Patch 1.2 arrived today bringing with it quite a few goodies. First off I have to say I'm pleased with the pace at which Trion is adding content to their game. They only have a fraction of the resources available to Blizzard yet put out quality updates 3-4 times faster. If they can keep it up they'll easily stay ahead of my rather slow pace of content consumption, something Blizzard was sadly never able to do. Even after taking a break from WoW for over a year after the release of Wrath I "finished" the expansion before Cataclysm released. Twice. I'm getting distracted though, back to patch 1.2.
The main features I'm interested in from this patch are the new looking for group tool and the crafting rifts. I'll my characters craft, so the crafting rifts sound very useful. Hopefully I'll have a chance to check one out tonight. We'll see. The looking for group tool also sounds promising, I especially like that it's not cross-server like WoW's. Yes, that does suggest that queue times will be longer, but roles are so easy to fill in Rift that I won't be too shocked if they're relatively quick. When forming a group I've most commonly had to wait on filling up all 3 DPS slots rather than the single tank or healer. When almost anyone can tank or heal it's much easier to fill that role. I dislike that you get teleported to the dungeon just like WoW, but then that already happens as soon as any group member enters so I suppose it's not really anything new.
I haven't tried it yet, as my workday isn't over, but I hope to see the new features tonight and have a more defined opinion tomorrow.
Well, I tested the LFG tool yesterday. Aparently there are some bugs, I hope they get fixed soon. For a pre-build group, the LFG tool is not working for invite a random new player. And sometimes the LFG tool say you aren't geared for a dungeon.
ReplyDeleteAfter complete the first expert dungeon yesterday (a pre-made group), I used the LFG tool for find othar group. I get a new group fast (lower than 1 minute) but it is possible servers with lower population the wait time be longer. Too I used my chloro build, that the LFG tool mark as dps/healer/support, while my elementalist and my necro are marked only as dps. So, I think the build you use can make the wait for a group faster.
The expert dungeons are easier now. It is easier kill the mobs and bosses and it is faster to complete them. However, wipes continue to happen. I had one wipe with the pre-made group and 5-6 wipes with the LFG tool group. IMHO, the bosses can be easier now, the dungeons can be faster, but if you aren't carefull and don't know what you are doing wipes will happen. I think the wipe with the pre-made group happened because we get over confident.
However, the wipes with teh LFG tool's group were caused because we had a group that was new to that dungeon. I was the only one that made that expert one before and I had to explain to our tank what he had to do.
In general, I think that:
1- faster expert dungeons will be better for casual players, because the players will complete them faster (yesterday I completed 2 expert dungeons, normally one night I can complete only one);
2- LFG tool is a mixed blessing, you don't have total control to who you will group (well, the tool excludes players you have at the ignore list, but if not at the ignore list it is free for all), it make faster create groups and give greater chances to players that are new to grouping and expert dungeons (the players that are normally invited to an expert dungeon group because they have a fame to be good players have the same chance than players new to the game... and that is give better chances to the new players);
3- take note a player can end at the ignore list not only for be bad at a dungeon, but for things as use "need" when it is better use "greed" and otehr bad behaviors;
3- for the reason I exposed at #2 and #3, I hope the LFG tool will make the community be better: the really bad players (at the ignore list) will be excluded and the new players (the n00bs)will have a better chance to do the expert dungeons and learn how to complete them.
João Carlos