M+ Reflections & Potential Solutions

[Zonq-bleeding-hollow]

I’ve been invested in this game since release, and have since left & returned many times… My reflections on the game state, and different systems in place isn’t perfect, but I felt compelled to make this post.

I’ve hard core raided, and hard core PvP’d at times, and have recently quite enjoyed the M+ system, it’s a brilliant way to add variance and fun to a content that historically goes stale. Throughout the community, and in the forums you can very clearly see the sentiment - both positive and negative here on this system. I don’t view the latest changes as a fantastic solution for any of the systems, and I hope something akin to the following can be considered (Please provide feedback, criticisms, etc. to make this as best as it could be).

Current Raid gearing allows for complete fluidity between other systems (PvP/M+), whereas alternative gearing paths are rigid and reductive, even in their specific content. I believe you can minimize the impact of PvP/M+ in the Raiding environment without removing the viability of such content within their own silos.

Suggestion:
Keep raid gearing as it is, all good here - do whatever else you’d prefer as well…
Have M+ afford a floating ilvl above it’s current limit, within just it’s content (M+). Also, this portion could scale above the +15 cap that exists, and only be rewarded for really difficult keys. This is specific to boss/end of event drops, and would look something like:
Raid: Maximally: 226 / 233
M+: 213 ( up to +13 ilvl for m+ only), If this is raided or PvP in, it is reflected as simply 213…

Now, M+ can be spammed in a way that Raid cannot. Loot chance diminishing returns could be applied that reset weekly. You would be rewarded for engagement in a diminishing return, but you would at least potentially be working towards a valuable reward.

You could stagger the release of this, the same way that m+ / raid tiers are released as-is. If the intent is to keep raid gear supreme in all content, it still would be (for those that are successful in securing the 233 loot), and you could even stagger the system-specific gear scaling to later in the tier, to keep the raid drops more-supreme longer (read: closing the gear-gap in m+ key pushing from raid-> m+ would be later in the tier).

Let me know your thoughts, and I’ll try to stay engaged here as I can.

Have a great Friday everyone.

[Davdh-zuljin]

I like the gearing idea, but I’d want to work in the opposite way. All gear would have the same caps (same ilvl from mythic raiding and a +20), but it’s scaled down when in content outside of its source.

That way each gearing path is most likely the strongest in its source. That being said, being scaled up feels better than being scaled down.

[Pandar-firetree]

That’s an interesting idea as well! With this, you would “Feel” more powerful when idling (until you stepped into raid w/ m+ gear)

I like to keep the idea of raid gear dominant in all content, because that seems to be the ideation of blizzard’s development.

So, it feels like that gear should never scale - it would just stay dominant in all formats. The other gear, however, would compete in it’s own silos (I am aware of the PvP changes to date, and support the idea of the Dev team trying to make improvements).

[Sackalack-illidan]

The same could be accomplished through set bonuses. If there was a 8 set combo that focused on m+ specific utility (such as interrupts [20% CDR] , pull sizes [Your skills hit 1 more target or when surrounded by 4 enemies, you get a small absorb]).

[Pandar-firetree]

Absolutely love this idea as well, just trying to frame some potential solutions. Hopefully devs are observing and open minded

[Aewendil-caelestrasz (Aewendil)]

Dungeon Sets: A solution to the M+/Raid Gearing issue

It’s clear that Blizzard doesn’t want people to be able to gear up too quickly for raiding by way of M+, which is why they’ve reduced the ilvl of M+ gear in Shadowlands. However, this change unnecessarily punishes people who prefer M+ as their primary content – it essentially pushes them into raiding for gear. My solution is an old one, but it’s one that definitely deserves another look now that dungeon gear scales with difficulty – and that is dungeon sets. Dungeon sets have been done before,…

[Pandar-firetree]

The idea is that this has nothing to do with the raid speed or timing. That is specifically why I/we posed these potential solutions here.

That said, I think your main intention is mostly adding levity to dungeon sets, which I would be highly supportive of as well.

I firmly believe that there are solutions to this, that keeps engagement incentive for those semi non-interested in raid, that also do not in any way punish raid timing, viability, or competition.

Floating ilvl / dungeon sets aside, I believe diminishing returns / loot caps for the week (that reset w/ the week) could be a fantastic way of limiting the unlimited gearing potential as well (which I hear as a main “criticism” of why m+ should never offer decent rewards).

I personally would prefer less of a chance (loot DR) at loot that is impactful (content +ilvl, or dungeon set - something that feels good to wear) to at least the content that I enjoy (say, m+ here), than I would receiving nearly guaranteed loot that is virtually meaningless. It feels like this is community sentiment as well.