, my heroic runs will improve. It's an idea called "starting from scratch", and some may even say "working your way up".
EZ Oct 24th 2009 12:15AM
Forgot to meantion, 1000 /cheers for you sky.
>>>I just dinged 80 not so long ago, so i can relate to the whole "well how can we get geared if you wont let us in your group in the first place" argument, but I had the decency to get some ilvl 200 epics via crafting, rep grinds, wintergrasp and the AH. Unfortunately, you cant expect everyone to do the same.
This is great, and I wish more players thought like this. Groups don't break up because someone goes in with crafted epics, reg. dungeon blues, and wintergrasp gear. Groups break up because some guy in greens with a BoE blue necklace is doing 700 dps. You don't have to be 245 ToC geared out, just put in some effort. Even with the match-making system, a group of players like sky would be effective for any heroic, 4 sky's and 1 dead-weight green player would fail every time though.
Kyle Oct 21st 2009 8:11PM
I used this yesterday to do a quick PoS Heroic. Best part about using the new LFG, is that when your party is ready and you hit enter dungeon, you get ported instantly inside the dungeon. No more running around to summon everyone. That my friends, is a peice of WoW put in the past. We like it.
zetathran Oct 21st 2009 8:15PM
This looks great! I've always thought the current LFG was rather inelegant. There's only one reservation I have: is there an option to only group with people from one's own server? Or is that going to be another relic of the past? I made a lot of friends from pugs while leveling in dungeons, and it's how I met my current guildies.
ash Oct 21st 2009 8:28PM
That's a good question, I also want to know if you can limit LFG to your own realm.
Birdfall Oct 22nd 2009 12:32PM
I would think that would defeat the purpose of the system, part of which seems to be to widen the player pool for pugs. So I don't expect it to have that feature, as you can always form groups in server-wide chat channels, but I've been wrong before. :/
elvendude Dec 15th 2009 2:04PM
You cannot limit it that way. However, if you have people you wish to run with, just have them already in your group, and use the "Join as group" option. Then you fill your remaining slots with other LFG people.
jfofla Oct 21st 2009 8:16PM
68g should cover your repairs even if you are grouped with Mo, Larry, Curly, and Shemp.
Fallacy Oct 21st 2009 8:27PM
Only if you bail after the second wipe.
/ilvl 213+ plate
haffeysucks Oct 21st 2009 10:47PM
One could only wish. This will only entice more undergeareds to join LFG. I'm steering WAY clear.
Sky Oct 22nd 2009 11:46AM
mo larry curly and shemp??
at least 3 of those names sound african-american.... do i sense some hate here?