Blizzard issues Call to Arms clarification
by Mathew McCurley 
Apr 8th 2011 at 2:00PM
Takralus -- Dungeon Finder Call to Arms
We've been following discussions and reading feedback on the Dungeon Finder Call to Arms feature, and appreciate everyone's opinions on the topic. We wanted to share a few items though that supplement the recent announcement:
The additional reward for completing the Dungeon Finder Call to Arms (called the Satchel of Exotic Mysteries) will be Bind on Account; able to be freely sent to other characters on your account once you receive it.
An error existed in the announcement regarding flasks and potions being picked based on your spec. This is not the case. If someone earns a Satchel of Exotic Mysteries, and if it rolls the random chance to provide a potion or flask, it will be a randomly selected. This helps ensure a broad array of available flasks and potions for all characters.
We also wanted to clarify, mounts that have a possibility to be found in a Satchel of Exotic Mysteries are found with the same rarity as if you had slain the dungeon boss that normally drops them.
The additional reward for completing the Dungeon Finder Call to Arms (called the Satchel of Exotic Mysteries) will be Bind on Account; able to be freely sent to other characters on your account once you receive it.
An error existed in the announcement regarding flasks and potions being picked based on your spec. This is not the case. If someone earns a Satchel of Exotic Mysteries, and if it rolls the random chance to provide a potion or flask, it will be a randomly selected. This helps ensure a broad array of available flasks and potions for all characters.
We also wanted to clarify, mounts that have a possibility to be found in a Satchel of Exotic Mysteries are found with the same rarity as if you had slain the dungeon boss that normally drops them.
The aim of the Call to Arms system is to get more tanks and healers into the dungeon finder as to facilitate faster groups. Since tanking and healing have become less forgiving in Cataclysm heroics, many players shy away from the added responsibility and pressure of performing in these roles. The result has been 30- to 60-minute DPS queues. Now, with incentives like the Satchel of Exotic Mysteries, hopefully tanks and healers will come back to the fold.
By making the rewards bind on account, players can reap rewards with an alt tank or healer from their DPS main without worrying about losing out on rewards. Hopefully this system will spur people into action to bring out those alt tanks and healers and get them running in heroics through these new incentives.
WoW Patch 4.1 is on the PTR, and WoW Insider has all the latest news for you -- from previews of the revamped Zul'Aman and Zul'Gurub to new valor point mechanics and new archaeology items.
Filed under: Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
kingofminneapolis Apr 8th 2011 4:10PM
Now I have a reason to try to tank. I would rather PvP or DPS, and my tank alt is nowhere near good for either of those (I guess DPS would be a possibility but I don't know the spec tree).
This is now a much more tantalizing offer.
mibu.work1 Apr 8th 2011 2:04PM
well, this is an improvement in clarification. This makes me happy.
noel mcleod Apr 8th 2011 2:55PM
So, this did get me to tank a random regular last night. I sat looking at the "Look For Group" button for 10 minutes, then insta-q'd into middle of HoO just after a tank had left. The group was pretty reasonable, so reasonable that we had finished the run before I realized that I was still in PvP gear (!).
Making the satchel "Bind on Account" is awesome, now I DO have an incentive to play my neglected 85's. (The tank I played last night hadn't been played since February ...).
Elvgren Apr 8th 2011 4:31PM
Bribery is not a solution to a design issue. A band aid, yes, a solution, no.
I'll add my vote for giving the tank more control. A group leader is a group leader for a reason. Can it be abused? Sure. Will it be LESS abused than the vote kick? Yes.
This won't solve the overly common ass-hattery of the general population, but it will make a tank more comfortable signing up. Removing vote kick would be another good step. It was built to be abused. Get a bad group? Suck it up and finish or take the hit and quit it.
Ice Apr 8th 2011 4:35PM
I can already see it...
My level 20 hunter running around with anzu in battlegrounds...
mmmm.. *drool*
Vaeku Apr 8th 2011 5:00PM
@Ice
Anzu requires level 40. And actually, I believe all of the dungeon drop mounts require level 40.
Luotian Apr 8th 2011 6:14PM
@Elvgren:
99.9% of the time, I'm going to agree with you. But what about today when I qued up on my resto shaman and got a druid that A- Wanted to tank in cat form, B- Would pull massive groups, then hide behind me, and C- Left before we were allowed to kick him for a battleground without leaving our group.
The rest of us were all perfectly capable players. Should we have just had to eat it in that case?
Edymnion Apr 9th 2011 12:13AM
Elvgren, the vast majority of the time someone is so horrible that a kick vote is taken, in my experience, its being taken on the tank. The fast queues they get have, on a whole, produced a crop of self entitled elitist ass-hat tanks that think they are God's gift to gaming, and that us piddly little DPS should just be happy that they dared grace us with their presence.
No, the ability to kick a jerk-ass tank has got to stay.
Tuttutt Apr 8th 2011 2:05PM
Still a big cheers to blizzard for giving tanks and healers that extra incentive to join up.
dannyflorida Apr 8th 2011 8:36PM
Tobold, one of the most well-known and respected MMORPG bloggers in the world, called on giving tanks and healers extra incentives earlier this year. Further, he promoted what he called a "social responsibility" for players to switch roles to fill whatever roles are in demand. In fact, not doing so, could be considered "morally wrong."
"I do see MMORPGs as some sort of team sport, and people who choose to play DPS in spite of perfectly knowing that there are far too many of them for group activities, but still insist on queueing up for team activities, are shirking their social responsibility towards the other players."
"The position to play only DPS and refuse to ever play another role only works because *other* people are willing to tank and heal. That is what [philosopher Immanuel] Kant would consider morally wrong, with the argument being that if you are unwilling to do something, you shouldn't oblige somebody else to do it in your stead.
I encourage you to read his full posts on this topic here:
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2011/01/social-responsibility.html
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2011/01/morality.html
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2011/01/making-it-personal.html
Thiddian Apr 8th 2011 2:06PM
Woot, and stuff! :D
Molly Apr 8th 2011 4:30PM
This may be a dumb question, but I was just thinking about it. If four people queue together (tank, healer, and two dps), wouldn't that make them ineligible for the goodie bag? If that is so, wouldn't the dps who queued by himself be eligible?
V Magius Apr 8th 2011 4:38PM
@Molly
The group queueing would be ineligible, but the dps may be ineligible also.
It's not really based on what role is needed for a specific group. Everyone would be eligible if they queued alone.
It's based on what role is needed for the entire queue. When you open your LFD panel, you'll know what role will be getting the bag.
Scard Apr 8th 2011 4:39PM
@ Molly
Yes it would make the DPS eligible, but ONLY if the DPS position is the current "Call to Arms," which at 85 will never happen in my opinion.
Slvr Apr 8th 2011 8:41PM
If u read the first posting of this then u can see it states that the person cannot be in a group to receive the rewards. I would post link but i am on a phone- _-
Neothanos Apr 8th 2011 2:06PM
Let the I dont want to tank or heal and get the reward whining begin. Go.
MattKrotzer Apr 8th 2011 2:09PM
Eh... that's like saying "Hey, I don't want to kill Nefarian and Cho'gall. Give me my Tier helm and shoulders anyway.
Do the work, get the reward.
sporkwind Apr 8th 2011 2:21PM
Work takes effort and my druid shoulders and helm are spiritually calling to me. If I asked really nicely would you let me have them anyways?
Devin Apr 8th 2011 2:33PM
The problem with this analogy is that it is not possible for some people to role a tank without leveling a toon they have no interest in playing/gearing for heroics (that's a HUGE time commitment). For example, I have a friend that only plays rogues and only one of them is maxed.
adamjgp Apr 8th 2011 2:58PM
I really have to agree with OP here. I play tanks almost exclusively. I am very annoyed with the DPS whining about not getting access to this extra loot. If you want access to the loot, then roll a tank or a healer. If enough people start doing this, then guess what? DPS will get the call to arms, and then they can get the satchel.
The entire reason we're in this situation is because there are too many DPS classes, however, all the whiny rants I've seen boil down to the same thing - I want the extra loot, but I don't want to work for it. There is this sense of entitlement that players seem to have, where they want everything, but are not willing to change what role they play in order to get it. If you want to experience dungeons with a shorter queue time, then play a tank or a healer. If you want shorter queue times as a DPS, well you're sh!t out of luck then.
If DPS are going to complain about long queue times, but not play as a tank or a healer, then STFU and GTFO. I'm sick of hearing about people complaining about the problem, but not doing anything to help solve it.
I now view DPS as a necessary evil, but I would totally cut them out of my groups if I could be successful without them.