The jump from Normal to LFR might seem like a big step, but there will be a lot of time in s4 and I promise you it wont take nearly as much effort as it seems to get into Normals.
Normal raids are pretty much the starting point for a good majority of people. I know tons of people who omit LFR completely and just join Normal groups. A lot of groups are very understanding of this fact as well, you wont need any “prog” or previous bosses cleared to get into normal groups. Just don’t be an extremely extremely low ilvl.
Performance in Normals do not have to be optimal. Normal mechanics can be understood from the dungeon journal or a 5 minute youtube video. The time it takes for you to queue LFR (esp as a DPS) is about the equivalent to the time it takes to understand an LFR fight. And this is assuming you dont have people in your group who are willing to take the time to help, which brings me to my next point.
Just ask for help if you dont understand something in a Normal raid. With the popularity of the slime cat, there will be tons of new people coming to normal (a good thing). People who are out there looking for optimal gameplay and parses will already have their guilds/groups and be doing heroic/mythic. “tryhard” players join normal with the expectation that there will be some first timers or some janky moments. Do not be afraid to just check. You can even just find someone with high ilvl or heroic prog in your group and whisper them. Its happened to me before and I’ve always been happy to help out.
Use this opportunity to see what non queue based raiding is like. Trust me, there is a charm to flying to the raid, asking for a sum, getting food and buffs and even a bit of pre-pull chat. I promise you if you enter with an open mind, even someone who has done LFR their WHOLE LIFE will enjoy and do perfectly fine in normal.
WoW is an MMO, there is always going to be content locked behind a social aspect of the game. It was bound to happen at one point that LFR does not get something that normals and above have. That’s the nature of playing an MMO, its like games like FFXIV as well.
More people in Normals is extremely healthy for the game. The miniscule modicum of optimization you “have” to do by queuing for Normals involves stuff that most people should already be doing if your doing group content. Assuming everyone wants to be better in order to help others progress through content, getting more people to jump from LFR to Normal will overall improve community health across the game.
So please, relax guys, if you do want the Slimecat, I guarantee you that you wont need to change your whole lifestyle to jump from LFR to Normal. This is a good thing and there is no need for doomsaying.
I’ll also be running friendship groups for those that can’t do the raids. My guild is more than competent to carry 5-10 players through normal.
I know many other guilds are doing the same thing. It’s through stuff like this where the MMO aspect of wow really comes alive. Just a bit of friction is all it takes.
There are, allegedly, some people who’s work schedules are so inconsistent they say they can’t actually get the times to do normal with a guild or pugs simply aren’t active during their free times
Its the toxic meta minded gate keeping community, now in order to get the mount I either have to somehow get my ilvl to 20 above normal fated to get into pugs AND play a meta spec, or find the unicorn guild that isnt a clique or actually needs raiders.
And to those saying Blizzard is horrible with communication and should honor what was initially told to everyone that ANY raid should give the mount, I believe you. As an interesting tangential note, Overwatch screwed up and admitted when they were wrong in setting expectations and they did the right thing:
You must be clueless when it comes to responsibilities in life. Being married with kids, 44hr work weeks and the responsibility of maintaining a house.
When i do get a chance to get my me time. Trust me im rading. Thats why lfr was godsent for me.
Four months for people who don’t have the time due to life and obligations is not long.
Source?
And yet groups ask for AOTC and other nonsensical things, or refuse to join a group started by someone who doesn’t have these.
I’m not sure what this has to do with people who don’t have the time nor “requirements” to do Normal. Or the myriad of other reasons why they can’t.
People that queue know what it’s like. Queueing is much easier for them and fits with their style and time limits of gameplay.
I find it hilarious that people think there’s zero communication in LFR and that it’s somehow not social.
Please show me how season 4 doesn’t have rewards for the higher difficulties or how AOTC or the Mythic mount don’t exist.
Source? Why do you care how others play the game? How does it affect you that people can only do queued content for a myriad of reasons? Why is that somehow “unhealthy???”
I don’t know, Ive yet to encounter this meta toxic gate keeping community in normal raid, maybe a bit in heroic and some in mythic raid but not to the extent that people are saying. If you encounter them, then ignore and try again. We believe in you guys, or just make a forum post and build a team, or just message one of the many people that said they would help.
I think that people just don’t want to have to deal with organizing a raid and dealing with people, this is due to the toxicity that is perceived within this organized content, especially in the most “accessible” of them, the M+.
And I understand, I have no intention of getting that cat out if it doesn’t appear in LFR, the difference between me and those who complain is that I don’t give a about getting the mount, I’m pretty much disconnected and burned out of the reward system of the game to the point that I don’t care and I practically don’t play it.
Amidst all the upset people, and the people poking the upset people, it really is heartening to see quite a few posts like this from people. Encouraging, offering to help. It’s lovely. Good on you, kind folk!
You can’t really use positivity as some sort of tidal wave to snuff out logic. I work nights, there’s no raids during the day. Should I just believe I can when in reality it’s impossible?
about getting the mount, I’m pretty much disconnected and burned out of the reward system of the game to the point that I don’t care and I practically don’t play it.