SOG and TBC: "Battle plan"

Bastet · December 29, 2006, 04:44:50 PM

From my own standpoint:

As much as ppl might want to raid more, you have to consider, for each hour we raid, there is about an equal time of prep work for the officers. In making sure all the pots, all the tactics, and all the other smaller jobs are done properly, so that you lot, as raiding members have a good nite raiding. For new instances this ammount of time might climb to two hours. So atm, i dont think more then 3 days is desirable. Which leaves 4 days for those ppl that always want to play for smaller instances, PVP, arena matches, faction grinding and other things (side note; From info on the mount hyal battle its estimated that it takes a normal player about 3 months to complete the quest to be able to enter.) . Or maybe another game (play CSS/BF2/BF2142 with your fellow -=[dMw]=-). Or maybe unplug and do something else :narnar:

I know myselfs, and a few other officers, and maybe several members cant commit to more then 3 days. Doesnt say i dont want to raid more, its just not viable.

Knabbel · December 29, 2006, 05:01:31 PM

Well there is another advantage going through those instances and that is the gold you get from selling the items.....

smilodon · December 30, 2006, 12:24:49 PM

I wonder how the existing raid dungeons will work out post TBC? It seems clear plenty of members will want to go through those 'easy' instances as they level towards 70. But exactly how much of a challenge will they be for a group who is at or close to the new cap? How many Lv 70 players would it take to clear Naxx for example?

I think there are many players who would like to at least see every instance in the game. But would anyone want to go more than a few times? If the loot from Naxx, BWL etc is poorer than from the Expansion quest, drops and 50-10 man instances I don't imagine anyone would want to go through them over and over again. So would we be looking at 'Nostalgia Runs' rather than full loot gathering raids? I'm sure some trips through the exisiting dungeons could be arranged, so that everyone who wants to see them and take down the bosses can do so. Then it will be on to the Lv60+ stuff. So continuing raids into MC, AQ, BWL & Naxx won't be much of a drain on resources or players time. The runs don't have to be done in any timescale. We could arrange them to spread over several months. I'm assuming they will also require significantly fewer players to complete so it won't be as if 40 players need to get together. I don't know how many it woud take but I assume it will be significantly less than 40.

Also as regards multiple raid groups in TBC is this required to cater for differing skill levels or just time committed to raiding? If we assume than all SOG members who want to raid will be starting from scratch in new unkown raids then is it a matter of numbers and how often we wish to raid (1,2,3 or 4 nights a week)? I am sure most of the small 5 man stuff will get done with players just grouping together and getting stuck in. I believe Blizzard are looking to move away fom the huge 40 three day raids so as to make the game more accessable to casual players and raiders, so the need to raid all the time will be less after the expansions.

As with most things I am sure things will turn out unlike anyone thought (they usually do) and so any fixed plans made now probably (with all the best intentions) will not turn out to be the right ones in hindsight. I would stay with two raid groups for now. I'm going to work to Lv 70 and only then will I try to go back into the old raid dungeons and I suspect that will be true of many players. We're going to want to look at all the new in game stuff, the small dungeons and get into the normal quests again. By the time we 'look up' we'll all be Lv 70.

TeaLeaf · December 30, 2006, 03:04:50 PM

The existing dungeons will be cleared well before L70 imo, probably most guilds would be capoable of clearing them in the early 60s, irrespective of previous experience. I suspect a full Naxx will drop very early to a partially levelled raid group. I for one will be doing some of this whilst my main raid target will be the new instances. The reason for the focus on new instances is that you need to clear many of them to get keyed for later instances. So levelling and doing instance runs will key you for the later instances that you will want to do nearer L70. The early days should be real fun, questing, levelling and exploring the wings of new instances. Oh yeah and grinding faction with the 8 required for Hyjal :sad:

TL.

smilodon · December 31, 2006, 03:03:18 AM

Me, Chimpboy, a big white bear and Miss Whiplash plus a whole load of bandages v Naxx...hmmm

ChimpBoy · January 02, 2007, 05:24:36 PM

Quote from: smilodon;170452Me, Chimpboy, a big white bear and Miss Whiplash plus a whole load of bandages v Naxx...hmmm

Sounds like my idea of heaven.....although you'll probably get mad when I ninja your cryptstalker pieces :devil: Mail-wearing warlocks ftw

On a serious note - I don't see why we can't arrange one day a week to do these "nostalgia" runs to BWl/AQ40/NAX. True, the gear won't be worth keeping bar a few exceptional items, but I for one want to see all of the content, and getting complete Tier sets does hold it's attractions if for nothing more than vanity. Make it a purely optional sign up raid, regardless of raid group. As far as I can tell (could be wrong here), there are only 5-10 man instances before level 70 anyways, which according to beta feedback are much shorter than what we're used to.

smilodon · January 02, 2007, 09:52:43 PM

Quote from: ChimpBoy;170768As far as I can tell (could be wrong here), there are only 5-10 man instances before level 70 anyways, which according to beta feedback are much shorter than what we're used to.

And this is my main fear for TBC. It could spell the end to serious raiding. If the whole concept of multiple runs into dungeons, each one lastinging several hours, is over then what future for a rading guild. Do we all role alts and level them to 60 and just stick with the current end raid stuff, without ever taking them higher?

We live in interesting times

TeaLeaf · January 03, 2007, 12:24:42 AM

There will still be a point in finishing AQ40, Naxx etc. Some of the gear that drops is seriously nice in any case and will last to L70 due to the stats companonent. In any case, some people want to see the end of the instances.

TL.

Nefrion · January 03, 2007, 07:00:54 AM

Im thinking that it really sucks to be lvl 60 among lvl 70s. It would probably be like when you are lvl 50 and grinding in Sorrow Hill and some T2 mage comes a long and agros the whole area and AoE them down. Perhaps we will see something like that in Tyrs Hand? :g:

Before Christmas I just got my 5th T2 and boy what a thrill that was but if you think it over, what is the point? All the gear we have worked for over the past year is worthless within a week or two.

I dont really have that many thoughts on my role in TBC. Im gonna take it a day at a time :flirty:

Gorion · January 03, 2007, 10:51:28 AM

dont even mention the wasted time on current gear nef...

most of the old rg1 ppl should be seriousely ****ed off atm imo.

and to the owners of legendary items.. i know we all love our orange weapons.. but i feel very ****ed off knowing TF will be useless in some lvls.. they should atleast add huge questline to upgrade current legendaries.. (atleast for the great deal of time/money we just wasted)

Nefrion · January 03, 2007, 11:18:40 AM

Quote from: Gorion;170865they should atleast add huge questline to upgrade current legendaries.. (atleast for the great deal of time/money we just wasted)

Agree there Gorion. They should make some quest lines to upgrade gear like there is to upgrade blue sets. Whether it should be T2 or T3 can then be discussed but I dont like the thought that we have worked our arses off for almost a year and when we finally can see the end of BWL we can just go and gain a few levels bundle up the three drakes and AoE them down!! :thumbsdown:

Knabbel · January 03, 2007, 11:27:22 AM

Well the last bonus from the TF stays intresting, but will probably be resisted from lvl 62 and higher....

Gorion · January 03, 2007, 12:38:46 PM

prolly not.. bosses in aq40 still get the debuff, about naxx, dunno but it should effect them also

Mazii · January 03, 2007, 12:43:02 PM

Agree Gorion. I "wasted" 1.300g on Sulfaras, not to talk about the materials the guild "wasted" too :/

A questline to upgrade would be super awesome!

And as Nefrion says, I am also gonna take TBC one day at the time. I haven't even ordered it yet - and I don't think Nefrion have either

Bastet · January 03, 2007, 01:10:24 PM

In naxx all but a hand full of mobs are afflicted by TF. Anyhow, all the gear spending isnt wasted, afaik the tier 2 will still be a major part of your gear upto lvl 64, and it allows for you to get a decent head start on the rest of the players. Also, it was fun getting it, maybe even more then having it. And if i didnt get it i know i would have been bored with wow ages ago.