Spreading dungeons out over an xpac

[talwynn]

WoD released 8 dungeons at launch, one of them being an updated version (UBRS), so 7 new dungeons. Do you think it would be worth while to possibly hold off, or staggering the release of dungeons with raids, so it can tell a better story, and give players something to do besides LFR and normal raiding for end game content? Say release 4 dungeons at the start, 1 with BRF, then 2 with HFC as an example of the current xpac. I think they could make the initial dungeons more substantial, but also give the players something else to do besides the same old boring heroics they have done for almost a year during the final raid tier.

[Adramelch]

Or, you know, make more dungeons.

[Alroxas]

WoD released 8 dungeons at launch, ... staggering the release of dungeons with raids, so it can tell a better story, and give players something to do besides LFR and normal raiding for end game content? ...

No. Staggered releases of dungeons just means that you grind the initial dungeons for a while, then move on to the next set, then the final set. It's better to have an incentive to go back to do all the dungeons (like the current system of Timewalking/Draenor Bonus rep, where completing x provides a decent reward).

[Dracodraco]

No. Staggered releases of dungeons just means that you grind the initial dungeons for a while, then move on to the next set, then the final set. It's better to have an incentive to go back to do all the dungeons (like the current system of Timewalking/Draenor Bonus rep, where completing x provides a decent reward).

^^ This is what happened in Cataclysm, with nobody running the initial set of dungeons, but everyone running JUST the two troll dungeons. It was terrible, no variety, and you were stupid if you did the lower tier dungeons, as their rewards were far less substantial.

Also, from the perspective of a raider that wants to gear ASAP, having only 4 dungeons to choose from to grind a full set of pre-raid BiS gets even more dull, especially if there's only 3-4 bosses in each, meaning with 15 unique gear slots (assuming we can't use the same ring or trinket twice, and are using a 2h weapon or the same two 1h weapons), you literally get a situation where each boss drops one specific slot for your class and that's it;

Generic instance #1:
Drops mail shoulders on boss 1, head on boss 2, bow on boss 3, trinket on boss 4.
Generic instance #2:
Ring on boss 1, feet on boss 2, belt on boss 3, chest on boss 4


And so forth. Or you have one boss drop multiple pieces for a class, but others drop zero, and none of them can really overlap without getting GIANT loot tables because there's 4x armor types, 3x combat styles (int, str, agi), and each boss only drops 2 items; Suddenly you'd be pulling for two items out of a 25-item loot table to get a piece because it's been diluted so much. Not fun,

[talwynn]

But in the current setup, as soon as I was able to do LFR, I didn't need to do heroics at all, so they sat empty for me for pretty much the whole xpac. Having a reason to go do them, in any form, would be nice.

- - - Updated - - -

Or, you know, make more dungeons.

Blizz has said they no long want to make dungeons in the middle of the xpac, but if they can make them before hand and release them with the raid tiers.

[Dracodraco]

But in the current setup, as soon as I was able to do LFR, I didn't need to do heroics at all, so they sat empty for me for pretty much the whole xpac. Having a reason to go do them, in any form, would be nice.

You do have incentives. Satchels, weekly events, baleful gear for alts, daily resource gain (that shit was a LIFESAVER when it was released back in the start of the expansion).
Heroic dungeons will never remain relevant for anyone that wishes to do raiding, unless they just become another daily as they were in previous expansions (Do 1x heroic a day for your VP cap, do 1x heroic a day for your special top-tier emblems, you get the idea). They did away with that, and as a raider, I'm thankful for it. There shouldn't be a requirement for me to have to go back into dungeons that drop 630 item level gear, when I am at 730 item level. That's just silly.

That being said, they did make it so that mythic dungeons drop the best possible loot you can get outside of normal HFC (and even then, the item level - 685 for non WF, 705 for WF - rivals that of normal HFC AND SOME OF HEROIC). Not sure what more you really want/need.