Group Finder Improvements in Wrath Classic

WoW Classic Wrath of the Lich King Classic Discussion
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We’re actively developing a new Group Finder for Wrath of the Lich King Classic. Here’s a look at some of the features we’re aiming to deliver.

New Look, Modern Code: We’ve rebuilt the UI to be easier to read and more inviting than it was in Burning Crusade Classic. Behind the scenes, we’re using our modern Group Finder code, ensuring stability and performance.

Roles: We’re introducing roles into the UI in Wrath Classic. Partial groups can broadcast which slots they have open, and individuals can specify whether they’re willing to tank, heal, deal damage, or do multiple of the above. Roles are intended to expedite communication – not stifle gameplay creativity – so for the moment we’re keeping all roles open to all classes.

Solo Listers and Multiple Activities: We envision this Group Finder as a “bulletin board” where players can list activities they want to do and discover others who want to do the same. To that end, we’re supporting listings from both solo individuals and partially filled groups. And if you can’t decide which dungeon you want to run, that’s okay! You can list yourself for more than one.

Request Invite and Suggest Invite: To smooth out group formation, we’re adding Request Invite and Suggest Invite features. Remember: a quick “Hey there” is always preferred over a silent and sudden ninja-invite!

The Single Source for Your Group Finding Needs: We’re aiming for this Group Finding UI to be a one-stop shop for all your group-finding needs. To that end, we’re reviving an old rule from the original Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King: sending messages in the Looking for Group chat channel will require being listed in the UI.

You might be thinking, “no one likes restrictions”. In an ideal world, each individual player would build their groups using whatever tools they deem best for the job. We’ve observed that group finding is a social coordination problem, and there’s value in funneling everyone through the same system. If we can create a single “source” through which all group finding is done, all players reap the benefits.

We’re aiming to have our new Group Finder deliver an effective, efficient, and enjoyable group finding experience, and we want the help of you and other players in getting there. We’re aiming to have a fully functional test version of the Group Finder available on day 1 of the Wrath of the Lich King beta.

We look forward to hearing your feedback!

25 Likes
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For the love of god, we appreciate you guys trying to do something to make the game better. But please, pretty please, just put the normal wrath dungeon finder in the game. There’s no argument anymore to not putting it in the game. The changes are definetly dope as hell as an improvement to the current Looking For More system, but that should’ve been in TBC, not in WoTLK where we actually got the real Dungeon Finder. Cheers for reading, here’s to hoping that normal dungeon finder just stays.

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I don’t understand why they are re inventing it when all you need to do is add RDF. That thing is gonna be full of boosters just like LFG. Just listen to the majority that actually want rdf instead of getting 1 guyed .

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Nah, I want the Dungeon Finder from Wrath of The Lich King as it was in the original game, can you please stop trying to decide for me how I should enjoy my classic experience? Leave it to players if they want to use it or not, instead of forcing your views on them.

Thank you.

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Just this. Simple as.

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Looks awesome! Good Job! :ok_hand:

RDF kills the game socially. Might aswell play retail. Why even play classic with RDF? :man_shrugging:
Classic has been like this for 4 years almost, and now there is a huge improvement…

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RDF vs Group finder

Does it fix gatekeeping?
RDF: yes
Group finder: no

Does it reduce boosting services?
RDF: yes
Group finder: no

Does it reduce LFG spam
RDF: yes
Group finder: maybe

Does it enable queues for low pop leveling content?
RDF: yes, because crossrealm
Group finder: no

Does it enable queues for low pop servers?
RDF: yes, because crossrealm
Group finder: no

Does it enable leveling players to play all dungeons (like horde players going stockades)?
RDF: yes, because teleporting
Group finder: no

Does it reduce the time to find a dungeon?
RDF: yes, but not necessarily of you have very good gear for the content
Group finder: yes, but only if you have very good gear for the content

Does it enable players to just play the game while queuing?
RDF: yes, 100%
Group finder, yes, but to a lesser extend, since some player need to form these groups

In the end RDF is still vastly superior when it comes to finding queues, especially for casual/less geared players. The boosting and gatekeeping wont reduce with the Group Finder tool, but it would with RDF.
The reasons to not introduce RDF are primarily because of crossfaction issues, like social liability and the inability to keep playing with potential friends from other servers. These could and should be addressed to make the RDF experience even better.

The Group Finder doesnt really help more than the current tool and the things RDF fixes wont be fixed.

TLDR: Add Group Finder but also add RDF as it was with crossrealm optimized.

35 Likes
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This is absolutely in the right direction.

I was never against machine assisted grouping.
A “bulletin board” style LFG tool is fine imho.
Help players show interest in a group, help leaders find players for their group.

So long as it stays away from machine grouping players automatically and auto-porting I welcome it.

The problem in my opinion is not with machine assisted grouping, players are sometimes too black and white, all or nothing.

So long as I don’t have an AI in charge of forming the group and no auto-porting a better UI to find players interested in the same activities as myself without typing in /LookingForGroup is most welcome.

Just don’t take the most important decision (joining or inviting) out of the players hands.

12 Likes
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Classic isnt only vanilla. Players loved wotlk and want to play it as it was. Why send people to retail, if they play classic to experience old expansions? The argument is lacking, it could be hold against any content that was not in vanilla release. Want battlegrounds? Play retail! Want flying mounts? Play retail! It doesnt make sense. The game progresses with each content patch and changes.
More player want to play old expansions as they were than vanilla+ fans who want vanilla gameplay/feeling in newer worlds.

9 Likes
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Imagine, you have a feature that was in the original and it’s not added in the remake of the same thing.

It’s like remaking robin hood without Maid Marian or Little John. WORST. IDEA. EVER. BLIZZARD.

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Wrath was the beginning of the end for Classic mmorpg experience.

RDF, patch cycle = expansion in terms of gear obsolescence.
Powercreep, ToC10/25 and even ToC5 invalidating Ulduar modes as an upgrade path.

We were lucky that most of that :poop: happened towards the end of the Expansion.

So do not presume to tell us that “this is Wrath”. That stuff didn’t come till 80% of the expansion was done.

PS. If original Wrath didn’t release in Asia a full year after the western release the sub count graph would look more like Cataclysm after the first year.

5 Likes
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The problem is that it doesn’t really address any of the problems, which the current TBCC has outside /4 chatter. I don’t believe it’s gonna be an issue, in the initial few months of the xpac, because there are going to be a lot of people naturally levelling. But once we get to Ulduar/ToC it’s gonna be “New era, same ol’ poop” situation, because it dances around the problems, instead of presenting solutions.

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We all know who is responsible for this, the boosters who sell their runs. They are the ones pressuring Blizzard to drop the proper RDF for Wrath. It will put them out of a job.

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Most players against RDF are either against the casual catchup mechanic design or dont like wotlk overall design wise, because they prefer vanilla or tbc.

Who thinks the current situation is actually good with boosts and gdkps everywhere, only few normal runs compared to that? Will that change with the Group Finder tool? No. Would it change with RDF? Not completely, but new players have the option to just play and achieve raid ready gear because they wont get gatekept in the catchup content.

If RDF destroys the game and progress experience, what is so good about the current situation that the vanilla+ fans and Blizzard are trying to maintain? Only that players have 3 options, to become social, to buy boosts or to quit? Is that the answer? I personally disagree, at least since the wotlk design was with casual players in mind.

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I welcome this. I’m someone who’s against any form of dungeon/raid finder whatsoever for the sake of keeping the social elements and immersion of the game intact. However, this is a decent compromise between those such as myself, and those who want to auto-lobby everything.

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With all the respect that many wants it dosent make you a big “majority” because you being vocal on the forums. Everyone that have no problem with this decision just sitting relaxed and waiting for wrath. With that said I understand you guys trying to do what you can do to make them change it. Also, Blizzard never read EU forums. Good luck anyway with wrath regardless what tool they end up using.

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What was the compromise?

If you don’t like Wrath of the Lich King, why play Wrath of the Lich King?

It’s obvious to me ‘they’ like some parts of Wotlk and dislike other parts of Wotlk, and are trying to get those disliked parts removed while retaining the things ‘they’ like. The thing is, everyone enjoyed different parts of the expansion. On what justifiable grounds do they get to decide this feature that other people enjoyed, gets removed?

There has been no official poll of sorts at all, it’s far from clear they are a majority that would justify this is what ‘the community’ wants.

No ‘research’ or other ‘grounds’ that offer transparency haven’t been released either, and if you’re going to remove parts of the game, you should at least be able to justify why and prove you got wide support.

There has been none, while the burden of proof should be on the side that wants the game feature removed.

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Hoping for that tool to work properly

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Who cares about being vocal. The only numbers we have are polls that state that RDF is wanted be the majority. Even if it was wrong, Blizzard is currently removing and remodeling the once faithfully recreated classic expansion, because an unknown number of players prefers the vanilla MMORPG socialization focus.

Why make changes without any background on what the community wants? If its not clear, what the players want, the recreation of each expansion should be as faithfully as possible. Why not remove deathknights and include transmog or borrowed powers in wotlk? There might have been a silent majority that wanted each of these change, but who cares about numbers, right? Removing RDF completely from wotlk with the reason, that “the classic community” wanted it, is unfounded on a similar level.

But you are right, Blizzard doesnt care about forums at all. They check their twitter here and there and think they got representative feedback.

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They invest money in something ppl will not use.

I think ppl have responded in many of the topics clearly, they want normal dungeon finder, be it from the start or since Ulduar or whenever.

How out of touch this compnay is, is beyond me.

6 Likes