Originally Posted by
Halicia
I expect we'll see a decline in Normal raiders, but more of a decline in LFR raiders.
Normal raids are simply too complex mechanics-wise for Normal players. People with experience raiding may not have an issue with it, but its a catch 22, Raids have been too difficult this expac for new players to GET experience raiding, so there's less players able to raid, and consequently, its harder for new players to even get carried and get experience raiding.
LFR in DS performed well at showing people the mechanics they would see in Normal, but they abandoned that training aspect immediately in favor of "3 loot pinatas with different shapes".
I *hope* flexraids will introduce more players to 'organized raiding' and pull them away from LFR, but its also likely to draw many people away from Normal raids as well. I doubt anyone currently doing Heroic raids will even take notice of flexraids, except as a way to trial new recruits or goof off with their reallife friends/tradepugs.
Once connected realms hits (and the resulting higher 'server' populations), there should be a significant rise in Normal and Heroic RAIDING guilds, simply because there's more players whose schedules/personalities now match up.
There may also be a higher then usual bump in players to normal/heroic raiding in the next non-raid patch (assuming there is one) as guilds that were focusing on flexraid try for bigger things. (we can dream, right ?)