World of Warcraft: Current Year

Khane

Got something right about marriage
20,890
14,718
Changes to Mythic+. Some of the changes are OK (no more depleted keys) but mostly they are showing they are still clueless. People don't do lower level runs for extra chest loot. They do it because it's a faster way to grind AP. And the extra chest AP was laughably low.

We’ve been thrilled to see how positively players have responded to Mythic Keystone dungeons since Legion’s release. However, there are a couple areas in which our original design for the system hasn’t quite matched up with how things have worked out in practice. In an upcoming 7.2.5 PTR build, we’re going to try out a couple of changes to how Keystone runs work.

The first big change is that we’re getting rid of the depletion mechanic. We’d originally imagined that getting ahold of a Keystone would be more of a barrier than it is, but in reality, there are so many players participating that it’s generally not too difficult to find someone with a Keystone you’d like to run. In that environment, depleting a Keystone is more of an annoyance than anything else – especially when it happens for reasons outside of your control (such as a player disconnecting).

Instead, we’re going to try the following:
  • Completing the run on time will have the same results it currently does in 7.2: you’ll get a new Keystone for a random dungeon that’s 1-3 levels higher than the one you just completed, based on how quickly you finished.
  • If you complete the dungeon but don’t make the timer, you’ll get a Keystone for a random dungeon that’s 1 level lower than the one you just used.
  • If you don’t complete the dungeon at all, you’ll have a Keystone for the same dungeon that’s one level lower than the one you just used.

The other thing we’re looking to change is the way that rewards are given at the end of a run. Currently, when you complete a run that upgrades your Keystone by 2 or 3 levels, you’re also given a 2nd or 3rd chest. This is because, when we believed that Keystones would be rare, we didn’t want you to miss out on any of the loot you might have collected from the runs you were “skipping.”

However, because of this, players tend to look for lower-level Keystones that they can easily stomp through, instead of higher-level Keystones that are appropriately challenging for their gear and skill. That, in turn, affects who they’re willing to invite. AOE damage output is preferred over everything else, because the only concern is how quickly you can clear through easy trash packs. And gear requirements tend to outpace what actually drops: if you could find upgrades in a Mythic 6, you’ll have a hard time finding a group, because the Mythic 6 groups are full of players who are capable of clearing 10+ and are just looking for an easy 3-chest.

With that in mind, here’s the changes we’re planning to test:
  • You no longer receive additional chests at the end of a run for completing it quickly.
  • When you finish a Mythic+ dungeon, the chest at the end will contain two items and an appropriate amount of Artifact Power.
  • If you beat the timer, regardless of how quickly, there will be a third item in the chest.
  • Keystones can still upgrade by 2 or 3 steps, so you can quickly get to a difficulty level appropriate for you.

Our overall goal with these changes is to incentivize groups to take on dungeons where they know they’re likely to see upgrades, instead of preferring keys that are far too easy for them. Once the Tomb of Sargeras raid is available on Mythic difficulty, we’ll also increase the maximum rewards from Mythic Keystone runs to level 15.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,647
16,701
Changes to Mythic+. Some of the changes are OK (no more depleted keys) but mostly they are showing they are still clueless. People don't do lower level runs for extra chest loot. They do it because it's a faster way to grind AP. And the extra chest AP was laughably low.

We’ve been thrilled to see how positively players have responded to Mythic Keystone dungeons since Legion’s release. However, there are a couple areas in which our original design for the system hasn’t quite matched up with how things have worked out in practice. In an upcoming 7.2.5 PTR build, we’re going to try out a couple of changes to how Keystone runs work.

The first big change is that we’re getting rid of the depletion mechanic. We’d originally imagined that getting ahold of a Keystone would be more of a barrier than it is, but in reality, there are so many players participating that it’s generally not too difficult to find someone with a Keystone you’d like to run. In that environment, depleting a Keystone is more of an annoyance than anything else – especially when it happens for reasons outside of your control (such as a player disconnecting).

Instead, we’re going to try the following:
  • Completing the run on time will have the same results it currently does in 7.2: you’ll get a new Keystone for a random dungeon that’s 1-3 levels higher than the one you just completed, based on how quickly you finished.
  • If you complete the dungeon but don’t make the timer, you’ll get a Keystone for a random dungeon that’s 1 level lower than the one you just used.
  • If you don’t complete the dungeon at all, you’ll have a Keystone for the same dungeon that’s one level lower than the one you just used.

The other thing we’re looking to change is the way that rewards are given at the end of a run. Currently, when you complete a run that upgrades your Keystone by 2 or 3 levels, you’re also given a 2nd or 3rd chest. This is because, when we believed that Keystones would be rare, we didn’t want you to miss out on any of the loot you might have collected from the runs you were “skipping.”

However, because of this, players tend to look for lower-level Keystones that they can easily stomp through, instead of higher-level Keystones that are appropriately challenging for their gear and skill. That, in turn, affects who they’re willing to invite. AOE damage output is preferred over everything else, because the only concern is how quickly you can clear through easy trash packs. And gear requirements tend to outpace what actually drops: if you could find upgrades in a Mythic 6, you’ll have a hard time finding a group, because the Mythic 6 groups are full of players who are capable of clearing 10+ and are just looking for an easy 3-chest.

With that in mind, here’s the changes we’re planning to test:
  • You no longer receive additional chests at the end of a run for completing it quickly.
  • When you finish a Mythic+ dungeon, the chest at the end will contain two items and an appropriate amount of Artifact Power.
  • If you beat the timer, regardless of how quickly, there will be a third item in the chest.
  • Keystones can still upgrade by 2 or 3 steps, so you can quickly get to a difficulty level appropriate for you.

Our overall goal with these changes is to incentivize groups to take on dungeons where they know they’re likely to see upgrades, instead of preferring keys that are far too easy for them. Once the Tomb of Sargeras raid is available on Mythic difficulty, we’ll also increase the maximum rewards from Mythic Keystone runs to level 15.
Yep no fucking clue how their own game plays
 

Khane

Got something right about marriage
20,890
14,718
Bursting is one of those affixes where the higher the key is the easier it becomes.

DK's and Rogues and anyone else with a self cleanse/immunity on a relatively short CD laugh at it too.

You can blow up 10 mobs at once and I'll just AMS it
 

Palum

what Suineg set it to
29,215
48,946
The class specific content was well intentioned but tragically implemented. I agree that it would've been much more positively received in WoD.

Yea multibillion dollar software company can only make so many 'collect 5 items', 'kill 15 mobs' and 'kill maybe 30-40 and get 15 eyeballs' quests per patch. QC is too extreme, they are just big testers, big testers.
 
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xzi

Mouthbreather
7,526
6,763
What the fuck are they even doing? Why have they not only ruined mythic for me but continue to ruin it even more even though it was really hard content that was actually rewarding? I have no fucking reason to ever do a keystone I only do them because sometimes people want to do a 10 after the raid. I'm just gonna get haste and mastery gear out of the weekly so I stopped caring like 3 months ago

you get basically no fucking AP out of them anymore even from a weekly like I can make 20m from world quests in about an hour

Is it two pieces of loot per person or just two loot for the entire group? If so that can fuck off I can just go do LFR and have equal chance at targeting something useful.

also this is some extremely tested affixes in their nice new m+

 

Kaige

<WoW Guild Officer>
<WoW Guild Officer>
5,656
12,892
They're pretty hell-bent on fucking farmers. However, one of the biggest issues with M+ (other than rewards) are the new affixes. I would rather farm nethershards and target a specific slot while doing WQs than waste time in a dungeon.
 

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,052
10,317
I'll do up to +10 every week but that's it now. No more farming. It isn't worthwhile unless it's for gear for alts and that's a crap shoot.
 

Noodleface

A Mod Real Quick
38,647
16,701
Yeah our Friday group went from chaining m+ to seeing who has the fastest path to a +10

Way to go blizzard. You broke a system people actually enjoyed.
 

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,052
10,317
I actually got a 905 haste/vers belt upgrade this week, after 4-5 weeks of useless as shit high-crit gear.
 

Nite1

<WoW Guild Officer>
786
65
Yeah our Friday group went from chaining m+ to seeing who has the fastest path to a +10

Way to go blizzard. You broke a system people actually enjoyed.
Let's be honest. No one enjoyed running pluses for ap. There's a reason why mythic guilds struggled to get people to finish their 52 traits. They shit on the AP in part because people where bitching about it. The problem was that without the AP what was the incentive for people already at the max gear level the mythics dropped to run them? It doesn't currently make sense to try and farm for warforged/titan forged bc even if you 3 chest something your not even guaranteed 1 item just a chance. At least now there's a chance for upgrades that you can kind of target with a guarantee of at least 2 items if you finish. I hate the fact that they removed the reward for skill but they at least fixed a problem that pluses had.
 

Chancellor Alkorin

Part-Time Sith
<Granularity Engineer>
6,052
10,317
I didn't mind running M+ for AP. I mean, obviously, it depends on the M+. No one likes Arcway. No one.

The problem, as I see it, is that the rewards are so watered down at this point that they're largely irrelevant for anyone ilvl 900+ and weapon level 44/45+. Who wants to run 50-55 non-Maw M+ for a single weapon upgrade at AK32/33 with the slight chance of a warforge/titanforge item? There was a reason to run the content for those at the steep end of the curve, and now there is none. What are we left with? Farming nethershards. Whoop-de-fucking-do.
 

Zhro

Silver Knight of the Realm
184
77
I myself and others in my guild might be in the minority in that we actually enjoy trying to push keys as high as we can go. We're consistently pushing 18-20s each week and trying our best to go beyond the +20 mark. Some week's affixes make this easier than others and we've gotten a few +22s done, but not in time of course.
 

Khane

Got something right about marriage
20,890
14,718
Let's be honest. No one enjoyed running pluses for ap. There's a reason why mythic guilds struggled to get people to finish their 52 traits. They shit on the AP in part because people where bitching about it. The problem was that without the AP what was the incentive for people already at the max gear level the mythics dropped to run them? It doesn't currently make sense to try and farm for warforged/titan forged bc even if you 3 chest something your not even guaranteed 1 item just a chance. At least now there's a chance for upgrades that you can kind of target with a guarantee of at least 2 items if you finish. I hate the fact that they removed the reward for skill but they at least fixed a problem that pluses had.

You're reading that a lot differently than I did. Seems to me the group gets 2-3 items total, not each person. It's just one chest at the end of the run that rewards the same shit that the main chest rewarded before with no extra chests.

And there were plenty of us who actually liked doing M+ for AP before they nerfed the AP rewards into the ground.

Before patch 7.2 there were tons of M+ groups in the group finder any time of day. Now there are barely any outside of prime time.
 

Khane

Got something right about marriage
20,890
14,718
I myself and others in my guild might be in the minority in that we actually enjoy trying to push keys as high as we can go. We're consistently pushing 18-20s each week and trying our best to go beyond the +20 mark. Some week's affixes make this easier than others and we've gotten a few +22s done, but not in time of course.

That's cool and all and I liked doing that to before this last patch but there is no real benefit in pushing higher keys. There are no achievements, the loot doesn't get any better and the AP isn't any better either once you take into account time spent.

What they keep missing the mark on is you can't force someone to run higher keys by removing the rewards of lower keys. If the higher keys were worthwhile people would be running those. So while they may believe that taking away 2 and 3 chests from lower keys will create a situation where people instead push higher keys what's actually going to happen is people will stop farming lower keys, and continue to not farm higher keys, making it even harder to find an actual M+ group.

You can't force people into doing something that isn't worthwhile by removing something else that they believe actually is worthwhile (even if only barely so).
 
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