This isn’t a post about how to complete the event, that is easy; the frustration here is about the sheer time it consumes, especially for transmog runners. Right now, I’m trying to collect four Helms of the Fallen Defender from the final boss, along with a few other pieces from Netherspite and Opera. Last week, I ran Karazhan 38 times, and the Chess event has been a significant drag on the process. It’s the only part of the run that feels like a forced slowdown, especially when you no longer need anything from it.
Suggestions for Quality of Life Improvements:
- Skip Option: This would be the ultimate solution for transmog farmers. If we don’t need loot from the Chess event, we could have an option to bypass it altogether, like the skip options introduced in other raid instances. This would be a huge time-saver and would be especially appreciated by those running Karazhan multiple times in a single week.
- Buff the Pieces: For those who do still want to engage with the event, Blizzard could consider adding a buff that either increases the damage output or health of the player-controlled pieces. That way, the event could be completed significantly faster without the drawn-out back-and-forth of the standard gameplay. This would still give the feel of the original event but at a more reasonable pace for farming.
- Reduce the Cooldown on Controlling Pieces: Another alternative would be reducing or removing the cooldown for moving between pieces. This would allow for much faster maneuvering and strategy adjustments, letting players engage in a more streamlined and efficient way.
- Flexible Scaling: Introducing a difficulty toggle that adjusts based on the player’s gear level or an option for overpowered solo players would speed up the event while keeping the mechanics intact.
Each of these solutions could go a long way in making the Chess event less of a slog and more in line with the time efficiency needed for dedicated transmog runs. Right now, the Chess event feels like a relic from another era of gameplay, one that could really benefit from a modernized approach to accommodate today’s play styles.
Now about the Helm of the Fallen Defender, in 38 runs I haven’t seen a single one. I’ve gotten all 6 of the Fallen Champion and Fallen Hero Helm tokens, but haven’t seen a single Fallen defender. I don’t know if the drops are bugged or I’m just that unlucky, but in 114 loot rolls (38 runs * 3 item drops), not seeing a single one is kind of wild. The two that I had for my priest transmog, were from a long time ago. Maybe it’s just really bad luck, but I saw 3 bindings of the windseeker last week and not a single Helm of the Fallen Defender.
Edit: I just timed the chess event. 8 minutes for a single run, over 38 runs that 304 minutes or 5 hours of just chess.