Let the raid pick the difficulty

[Eviscero]

I assume this is not a new idea but I have never seen it discussed. I suggest that much of the debate over nerfing content would be silenced if raids could (more finely) adjust difficulty for themselves.

Blizzard maintains that content nerfs are required when progression dips. This upsets some people. Others are upset that the nerfs don't come sooner and are not severe enough. So imagine the following system:

Two tiers of difficulty as we have currently (ignore LFR for the moment) 1. Normal, 2. Heroic. These remain the same, distinguished by new mechanics and/or differences in boss damage and health.

Now, for each tier, allow a raid group to adjust a sliding scale ranging from, say, 90% to 110% that adjusts
1.) boss damage and health figures,
2.) item level, and
3.) an achievement indicator specifying the setting chosen by the raid (when a boss is killed).

How does this solve the problem and satisfy both camps? On the one hand it allows players to control their own rate of progression. Raids that reach a road block can elect to make a boss slightly easier and hopefully get a kill (without having to wait for Blizzard to nerf content). They suffer a penalty in prestige and in gear quality but they will, I suggest, have a much better playing experience overall.

In fact, this also reduces the need for Blizzard to nerf content in the first place, since progression should be more consistent and stable over longer stretches of time. This should help reduce the complaints from the other side who hate to see content nerfed. You can attack Blizzard for nerfing content, but you can't really attack a group for admitting they need a little help to kill a boss and are willing to make the sacrifice to do so.

This also smoothes out guild progression. Currently many guilds clear content on normal but hit a roadblock when trying to transition to heroic. By allowing them to adjust the difficulty of normal up a little they can slowly increase their item level, perhaps making the transition to heroic raiding easier.

Perhaps including a minimum-number-of-attempts-requirement before allowing players to adjust the content down a bit would make sense.

Is this idea insane? It seems feasible to implement, but perhaps I am naive in thinking it would be a positive change. What do you think?

[Thehealbus]

There are a lot of mechanics that aren't as easy as changing damage and boss health, things like dispellable things, how many people are required to stack for certain things ect are all factors in a fights difficulty.

I don't think a slider is the best option, lfr is for seeing the content, normal and heroic are for the challenge, the only way sliders would make sense if a 16/16H guild wanted more challenge.

[xtramuscle]

I don't think its only the 16/16 guilds who need more of a challenge. In my previous guild (11/16) our progress was (s)low due to a 3 day raiding schedual. Bosses fell into 3 camps.

DPS test; ultraxion, elegon, garalon, gara'jal etc. (Pure numbers check)
Execution test; Spirit kings, will of the emporer, zor'lok, HC Rag ('Avoidable' damage that can basically one shot you)
Mechanic test; Alysrazor, ambershaper, madness (Fights with odd mechanics, vehicles, spell action buttons etc)

Now when it came to DPS checks, we met them quite easily, but lacked on good execution, and spanners who didn't set their UI up for vehicle bars etc. Even as a non 16/16 HC Raider I'd happily scale up any DPS test for more of a challenge, and better gear; on par with the koreans +8ilv for example. However knowing the capabilities of the group would stop me from scaling the other two types of fight.

[Darkfriend]

Interesting, but gimmicky. I'd rather dev time be spent making more raid tiers than this though.

[Kunta]

If you want it nerfed, go to LFR. Honestly. Isnt that what it's made for??

Why not just have 19 different raid difficulties, with 19 different sets of Ilvl gear to appease everyone's skill level/time commitment and everything else.

There's already too many raid difficulties as is. 3 is an absurd amount. Im traditional and like only 1 difficulty, but could live with 2.

I am currently 11/16 heroic, and i am fine by that. I dont need to beg for lesser difficulty to kill anything more or faster.

[Halicia]

Why not just have 19 different raid difficulties, with 19 different sets of Ilvl gear to appease everyone's skill level/time commitment and everything else.

You're being sarcastic, but I think that would be awesome. (mainly for old content)

Imagine this, you beat Ulduar. Yay ?
Now you can go back and clear it with everything 1 level higher, with a linear increase in abilities & numbers. The items are also a slight increase.
Go back and clear it again, now everythings 2 levels higher. Items increase again, but slightly less.

And so on and so on until you're fighting Ulduar at level 90, but the items aren't quite comparable to what you'd get from the entry level tier of Pandaria.

Of course, this can be done for Cata content as well...

And I'm sure there'd be some issues with this, but it would be a GREAT 'not for the faint of heart' on current content after World First guilds have gotten bored of farming Heroic modes.

[Grakey]

I don't get it, why would anyone want Blizz spending their time making this over a new raid. This idea has the potential to be EXTREMELY time consuming AND very buggy.

Not to mention the fact that raids shouldnt (in my opinion) have the ability to be scaled up or down (which is where it would go for most people who would use this feature I would imagine) based on whether or not you think you can or cannot kill it.