Dungeon finder, vote kicking hotfixes on the way
by Anne Stickney 
Feb 17th 2011 at 12:20AM
BashiokWe're making a number of hotfixes to address use of the Dungeon Finder and vote kick tools. The following hotfixes will require realm restarts to implement, which are likely to be next Tuesday's weekly maintenance.
We'll of course be watching how these changes work to improve these systems, and always appreciate your feedback.
As these and other hotfixes are implemented, they'll be added to the hotfix blog - http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/2259389#blog
- Players who are outside a dungeon for more than a few minutes are now immediately able to be kicked.
- If queuing as a group with a tank or healer, and the tank or healer drops group (or is kicked) soon after joining, those that queued with them will also be removed from the dungeon.
- If three or more players group queue with each other it will require an additional vote for them to kick anyone they did not group queue with.
- If a group queue of 4 kicks the one person that they did not group queue with they will each receive a more severe penalty to their ability to initiate future kicks.
- If someone initiates a vote kick for someone they group queued with they will not incur a penalty to their ability to initiate future kicks.
We'll of course be watching how these changes work to improve these systems, and always appreciate your feedback.
As these and other hotfixes are implemented, they'll be added to the hotfix blog - http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/2259389#blog
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.Filed under: News items, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 8)
Fox Van Allen Feb 17th 2011 12:31AM
"If queuing as a group with a tank or healer, and the tank or healer drops group (or is kicked) soon after joining, those that queued with them will also be removed from the dungeon."
Finally!
Sky Feb 17th 2011 12:36AM
Yes, I approve of this change very much. I really hate it when DPS players cheese the queue. Fall in line like the rest of us
Drakkenfyre Feb 17th 2011 12:46AM
This is going to be good, and bad.
Good, because I won't see "Tank for instant LFG queue, 50g!" anymore.
Bad because of the legitimate times someone queues with you, and then either has to leave, or gets dropped. I hope it has a time limit, and doesn't wind up being some screw up in the end where if those people leave AT ANY TIME during the dungeon, everyone else gets removed, too.
It says "soon", but bugs are known to happen.
Snuzzle Feb 17th 2011 12:45AM
I agree. I love all these changes, but I love this one the most!
Debesun Feb 17th 2011 12:49AM
Totally agree with this change. People getting a tank friend or hiring a tank from trade (didn't even need to have tank gear, just be a class with a tank spec) to jump in the queue with them, get a near instant invite, have the tank drop from the group so he can go along with his previous business, and the former group (along with the DPS that hired the tank and remained in the group) being placed on the front of the dungeon finder queue for replacements only managed to achieve an increase in queue times for most 'legitimate' players with the only real solution being to hire their own tank.
SR Feb 17th 2011 2:08AM
You didn't even need a tank spec to queue up as tank. Hell, I can even queue up as a healer on my prot/ret paladin. They just stick whatever role your class is capable of, put it up as available, and makes other people deal with it.
I recall going on trade and seeing someone say "WTB PLATE CLASS FOR INSTA QUEUE, 50G PST YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO STAY" every few minutes or so. It was getting annoying.
Needless to say, after I voiced my opinion (With some "love" for our "special" trade friends) I was drowned out by idiots that thinks SPEEKING LIEK DIZZ LOL UR BAD is a perfect way to communicate.
Medivh tradechat, I always love you.
Kelley Feb 17th 2011 2:45AM
*high-fives from Medivh also!*
As a tank, this was annoying me. I don't know, it just seems like cheating the economy to buy and sell instant queues- it's something that was never intended to happen or become a service. I would never sell my queues, even if I intended to stay in the dungeon, simply because I feel it's cheating.
Yes, DPS specs have to wait sometimes 45 minutes for a queue to pop, so I understand why the queues are being bought and sold. I just don't think it's right and is not something that was ever intended to be bought or sold. Unfortunately, I don't think this will stop the buying and selling of queues- people will still sell them and now stay in the dungeon, effectively getting extra gold and their points for doing their random...but at least this is a start.
MrJackSauce Feb 17th 2011 2:55AM
I gotta say that these changes don't help at all. They merely highlight the problem with dungeon queue times and lack of tanks. Sure thing you can put a band-aid on it, but when there's not enough tanks to go around, which makes queues take ages, you're gonna get people trying to beat the system so they can have their hour or so of dungeon fun (no sarcasm, I love the heroics; especially HoO/Lost City) sooner. Waiting 40minutes for a queue as a DPS must suck ballz (I'm a tank) and I would gladly jump into a group and give them a quicker queue, for free.
Why not? No one is being hurt by this; in fact, it pushes you to the front of the queue, if you get the same group as m. Then when i leave you're at the front of the queue. What is there to complain about there?
In short: I believe that if you find a way to make more people want to tank; you will have shorter queues.
On a related-but-side-note: Unfortunately playing as a tank with the kinds of DPS you get these days is nigh impossible. IS IT TOO HARD TO WAIT 3 SECONDS SO THAT EVERYTHING I WANT TO COME TO ME WILL DO SO? /endrage.
Minstrel Feb 17th 2011 3:16AM
"Why not? No one is being hurt by this; in fact, it pushes you to the front of the queue, if you get the same group as m. Then when i leave you're at the front of the queue. What is there to complain about there?"
The lack of self-awareness it takes to type both "it pushes you to the front of the queue" and "no one is being hurt by this" is pretty epic. How about all of those people *in the queue* you're pushing the DPS past?
If your answer is "Let them do the same thing," that still is incredibly illogical...the end result of all DPS doing the same thing is that all the DPS pay 50 gold per queue for *no gain* (if everyone is doing it, it still creates a queue of the same average length). A nice situation for you, I'm sure, to get 50 gold every so often for nothing, but not exactly a situation that's fair, reasonable or should be encouraged.
Skrotus Feb 17th 2011 4:00AM
I don't really pug heroics, but if I was waiting 45 minutes to get in to a dungeon only to see the tank leave straight away, I'd be looking for who else was from their server to vote kick them as soon as possible. I like this change.
I guess I'm just a spiteful jerk, but eh screw 'em.
Croe Feb 17th 2011 4:15AM
This might be good on one level, however I've been in several PUGS where the tank has taken one look at where he is 'Oh no, not again' and dropped group. It wouldn't be fair to be dropped along with him.
We even had a tank go to the first boss in Stonecore for farming a mount, and dropped immediately afterwards.
This might end up being a source of greater frustration, if I am understanding this correctly.
Namy Feb 17th 2011 4:51AM
@Croe
This would only happen if you'd grouped and queued with that tank. You would only really queue with someone from your own server if they were a friend/guildie I'd have thought, so hopefully they wouldn't do this to you :P
If you had queued with a random tank from your server then the queue would have been more or less instant for you anyway so no real loss.
Mr. Tastix Feb 17th 2011 6:18AM
Sorry Fox, this is the most stupid change of the lot. I have honestly NEVER seen adverts of this kind, maybe I'm just non-observant?
I understand why they're adding such a feature but frankly, they're punishing the majority for the "crimes" of the minority. It's not my fault if a tank leaves early, why should I be punished for it? I never used such services.
I've had friends come tank for me with all intention of staying, what if this little thing called "real life" imposes itself (as it does) and they need to drop out for whatever reason? We'll all be punished for legit circumstances like this and frankly, whilst that might not happen a lot, it's still going to happen.
I don't agree with those pushing their way past the dps in the queue but I also don't think that the whole "you can join the line like the rest of us!" is a very justifiable excuse. If you don't like the queue then respec to a tank or healer, or reroll to a class that can do this (same applies for those paying for tank classes in Trade).
I understand you like your mage, but if you thought your wee little mage could end up tanking the majority of content (because the Council isn't the majority) then you need to learn a rather simple tradition in rpg history: Most mages don't tank. If they can tank, they're probably not just a mage, like those on WoW.
Saeadame Feb 17th 2011 6:42AM
@Mr. Tastix - uhh, really? Never? You must just not look at them, 'cause trust me, those adverts are EVERYWHERE in trade around mid evening every day. "Selling Tank insta-queue, 50g" "WTB Tank insta-queue 50g."
It's everywhere.
Grak Feb 17th 2011 6:48AM
@ Mr Tastix
"they're punishing the majority for the "crimes" of the minority. It's not my fault if a tank leaves early, why should I be punished for it? I never used such services."
You talk alot about being "punished". How are you being punished by just having to wait your turn in the queue just like *everyone* else has to?
You got a shortcut to the front of the queue because of your tank friend, who then leaves at the start of the instance and so your group has to take the next tank in the queue, which PUNISHES all the dps who have been patiently waiting for their turn.
With this change you dont get to jump infront of others if your tank friend isnt going to actually, you know, tank. It prevents you from taking another tank out of the queue and instead says "Sorry buddy, but you need to wait your turn just like everyone else did."
Eccentrica Feb 17th 2011 7:13AM
While I heartily approve of these changes (and circumventing the machinations of those with entitlement issues), they do nothing to address the queue time.
Why couldn't Blizzard re-examine their group composition? Why 5? Why not 6? Instead of nerfing content, permit the addition of a 4th DPS/Hybrid. It would cut the wait time by 1/3rd.
Snuzzle Feb 17th 2011 7:29AM
@Croe
He's gonna be joining and dropping Stonecore for a while then, 'cause the mount drops from the SECOND boss.
Windshear of Duskwood Feb 17th 2011 8:08AM
I totally disagree with selling tank queues as well unless the tank is selling his/her services to actually perform the dungeon with you. Otherwise it pushes people into a Nash Equilibrium. When you benefit the most from cheating and are punished when other people cheat, it causes you to cheat as well, eventually everyone is cheating.
Forreststump Feb 17th 2011 8:53AM
A couple of these sound verbatim from a "tank abuse" (read: abuse by tanks) thread in the WoW general forum. /clap Blizzard!
But here's a question: When a tank drops immediately because they get [insert HARD heroic here] and screws over the other four people (especially the DPS), where is their position in the queue to get a new tank?
Narm Feb 17th 2011 9:04AM
This isn't going to stop the tanks with no souls from selling the instant tank ques it is just going to insure that they stay with the group for at least a little while. It also means that they will actually have to be tanks not just a class that has the ability to tank. However i think that this will help cut down on how many people that we see selling ques.