Crossrealm LFG - Dungeon System

In the upcoming content patch there are many new additions and improvements. Perhaps one of the largest changes is the introduction of the new dungeon system. This new system will be available for all dungeons. A "Dungeons" button will replace the Looking For Group feature currently available in-game, and provides additional benefits to those who use it.

System Highlights:

• Join as a Group or Solo
• Cross-Realm Instances/Grouping
• Instance Teleporting
• Smarter Group Matching
• Daily Random Dungeons
• Repeat Random Dungeons
• Choose Multiple Dungeons
• Vote Kick system
• Lovin’ the PUG Bonuses
• Looking For Raid
• Need Before Greed Updated
• Group Disenchanting

Join as a Group or Solo

Much like the current Looking For Group system, players will be able to join the dungeon system and choose the role they would like to fill within groups: Healing, DPS, or Tank. In addition, once roles have been identified, they will be applied to all dungeons chosen. Players will now be able to choose multiple dungeons and will no longer be limited to three. The system has also improved group creation and matchmaking capabilities and will create more balanced groups when assessing the selected roles of players.

The LFG channel has been disconnected from the dungeon tool and can be used by anyone in a major city, much like the trade channel currently available.

Cross Realm Instances
When joining the dungeon system as a solo player or with a partial group, additional random players can be found within the same Battlegroup via cross-realm instancing.
While the new system offers the ability to group with player from other realms within your Battlegroup, you won’t be able to use this to manually invite specific players to groups.

Instance Teleporting
When you use the dungeon tool to find a dungeon, you’ll get ported to the inside of the dungeon, much like the current Battleground system. When you leave the instance, you will be returned to your previous location. If you need to leave temporarily, such as for repairs or to purchase reagents, you can teleport back to the dungeon again. This feature can be used both by groups looking for other players and by premade groups of five who use the dungeon tool.

Smarter Group Matching
The new system will now work to match at least one experienced player for the assigned dungeon with less experienced players in the group. It will more carefully match class types, and will more consistently match players of equal levels for the dungeon chosen. The interface will also allow players to see how many players are looking for groups as well as the average wait time of groups that the tool has formed.

Daily Random Dungeons

Players or groups can choose specific dungeons or they can instead take their chances with a random Heroic or random normal dungeon. Picking randomly conveys some additional benefits. If you defeat the final boss in a dungeon, you receive 2 Emblems of Frost for Heroic dungeons and 2 Emblems of Triumph for normal dungeons. In addition, after players have received 2 Emblems of Frost for the first Heroic dungeon they do in a day, they will earn 2 Emblems of Triumph for each additional random Heroic dungeons in that day. These random rewards replace the current daily dungeon and daily Heroic dungeon quests. The current NPCs who offer those quests will offer weekly repeatable raid quests instead. You can also earn level-appropriate rewards for running random pre-Wrath of the Lich King dungeons while you are leveling up.

Lovin’ the PUG
Players who take part in groups with one or more members who have been matched with them randomly from within the dungeon system will receive extra rewards, including the coveted Perky Pug non-combat pet. The more random players you group with, the faster you could get your new pet!

Vote Kick
Players who use the system to find additional random members for their party will be afforded a couple of extra conveniences to help them perform well. The loot option is fixed to the updated Need Before Greed option (and unalterable by any member) and players can vote to remove another party member from the group. It will take four votes in order to remove someone, however, so consider this newfound power carefully.

Looking for Raid
There will be a new option available to players that can be accessed via the raid information screen in the interface or by typing /lfr. Players will also be able to take part in raid-specific weekly quests and will be able to browse the system manually for any other players looking for a raid dungeon group.

Need Before Greed Updated
Need Before Greed will now recognize gear appropriate for a class in three ways: the class must be able to equip the item, pure melee will be unable to roll on spellpower items, and classes are limited to their dominant armor type (for example, plate for paladins). All items will still be available via greed rolls should no member be able to use the item as well as the new disenchant option will be available for all parties.

Group Disenchanting
Players in a group with an enchanter will now have the option to automatically disenchant any items that are not claimed by a player from within the loot window. Players will have this option available to them in both premade groups and in randomly matched groups. This option is available in any loot system, even if players don’t use the new dungeon tool.

Bornakk on Disenchanting in Dungeons in Patch 3.3 (Source)

As we mentioned in the recent post explaining the new Dungeon System, disenchanting will work a little differently in all 5 player and raid dungeons when patch 3.3 is released. We have seen a consistent pattern where players eventually need very few items from dungeons and they result to disenchanting as much of the loot as possible since those materials that can be obtained continue to have a lot of worth.

When the new Dungeon System is launched, the default user interface will give players the option to automatically disenchant items that they obtain in 5 player and raid dungeons. This option will avoid the hassle of having items picked up by an enchanter first to redistributed later and overall will make the process much smoother.

Also, with the inclusion of cross-realm-instancing in the dungeon system, there will be restrictions on trading items similar to the restrictions that are currently active in Battlegrounds. If the Dungeon System is used to complete a group for a dungeon then non-temporary items will not be able to be traded in the instance. This makes it so items like enchanting materials will not be able to be traded in the dungeon and using the new user interface option will be the only way to distribute disenchants. There will be some exceptions to this restriction though as Bind-on-Pickup items will continue to be trade-able to those present for the kill for a short duration and completely pre-formed groups that don?t use the Dungeon System to form the group will still allow trades.

To maintain the importance of the profession itself, the disenchanting UI option will only be available for groups that have a character with the necessary level of Enchanting to disenchant the items that are obtained.

We are very excited about the upcoming improvements in the new Dungeon System and don?t forget to check out the full preview here for all the details: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=20677771774&sid=1

Q: Why the restriction on armor types?
A: We knew this change was going to be controversial, and we totally understand that e.g. cloth can be an upgrade for a Balance druid or leather can be an upgrade for a shaman.

Looting to some extent is always going to have a heavily social component. There's only so much we can do (or should do) to try and 'solve' that problem for players. On the other hand, the new LFG system also removes some of the social checks and balances (not that those are huge to begin with) by potentially grouping you with folks you may never see again. On my server, perennial ninjas and jerks earn a reputation. That's going to be harder when you're talking about a battle group. Overall we expect players to just pug a lot more often, because the new system really is that good. So overall the drama over who gets the healing shoulders might arise more often. :(

Ultimately, our logic went like this: If a Holy paladin loses a great non-plate upgrade to another player, one out of five players might feel bad. If a Holy paladin rolls Need on every type of armor that drops, then four out of five players might have a bad experience. The jerk potential seemed worse than the lost-an-upgrade potential as far as whether or not players buy into using the new dungeon tool.

You can still Greed a potential upgrade item. You can still talk to your group and explain that X is an awesome item for you and would they mind passing on it or even trading it? (You can trade BoP items for a short period of time following the same rules that apply today.) (Source)

Q: What happens to the /5 LFG channel after these upgrades?
A: The Looking For Group channel will return in patch 3.3. If you wish to run dungeons with players on your realm, you can use the Looking For Group channel in any major city to create the party. (Source)

Q: How can I block people from being grouped with?
A: And hey, the Ignore list is being expanded! You can also ignore players on other realms if you have a bad group experience with them. The Dungeon System will not place you in a group with any character on your Ignore list. (Source)

Q: What are the default rolling options?
A: I believe the Need before Greed loot option will be the default in these dungeon runs as well so that will limit the number of items that can be needed on to some degree. (Source)

Q: What happens to premade groups?
A: Yes, you can do the Daily Random Heroic with a premade group.(Source)

Q: Can you do the random heroic daily with less than 5 players?
A: You need a full group of five people to start the Daily Random Heroic through the Dungeon System. If, however, a player leaves the group once everyone is inside the instance, the group can continue without filling the vacancy. The leader can choose not to have the Dungeon System fill vacancies.(Source)

Q: Are there any loot upgrades to heroic bosses similar to Patch 3.2?
A: All Wrath of the Lich King bosses in the current raid and Heroic dungeons will drop Emblems of Triumph when patch 3.3 hits.

The Daily Random Heroic will award two Emblems of Frost upon completion (can be done once a day). The Daily Random normal dungeon will award two Emblems of Triumph upon completion (can be done once a day). If players continue to select 'Random' via the Dungeon System when running Heroic dungeons after the Daily Random Heroic dungeon has been completed, they will receive two additional Emblems of Triumph for each random Heroic dungeon completed.

Emblems of Frost will drop in the 10- and 25-player Icecrown Citadel raid... and perhaps if another boss stumbles into the Vault he'll drop them as well. ;) (Source)

Q: What happens when your group falls apart before the completion of the random heroic?
A: As it works on the test realms right now, it's no different than if a group were to fall apart mid-run on the live realms today. If anyone leaves the group or gets kicked though, the leader will be asked if he or she wants to continue the instance. If the leader chooses to continue, the group will automatically be put back into the Dungeon System to find more members. (Source)

Q: How exactly do you know what the random heroic is?
A: You get rewarded for completing the first Daily Random Heroic dungeon you do on any given day. It doesn't work like a quest anymore, so the choice will be random for each group formed through the selection of this option. (Source)

Q: Do you get rewards for using the tool within your realm only or must you use the battlegroup search to be rewarded?
A: You can form a group of five players on your realm and then select the Daily Random Heroic dungeon through the Dungeon System tool. You will be rewarded just the same except for the fact that you will not get credit toward the pick-up group Achievement reward. (Source)

Q: Can you decide if you want to look for people in your realm alone or the tool will just mix and match?
A: If you're looking for party members via the Dungeon System, it will always look for eligible characters queued within your Battlegroup. You will need to use the Looking For Group chat channel in a major city or form a group on your own terms if you want to keep the group confined to players on your own realm. This doesn't make you ineligible for the Daily Random dungeon rewards though. (Source)

Q: How is the gear requirement determined?
A: The Dungeon System will make sure players are of the appropriate level, have the appropriate attunements for a dungeon (if applicable), and look at the average item level of each player. The system will put together a group according to the roles (tanking, healing, DPS) players have selected to fill and attempt to match characters as best as possible according to the items they have equipped. (Source)

Q: Will the Looking for Raid be cross realm as well?
A: No, the LFR system will be for your realm only in patch 3.3. (Source)

Q: When a player is invited to continue a run that lost a players, can they choose to accept or wait for a fresh run?
A: Yes. (Source)

Q: When is the particular dungeon determined, and is it fixed if you degroup?
A: The dungeon is determined once the group is filled. If the group does not like the instance that's been selected, they can leave, get the Deserter debuff, and try again to get a different random dungeon once the 15-minute debuff dissipates.(Source)

Q: Are the random dungeon emblem rewards independent by the player?
A: As long as you select to do a random Heroic dungeon and it's your first for the day, you will be given the daily reward for completing that dungeon.(Source)

Q: Is a character still limited to doing each dungeon in heroic mode once per day?
A: If the Random option is repeatedly selected, players can run the same Heroic dungeon more than once a day. If a specific dungeon is chosen through the Dungeon System, that specific dungeon cannot be chosen more than once a day.

You could technically be given, say, Heroic Culling of Stratholme repeatedly when choosing the Random option and be eligible to repeatedly run that Heroic dungeon in one day. You cannot, however, repeatedly choose Culling of Stratholme in the Dungeon System.

If you run Heroic Culling of Stratholme through the Random option, you cannot select that Heroic instance specifically again in the Dungeon System. If you choose to run Heroic Culling of Stratholme rather than pick the Random option, there is a chance you will be selected to run Heroic Culling of Stratholme again if you pick the Random option later that same day.(Source)

Q: Can a specific dungeon be excluded when you hit the Random Dungeon?
A: No, you cannot exclude a dungeon through the Random option.(Source)

What is player matching to groups based upon? Similar item level, or average item level?
A: It's going to try to group people with similar gear together, similar to the Arena system attempting to match teams with relatively equivalent ratings against each other.(Source)