So as im sure i probs wont play much wotlk due to the changes i’ll be honest here.
I played a pserver (warmane) and it had RDF enabled.
Something i enjoyed doing was logging in, queueing up in RDF (i was a resto shaman so maybe slight advantage but i also ticked dps option).
Then i’d go work on professions either crafting, farming mats or using the AH to buy/sell - all of that increases the overall sense of the world within the server.
Or i’d go to wintergrasp and farm the elementals (and the horde, usually badly) again being out in the open world engaging with players and activities.
Or i’d go quest and usually bump into a few players, maybe go help some lowbies stuck on a difficult elite, or go check out the Ampitheater of Anguish and offer a hand - again being in the open world and engaging with players.
The when the RDF pops, i’d go run the dungeon, check who is in the group, did i recognise any names? At the end I’d ask if anyone wants to queue again, then maybe a few of us would and we’d run another. Then maybe another dungeon, those players are the players i remember, that social experience of chaining several dungeons with the same folks - all thanks to RDF - and all the time in the queue i’m doing other things with other folks - bonus social experiences.
BLIZZARD just add the RDF - remove teleport and make it realm/server specific (expect for connect realms which im sure will happen but then they act as 1 anyways)
I had so much fun with RDF back in the day, I must admit I mostly used it with friends, and we would normaly spend the evening doing most dungeons and chatting. So easy to find groups if you missed 1 or even 4 players when playing with randoms I also often asked if they wanted to do one more when we finished, it was a nice way to be social in the game. I played as a feral tank back then, and arranged raids for naxx and icc, was my best time in wow =) I only got to try a tiny bit of ulduar and some toc, so was hoping this time around I could relive the good old days, and maybe finish all of the raids was looking forward to gearing up with rdf this time, and then hop in to raiding, but now I guess I need to find a community that fits with my playstyle and schedule well I hope for the best! Still wishing they will turn around and implement rdf at some point ^^ winter is coming guys =)
No RDF is gonna make farming Emblems and pre-raid gearing after the first few weeks miserable.
I won’t believe Blizzard is not including it to “preserve the social aspects” as they never really cared about that and spamming /4 with a macro has nothing social in it. Probably just saving money on development and server costs.
There’s an daily dungeon quest that you can run for emblems, basically was the rdf bonus before it was a thing. However I would still prefer rdf but it won’t be as bad as you think
I just want to point out that what OP is describing you will able to do in wotlk Classic. Especially as a resto shaman. Just pick the dungeons you want in the group finder and wait for an invite. You will probably get a summon to.
Well if that’s the case what’s the point of removing RDF?
If all I’m going to do is put myself in the lfg list and wait for an invite and even more a summons, how is that somehow protecting this unicorn social experience they’ve decided is the new USP ?
I would be more than happy to remove the teleport (summons) and keep it per server. So I’d say it’s less damaging than what you propose.
When RDF got added the daily was removed and just applied to the first random dungeon you did every day for the exact same effect. Nothing was really changed there.
While the rewards are the same, the RDF solution is vastly superior. Reason is, when there is only one specific dungeon quest a day, all geared players will do only this dungeon. With the RDF reward, the low geared players doing dungeons for gear and the good geared players looking for the daily reward get mixed much better. This way the group building for any other dungeon will be faster and the success rate for all dungeons, that are not the daily dungeon, will go up. Mixing players, letting inexperienced and experienced players play together without gatekeeping, is one big strength of the RDF.
Sure if u look at it from down below in the mud where you are a horrible player that doesn’t like being good or even try to be an effective party member then YES this is very good.
For all the other players? No just bad and discouraging.
No offense, but do you really think every new player/twink that still needs 5man content, when most others dont, is like “below mud horrible player that doesnt want or try to be good”?
Its understandable that you personally dont ever want to carry someone, but you can still from premade groups, since there are many people like you, that feel like better human beings for having more gear and dont want to play with those low geared players, which they think are unworthy to play with them. It will be even easier to filter out those low geared players, that are in LFG chat right now, because those “below in the mud” players will prefer using the RDF, since players like yourself will never invite them anyway.
But about the attitude of such players. Let me not give examples as that only inspires people to come at me for feeling offended, but we all know how irritating it is to be held hostage with a 30min debuff timer when these players refuse to be of help to the party.
Did it ever occur to you to you know, help them? Talk to them, ask them how they’re finding the class, do they understand the abilities? Have they played much before, do they know the instance?
I mean thats the start of a conversation - the very thing they want to nurture and protect conversation leads to social experiences. That player you help could end up really finding themselves with their character and read up more outside of the game and in a few months be amazing at what they do - all because you gave them a positive social experience.
But it sounds like you dont care about social experiences, you just hate RDF and will blame the downfall of humanity on it, just because its the sheep thing to do.
Do I need to tell you my positive experienced thoughout classic to you to win an argument about rdf? NO I just use facts to prove that rdf is bad for classic wow.
Ofcourse u will never agree with what I have to say, but atleast I know I’m atleast on the right track using facts instead of emotions. So there is that.
All you do is implying that a significant number of players, that want to use RDF, will suddenly behave like the worst scum in a dungeon and will refuse to press any buttons. Of course there will always be players like that, even now (like afking most of the dungeon), but these are rare.
If they do so in a manually made group, they will be kicked. If they do that in an automated made group, they will be kicked, too. There is no profit in being as toxic as you describe. That players will change their attitude into being toxic to the max, just because of how the group is formed, is not a fact, but a baseless assumption.
For an automated system I require more control to determine my actions and not be held hostage by this lacking system, it is like having a 3 year old be the judge. The restrictions on kicking becuase of mis use. the rfd system is too flawed for the use in a mmorpg it is against everything classic stands for.
when playing with randoms I also often asked if they wanted to do one more when we finished, it was a nice way to be social in the game. I played as a feral tank back then, and arranged raids for naxx and icc, was my best time in wow =) I only got to try a tiny bit of ulduar and some toc, so was hoping this time around I could relive the good old days, and maybe finish all of the raids 
well I hope for the best! Still wishing they will turn around and implement rdf at some point ^^ winter is coming guys =)