Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsRaid finder coming in patch 4.3
by Adam Holisky 
Aug 17th 2011 at 11:20AM
According to an interview with Kotaku:
Finally, Chilton and Chris Metzen, vice president of creative development at Blizzard, explained a new feature coming with the patch called "Raid Finder". The Raid Finder essentially operates like a dungeon finder, automating the search for fellow players on the hunt for a good raiding party. It will be built into the game's updated user interface when the patch hits, they said.
The Kotaku article doesn't call it a "cross-realm" raid finder, but I think it's safe to assume that it will be -- otherwise, it'll just be like the one that's in game now (you remember that one, right?). There's no more details on the interface or accompanying restrictions on the new raid finding, but expect that information to be discovered or announced soon.
Brace yourselves for what could be some of most exciting updates to the game recently with patch 4.3. Look at what's ahead: new item storage options, cross-realm raiding, cosmetic armor skinning and your chance to battle the mighty Deathwing -- from astride his back! Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 5)
Luotian Aug 17th 2011 11:35AM
Um...yes please. There is NO PuGing on my server for raids, and I can't raid with my guild because of my unpredictable work schedule. Doesn't mean I don't want to see the content.
Jurk Aug 17th 2011 11:50AM
This.
There are a lot of people like me who have to work insane hours or strange shifts. I'd love to be able to see the things other have seen without watching it on YouTube. Sure, like 5-man heroics, it's a roll of the dice to see a successful run but I don't think 10-man groups are out of the question. Instead of a 20% chance (in my experience) of landing in a great group, we might see a 5% chance instead. Still, I'd learn and get better and hopefully so will many others.
Matt Aug 17th 2011 2:55PM
Same.
I play as much as any "srs busns" raider.
I min/max my chars, read about rotations, watch vids of dungeons and raids before I go to them.
But I CANNOT (due to work, kids, wife, extended family) commit to a set raid schedule. Period. End of story.
I'm both afraid of the people we will see in these raids, and excited that I will get to finally see them.
Luotian Aug 17th 2011 3:04PM
My experience with PuGs for 5-mans has generally been positive. Mind you, I love five mans and don't mind running the same ones over and over because I see it as a chance to improve on my performance from last time. Yes, sometimes there are frustratingly stupid people, but more often then not they are tolerable, and some downright friendly.
I understand that raids aren't as simple (I did get to beat Magma before my new job) but they are by no means impossible. In a random sampling of most players, you're likely to find at least someone who did this before and can explain.
DragonFireKai Aug 17th 2011 5:19PM
Are you a tank or healer? Cause if not, the whole, "I don't have time to pug raids." excuse goes flying out the window. The DPS queue time more than doubles going from normal heroic to T2 heroics, due to the lack of tanks in the system. This will get worse in raids, because the ratio of DPS to slots actually goes down when you jump from 5 mans to 10 mans. 3 DPS per five in 5 mans, 5 DPS per ten for 10 mans. So there's going to be fewer spots available for DPS, which means their queue times will become even longer. And a raid isn't like a five man. If your tank shows up for a five man, clears past the first boss, then drops group, you don't think very highly of him. Now imagine that clearing past the first boss takes longer than an entire five man. Puging a raid using anything remotely like the LFD tool will be a time commitment of upwards of six hours. If you don't have time to pug a raid in trade chat, you definitely don't have time to pug a raid using LFD.
Mamaryno Aug 17th 2011 7:03PM
@dragonFireKai
OMG-what a funsucker. I'll admit that LFD can find me some of the most god awful holier-than-thou dinks on the planet, but with the new guild system in place, players from small guilds (me) cannot get into raids. Unless, of course, we've been in said raid which we cant because we cant get into the raid because we havent been in it yet because...see where this is going? Blizzard is addressing a problem alot of players have.
And even though they havent consulted you about the implementaion, Im sure the guys in charge have things weel under control.
Ive seen pug'd dungeons with players that Ill run 2-3-4 more times with. And guess what? Alot of guild runs are WAAAAAAY worse than any pug.
Knob Aug 17th 2011 11:35AM
I'll remain very, very skeptical of its effectiveness until I see it go live, and even then I'll remain skeptical about it until a month or so passes.
Ice Aug 17th 2011 1:06PM
Same here. If this works kinda like dungeon finder its going to be painful and frustrating. I HOPE they wont just slap raid with the same system.
I mean lets see the massive faults of LFD already:
-No responsibility for players.
Someone "ninja"s item you wanted badly? Cant do anything - "if you can need then you are allowed to". Someone wipes the raid by doing stuff that you shouldnt do? No worries theres tens of thousands other players lined up for them.
-Kick system.
"Cant kick that player in combat", "Cant kick that in next 15 minutes", "Cant cant cant", "You've kicked too many already". Need major overhaul first.
-Hardly any penalties.
That one guy can be the hugest d***k you've ever witnessed and only thing you can do is to make GM complaint and wait days to get GM answer it and then maybe do something about it. If the player constantly wipes the raid and trolls they are not penalized unless they start swearing or so.
And many more we all know and read around forums already.. ninja pulling dps, tank in heal gear etc.
Also if DPS queues were slow imagine this while waiting 3 healers and 2 tanks.
Overall, love the IDEA but it would need MAJOR overhaul to make raids. Raids should be in close observance and there should be real penalties in raids. I dont really care about dungeons, you can queue for them endlessly over and over and they reset in day anyway. But raids are massive, need communication and the lockouts last week. Would be painful to get locked in raid for week or get stuck in leaving and arriving people for hours and hours... I mean I'm sure they wont make it so that you can queue for raid over and over even if locked?
Kylenne Aug 17th 2011 11:35AM
/popcorn
Zab Aug 17th 2011 11:41AM
And we all thought the LFD tool was full of countless wipes?..just imagine ppl using pvp gear to get into these like they do now with the ZA/ZG randoms.... *shudder*
coville Aug 17th 2011 11:42AM
Well done blizzard, this will be magnificent. I look forward to pugging raids and think it will be well used.
puffcake Aug 17th 2011 11:43AM
I'm just not sure this is a good idea. Raids take a lot more time and...study...to be done properly than dungeons. Given the drawbacks of randomly cross-grouping with four other people, I'd imagine that adding 9 or 24 other people adds the potential for immense amounts of frustration. Then there's communication, looting, etc., not to mention the craziness of trying to coordinate around boss mechanics. While, like the dungeon finder, it will certainly allow for more people to access content, it will also generate a lot more high blood pressure for players.
The way that this could REALLY be a useful tool? If all raids, including outdated content, could be queued up for those interested in farming mounts/achieves etc. I actually wish the dungeon finder could be used to queue for LK dungeons still, since heroics aren't completely soloable to many classes. We'll see I suppose...
Plainswander Aug 17th 2011 12:06PM
I don't know about it not being tougher. If they continue current trends of nerfing the holy hell out of old content, AND pile something like the LFD Random Group bonus on top of that, anyone in LFR will have the effective power levels of a god.
Not that that has ever stopped anyone from being a DBag, but still, it should make things a bit smoother.
I look forward to trying it out, we'll see if the playerbase is capable of using it without being, well, themselves.
Perhaps Aug 17th 2011 11:44AM
I really like the idea of a cross-realm raid finder, but I do hope it wont be as "random" in making groups as the LFD tool, a lot more needs to go into raid compositions then just tank, heals and DPS.
Arghor Aug 17th 2011 11:51AM
Yet another tool for keeping us in the capitals...
Dungeon Finder killed the essence of WoW. Now this.
I really hope they don't put a reward on it, forcing us to use it like we use Dungeon Finder today.
Syce Aug 17th 2011 11:54AM
ya, its strange that they do this stuff, but never really anything to make people leave Org or SW.
Bynde Aug 17th 2011 11:59AM
The "essence" of wow was killed?
I don't even know how to question that.
Ben Aug 17th 2011 11:55AM
Yeah cause now that you don't have to sit around in trade and can wait to find a group from anywhere, you are much more locked down, clearly. I know I used to get all my vanilla groups while sitting in westfall.
People aren't in cities more because of LFD and LFR, they are in trade more cause there's more people playing at max level, and there's less farming required to raid >_> you are falling for the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy.
pinteresque Aug 17th 2011 12:04PM
"Yet another tool for keeping us in the capitals...
Dungeon Finder killed the essence of WoW. Now this."
Oh, come on. Before the dungeon finder you had to spend a half-hour posting in trade before flying to the dungeon. Now you can queue, do whatever the heck you want for a half-hour (as dps) and go directly to the instance, or (as a tank) do whatever the heck you want for a half-hour and instaqueue.
If you're not out experiencing the world now, when you have more free time, it's your own damn fault.
Plainswander Aug 17th 2011 12:11PM
seriously? DF killed experiencing the world? Are you insane?
DF frees you from having to sit in cities. Q and farm, Q and RP, Q and PVP, Q and daily, Q and freakin Archaeology for heaven's sake.
I'm never in a city. Ever. It's one of the many reasons I never get a PuG raid. This is great in that sense, I can q and wait for a shot, instead of accepting I'll never get in.
Now, whether I wind up playing with humans, or shuddering slimebags covered in demonic goat organ-skin, their open raw wounds weeping the pus of a million petty sins, that's another matter entirely.