Originally Posted by
xavierjn
I have read through multiple pages of this thread, and I wanted to offer my opinion.
First off, I would like LFR to stop being referred to as a ‘loot-fest’. The loot is 528 ilvl for this patch, which is hardly gamebreaking. In fact, LFR loot has never been gamebreaking during this expansion, IMO. It has always been just enough to give a competent player enough gear to be successful in normals, if that was their intentions. For this patch, the LFR loot isn’t even optimal for that purpose, as Flex gear is better and will probably be a minimum for Raid Leaders looking to recruit toward normal progression. As such, I don’t even think the loot should be part of the discussion as to what matters, this time around.
I am now a casual player. I used to be very hardcore, and I still consider myself an above average player in terms of skill and proficiency. Since I don’t raid normals/HC anymore, I loved LFR. I admit, I did it for the gear, but I also had fun. I am ‘that guy’ who will take charge of a dying LFR and make it successful. Last week I ended up leading 5 different LFR’s through completion (all of them were part 1), and received a plethora of gratitude. We had a few wipes, yes, but it was enjoyable helping willing players learn and achieve a small amount of greatness.
Then I queued for part 2…
This was not your ‘first week’ LFR experience. I had one experience in there where I did take charge upon joining one on the 1st boss with 3 stacks already. Unlike the part 1 LFR’s, I couldn't simply explain and lead through an attempt or 2 and see the group ‘get it’ and kill the boss. Sure, we downed Galakras, but that was with 6 stacks…
Juggernaut wasn't too awful, so I believe that fight is tuned about right, as it only took 2 wipes before we nailed it.
Shamans absolutely destroyed us. It didn't matter how much in depth I went into, or how many /RWs I typed in raid chat, it was just an absolute mess. I would see it if it was a group that didn't care or wasn't trying, but it wasn't. Regardless of what many say, a lot of LFR casuals still care about what they’re doing and being successful. These players were trying, and I could see it. I was supportive as I led, and they were grateful, as it kept the nay-sayers down a bit and removed a lot of the normal negativity we see in LFR chat. It didn't matter though, we still wiped 6 times…
General is where I about lost it. After 3 wipes, everyone was doing everything right. People weren't dying to adds or randomness, no one was dpsing during Defensive Stance, Shamans were dying first, etc. No matter how well they performed though, we couldn't beat the enrage timer. I looked at some of the gear, and many were loaded with Timeless Isle 496 gear. If Blizzard is going to open an LFR with an ilvl of 500, then they need to make the damage requirements on a boss like General reflect that. We never did kill him. We wiped 6 times and too many left and everyone who joined took off running with their tails between their legs after seeing how many stacks we had. I had to leave as well, because after 4 hours in ONE LFR, my wife was about to hang me.
TL;DR: So, to me…a person who does a lot of LFR just because I enjoy them…it’s heartbreaking to see LFR now. As many have stated…4-5 hours for a single wing is NOT LFR. If the gear mattered more for the current tier, then yeah, make them work harder for it. In this patch, the LFR Gear is even less meaningful with all of the other options, so why do people have to work harder for it than ever before? I go into LFR to have a quick in and out with some fun and maybe an item…but a 528 tier piece is not enough to make sitting in an LFR for 4-5 hours worth it. They need to dumb it down a little and let Flex be where the semi-elite hang out with vent/mumble and such with the higher difficulty. I don’t need 0 wipes, but LFR part 1 was about right in terms of difficulty and learning curve. They need the remaining wings to be similar in those aspects.