Stratholme is new Oculus

[LeperHerring]

I don't get what people have against Occulus... it's by far the best Badge/Minute Ratio of any heroic, especially since the buff and as long as everyone knows what they're doing, it's a breeze.

Because not everyone plays to maximize badge/minute ratio? Some of us play for fun, and many of us hate the mounted combat mechanic and the flying around crap in Oculus. I won't run Oculus even with the free loot they're throwing at people now. On the other hand, I really like Stratholme and will keep running it every time it pops up. Different people like different things.

[Abandon]

No, just cut the RP and the pauses after bosses and it's fine. More or less.
Oh and hc VH needs the same treatment, boss and wave pauses are too long.

VH isn't that bad, it takes just over 15 minutes to finish so it ends with the random cooldown. Arthas needs to learn not to share though.

[Sharaki]

Geez... Stratholme doesn't even take more than 20 minutes or so. The very first time ever that I did it on hc level we got the bronze drake run out of it, and that was like a month after WotLK came out.
For me it takes less time to actually DO the instance than it took WAITING for the random to form a team. You can suck it up and do the random, or stop doing the randoms. :/

Last time I did this with guildies I checked how long it took. ~26mins, with opt out dps pew pew team and tank running as fast as possible (you know time starts ticking when you enter dungeon, not when some random event timer starts).

Last time I did this with randoms, I tested how long it takes to do this when I'm not doing crates, talking people etc. 47min run for the win? 10min at the start before first player did crates, then few minutes until someone realised to talk arthas to start, etc.

I like SPF18's ideas. Anything to cut down idletime (forced one, rather spend it doing something else like waiting in dps queue) and reduce retardchecks for heroic you will run with ones.

[CookieEater]

Usually I seem to be the only one with a brain in my CoD groups. They don´t speak to Chromie in the beginning, they don´t do any crates, they don´t speak to Chromie after I did all crates, they don´t speak to Arthas the first time, not the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th time. As if that instance wouldn´t suck enough with a good group.

Yeah, I've had it a few times when a number of people had already run ahead, but with my loading times I'm always the last to enter and so far Player #3 or 4 always did it for me.

[krasgoth]

I liked strat.... a while ago. It was really neat. Running to get the drake was a decent test of skill, the talking was neat, etc etc.

Now, in the time you can run another instance, you'll still be waiting for zombies to spawn... you can't speed up the pulls even if you run like a demented madman, you still have to wait for Arthas's buggy AI to clunk its way over to you..

Usually even pulling like a psycho and doing the entire second room in one pull it takes 25 minutes to do still, which is kinda funny. Randoming it takes at least 40

[Lark]

I've had no occurences like som people here have, so I'll still take Oculus as the worst Heroic.

I can carry people through Occy.

I can not carry them through time travelling to make strat not a waste of time.

[Alan1187]

"occulus groups don't disband anymore, time to qq about something new."

[DocKro]

"occulus groups don't disband anymore, time to qq about something new."

Not true.

I had one fall apart, before the first pull, last night.

They might not disband as quickly/easily, as they once did, but there is still a stigma that surrounds that instance.

[Spartanoble]

I liked COS then got the mount and changed my mind. Luckily I have never had that as a random but I have had VH and Oculus a few times with some srubs doing 1k DPS (off - drake) Can be very slowwww.

[cubby]

Im usually done with 7-10 minutes to spare depending on the dps, its not that bad and just start the events/do the crates yourself, Seriously people bitching about OMG I HAZ TAH CLICK MAH BUTTONZ TAH START DIS WTFUX" or OMG I HAZ TAH WAIT FOR ARTHAS AND RECLICK HIM WTFUX" are just plain lazy

No, you're not - but it's cute that you feel the need to lie to make a pretty irrelevant point. With the timer you can't be finished with 10 min to spare - period.

And as for you're very engaging and pontificating "all-caps-makes-it-better" part, try reading the post before responding. The reasons people don't like it are in there - you should try learning before telling - it's a nifty idea.

[ohshift]

just after 2 pages i realized the stratholme youre talking was the cot one lol

[davidwh2]

Most of the runs theres 3-4 people (who joined by random thingy) just idling inside strat and waiting that SOMEONE magically starts the event.

one of the best things ive read today on here lmao!

i think CoS is actually pretty awesome the first couple times but i do think it will be nice when they give an option to skip the begining part. there is no need to go through that over and over.

its like getting your favorite movie on blu-ray, and watching the previews everytime. its pointless.

[Renoxis]

personally, just cut the RP at the start, decrease the infinite drake spawn times and it's good imo

[Ganoes]

I automatically leave it when I get it. There's not enough time in the day to waste it doing that horribly designed instance.

[Zagga]

On a more positive note, anyone else that is always suprised how fast Mal'Ganis attacks in the final fight?

[Powerogue]

you mean they're both pitifully easy and dangle a drake mount at the end to lure players in? 8)

yea, i honestly hope they eventually remove the black drake, and re-implement it as a drop from the last boss of the most hated cataclysm heroic.

[Sharaki]

Oculus never made me leave, but for me Strat feels like oculus does to other people: I just want to get out, I can get my daily frost badges faster by waiting 15min deserter and getting almost any other hc (playing healers and tanks, que is instant anyways).

get that arcane disruptor, clean the crates and talk to Arthas yourself. Saves you wait time and saves you bitching.

Yeah..the talky stuff is annoying..takes like 8 minutes. The run itself is usually over in 15..ish...

Yes and it feels singleplayer game if I'm with 4 bots who can't do anything by themself, which is icing to the cake why I hate the place. Of course I'm doing it by myself becouse I want to get out from there some day. Even with good random group run takes bout 30 minutes not 15 (time to run instance: from zoning to zoning considering no afkers).

[Shinshiva]

I leave now. Never used to. But after sitting there for upwards of 8 minutes (yes I DO do the crates as soon as i get in) just for Arthas to sort himself out is ridiculous. I go and farm herbs for 15min then grab another group. Tanking ftw.

And the worst thing about it is when all the waves are done, and Arthas is still busy running around after ever zombie within range like some ADD kid on 3 bags of candy.

[Millennía]

Nothing to discuss. You're abosolutely right - it's the new Occulus and when I get sent in there with a full random group I automatically leave group. I'd rather stare at my screen for 15 min and rejoin then suffer through the pain and anguish of a strat run.

This. Sometimes i look at my random cooldown timer and there would be 7 minutes left and we are only at the part were Mal' Ganis appears so 8 minutes of sitting around : /
But they are implementing an option to skip the lore. I don't know if it has been implemented yet because i haven't got it in a few days, all im getting lately is HoS. :<

[Yerbury]

Since looting the drake, I admit to feeling less than enthusiastic about tackling this instance.

It seems logical (and consistent with past game design) to have players experience the lore element once, and thereafter allow it to be skipped in favour of completing the instance in a more timely manner.

The other problem, as discussed, is the time it takes Arthas to complete each phase (from a lore perspective) which Blizzard should also look at.

That said, I don't think that the instance is badly designed. It has more substance to it than many other recent 5-mans, and the various phases add something a little different. I think that with some tweaks it could once again become a fun instance to run.