Breakfast Topic: Living it up while you can
by Fox Van Allen 
Apr 13th 2010 at 8:00AM
I've been spending a lot of time with my shaman lately. Since it's my first alt since the introduction of the new dungeon finder tool, I made the decision to use it to play through a lot of the end-game content for The Burning Crusade. Utgarde Keep is available to me once I hit level 68, but I've run it countless times on my main already. Spending even more time there is uninspiring.
Besides, I know that I'll soon be grinding heroic UK along with all the other Northrend instances for emblems on a regular basis. I want to keep things fresh and different while I still can. Besides, is it a crime to like Magister's Terrace? And what herbalist doesn't appreciate all the freebies littered around The Botanica?
The problem, though, is that the group of people who actually want run these late-60s instances is terribly small. Most people are on a rush to the end game, lured away to Northrend by promises of overpowered greens. The queue wait for a DPS is longer than even the most patient can handle. And if you do find a group, places like Magister's Terrace can be frustratingly hard with four random, unskilled players.
"OMG, you guys -- the room is like filled with water or something! Should I go touch these spheres or what?"
These troubles got me thinking: With Cataclysm approaching, a lot of Northrend instances are going to go the way of Magister's Terrace. People will still grind through places like The Nexus because there are a bunch of quests associated with it. But will people still visit The Oculus? Pit of Saron? Or, worse yet, Halls of Reflection?
When you're grinding your shiny new worgen or goblin from 78 to 85, are you going to skip the end-game Wrath of the Lich King instances? Are there any end-game instances you consider a "must do?" And, dare I ask, will you ever again step foot into any of the Wrath raids?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Sundar Apr 13th 2010 8:06AM
A lot of people seem to hate the Oculus. I even had a tank refuse to tank as drake because it was "too hard". I mean theres 2 buttons? I did it on my first try. Doubt many will want to go there after Cataclysm :(
Groth Apr 13th 2010 8:25AM
actually, there's 3 buttons when you're fighting eregos. It's the addition of a button that flumoxes so many.
CaryEverett Apr 13th 2010 8:48AM
I'm a tank, but I always specifically play the healer drake in Oculus.
I consider it to be the most complicated drake, and the easiest one to mess up... Far too many people commit suicide with that dragon by letting their DoT stack fall off.
The other drakes I can generally explain in 1-2 sentences, and expect most players to understand. Not to mention it isn't an automatic loss of the Bronzes can't figure out the optimal time to use Time Stop, or their optimal DPS rotation. Or if the Ruby can't figure out that he should probably be targeting the whelps since Chain Fire gets stronger, not weaker, with each job, and thus does more damage to the boss that way.
Meh. Just my thoughts on the subject.
Disturbed Apr 13th 2010 9:06AM
The OP's final question is pointless. Since Blizzard has applied a gear check for those who want to enter the new LK dungeons. Any goblins or worgens are going to be in level blues and greens from level 71-75 by the time they reach the level requirement. Once they hit 80 they might as well go to the new cataclysm zones and keep leveling, because you would spend as much time leveling 80 to 85 as you would gearing up to qualify for the new LK dungeons
orlochavez Apr 13th 2010 9:16AM
You can still zone into instances like HoR & ToC5 "manually." The gear checker just prevents you from using the dungeon finder to get into instances your are under-geared for, not from forming a group on your own and walking up to the door.
Bronwyn Apr 13th 2010 10:41AM
I like Oculus now. It used to bother me, back when the drakes didn't scale with gear and hardly anyone knew what they were doing; It's not difficult! I do always ask, though, when we get into a group, if anyone needs to play a drake that doesn't correspond with their class, because I know the healing drake is a pain to play and I don't want to force the healer to play it if (s)he's just going to mess it up.
GrumblyStuff Apr 13th 2010 10:52AM
I wonder what, if anything, they'll do with the Oculus drake since you only get a chance at it through random dungeon heroics.
RetPallyJil Apr 13th 2010 8:08AM
I will do any raid, any time ... unless it has "Zul" in it. Enough the the damned trolls already.
Darky Apr 13th 2010 9:00AM
you said it mon' you be butcherin' our races, we be jammin in our mojo place and yous be flippen out and killin us, not cool mon!
AltairAntares Apr 13th 2010 12:26PM
Totally agree- I've always found the troll instances more annoying then anything else.
Chamual Apr 13th 2010 4:56PM
Noway!! I love the troll raids, Zul Aman was a blast and in my top two instances of TBC! Its a real shame we didn't get a cool troll raid to Zul Drak, or even somewhere sunny back on the mainland......
Fletcher Apr 13th 2010 8:09AM
Definitely going to skip the Wrath endgame on my goblin hunter and worgen warrior. After a paladin, priest, rogue, and up-and-coming mage and shaman, I expect to be well and truly sick of the Old World, Outland, and Northrend by the time the Cataclysm arrives.
cygnus Apr 13th 2010 9:57AM
Only with my main I probably cleared the BC heroics 40 times each, back in BC, when WotLK came out i promised i would never set foot on those again, and never did. Now I've cleared 50 times each WotLK heroic, I wont set foot on 'em again (unless by the time cataclysm hits the Occulus pony still evades me). But the fear of U/LBRS and MC is gone and Im going there every week to find the tier 1 I never manage to get and my alts can safely AoE the hell out of the dwarves and the orcs. Its just like a good song you just heard too much. LIke dust in the wind. gotta let it rest for a bit.
Ed Apr 13th 2010 8:10AM
Halls of Reflection is probably one of those end game instances that I will never step foot in again.
Wulfkin Apr 13th 2010 8:52AM
I love Halls of Reflection, its a great instance. However I will likely skip it on my Goblin for my own perosnal sense of continuity. I obviously couldn't have been there at that point in time.
In all likelihood I will stick to the titan-related instances, as there's little lore-clash in doing them as a little green hero.
http://thebarrenschat.wordpress.com/
Titusx Apr 13th 2010 10:44AM
What is the matter with people and Halls of Reflection? I had a tank in ToC 10 gear, warrior with the 4 peace bonus and more than enough stamina and everything... the first thing he sais is ¨I dont think I got the gear score to tank this¨... ?! ... I tell him that it hes gear is more than enough and the idiot just let the mobs tear him appart.
Let me tell you... if you go out there with the mind set that you CANT do it, chances are that you wont. Man up and TANK damn it! you got the tools to do it no matter what class you are. God forbid that you have to use your cooldowns on the mobs! Be a man! and stop being afraid of a bunch of trash that comes runing up to you. Fear is the mind killer!
clundgren Apr 13th 2010 11:14AM
Yeah, I *love* Halls of Reflection. It's the only random daily I still get a kick out of, because depending on your group, that first room can be kind of desperate. It's the only instance where I actually have to think a lot about my threat, CC, etc. The fact that I'm a ret paladin in full tier 10s is nice too; the big numbers on trash are fun.
Regular heroic rotation: stand in the middle of everything and spam divine storm whenever it is up. Generally ignore threat: stuff dies in about 2-4 globals, long before it can hurt me (the fact that most ppl in the group now have the same health pool as a tank did at the start of the expansion helps).
HoR: Repent the mage. Focus the tank's target. Turn evil on the shadow merc when he starts knifing our healer. Holy Wrath if things get out of hand. Etc, etc. Fun.
As for the others...just done em too many times. Maybe in a year or so I'll feel a pang of nostalgia, but for now I'm glad to be rid of em.
lemur Apr 13th 2010 1:42PM
I did HoR every.day. for a month and a half, trying to get the stupid Shriveled Heart off-hand. It. NEVER.Dropped.EVER.
I hate that instance.
SamLowry Apr 13th 2010 3:55PM
I've been in HoR about two dozen times and I think I've seen Arthas twice, simply because most groups wipe during the opening waves. Even if they've made it past the first boss some folks just don't like wiping and 2 or 3 will drop group.
And it sure doesn't help that there's so much magic flying around during the waves that all I see is a slideshow--if I get more than 1 fps I consider myself lucky.
mds Apr 13th 2010 8:12AM
I don't get it; I LOVE Oculus now. Maybe because I'm sadistic and feed on the tears of the other puggers as they zone in.
Then I talk them through it and we do it on one shot, but they'll still cry about it next time. Seriously, it's been nerfed to oblivion and you can get a free pony out of it. So I will, actually, miss that. I mean, I miss Naxx 10 and Uld already, people often won't do those raids, or will just do the one boss for the weekly and go back to trying to badge up or sneak into an ICC.
I'll skip Halls of Stone, though, in the future and when possible. Hate that place. Also Gun'Drak just because it's the wonkiest to navigate if you're sleepy.