Why do you choose LFR over Raid Guilds?

[RyanEX]

When raiding in a video game becomes more important than they people that you live and breath with on a daily basis, then one has lost their priorities in life. You do not get those times with your family back and given we are here for so short of time. Each and everyday should be counted and measured as to how they are prioritized. I myself would rather spend time getting ice creaming with my wife and children, then sitting in front of a computer playing a video game, because they matter far more to me. You made a commitment to your wife first and foremost when you married here than you did to a group of people in a video game, you neglect them you just find another group or guild, you neglect your wife and children and they are gone and you are alone to contemplating why that is and why that happened.

Depends on what you want.

You can't want to be someone wanting world firsts while at the same time being able to bail when the mood hits you. If you want to be competitive, join a competitive guild. If you want relaxed, but capable raiding, join a relaxed guild that raids 2 - 3 nights a week.

Those type of guilds won't hate on you for missing a night to spend with the kids or the honey, or guilt trip you if you leave early cause of family.

Example, back during Vanilla during a Nefarion attempt our paladin suddenly bursts on vent "gtg, baby's coming" and he and his wife's mage disconnect. Rest of the night was not filled with us hating on them for daring to leave for something as trivial labour :P. We spent the night inbetween attempts wondering if it was a boy or a girl and if he/she would resemble the mother/father.

Get with a guild that suits your tastes, anything is better than the hit or miss frustration that is LFR.

[arog21]

I really enjoy how "real raiders" think they are so superior over somebody that uses lfr. Just because people actually have a different progression path and doesn't want to do normals doesn't make them bad. Normal and heroic is just rinse and repeat after the first run just like lfr and every other raid.... It's funny to watch "real raiders" get mad because lfr people that want a casual raiding experience can have one. Lfr doesn't make people "bad" and mean they don't have "skill", its a different progression path, so get over it.

[Deleted]

I use LFR because I have a busy life.

After admitting that in game, most anti-LFR people hurl a torrent of verbal abuse at me. "MAKE TIME THEN!" - What these doughnuts forget is that I may have been a prolific raider in the past - which I was. I spent years raiding before my life became more important. That's the way it is and probably won't change for a long time. I can't do much about that although I feel no remorse, I'd rather not continue to stagnate behind my desk.

I've found that LFR hate branches from the typical poisonous mentality of "If I'm not happy the rest of the playerbase shouldn't be happy." It's like the whole flying/non-flying argument. An optional feature - suddenly the argument becomes meaningless. When you're bickering with people about it, you're fire fighting egos and it just goes on and on and on...

People using LFR won't affect you in any way. It doesn't inhibit your ability, it doesn't slow your move speed. Energy for this kind of argument is better aimed at the wonderful world of PvP - which DOES affect you and your abilities whether you're PvPing or not - and that's been done. Beating a dead horse.

Raid and let raid, turkeys.

[sethman75]

LFR - people with jobs and a life
Raiders - people with no job or life

[nekobaka]

LFR - people with jobs and a life
Raiders - people with no job or life

Meanwhile I see working moms who are in heroic raiding guilds that still spend time to help pick up children from school, practice, put dinner on a table, and help children with homework while going out with the family on weekends. People will put time on the side for hobbies all the while still living a life and taking care of necessities. Doesnt make them some hardcore or no lifer. The time commitment to do traditional raiding especially in the past three expansions is grossly exaggerated especially with many guilds and PuGs taking less time to raid than a typical LFRer.

[rinleezwins]

You forgot to mention all the upsides of LFR, I will go with some of them;

You can do LFR in parts, anytime you want, 24/7.
It's a total faceroll.
You don't have to commit several hours each night while stuck on one boss during progression.
If you die in fire you don't get shouted at by your raid leader, you simply go make some coffee and come back to check out your brand new, free loot.


To wrap it up, people do it because it's easy and convenient. The way I see it, it's either LFR or hardcore progression guilds. There is really no point in "raiding" in a casual guild just for "the lulz".

- - - Updated - - -

Meanwhile I see working moms who are in heroic raiding guilds that still spend time to help pick up children from school, practice, put dinner on a table, and help children with homework while going out with the family on weekends. People will put time on the side for hobbies all the while still living a life and taking care of necessities. Doesnt make them some hardcore or no lifer. The time commitment to do traditional raiding especially in the past three expansions is grossly exaggerated especially with many guilds and PuGs taking less time to raid than a typical LFRer.

Don't even bother with provoking trolls.

[johnnysd]

A lot of anti-LFR people keep saying that players are leaving raiding guilds because they can get the same stuff in LFR. What you actually get in LFR is;

Healer 10-15 min queue, Dps 20-60 min queue.
Potential of;
tank fail due to pvp gear
Heal fail due to healers being in dips spec because they were too good for dps queues.
DPS fail because of not following the mechanics that they know better than to do (AOE on DWing thumb)
Unenchanted/ungemmed/unforged/wrong gear/no knowledge of class/no knowledge of the encounter
Afk players
Players barely trying
People who grief you because they are 1 in 8 million and no consequences.
Booted just because someone said "Kick X because of bad DPS!" When you were a healer.
DPS in tank spec
Huntards killing you with misdirect for shits and giggles
People screaming at you for tanking wrong
People screaming
SUB-PAR crappy versions of LFR gear.

And through all of this crap that is the random bundle that we call LFR people STILL choose to abandon Raid Guilds for LFR, so why?

Raiding in a guild is generally more fun, more challenging and more rewarding. But to do it well, needs commitment of time almost to a job like level and certain times of the week are blocked off each and every week whether you feel like trying attempt no37 on this heroic boss or not. LFR is just less demanding and fun in its own way even if it does feel like just free purples.

[Javox]

I'm not in a raiding guild because I don't want to feel like I have to play. Some nights I just plain don't want to, and if I were in a raiding guild and part of a team, I'd have to be there or I'd let them down and/or get kicked. That doesn't sound like fun to me.

I also don't do LFR because I hate waiting 40+ minutes for a group of people that think it's a good idea to stand in front of Garrosh during his intermission phase(s). And without valor, I see no reason to do LFR (that 90 per run wasn't too bad). Especially since there will be no tier gear.

I just use Openraid. I've gotten a lot of meta achievements and a lot of raids done through this, and the groups are usually pretty good.

[Deleted]

Well that's why I stopped raiding. Bringing the ultimatum of "lfr or raid guild" is the ultimate ignorance though.

No, its not. What people need to realize: You are not entitled.

WoW is a time-consuming hobby. A hobby requires investment. You won't magically appear on a mountaintop, unless you prepare, undergo alot of physical training and preparation to climb it. You won't catch a big fish if you stand next to a lake for 10 minutes whistling. You won't win a soccer game, if you cannot be asked to exercise the game regularly.

People like you look at WoW and go: "Oh its just a game! I shouldn't have to do a lot for it and still get everything! Everyone who thinks otherwise is just ignorant/elitist!".


Well, you are wrong. WoW is more than just a game, to many of us, its a hobby. We invest a lot more time than you, and therefore, we can do things you can't. Easy as that. There is nothing wrong with playing less than a dedicated raider, but don't expect to get the same rewards

[AeneasBK]

I learned how to enjoy other random peoples company a long time ago in WoW. As a result my random battlegrounds, dungeon groups and LFR go consistently "above the curve".

[Deleted]

We invest a lot more time than you, and therefore, we can do things you can't. Easy as that. There is nothing wrong with playing less than a dedicated raider, but don't expect to get the same rewards

I am pretty sure that I invest more time than 90% of all "dedicated raiders". I just invest it differently, because I hate commiting to a raid guild. It annoys me.

[Deleted]

I had never seen LFR before because it didnt exist at the time, I still went for a raiding-guild and now only do LFR on low geared alts sometimes.
Not being in a raiding-guild and spending all that time in LFR would annoy me, since most people are really bad in LFR.

[Gandrake]

not difficult to come up with a solid hypothesis

i'd say, on the behalf of people who don't choose to raid, is because they don't want to feel obligated (or cannot promise their time) to play with a regular group. LFR lets them experience the content in an environment where there is not a lot of pressure to perform. They can do it pretty much whenever they want on their own time and don't have to deal with the constraints placed on many pug groups.

[Deleted]

I had never seen LFR before because it didnt exist at the time, I still went for a raiding-guild and now only do LFR on low geared alts sometimes.
Not being in a raiding-guild and spending all that time in LFR would annoy me, since most people are really bad in LFR.

Most people in raiding guilds are really bad too. Including a lot of them posting in this thread, no doubt. They're just a bit lacking in self awareness compared to the LFR crowd.

[Zantera]

From the end of Cata through about halfway into MoP I was an LFR player. I feel bad for saying so, but it's convenient and being able to raid whenever I want was comfortable. But after they introduced Flex, I've done LFR way less, and I haven't done the SoO LFRs in maybe a month now. I only do it if I have to do it, like if I have a new alt that needs gearing before flex/normal. I do some of the wings of ToT on LFR from time to time, mostly because of the legendary q-chain (for secrets and runestones), and because ToT LFR isn't actually THAT bad (the last 2 wings at least) compared to SoO.

I think it's safe to say that in WoD I probably won't raid much LFR at all, and I'd rather spend time in Normal/Flex, Heroic or Mythic.

[Maudib]

People aren't leaving raid guilds for LFR...they are just leaving. LFR, in the past, has provided a similar experience with no set schedule... "raid on your own time"... the gear looked identical and there was no carrot to do more.

Why raid Normal if it only gives you slightly higher stats to raid Heroic? But the gear looked the same? Fortunately WoD is going back to something that was detrimental... and LFR will not drop tier or trinkets... Normal/Heroic will share models and.. drum roll........

Mythic will have exclusive loot models. The raiding carrot is back.

Yeah, yeah. I hear it now. "But real raiders raid for the challenge." No. Just no. If that were the case, raiding guilds would have not gone all but extinct. Because the challenge was always there... just the rewards were no longer commensurate with the effort.