Is Blizzard actively trying to kill the raiding scene?

[traumabrew]

With the announcement of eliminating tier sets, it feels like Blizzard wants to kill off raiding. I know what you are thinking, another player screaming "the sky is falling". But, with BfA and other changes from Legion, it seems Blizzard is steering the game to a more casual, open world sandbox and away from a structured game style, which is what raiding is.

Loot and gear is raining down all over the game. You can even obtain better gear from non raiding content as compared to raid drops. I am a heroic raider but my character probably about 50% non raid gear equipped. These pieces are from my mythic weekly caches, bonus week caches, emissary quests and relinquished gear from the Argus vendor. Heck, if you get lucky enough you can even top mythic level gear from some sources. Really, the only gear that is obtainable only from raiding is tier gear.

Ion said they are not getting rid of titanforging and other mechanics to increase item level from drops. This mechanic plus all the new sources for gear that is equal to or better than raid gear and eliminating tier sets, tells you where they want to take this game.

Raiding is about testing yourself against some of the toughest content in the game. Raiding is what brings people back week after week in order to progress and finally kill the end boss. But loot and gear was the carrot on the stick. It kept you coming back. And the satisfaction of finally downing that boss your team has struggled with is the reason we raid. But getting that epic tier piece, weapon, trinket, etc was the icing on the cake. Tier sets are unique to raiding. If you look at a player and see they are item level 930 but have no tier you can tell they dont raid. But if you look at a player with item level 930 and you see heroic or even mythic tier gear, you know they have beaten some of the hardest content in the game.

[Sierra85]

just a different way of enjoying the game.

why does raiding have to be the only way to progress ur char?

[Camthur]

I can't say I blame Blizzard for only doing so much to develop raiding. For every "omg, a new raid!" there's probably 7 0r 8 people going "eh, whatever".

[cparle87]

I'm with with this. I got half a dozen better itemized or higher item level pieces sitting in my bank I can't use cause I'd lose my 2pc/4pc combo. I was saying all the way back in MoP when you kill a "tier" boss you should get a reusable scroll that lets you assign any set piece you want as tier. Kill the glove boss, get the glove scroll. Kill the helm boss, get the helm scroll. You can wear the gear that's best for you, and have your tier bonus.

[Deleted]

Plot twist - the 3 slots affected by Heart of Azeroth will drop only from Raid instances

[Deleted]

There will surely be another incentive to play raids, we know very little at this moment. The sets only makes it so that balancing classes at this point is harder and harder as the game progresses. I do feel you however that sets are what many people raid for. But then again the raiding community outside of LFR is very small. The average Joe does not raid, most players log on for a few hours every other day perhaps and completes a few M+ dungeons and a few quests and log of. I think blizzard is realizing this and not having to make tier sets for the raids instead makes it so they can focus on the raid itself and make it challenging and fun.

[Redroniksre]

Honestly so long as they keep on making lots of armor sets/unique armor sets for classes, then i could care less if they get rid of tier sets. If the traits for Azerite armor are as interesting then it is better than having tier, since there is more to choose from so you don't get stuck with a lackluster bonus.

[Trapped]

I used to love raiding, back when it was 10-man. I won't buy BfA if the raiding formats stay the same. As far as your post goes, I'm fine with them getting rid of tier gear. People will still raid for trinkets and other stuff. I wouldn't be sad if "raiding died" anyway, as I feel its been dying for a long time. People use it as a means to get gear and then drop out (a lot of the time). Its not about guilds anymore, and that's a shame.

[Soon-TM]

The best Azerite pieces (that cannot WF/TF) will still come from Mythic raids, so I think it is a fair exchange. Now, they only need to cap M+15 gear to the level of the current HC raid, and have WF/TF stuff drop only in raids. One can dream, of course

[Trapped]

I can't say I blame Blizzard for only doing so much to develop raiding. For every "omg, a new raid!" there's probably 7 0r 8 people going "eh, whatever".

Exactly this. Raiding is just another source of gear to many people.

[Deleted]

No, they don't want to kill it. They just don't give a fuck. Like, when they made decisions that pander to casuals, how much that damages raiding doesn't even factor into their decisions.

[Teri]

Raids will still get the best gear, even moreso with 3 Azerite gear slots that can't warforge/titanforge.

It's yet to be seen if we don't get 3 of those slots from the M+ weekly chest, since they basicly are titanforged to start with.

Mythic Raid Chest/Shoulder/Helm slots won't be out-titanforged by Heroic or lower, so they got the higher itemlevel AND higher azerite powers, as they should have.

I think this change is a good move.

This way noone will cry about LFR Tier sets, and in most cases Itemlevel will become king(secondary stats still matter of course), even moreso on Azerite slots as they can't warforge, so they will bring back true Best in Slot again.

[Divinexve]

Nah who cares about the whole set bonus thing

[potis]

Stop whining about the raiding scene and the sets.

Sets create imbalance, and either too OP bonuses that get carried over into core gameplay or useless bonuses and people ignore them.

Also its not fun getting a max ilvl item that you cant wear cause of set bonuses, or wearing stupid stats for the same reason.

Plus personally i love the change, i want to play my alts and not feel that i have to pug raids with idiots for a month unless i get lucky the first week to get the set bonus so i can manage.

Next step, make trinkets that arent completely broken OP and without them the class is useless for the next months, CoF/ Crit trinket from Lei-Shen for Warlocks, etc etc.

[kamuimac]

With the announcement of eliminating tier sets, it feels like Blizzard wants to kill off raiding. I know what you are thinking, another player screaming "the sky is falling". But, with BfA and other changes from Legion, it seems Blizzard is steering the game to a more casual, open world sandbox and away from a structured game style, which is what raiding is.

Loot and gear is raining down all over the game. You can even obtain better gear from non raiding content as compared to raid drops. I am a heroic raider but my character probably about 50% non raid gear equipped. These pieces are from my mythic weekly caches, bonus week caches, emissary quests and relinquished gear from the Argus vendor. Heck, if you get lucky enough you can even top mythic level gear from some sources. Really, the only gear that is obtainable only from raiding is tier gear.

Ion said they are not getting rid of titanforging and other mechanics to increase item level from drops. This mechanic plus all the new sources for gear that is equal to or better than raid gear and eliminating tier sets, tells you where they want to take this game.

Raiding is about testing yourself against some of the toughest content in the game. Raiding is what brings people back week after week in order to progress and finally kill the end boss. But loot and gear was the carrot on the stick. It kept you coming back. And the satisfaction of finally downing that boss your team has struggled with is the reason we raid. But getting that epic tier piece, weapon, trinket, etc was the icing on the cake. Tier sets are unique to raiding. If you look at a player and see they are item level 930 but have no tier you can tell they dont raid. But if you look at a player with item level 930 and you see heroic or even mythic tier gear, you know they have beaten some of the hardest content in the game.

no what blizzard is getting ready for is introduction of lootboxes into wow

its pretty obvious in world where titanforging is the king

get ready to join the gaming ad2017 where microtransactions are absolute must in every game.

[Spaze]

Plot twist - the 3 slots affected by Heart of Azeroth will drop only from Raid instances

that will never happen, but i must say it would be funny

[lectos]

that will never happen, but i must say it would be funny

I may be out of my mind, but I could have sworn that they said that those pieces were slated for raid drops that are Normal and higher and are different "power" based on the difficulty of the raid.

[leafsip]

just a different way of enjoying the game.

why does raiding have to be the only way to progress ur char?

/thread
/10chars

[Soon-TM]

no what blizzard is getting ready for is introduction of lootboxes into wow

its pretty obvious in world where titanforging is the king

get ready to join the gaming ad2017 where microtransactions are absolute must in every game.

The day lootboxes are introduced into WoW is the day I leave the game for good. Moreso if they have the gall to keep the monthly subscription AND the box price.

[Hyrja]

Yes, they want us to do mythic+ instead. (makes them more money)