Flex mode.. will it be in wings in WoD?

[Azrile]

Have they confirmed either way? I know normal and heroic are now flex modes that scale with # of players, but i think the winged model ( 3 -4 bosses) works very well for PUGs and cross realm groups.

[Zardi]

Don't think there's been anything confirmed, but most likely not. Current flex model was more of an experiment than anything; think the WoD change is merely having Normal/HC use the Flex technology for scaling, while still working like any other raid instance.

[Yuna]

There will be no "flex-mode" anymore, the new 4 difficulties in WoD are:

"very easy" LFR, (still LFR)
"easy" Normal, (was flex before)
"normal" Heroic and (was normal before)
"heroic" Mythic-mode (was heroic before)

There will be no gating, but you may have to clear heroic the first id before going mythic, which should not be that difficult.

[Azrile]

Don't think there's been anything confirmed, but most likely not. Current flex model was more of an experiment than anything; think the WoD change is merely having Normal/HC use the Flex technology for scaling, while still working like any other raid instance.

That is what I was thinking. I think at least for the new ´normal´ mode that was the previous flex mode, that might be changed shortly after launch similar to how they changed the progress-raidleader thing shortly after 5.4 With the new raid tool that is coming in 6.0, as well as the emphasis on cross-realm. It is just better to have it broken down into wings, at least that first normal difficulty.

[Nivena]

they said at least on normal (now still flex) you can skip bosses if all the group members have cleared them at least once.

scenario: everyone in the group has already killed the endboss in Blackrock Foundry. The raid leader decides that the group only kills the endboss and can adjust that via menu. The raid enters and will stand before the endboss.

[Kuul]

Only LFR will be winged in WoD.

[Azrile]

There will be no "flex-mode" anymore, the new 4 difficulties in WoD are:

"very easy" LFR, (still LFR)
"easy" Normal, (was flex before)
"normal" Heroic and (was normal before)
"heroic" Mythic-mode (was heroic before)

There will be no gating, but you may have to clear heroic the first id before going mythic, which should not be that difficult.

you are actually wrong. The new normal and heroic will both be flex, they will scale with your raid size. Only Mythic mode will have a set size at 20

[Boogums]

That is what I was thinking.

You're both wrong. Here's the official source.



You won't be queueing for Normal mods (what is Flex modes in MoP).

No queueing= no wings.

[Azrile]

exactly. that is my question. Have the devs said that there won´t be queueing for the normal mode? or are people just assuming it? I´ve never seen them say there won´t be wings or there won´t be queueing

IMHO, the fact that it was in bit-sized pieces of about an hour was one of the big advantages of it and one of the reasons it was very popular.

[Boogums]

Yes, in the panel they said there'd be no queueing for Normal, just like for every other expansion.

[Deleted]

No queueing= no wings.

Not quite. Naxx had wings, and players had a choice of 4 bosses to kill first.

The map of Blackrock Foundry (the WoD equivalent of Mogu'shan Vaults) looked like it had 3 wings with players starting in the centre; although LFR will be the only mode where you need to leave the instance (and get another group) for the other wings.

[Toiran]

You ONLY queue for LFR in WoD.

Thus, the only "real" wings would be in LFR.

However, bosses are still going to be located in "wings" in Normal, Heroic and Mythic, you just have to go from Wing A to Wing B to Wing C etc - depending on linearity, but the point is, you enter the instance and go from there, not jump to a wing unless it's LFR.

[Alteiry]

There will be no "flex-mode" anymore, the new 4 difficulties in WoD are:

"very easy" LFR, (still LFR)
"easy" Normal, (was flex before)
"normal" Heroic and (was normal before)
"heroic" Mythic-mode (was heroic before)

There will be no gating, but you may have to clear heroic the first id before going mythic, which should not be that difficult.

Normal and heroic will stay as difficult as before, they simply use the flex technology. And because they do, keeping the Flex difficulty made no sense.

So:

LFR = Easy.
Normal = Normal.
Heroic = Hard.
Mythic = Really hard.

[SunspotAnims]

No. In WoD, you'll have to zone in to flex raids (to be renamed to "normal") yourself and start from wherever the raid is saved (if the raid isn't saved, you have to start from the beginning). LFR will be the only raid difficulty with wing-based progression and the only difficulty that you can queue for.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I hope they will keep the wing approach. It makes raiding so much more managable for the lower end raids when you don't have to spend the whole evening to clear up to the relevant bosses. Going back to the linear design again is a huge step back imho.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I'd guess they aren't doing it in wings like current flex since they're doing a more traditional loot system for normal/heroic where the gear drops from the boss and isn't a personal roll.

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I like the ease of use of wings, I'm not a fan of it when we have 4 different lockouts to run each week. It's going to make it feel like you have to run normal, heroic and mythic to try to fill gear slots. While you may still feel that way if it's linear, many won't feel quite as obligated if it takes an actual time commitment over an hour.

Not sure if they will feel less obligation towards running them, but it certainly becomes more "affortable" on your schedule if you only have to farm the last 4 bosses each week for the sick and utterly overpowered trinket or boss weapon or that 1 tier token that unlocks the awsome tier bonus.

[Azrile]

I'd guess they aren't doing it in wings like current flex since they're doing a more traditional loot system for normal/heroic where the gear drops from the boss and isn't a personal roll.

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I like the ease of use of wings, I'm not a fan of it when we have 4 different lockouts to run each week. It's going to make it feel like you have to run normal, heroic and mythic to try to fill gear slots. While you may still feel that way if it's linear, many won't feel quite as obligated if it takes an actual time commitment over an hour.

They did say that personalized loot will be an option. For groups that I organize, I am going to always go that route, especially if I bring in some pug people. It is just faster after a kill and no loot drama when you have a liberal attendance policy ( one of the biggest perks of flex raiding). I hope they either break it up into very obvious wings like Naxx, or else use LFR style sections.

[Grush]

You guys are getting confused, you can't que for seperate wings like for SoO today in flex, but the first raid is in actual wings like Naxx so you can go wherever you want.

[Cosmic Janitor]

You guys are getting confused, you can't que for seperate wings like for SoO today in flex, but the first raid is in actual wings like Naxx so you can go wherever you want.

Which in a case like naxx would still mean the sweet last two bosses are gated behind 4 other wings, with lots of filler.

[Grush]

Yea but they said they will probably add some sort of key to open the gate to the last boss to skip the rest, but they aren't sure how they will reward it/give it out they said at Blizzcon.