Is an Automatic Queue system required for WoW and MMOs in General?

[Jaylock]

Im curious to how the community views automatic queue systems in general. Not related to just dungeons, and raids, but also other content like PvP and smaller group content within the questing scene (wqgf).

In your opinion, do you think it is necessary to have?

Could the game do without automatic queues and still be successful?

Considering the numerous ways blizzard has made it easier to group with other people (cross realm grouping, group building tools, open world grouping, etc) do you think there is a necessity to have automatic queue systems in the game, and more broadly, in MMOs in general?

Personally, im on the fence about this. I think automatic queues make sense in some types of content, and others not. But what do you think about this?

[Aphrel]

No, i dont think its nesicary at all. In fact, i think it does more harm than good. It contributes to making the playerbase more impatient than what we saw before its introduction.

I cant remember the last time i used the automatic quesystem for anything in wow, must be years ago. The Custom grp finder takes care of all needs imo.

[Waltzinblack]

I think LFR needs to be removed, however queues for random heroics and scenarios is fine.

[LanToaster]

No, i dont think its nesicary at all. In fact, i think it does more harm than good. It contributes to making the playerbase more impatient than what we saw before its introduction.

Agreed.

I loved the First Iteration of the LFG tool in Burning Crusade.

[Teri]

No, but I feel the modern design groups being cross-realm very inconsistent compared to the old design RPG realm elements.

I would love things being streamlined, low pop realms still have massive differences from high pop realms due to the way guilds/AH and mythic raiding functions 1-realm only.

Server identity feels completely gone aside from "hey this server has that top mythic guild or arena team" ...

It's just weird being in a main city or zone and unable to trade with some dude standing next to you , not from your realm or connected realm.... even if it's your best friend you cannot guild with him unless one of you or him pays gold/money to move the character....

[Jaylock]

No, i dont think its nesicary at all. In fact, i think it does more harm than good. It contributes to making the playerbase more impatient than what we saw before its introduction.

I cant remember the last time i used the automatic quesystem for anything in wow, must be years ago. The Custom grp finder takes care of all needs imo.

I agree with pretty much everything here, but you will get the counter arguments "queues keep me from having to interact with other players! I want to play the game like a solo game!"

[Schattenlied]

No, i dont think its nesicary at all. In fact, i think it does more harm than good. It contributes to making the playerbase more impatient than what we saw before its introduction.

agreed... It's definitely caused more harm that good.

- - - Updated - - -

I agree with pretty much everything here, but you will get the counter arguments "queues keep me from having to interact with other players! I want to play the game like a solo game!"

Those people need to go play a different game then... This is an MMO, it should be played like one... There are plenty of single player RPGs out there, many very good ones, to occupy solo player's time.

If someone wants to play any MMO as a solo game they should understand that they will not be able to do everything.

[Katarina026]

Well, you can't put the cat back in the bag. Flying isn't going away, LFR isn't going away, and queuing isn't going away.

As far as queuing, one of the biggest complaints in BC was how hard it was to get a group to do x content. Post after post after post complained. While you may not believe it's necessary, the game without it was worse. It's a case of looking at how things were with rose colored glasses.

[Jaylock]

Well, you can't put the cat back in the bag. Flying isn't going away, LFR isn't going away, and queuing isn't going away.

As far as queuing, one of the biggest complaints in BC was how hard it was to get a group to do x content. Post after post after post complained. While you may not believe it's necessary, the game without it was worse. It's a case of looking at how things were with rose colored glasses.

We don't live in the BC era anymore. The technical limitations that applied back then to manually grouping up has been greatly improved by cross-realm grouping and the group builder tool. So your points are kinda invalid aren't they?

[LanToaster]

As far as queuing, one of the biggest complaints in BC was how hard it was to get a group to do x content. Post after post after post complained. While you may not believe it's necessary, the game without it was worse. It's a case of looking at how things were with rose colored glasses.

For me thats not a rose colored glass, the problem/harm the automated queue gives, is the disregard to the group itself.

While it was in BC actually a work to get a group going, you acted a bit more in your Group. You didn´t behave like an ass (as often as in Random Dungeons now) because you couldn´t jump just in the next dungeon when you failed/got booted.

[Teri]

For me thats not a rose colored glass, the problem/harm the automated queue gives, is the disregard to the group itself.

While it was in BC actually a work to get a group going, you acted a bit more in your Group. You didn´t behave like an ass (as often as in Random Dungeons now) because you couldn´t jump just in the next dungeon when you failed/got booted.

Big part of that is because most random auto-groups are not from your realm and just care about their blues/purples at the end in the least time.

Server identity/reputation is gone.

Personal loot obviously removed ninja looting but made things even more like "me me me" then "group group group" especially on the auto-queued LFR/5 mans, there are still some helpful people offering to trade gear but I feel there's more people begging for your drops instead of offering them.

[Jaylock]

For me thats not a rose colored glass, the problem/harm the automated queue gives, is the disregard to the group itself.

While it was in BC actually a work to get a group going, you acted a bit more in your Group. You didn´t behave like an ass (as often as in Random Dungeons now) because you couldn´t jump just in the next dungeon when you failed/got booted.

This is a good point. Player behavior was generally better back in Vanilla and TBC because their actions had more severe ramifications either for good or bad. People were less likely to grief and be complete asses back then because their "server reputation" mattered more, and people would blacklist toxic people. Even though players were "anonymous" because you couldn't see the person, they were less "anonymous" back then because you saw the name more often and knew if they had a bad reputation, you wouldn't want to invite them into your group.

[mhdoe]

With cross realm yes but is it absolutely necessary no. At this point in any game it is expected and if it was not people would run to the forums to complain so honestly there is no win, lose with this issue. Only choice is if you choose to use automatic or lfg yourself and bypass the stuff you do not like about either.

[Video Games]

Well, i only want them to keep lfr and lfd just because it's more chances at a legendary. But 2 wrongs don't make a right.

[Jaylock]

Well, i only want them to keep lfr and lfd just because it's more chances at a legendary. But 2 wrongs don't make a right.

I liked the days better where you could only each dungeon on heroic once a day.

[potis]

Automatic system for everything is the same as a carnivore tasting human flesh for the first time, you have to kill it after if you dont want it to be dangerous.

Aka, people already got a taste of the QoL it provides, they will never return to the old ways without a riot happening, aka, its impossible to revert to the old days.

[Teri]

I liked the days better where you could only each dungeon on heroic once a day.

Isn't that still the case, 1 heroic per day at least, but I know Mythic+ can be endless.

Unless you mean, 1 "relevant" difficulty in raiding or 5 mans, then I sort of agree, mainly for raids because that's more of an organization driven bigger group activity.

[Jaylock]

Isn't that still the case, 1 heroic per day at least, but I know Mythic+ can be endless.

Unless you mean, 1 "relevant" difficulty in raiding or 5 mans, then I sort of agree, mainly for raids because that's more of an organization driven bigger group activity.

You can still use the automatic queue system and endlessly do heroic dungeons all day if you want, thus subverting the 1 a day requirement.

[Teri]

You can still use the automatic queue system and endlessly do heroic dungeons all day if you want, thus subverting the 1 a day requirement.

Hmm, didn't know that it would put you in an already completed one if you did many, but I never do that many in a row

Queing specific dungeon still locks you out.

[Jujudrood]

The problem is, everything outside of WoW has evolved with conveniences.
When WoW first came out, I had a cell phone that I had to press '5' three times to text an 'L'.
I couldn't watch videos, I couldn't browse the internet, I could play games, but it was the snake one (grow without hitting yourself).
Everything has evolved to be so on-demand now.
I can text without even texting (voice command), but if I want to text, I have a full keyboard to press 'L' as much as I want.
I can watch videos, play games, browse the internet, all form a convenient, easy to access and quick to use device in my pocket.

Just think of the impatience some players currently exhibit, then imagine that back in BC when you had to use Trade chat to find a group to run the heroic you needed, spending sometimes 30 minutes just to slap something together in hopes that it doesn't fall apart half way through.
If auto queues went away and it was relegated to just the manual Group Finder, that would make the impatient folks even more angry, not only because it requires minimal manual searching, but because it also requires the person on the other end to accept their request for invite.
There's already some weird thing about M+ where people doing 2s-5s want 920 min ilvl, so DPS struggle to find groups (yes, create your own, but we're talking about impatient people here, think they will do that?).

If auto queues were removed and manual group finder was the only recourse (or heaven forbid trade chat), you would see people drop from the game due to being inconvenient, which would negatively impact sub numbers much more than the tryhards and constant whiners who always claim to cancel sub and this and that.
That affects bottom line, so WoW will not only keep, but continue to find new way to evolve into an even more on-demand and ease-of-access game, crawling closer and closer to arcade-style action RPGs as opposed to your old-school MMORPG.