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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsPatch 4.3: Zarhym clarifies tier 13 drop methods
by Daniel Whitcomb 
Sep 19th 2011 at 8:00PM
- All pieces will drop from multi-class set tokens. Ten-man raids will see a slight buff to drop rates to compensate for the lack of purchasable tier pieces.
- Valor point gear will feature a wider array of gear for a wider array of slots, meant both for people who are having trouble with token drops and for people who don't raid at all.
- There will be three tier 13 sets for each class: Looking For Raid level, normal level, and heroic level. Each will have a different item level, but you'll be able to mix and match pieces from all three sets for your set bonuses as needed.
ZarhymThe way tier 13 pieces will be obtained in the 4.3 raid won't be unlike raids past, meaning players will still need to roll on multi-class set tokens. That said, we'll be tweaking the tier 13 10-player drop rates a little bit (for the better) relative to the 25-player version, given that these tier pieces can't be purchased from vendors for Valor Points.
In addition, due to tier pieces not being offered for Valor Points, another thing you'll see in patch 4.3 is a much wider array of desirable non-set loot (covering more slots than prior patches) available from the vendors, for those players who are unlucky with specific token drops, or who aren't interested in raiding -- although, once you get more details about the Raid Finder, we hope you'll find interest in having a go.
I felt this warranted its own response in a separate thread, but for those who missed it, here's my response to the original thread about tier 13 pieces being raid drops only:
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/3196022133?page=23#456
Quote:
Keep in mind we do intend to allow tier 13 set pieces to drop for those using the upcoming Raid Finder. Similar to the difference between normal and Heroic versions of tier sets, the Raid Finder set will have a lower item level than the normal and Heroic counterparts.
Set pieces from all three difficulty levels can still be mixed and matched for the 2- and 4-piece bonuses.
Keep in mind we do intend to allow tier 13 set pieces to drop for those using the upcoming Raid Finder. Similar to the difference between normal and Heroic versions of tier sets, the Raid Finder set will have a lower item level than the normal and Heroic counterparts.
Set pieces from all three difficulty levels can still be mixed and matched for the 2- and 4-piece bonuses.
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: Blizzard, News items, Raiding
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 5)
Ctmcstomperq Sep 19th 2011 8:35PM
This...excites me. Valor points will finally net me a consistent look. Hopefully.
Marolas Sep 19th 2011 8:38PM
Still not happy about the way they're going about this.
I admit that if it weren't for the fact that in Wrath the entirety of 10-man Tier 10 could be purchased with Frost Emblems I would never have completed the set before Cataclysm came out. And I still haven't gotten either the Tier 11 or Tier 12 shoulders/helms due to poor RNG and competitive rolls in PuG raids.
I don't understand why so many people freaked out about casual players getting gear that would actually improve their performance, but that's neither here nor there, I ended Wrath with a sense of satisfaction - I earned my end-expansion gear my way, even if it angered a few "hardcore" players.
Give me a way to earn Tier 13 that doesn't depend on a goddamn dice roll, I don't care how long and arduous you make it for me, I would do it.
furrama Sep 19th 2011 9:09PM
I think that you are forgetting that there are people who put far more time and energy into getting their tier gear, and they have to deal with people who can and will fail them while they are doing it.
It's called "raiding" and "teamwork". You may be really good at playing catch with yourself, but you aren't anywhere near the minor leagues, forget the major ones. You can't expect a contract and millions of dollars without having to work for it.
They are creating, just for people like you, a third tier of raiding. You can go and grind out your gear there, or run the three new five mans to your heart's content. You just have to adjust your expectations on what your play style's "end game gear" is for you. Be proud of what you can get and admire those who go the extra mile.
-signed, a casual
Ithrandil Sep 19th 2011 9:21PM
I couldn't disagree more. Everyone in tier 9 ruined the tier set. It meant nothing to see somebody in tier 9, not a thing. When frost dropped in heroics the same thing happened with tier 10, all of my alts got full T10 and it meant nothing. Seeing other people walk around in T10 meant nothing.
This is the best of both worlds, you can use VP and get a cohesive look for your character, and if you see somebody in tier it means they got it by doing the content. It's a WOW factor again (and not the acronym for the game). And, it means that you can actually get matching shoulders and helmets without having mismatched troll crap on.
And since most people will just be transmogrifying their stuff anyways, this is the best way to do this that I can possibly imagine!
Marolas Sep 19th 2011 9:30PM
I think that the most soul crushing part of a raid isn't having problems overcoming the boss, it's overcoming the boss week after week without any tangible reward. Having a secondary option that doesn't revolve around a complex algorithm solves that frustration.
I don't expect the "million dollar contract," I have only touched heroic raiding once and I'm convinced that if the hardcore players aren't satisfied with it then they're getting insatiable. They can have their heroic tier gear, I just want the gear that I have the skill to earn, but lack the schedule to accomplish in a set raiding team.
I promise I'll explore the Raid Dungeon Finder option, but I honestly don't know if I can handle the RNG on top of the terrible demeanor of the Dungeon Finder community just for a "baby" Tier 13 token.
-Signed, a former set team raider turned casual
furrama Sep 19th 2011 10:14PM
But if someone does happen to get geared completely they can help their friends get geared. Or- le gasp! They can... finally be done for a while. Rotate out so that someone new can raid and learn with the more experienced players. Why should you have to smack your head against a boss for the entirety of the content?
Once upon a time you worked a long, long time to get your gear, and it sucked. They made it easier, but it still kinda sucked. Then they made it too easy, and it lost all meaning. They overshot, and they need to find balance. Balance, balance, it's always balance. They need to give the gear meaning, yet make it obtainable without working for 6 months and never ever getting your purple pointy hat. RNG will always suck, it always has- this is an experiment. Blizz has been experimenting since day one, and it still hasn't figured everything out. And guess what? It never will. It will always been balancing and tweaking. It could be that normals are a better way to get tier at somewhat regular intervals, but look at the sunny bright side:
YOU AREN'T LOCKED INTO THE LFR RAID. You can run, and run, and run, and beat your head against the bosses for as long as you desire, (just like a heroic dungeon minus the points, making the stakes higher and stretching out game play time and the bottom line). And if you don't want to do it, you don't have to! No commitment, no problem! Do I think this is the perfect solution? No. But I have full faith that they'll remove anything that doesn't work in the long run. So no worries!
lazymangaka Sep 19th 2011 8:38PM
The fact that there's now a pre-nerfed "Looking for Raid" tier, I may actually possess tier gear while it's something resembling relevant.
Fletcher Sep 19th 2011 8:39PM
I'm ... not hugely upset about the T13 gear being raid only. Being unable to get the head and shoulders without raiding means that getting the rest through VP is kinda meh anyway. If they provide a full set of unique non-tier gear through the VP vendor I'll be happy. They seem to be providing a full set of unique non-tier gear through the 4.3 heroics too. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like.
vocenoctum Sep 19th 2011 8:40PM
What I'm not clear on is if the Valor gear is going to contain armor for every slot, or just pieces to fill out the non-drop spots.
For instance, the 346 gear for JP was armor, but not a tier. Will tier 13 have a group of ilvl 397 armor to match the tier 13 set of ilvl 397 stuff, or will it simply be bracers/boots/whatever, leaving non-raiders to the hell I'm sure the raid finder will be?
I know creating stuff takes time & money, but it just gets tiresome that they want to push everyone to raids rather than make an endgame that encompasses other activities.
Ryan Sep 19th 2011 8:57PM
Hate this change. I tank and see what this exp. has done to the normal player and disslike ZA's and ZG's with pvp geared players cause thats all they are able to get thanks to all the changes blizzard has made. This will make it even worse in the new dungeons then the Z's were. YAY GO BLIZZ!
rapsam2003 Sep 20th 2011 12:47AM
Yeah, that ignorant comment doesn't scream of Wrath baby, does it?
Literaltruth Sep 20th 2011 11:34AM
@rapsam2003
And that ignorant comment doesn't scream "elitist ass", does it?
Especially since it's not true. He's compaining about the fact that non-raiders are effectively "forced" into equipping PvP gear which he, who I'm assuming is not using PvP gear, hates because he ends up having to tank for them through ZA/ZG in the dungeon finder and they have problems coping with the content because of their weak gear.
With no shoulders and helm on the JP or VP vendors, it's either a 246 blue heroic drop or a PvP item to fill those slots to get up to the minimum ilevel to queue for Trollics. This isn't just less fun for the people who are equipping the gear, it's less fun for the ones who aren't as well - since it makes these instances slower and even more painful than they already are (I find it impossible to believe that there's anyone at this stage that enjoys rather than endures these instances).
That's not the cry of a "wrath baby", that's the legitimate complaint of someone who is suffering from some fairly big design flaws in the game right now (the lack of upgrade options for alts and new characters and the fact that everyone has been running the same two heroics for so many months now).
Gaurisk Sep 19th 2011 9:01PM
What I read:
"As God is our witness, you'll stop not-raiding!
(Please do our raids. There will be cake.)"
Marolas Sep 19th 2011 9:06PM
Does Blizzard still serve cake at these things? I've been suspicious ever since that last time at Valve....
Bellajtok Sep 19th 2011 9:18PM
Why, of course there's cake! My dear, sweet child... That's what they do! It's what they *live* for... To help poor, unfortunate, raiders like yourself!
Wait. I switched parodies somewhere in there. Oh well, time to go get my Disney fix now.
Marolas Sep 19th 2011 9:35PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UUrkVB-utw
The references! They're blending!
DarkWalker Sep 19th 2011 10:31PM
I see it as a strong reason to avoid raiding. I hate rolling for loot against the rest of the raid. If the rewards I don't have to roll for (VP) are being made weaker than the rewards I have to roll against the rest of the raid to get (tokens, gear drops), don't count on seeing me on any raid above the LFR difficulty level ever again. The extra frustration of depending on loot rolls for most/all my gear means they are not worth it for me anymore.
Artificial Sep 20th 2011 11:22AM
Agreed with DarkWalker. If they made the LFR tool reward me for raiding, I'd raid. But instead, all I get is a lottery ticket, and whether I get anything out of it or not will be purely a matter of luck, not of having done the job well. They seem to be trying to drive people away from raiding with this change.
priestessaur Sep 20th 2011 3:23PM
The cake is a lie.
reptile Sep 20th 2011 11:27PM
@DarkWalker
I can't see how this really changes anything when it comes to valor. The gear you can buy with the valor will be just as good minus the set bonuses, (even now its not like you can have more than a 2set bonus without raiding). This is added to the fact that they're putting in more valor rewards. The way I see it playing out is if you do try out the lfr tool, you'll more than easily have your 4set by the time you got all the valor pieces.
If anything not having a raid lockout will be more beneficial to those who have trouble getting tier (assuming the set bonuses aren't lower like the ilevel).