I’ve reached 2500 Rio and don’t know what to do next. I only started playing WoW seriously in TWW, though I had some experience in 2020, but that’s it. I want to describe my experience as more of a beginner and share what I don’t like. To clarify, I got almost 2500 Rio playing a Paladin tank, which is currently far from meta and incredibly weak, but the journey I had to go through was awful. I find the game and specifically Mythic+ very engaging, so I want to provide feedback in hopes of some improvement in the future.
1. Group Finder
I’ve already seen many threads and discussions on this topic, but I still want to add my thoughts. Yes, the system is terrible. It’s extremely harsh on players who didn’t start progressing quickly from the beginning, especially if they’re playing a non-meta class. There’s constant Rio inflation, and if you’re an average player, there’s always a dozen candidates better than you. This means there’s no point in picking you, even if you’ve completed the required key in time. This forced me to switch from DPS to Tank, which I don’t regret, as it turned out to be exciting, but even on a non-meta tank, I suffer because people are waiting for someone more “appealing” than me. Sometimes, I’m not even invited to a +10 key that I’ve already completed because they’ve picked a Warrior or Druid tank instead. I end up spending a lot of time looking for a group, which feels like a complete waste of time, and then, after a small mistake, the entire group is ready to press the “Leave Group” button.
I’ve seen many responses in other threads like “push your own key,” but there’s no logic to that. If everyone starts their own key, no one will be able to assemble a group. Plus, at the start of my journey, I had no idea who to pick and who not to. I tried picking people intuitively, but after my key was downgraded three times in a row, I realized that wasn’t a viable approach. And if you need a specific dungeon, and usually there are several, you can only get into one if you’re really lucky.
Suggestion: Create a proper group finder, auto-matching, or similar systems. These have already been invented in literally every game.
2. Key System
Why do we need specific keys at specific levels? Why can’t I just, like in raids or delves, choose what I need and run it? There may be an obvious answer, but to me, it seems like an unnecessary obstacle. It feels like an artificial barrier in an already challenging activity.
Keys also downgrade and reduce their level, which is an inexplicable mechanic to me. Let me share an example from my experience. I have completed dungeon at +9, and I had a +10 key for the same dungeon to increase rio. I put together a good group, and we were doing fine. Then one of the DPS got bored because I wasn’t pulling five packs at once like Warriors or Druids usually do, but instead pulled more carefully. He independently pulled extra packs, the whole group wiped because I couldn’t take aggro in a second, and then he left. Now I have a +9 key for a dungeon I don’t need at all. If I spend time completing it, I’ll just get another +10. In moments like these, my motivation to play drops to zero. I’m doing everything right, someone else leaves, but my key is the one that’s downgraded. Sorry, but this makes no sense at all.
Suggestion: Completely remove keys, remove key downgrades, introduce penalties for premature exits, or increase rewards for completing a dungeon not in time. Any of these would significantly improve player behavior.
3. Loot
I’m an adult, with a family and a job. I can find time for a couple of keys, but raiding 3 times a week for hours, making hundreds of pulls on difficult bosses, is unrealistic for me. At the same time, I have no chance of getting the same loot as those who can raid (excluding the weekly rewards, but that’s too slow). Again, I wonder, why is that? In my opinion, doing high-level keys is harder than raiding, so why is there a drop limitation in dungeons, and why is it so low—613 item level in a +10 key, while I struggle to tank at 621 item level? I’m basically fully geared, all I need now is to farm crests, but the loot itself makes no sense. Once I upgrade all my gear to the max level, I’ll still be behind those who have been raiding and getting the best gear all this time.
Suggestion: Open access to top-level loot in high keys. It can be limited, for example, 1-2 pieces per week, so it doesn’t give a huge advantage over raiding.
