Yeh I can see abuse potential in group situations, for sure.
Starting with solo instances like solo torghast, for instance, could be a good start.
This would be a good idea, if it was ever rolled out to 5-man cooperative content. As long as randoms aren’t thrown together by a queue, I would imagine most M+ or torghast groups would be fine with this, with he protection of group override or something.
Pause function is get out of combat and out of the way of patrolling things.
Outside a couple MoP scenarios, or Torghast, I don’t see where you’d be able to make much use of a pause button that was any better than just not being in a fight.
Any grouped content whatsoever should not have a pause button or it will be abused to all hell.
An example, I was in a M+ and all of a sudden the tank stopped playing, mid-pull, we all died.
He was a guildie, came back onto discord and explained - sorry my 6 yo suddenly ran screaming into the room (it was late at night). Obviously he did the right thing and comforted the child.
A pause button could have meant we didn’t all die as a result.
Im thinking much more small scale. Pause buttons exist in pretty much any single player action game. The situation you describe just doesn’t happen. I don’t pause Street Fighter or Mario Kart o make strategic decisions, I pause it because RL thing happens that needs attention right now.
That would happen. Realistically, you’d see groups getting paused because people are fighting, or something needs to get marked or explained. Basically the flow of the dungeon or raid or M+ would get completely ruined, and usually I doubt the reasons for doing so would be very good.
This doesn’t mean that a pause feature wouldn’t have its uses, so it’s an interesting conversation either way.
I’ve never done it either, I may as well use a cheat code if I’m going to BS the game like that I personally wouldn’t get any satisfaction out of doing something like that. Yeah I beat this boss and only had to pause it 67 times The only time I personally use pause is in situations like you mention where I have to pee and I’m in an area with patrolling mobs like a skyrim cave.
In a game like wow though where people min/max obsessively pause will absolutely be abused.
I think if it was even kept to solo instanced content, it’d be a huge help. There will always be times when you don’t have time to afk safely, so everyone would benefit.
For some people it could mean the difference between being able to access the content or not.
One major example is twisting corridors. Chances of getting 1 hour uninterrupted for M+ is way higher than the 2-3hrs solo TC can take. If you get IBS or chronic pain or even a baby napping that will probably stay asleep but maybe not, there’s a good chance you aren’t going to even bother going in there.
A pause button would mean that stepping away from the computer at zero notice is actually an option.
you cant pause the internet because the internet is perpetually in motion only someone like Lord Illidon could perform that kind of miracle and hes busy playing jailer
It would be great for soloing instanced content, especially if you need to log out, and instead of being at the beginning of the instance when you re-log, you’d be at the same place you logged off.
I personally wouldn’t get any satisfaction out of doing something like that. Yeah I beat this boss and only had to pause it 67 times 
The only time I personally use pause is in situations like you mention where I have to pee and I’m in an area with patrolling mobs like a skyrim cave.