I’m trying to understand something that’s been fairly confusing for me, and I think framing the question as an all or nothing approach will help make the discourse a little clearer and candid since everyone has a stake in the result versus saying what they think is good for someone else.
If you had to choose either solo queue in PvP and mythic+ OR solo queue being removed from the game, which would you prefer?
Removed from the game.
Unless you gave me some legally binding agreement m+ would receive no changes due to the change in audience caused by introduction of solo queue.
Are you referring to every existing single-queue option in the game when you say solo queue would be removed, or are you talking about a specific system?
When you mention “PVP and m+”, I’m assuming you’re referring to “Solo Shuffle and m+”, just because Solo Shuffle in my mind is the PVP-equivalent to a solo queue M+. But it could also be referring to any existing solo queue content like LFG, LFR, battlegrounds, etc.
Solo shuffle was one of the worst experiences I had as a healer in this game
There’s an argument to be made that every solo bracket should function like solo queue, so I would say all solo queue should be true solo queue if it’s widely implemented. Skirmishes, for example, will allow games to spawn if players aren’t there. This was fixed a long time ago in every other bracket, but it remains because that’s the way it was originally coded.
I don’t consider Blitz true solo queue, nor would I say it applies to BGs. Those are team queue systems and need to be handled a little differently.
As it exists today, my understanding of “this is solo queue” encompasses:
Team queue, in my mind, would be:
I think solo shuffle is pretty fun, but a solo m+ queue would most likely completely cannibalize lfg like it did with pvp
I don’t think it would, it’d more likely be ELO hell and lead to widespread dissatisfaction and sweeping nerfs.
PvE players don’t generally receive queued content they can fail very well.
I’d take solo queue for both pvp and m+.
Shuffle has been great. I can hop into a blitz or shuffle and have fun. But I’d just never use solo queue for m+.
I tank/heal in m+ and have zero issues getting groups quickly. Solo queue for m+ seems like it would just be all the dps who aren’t getting accepted to groups in LFG.
Well that’s the exact effect it had for rated PvP… Why would this be different?
A M+ queue system might take longer to put together assuming Blizzard took class utility into consideration. For example, some dungeons might have a disease that should be dispelled. Is this something a party can do without or should the system shoe-horn in a class capable of dispelling diseases?
With PVP it’s skill vs skill, so a bad group comp might still come out on top of a counter group comp. In PVE, it might be more punishing to miss a mechanic, especially if somebody isn’t specc’d for the utility the system is expecting them to have.
That is mostly what solo queue is in solo shuffle. The folks in LFG who have trouble finding healers because they’re mean to their healers like solo shuffle a lot. It puts the healer in a situation where they’re forced to heal someone that mistreats them. This is why healer participation in the bracket is so low, and why I personally do not queue the bracket regularly.
Three main reasons.
1: PvE players, especially those that use queues have generally been conditioned to not have to deal with failure. Meanwhile failure in PvP is something that comes with the territory, in order for one to win another must lose.
2: Desired roles in PvE don’t currently have any problems playing in a non queued system, and on average get higher quality groups by doing so.
3: The format of m+ does not fundamentally change whether it’s queued or formed, unlike solo shuffle which is a totally different format to 3v3 arenas. A format specifically designed around solo Q.
Whether a team has a mortal strike is a high probability determining factor for whether a solo queue match will result in a win or a loss. It’s not the only factor, but mortal strike is absolutely brutal to healers in dampening. It effectively forces the team without it to have to win one “go” sooner.
It’s a problem for both.
There are other examples. If your team has cc that overlaps in the same diminishing return category it can also be a substantial disadvantage. Healing boomkin/sp is not fun below r1, and even at r1 there’s a shadow priest that regularly fears warriors so the boomkin can’t get a full clone.
Or you’re a lock and find yourself in a double warrior lobby
You’re prob going 0-6
Assuming for a second that there would be no nerfs.
I think solo m+ queue would just die because people would simply use LFG.
I did say I’d be fine with solo Q m+ on the condition there was a legally binding agreement nothing changed about the format due to the new audience demographic.
It’d never happen, I’m well aware of that, but that’s what it’d take.
Rated pvp matches are short and you’re expected to run the same team for several matches and often it takes practice and communication.
People in LFG for arenas would drop group after a single mistake out of fear their rating would drop instead of putting in time and effort.
LFG m+ doesn’t punish you for failing a key in terms of rating and you can still finish for vault credit and end of dungeon rewards.
I don’t care about PvE but I enjoy the solo queue PvP options so I’d vote to ruin their M+ to keep what I enjoy
I have three characters who I’ve conquest capped in solo shuffle. I am not mistreated by my teammates.
Solo queue matches typically take between 15-20 minutes and can go as long as 25+ if all the matches go into dampening. I have had shorter key runs than solo shuffle queues. Apologies if this comes off argumentative, but I think this is an important misconception to correct. The idea that solo shuffle duration is equal to 3v3 single match duration is a common misconception that I want to make sure doesn’t work its way into the thread long-term.
I’m glad that your experience has been good. It can vary depending on what healer you queue. I’ve been told, on repeated occasions both in solo shuffle and blitz, that it would be better off if I never queued again because I’m a resto shaman and I “don’t belong here.”