What the Raid Finder's success means for the future of accessible content
by Matthew Rossi 
Dec 21st 2011 at 9:00PM
When we consider the Raid Finder as a tool, we have to consider it both as a tool for the players (us) and as a tool for the designers, a means for them to deal with a persistent and somewhat untenable issue with the raiding game -- a ton of work goes into raid design, and statistically speaking, almost no one ever sees it. People who got to see Kel'Thuzad at level 60, Illidan or Kil'Jaeden at 70, or even Arthas at level 80 are in the minority. Thanks to the Raid Finder, Deathwing may be the most accessible big bad any expansion's ever had. Looking forward, a few broad strokes may be discerned about the Raid Finder and where it will drive the game.
- Future normal and heroic raiders will be trained via Raid Finder. When your semi-casual to hardcore raid guild is looking for raiders, some of your applicants will be looking to make the jump from the Raid Finder to more involved raiding.
- The Raid Finder will continue to serve as a means for people not interested in committed raid groups to see raid content. Raids are consuming to design, use up a lot of art assets and are where a big chunk of WoW's lore is to be found. Using the Raid Finder, people who can't commit to a weekly raid schedule or just aren't interested in doing so will still get to see these encounters. The Raid Finder becomes the means by which the majority of WoW's playerbase gets to see these tentpole encounters without reducing difficulty for committed raiders.
- The Raid Finder will preserve 25-man raiding. With the logistical difficulties of putting together a larger raid, we often forget that the tank/healer-to-DPS balance of 25-man raiding is a lot friendlier to World of Warcraft's playerbase, which has a lot more DPS players than tanks or healers. With the Raid Finder making this subtext text, as it were, it not only solves a lot of that logistical group assembly but it also trains people making use of it to think of 25-man as the size of a raid. 25-man raiding won't die, because the raids will be designed for the 25-man size and then scaled for normal and Raid Finder modes.
- The Raid Finder's flexibility means it actually succeeds in serving two masters. Since set pieces from the Raid Finder are compatible with normal and heroic raid drops and the gear is better than normal-mode Firelands, even guilds that have progressed into heroic Firelands have made use of the service (indeed, some have even exploited it) to gear up faster. This means that Raid Finder actually has something to offer to people who have raid groups already. The Raid Finder actually manages to serve a spectrum of players ranging from "never, ever raided before" to "has been raiding since vanilla" and all the folks in between.
Feeding an appetite for content
What's really interesting to me about the Raid Finder is how it deals with the voracious appetite of players for content. The Raid Finder makes more of the game accessible for more of the players while still retaining challenge and increased reward for players willing to put in the time. 10-man raiding is often lauded as more accessible (and it is), but it still requires a degree of commitment and scheduling. The Raid Finder means that if you have an hour or two, you can raid. It gives the casual player a chance to experience the content that takes a solid amount of development time and which is often considered the basis of a content patch.
In the future, a raid won't be something perhaps as few as 10% (or less) of players will get to see. Even the most time-constrained will be able to at least hit the Raid Finder once or twice and get to see what the fuss is all about. Since the majority of the people playing the game are in that camp, this is a tremendous victory for them that costs no one else anything.
An aid to established raiders
If you can raid 60 hours a week, the Raid Finder doesn't hurt you. Indeed, it helps you. While the Raid Finder is the end of many people's raiding -- in essence, the only version of a raid they'll get to see -- it also serves people looking to move into raiding as a source of gear and a means to get some practical raid experience, and it allows already established groups a kind of raid simulator. It kind of puts me in mind of the old X-Men comics and the Danger Room simulator where they could experience combat situations. Established raiding groups can queue up in the Raid Finder, get to see the basics of the fight, collect some gear, and then take that experience and gear into the next level of raiding and run with it. While there could be some danger of people running into difficulties with mechanics not being as forgiving (what a friend of mine calls "developing bad RF habits"), the positives outweigh the negatives in my opinion.
The Raid Finder is more than just a feature that allows you to get in to see the current raid in a more relaxed environment. It's a quantum shift that takes content few ever got to see and makes it relevant to almost everyone. It will affect how content is designed, how we as players receive it, and how development can afford to progress in the future. Along with reforging, it is the most significant development of this expansion.
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: Analysis / Opinion, Raiding, Cataclysm
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
jfofla Dec 21st 2011 9:22PM
Honestly for me it means I am giving up my raid spot in our 25 man progression guild for MOP.
LRF is pure fun, without the hassles of a set raid schedule. Also, frankly, I hate doing Hard Modes after beating Normal.
omedon666 Dec 21st 2011 9:39PM
I'm so happy for you!
This highlights another fun aspect of the raid finder:
Only those that ACTUALLY FOR REALZ REALLY LIKE HARDER RAIDING will be left doing anything other than the raid finder. That's a big huge chunk of Data for Blizzard to analyze. Blizz can watch the activities of guilds and LFR going forward and see how many people were just putting up with the less savoury elements of standard raiding just to see the content. Guilds become distilled by the truth that access enables, and hopefully will become truly what they were meant to be: groups of like minded players, not groups of overtly co-dependant "be nice to X player that I can't stand, or I won't see the boss die" poisonous marriages. These communities become less about "needing" each other, and more about "wanting" each other, and nothing but good things can come of that!
Based on the realities that come forward, it will be interesting to see the evolution of future content!
Dominic Dec 21st 2011 10:14PM
I've ranted before about how much I hated Blizzard's dual-tier raids. Basically, you raided Normals, banging your head against a wall until you'd killed normal mode. Then you moved to the "real" raid doing hard modes. This was just a harder version of the same boss that you'd been killing for weeks on normal mode, so I never felt like I'd accomplished anything in either mode. Normals weren't the "real" raid, and with hard modes, I'd already killed the guy so many times it'd lost it's ability to feel epic.
I had stopped raiding because I was tired of the grind, and like many other people, I figured LFR would be a massive failure, so I'd reserved myself to never raiding again. It made me sad to give it up, but not so sad that I was willing to go through that grind anymore.
I can't begin to say how thrilled I am with LFR, though. It's just pure fun! I don't have to worry about the grind. I don't have to worry about committing 10-15 hours a week to dieing over and over again. I get to experience the raid, on any toon I want, and have fun doing it. I can now take a toon that I've wanted to play for a long time, but could never find the time to get "raid ready" and bring her into LFR and get that experience I'd have never before been able to have with her.
Count me as one VERY happy LFR raider.
rapsam2003 Dec 21st 2011 11:29PM
If you didn't like 25man Heroic raiding, why were you even bothering?
Philster043 Dec 22nd 2011 12:16AM
Rapsam - I assume the thought goes something like this:
"I want to see everything the game has to offer, to see if it's worth doing."
"I want to FEEL epic. I want my character to feel like he/she's beaten the game."
"I don't want to miss out on what my guild is doing in case it turns out to be a fun evening."
"I'm bored. What is the guild up to?"
LFR solves all these problems. The last two - if you're having fun in the LFR, you could care less what your progressive raiding guild is doing.
Mal Dec 22nd 2011 12:16AM
@rapsam2003:
He was probably contractually obligated by his guild.
And that's not sarcasm, by the way.
jfofla Dec 22nd 2011 12:25AM
I will answer that.
Because my Guild provided me with:
A. The Gear to beat Normal Mode Bosses
B. Victory over the Normal Mode Bosses, which I wanted
I am an honorable person, so I feel obligated to then do what The Guild wants, Heroic Progression.
That is why I am waiting for a clean slate in MOP to jump off the treadmill.
Skarn Dec 22nd 2011 1:55AM
Frankly, I find LFR to be far LESS fun than raiding with a guild. The interactions with other people and the joy of figuring out a tough encounter are the best parts of raiding. I don't get any of that in LFR.
That's the beauty of the system though. I like raiding with a guild so I can do that! You like raiding in LFR so you can do that! We both get to do what we want and both are happy. Woo!
omedon666 Dec 22nd 2011 4:17AM
Skarn, I just want to say that THAT is the reason to stay in a raiding guild! Go you, keep doing what you're doing, and may everyone you raid with reciprocate that! My initial point being that I'd bet dollars to donuts that there is a large contingent of people that aren't having the fun you're having, but are in the raiding guild as a matter of "duty" (see jfofla?), or of perceived necessity, a "necessity" that the raid finder eradicates.
DarkWalker Dec 22nd 2011 8:48AM
One tidbit, though: if the amount of players deciding to stop raiding normal mode, and instead to just to LFR, is greater than the amount of players that didn't raid before and decided to "graduate" from the LFR to the normal modes, Blizzard might be faced with the spiny issue of a decline in the population willing to do Normal modes.
More so because I expect Normal mode to become harder than today. After all, LFR is taking over in tackling the accessibility problem, so Normal does not have to be as accessible as today.
Blizzard might be able to tackle this issue by allowing cross-realm players to form raid groups using it's RealID system; this would make it much easier to find a raiding group. On the other hand, this has the potential to greatly reduce the desirability of realm transfers, as well as to further reduce the "community" feeling from realms; the (almost inexistent) world PvP, normal and hard raids, and the AH seems to be the last remaining things the player really depends on his realm for, the rest can be done in a cross-realm way.
omedon666 Dec 22nd 2011 9:17AM
With all due respect, darkwalker, that's not really a spiny issue, that's an epiphany of marketing information: IF that HIGHLY HYPOTHETICAL scenario ever rears its head, Blizz has the data gleaming as a green light to develop in that direction. If the community that "demands a challenge" (or in Skarn's case "prefers to face it with friends") turns out to be the minority, that's a serious statement about future allocation of development resources
Straight up, LFR talks to a certain demographic. If that demographic is "the new majority" (perhaps even "the majority all along"), I'd love to see Blizzard develop toward that message.
Keep the normal/heroic/10man/25man models in place, sure, but it speaks volumes when enjoyment of overt organization/co-dependency isn't "the status quo" anymore... and Blizz would be silly not to "steer the ship" toward the money... if that is indeed the case at any point!
Srslyyeswai Dec 22nd 2011 12:11PM
I am thrilled that LFR is such a big success. This will satiate the players that don't want to have a rigid raiding schedule or spend less time raiding.
@Dominic In the past, your complaints about how lame regular to heroic progression would have possibly been echoed by thousands of casual players. Now there's no need to QQ about it and nerf it for the raiders that like that progression. You have your own mode now!
omedon666 Dec 21st 2011 9:25PM
When the raid finder was implemented, I said to myself "the only thing that will safe this feature is if WoW dents their 'content intrgrity' ethic", and voila, that's what happened.
WoW is known, as the "top of the mountain" for "taking itself too seriously". The existence of sponsored guilds creates a false need for PVE content integrity, but at the end of the day, it's Blizzard's call (thank goodness) to decide that enjoyment comes before integrity.
Raid content is story content, it should not be locked behind rigid schedules, outside homework, and server transfers, the raid finder finally completes the puzzle of WoW, and I couldn't be happier.
I just got finished writing a personal story to bring my character to the end of the cataclysm storyline, including a deathwing kill. This is the first time, since I started a year after WoW's release, that I have been able to do this. Blizzard wins my loyalty back with this move toward enjoyment, and away from overt integrity for story content.
Everyone playing for the right reasons wins this patch. Anyone still complaining that "everyone gets to see the story now, and that's not fair" are not supposed to "win" in this argument, for this medium. To them, I advise to "get out", the game is not going to please you any longer, I promise you.
I am also glad for the "challenge seekers" that can have their integrity in the right places, since there is a "less integral" mode for those just interested in story, not in "integral content". This feature benefits everyone who is meant to be benefitted, and butthurts those that "don't belong here". It's a big win-win for everyone.
Rai Dec 21st 2011 9:26PM
While I'm certain the number of people with quarrels about the loot system may immediately view the Raid Finder as a "failure", I must agree with this article. The Raid Finder has been incredibly useful for getting people to learn the tactics and the gear helps bridge the gap between Firelands and Dragon Soul normal.
All it needs is the option so that only the Raid Leader can start an encounter...
DarkWalker Dec 22nd 2011 8:53AM
As long as there is an option for the rest of the raid to demote the raid leader; otherwise, he can potentially grief the rest of the players by not starting the encounters.
Or else a waiver for the "deserter" debuff if no combat activity is started in a certain time frame (say, 5-10 minutes without engaging anything, even a trash mob), so the players can flee from a recalcitrant raid leader without further consequences.
goldeneye Dec 23rd 2011 8:54AM
@Darkwalker
You can already demote the raid leader by leaving the raid.
Seriously, any raid leader messing with the group members will quickly find himself alone. You can't do raid content alone. Trust me :)
dmrobertson2 Dec 21st 2011 9:30PM
I love LFR. And for once in my 3 years of playing I was able to see the end credits in the same year that the expansion came out. Other things that excite me is that I may also for the 1st time ever get a 4 piece bonus.
Merry Christmas to Blizzard and a Happy Diablo new year.
mezcao Dec 21st 2011 9:42PM
I LOVE the LFR for so many reasons. Better then doing heroics for Valor, helps in gaining experience for new/first time raiders. Helps with strategies for the real raid.
Still, there should be a reward for doing the boss on normal, then on hardmode. A normal mode boss, and a hard mode boss. Think Algalon/Sinestra. Much like doing dailies, collecting pets etc people who put more time and effort into the game get to see things others don't.
Remember, blizz does not make content for EVERYONE to see. Don't believe me? rogue only legendary quest? Battered hilt? There is plenty of content that only a few get to see. yet only when it comes to raiding do I hear players QQ about having everyone see everything.
Boozard Dec 21st 2011 9:57PM
LFR is a godsend to anyone and everyone with a life.
Firestyle Dec 21st 2011 10:01PM
And you guys who fail at life are going to have to let this shit go. I work for an investment bank, make 150k a year, am happily married and have an active social life in NYC, and I raid hardmode content.
I'm sorry if you live in the woods in Kentucky, and work for starbucks in a strip mall. We make choices in our lives that impact how we live. Some of us are smarter than others, and some of us work harder.
Because someone is more successful in a video game than you does not make them have no life. Perhaps, just maybe, they can do a whole shit load of things better than you.