Raid with the big boys

by Vladimir Cole { Oct 7th 2006 at 6:15PM }

One of the most jarring transitions for players of massively multiplayer games like World of Warcraft happens when newbies realize that pick-up groups won't help them acquire the game's phattest lewtz (see figure at right, arrayed in full epic gear). When this happens, newbies either: (a) whine about how unfair it all is or (b) shut up and join a guild.

Still, newbs could use a little help making the transition. Luckily, a do-gooding Paladin by the name of Coriel thought of that with his guides (part one, part two) to end-game raiding in WoW.

Good luck. Don't spend all your DKP on one drop.

[Via Joystiq's WoW Insider blog]

[Image source.]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

FSK405K @ Oct 7th 2006 6:44PM

Half an hour, no comments? Joystiqers aren't WoW?

Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Oct 7th 2006 6:44PM

[Insert attack on WoW and all of it's players here]

[Insert attack of Joystiq and "slow-news-days" here]

Hugh Jeffner @ Oct 7th 2006 7:22PM

They are all too busy raiding to comment. As much fun as it was, I had to quit WoW because raiding took up so much of my time.

Tukka @ Oct 7th 2006 7:57PM

Raiding has no appeal to me personally. I don't want to join the army and schedule my free time around a game. I understand that this appeals to (or is at least tolerated by) some people, and that's just fine. But for me, no thanks. If that makes me a whining newb, so be it.

I think it's poor game design to have the game change so radically once you hit a certain point, so late after you get into playing the game. You to play for a few months solo or in small, casual groups, until you reach a certain point ... when raiding becomes virtually mandatory to see any kind of appreciable improvement of your character. This sucks if you're like me, and don't enjoy raiding, because by that point you've already spent a considerable amount of time and energy developing your character, learning the game, etc. and it feels like a waste to just abandon it all and quit playing. Though that's ultimately what I decided to do.

I'm waiting for a decent MMO that has no raid content whatsoever. A game that's about 5-6 person groups at level 5 and is still about 5-6 person groups when you're level 70. Perhaps my wait will never end.

Anthony Damiani @ Oct 7th 2006 8:18PM

Or quit, we also quit.

AndrewNeo @ Oct 7th 2006 9:43PM

I was hoping for an article about RAID configurations with huge drives and stuff, but then again this is Joystiq.

Thain @ Oct 7th 2006 9:52PM

For me, the whole point of playing an RPG, whether MMO or not, is the fact that you get to ROLE PLAY. If, therefore, you are role-playing a solitary do-gooder (or ne'er-do-well), you should not be required to change that late in the game.

I'm still relatively new to WoW (and will probably stay that way. I'm using a trial account and really can't afford to pay for a subscription right now), but my style of gaming is to go around on my own doing quests. Occasionally, I will see a request for help from someone in the same area and I'll agree to help. Sometimes, I need the quest, too, but a lot of the time, I'm just along to help out someone else in need.

Occasionally the manageable quest options available to me are pretty slim, but I find that people I help are generally willing to help me in return, and that is the extent of our grouping. What more do you need?

I don't see it as being whiny to be upset about raids. It is not role-playing to suddenly require that a band of travelers/warriors/friends become an army of random people...it's just a shitty way to squeeze more "value-packed" play-time into the game.

Loque @ Oct 7th 2006 10:10PM

Well, if the game wasn't a solo fest until lvl 60, perhaps the claims wouldn't be so valid as they are.

I really REALLY hate world of warcraft. I do like that it singlehandedly soaked up all of the morons on the internet, however.

They stay away from EQ2, and that's all that matters to me :)

Not Impressed (Dmitri) @ Oct 7th 2006 10:20PM

Yea. Kus anyone willing to PAY for a game like EQ2. Can't be a complete moron.

Phil @ Oct 7th 2006 11:00PM

WoW was fun until past lvl 50, at which point it was no longer an RPG. It was just about getting some ring or some armor in an endless cycle of grinding (yeah doing nothing but raiding, rep farming, and BGs for rep is grinding). Just because other MMOs are even more boring doesn't make WoW past lvl 50 FUN. It's a chore.

AzaMcWazza @ Oct 8th 2006 7:11AM

Having to raid is bullshit. There needs to be high end loot obtainable through soloing. Even if it is harder or takes longer I don't care.

WoW becomes a grindfest at 60. That's better than games in the past there grinding started from level 1, but after hitting 60, well you're screwed.

60 Hunter.

syco @ Oct 8th 2006 7:11AM

? There's two IRL friends I do dungeons with, but that's with one charector. My other charectors I tend to do them with pick-up groups. I don't see what the issue is really, its' not like Random Bob Joe at the meeting stone is going to be any better at the game than Random Bob Joe Guildmember. The only purpose of guilds is to make the damn guild invites stop.

I'm kinda pissed you can't solo the whole game, but that's a topic for another day.

syco @ Oct 8th 2006 7:17AM

Also, whoever said "a few months" about hitting 60 must be playings some other game. I started playing a year ago, and my main is about to hit 500 hours.

She's level 48.

This game is absurdly long.

Hixx @ Oct 8th 2006 12:21PM

@11

Why should you be able to get items on par with people that spend hours just organising the raid, then actually raiding, then spending 100's of gold on repairs while learning new encounters, equalling LOTS of hours spent not even in an instance?

It's a MMORPG. Massive Multiplayer. If you want to solo, there are MUCH better games for you to do it in. Soloing in WoW is crap. Grab a friend to repgrind, goes by tons quicker.

It's all changing in TBC though. You want high end items? Look at the leaked stuff. Some of the level 62 blue quest rewards are better than tier 1.

klinko @ Oct 8th 2006 6:01PM

You don't need to be in a raiding guild to get good gear. I've almost gotten my full teir 1 and ZG sets (no AQ20 gear, i hate AQ20) from PUGs, and not the crappy ones where you have to pay far out the ass either. I haven't gone to one yet, but I know there are even successful PUG BWLs on my server, although i believe some items must be bought. Now, if I want the cutting edge gear from NAXX or AQ40 anytime soon, then yeah I need to join a guild. As for those who want to get top end gear without the hassle of raiding, hit AV and get your epic PVP gear. And if that doesn't suit you, then why the hell are you playing WoW in the first place?