A M+ Matchmaking system (i.e. a Queue) could work alongside the current premade LFG tool quite easily.
Like it or not, there is a large portion of the playerbase who want/enjoy the ability to solo Queue for content… be it all the time, or just some of the time. I fall into the “some of the time” category.
I raid with my Guild, I do keys with my guid, but I also have a lot of spare time during off-peak hours (mainly work nights) where if I want to play WOW I just want to hop into a Queue and have some fun… that used to be LFD, LFR or even BG’s in days gone by, but the loot system today very quickly kills queueable content.
The Gear from queueable content, be it Unrated PvP, N/H (even M0) Dungeons and LFR are all outscaled by WQ and Mission table loot for anyone who’s done their Covenant Campaign… even normal Raid gear is barely worth the effort.
The end result, is players who like to run Queueable content quickly run out of things to do because there is zero gear progression for them after only a few weeks into the Season. We can harp on all we like about them “Joining guilds” but people will play how they want. Then you have players like me, who do run with a Guild but also enjoy Alts during off-peak hours and just want Queue for something to do instead of playing the LFG UI.
The reality is, low level keys have basically replaced Heroic Dungeons for low level gearing of alts/casual players, but removed the QOL of being able to Queue which has put a lot of players off. PvP players I believe have the same complains about requiring premades for Rated and getting stuck at 200 ilvl.
Personally, I’d like to see the following:
Badge Gear added to Heroic Dungeons as a means of spammable catchup. Similar to PvP Honor vendors. Purchasable gear that can be upgraded over time to a certain cap.
M+0 is Queueable, rewards Valor for upgrades and introduces the seasonal Affix.
M+ Keys get squished back down where +10 is the same as a current +15
Affixes added at +1, +5, +10
Scale Valor with Key level and increase Valor upgrade cap for completing all dungeons at each key level up to ilvl 226 for KSM
I’m not sure where LFR fits in the above. It’s basically dead content to me these days because the rewards are just not worth the effort. Personally, I think the ilvl scaling is just absurd these days, but perhaps allow LFR drops to upgraded over time to a Cap of 200 with Valor?
Basically, what I’d like to see happen is the for players who push the hardest content (be that M+, M Raid or Rated PvP) they get the best rewards as drops while players doing easier, queueable content have the opportunity to upgrade their gear overtime to give some replayability to their chosen content. I’m not advocating for LFR players to be able to upgrade to Mythic Raid gear over the duration of a Season, but if “casual” players had an Ilvl cap of say 210 via upgrades it would hardly break the game… especially if the scaling is done right so that by the time they achieve 210 from nothing but Valor farming, the rest of us are in 220+ from Keys etc.
Another major change I want to see is the Weekly vault. It blows my mind how I can clear Heroic CN and most likely all 3 choices will be 213 while the +10 I just Pug healed with 4 people who didn’t speak English will be giving me 223 gear.
The Weekly Vault Raid needs a buff IMO. I’d like to see something along the lines of Clearing the Raid buffs your Vault options to the higher ilvl of the last bosses. i.e. 220 for Heroic.
Wall of txt I know, and there’s been so many edits while typing I hope it all makes sense. But I, like many other players, are tired of the lack of matchmaking queues for easy content… especially late in the Season.
In terms of a match-making system for high keys… I don’t care either way because I wont use it. So since it doesn’t effect me personally, I have no real reason to oppose it.