Dungeon Finder tricks and tips
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 12th 2009 at 4:00PM
More tips and tricks for the new system after the break.
Other tips we've heard: finding an instance as tank or healer will go even faster than trying to get in one as DPS, so if you can specialize into a more useful role and just want to grind out instances fast, do that. Damage meters are supposedly broken -- they haven't figured out how to track ranged damage across realms quite yet. Which may be a good thing, as lots of players never liked following those meters anyway. The vote kicking system seems to be working well -- the number one reason we've heard that players are kicking each other is that they're going AFK without notice, so if you're in a random PuG queue, be sure to be ready when it pops up to do the instance ASAP. Oh, and let's just agree right here and now: Frozen Orbs are Need, unless you don't want them for some reason.
And maybe the most important tip we've heard: it's important to make sure that your gear matches the instance you're doing. The number one issue so far seems to be players who show up for a Heroic in greens, or people who queue up to tank without having any tanking gear or experience at all. Thanks to the new system, there's lots of groups to run, and everyone will get the gear they need to do what they want. So don't waste players' time now by trying to take on something you can't do and ending the group in wipes or making other players step up for you. Start out low and easy, running regular instances, and then when you think you're ready for something tougher, move on up the ladder to Heroics.
Filed under: Tips, Tricks, Fan stuff, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Instances, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Jordan B Dec 12th 2009 4:05PM
that takes skill to post during the show!!
Jordan B Dec 12th 2009 4:06PM
it takes skill to post this WHILE your doing the show
ninvampire Dec 12th 2009 4:20PM
You realize you can schedule entries to post at specific times right?
Modpapa Dec 12th 2009 4:06PM
if you're seriously geared and want to run lower level heroics (UK, Nexus, stuff like that) equip some lower item level gear before queuing; the tracker thinks you're lesser geared and you seem to get spots sooner.
We've tried this a good 100 times or so now and it seems to work well. If you don't have any lower level gear, just take some off and it works also. If I use my "real gear" (Gearscore is around 5100) I wait a good ten minutes for any of the low level heroics--if I drop it down to 4k I'm in almost instantly.
Caelin Dec 12th 2009 5:22PM
What system do you use to find your gear score? I use wow-heroes, and it gives me a gear score of ~2480, and I'm geared well, but not like ToGC level or anything. I've seen other high scores like this on this site before, so is there just a huge gap between ToC and ToGC, or are there different systems?
Grundy Dec 12th 2009 5:35PM
Different system, addon is called Gearscore
Kate Dec 12th 2009 7:49PM
FYI - Blues have stated that their internal "gearscore" system looks at all the items in your inventory, so just equipping a lower ilvl piece or taking an item off and placing it in your bags won't work.
Jeff Dec 13th 2009 12:58AM
I don't see how it could be complicated to take into account all the items in my inventory. My DPS set is amazing, but my tank set sucks. So if I have my DPS set in my bags I'm going to get queued to tank HoR in blues? What if I have my novelty bag of lvl 1 costumes? I just don't see them making a system complex enough to do all these things when it would be much easier to just look at the iLvl of equipped items. Do you have a link to this so I could read more what they said?
B1ue Dec 13th 2009 6:32AM
@ Jeff
Yes, this is correct. I wound up tanking a Forge of Souls heroic in almost entirely blues, cussing the stupid blizz random robot nearly the whole way through. My dps set is much better, and it explains a bit that it may have stuck me in an instance I was sorely undergeared for based on that set. On the other hand, the entire rest of the party happened to be overgeared, so it worked out well enough, aside from an accidental proximity pull.
Since then, I've been sticking to dps.
Gamer am I Dec 14th 2009 9:09PM
@Jeff and B1ue
This might be solved if you leave your other set in the bank. (I don't guarantee that it will work, but it might.) If you sign up as anything other than DPS, you aren't going to DPS, so why bother to check it, bring that set of gear, and hurt yourself.
Also, if that is true, I guess it's time to start keeping the greys I get from instances.
Soulddoubt Dec 28th 2009 8:33AM
I've been wanting to read those books.
jayphive Dec 12th 2009 4:10PM
frozen orbs are never need. wtf!
inthemidst01 Dec 12th 2009 4:13PM
I agree, almost all the runs are Greed for Frozen Orbs. However, I always wait and see what everyone else rolls because there have been a few times some people do Need.
KidRichard Dec 12th 2009 4:18PM
I Know they aren't ever need on Altar of Storms, that's for sure. Its not like there's any shortage of those things anyway.
- Winnipeg "Winnie" the Bear druid, Altar of Storms -
tses4063 Dec 12th 2009 4:36PM
Frozen Orbs are GREED you NINJA!!!!
Reinette Dec 12th 2009 4:44PM
I've always greeded and everyone I've ever run with seems to agree.
Besides, who actually *needs* Frozen Orbs these days? It's probably only slightly more expensive to craft ilevel 245 TotC patterns than trainer-tought Frozen Orb patterns, these days.
DragonFireKai Dec 12th 2009 4:46PM
Destromath always rolls need on the orbs because all characters get equal utility out of them. You've been forewarned.
Djbrill Dec 12th 2009 4:58PM
I think it's server tradition. On my server everyone needs on orbs, but on some other servers it's greed. I do think greed rolling is more common on other servers.
Right now i always first look what others are doing and copy that. And it's not like the orbs worth ninja'ing. Most people who roll need are probably used to rolling need and forgot to look if others were rolling need or greed.
dpoyesac Dec 12th 2009 5:11PM
Two things: every server has different customs. On my server people would verbally agree at the start to roll Need on orbs. Second, cross-server groups mean you can't get called out in /trade for your actions, thereby increasing the incentive to roll Need after four people rolled Greed.
Mounts are another issue. On my server you roll Need on the bronze drake. My brother grouped with four people, all from servers where you roll Greed. Guess who was put on /ignore for being a ninja, even though he only did exactly what he's done multiple times before? And this was for the hoary old BRONZE drake, not every the H UP blue proto.
Mortiseraphim Dec 12th 2009 5:12PM
He's saying need on the orbs cus a lot of people lately have been needing them for several reasons:
1) as soon as you loot it, drop group and you are teleported out, giving no one the chance to say 'wtf'
2) 99% of the time its all people from different realms who you never have to see again, thus eliminating any sort of name bashing on the ninja'ers server
3) As stated above, different server cultures have different rules
The fact that you have to need on it lately cus of petty ninjas is kind of sad, but its just a side effect of further anonymity due to the LFG system.