Poster: Draisha at 5/2/2006 6:14:37 PM PDT
Subject: Developer Question: "One Build" Myths? |
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This is really a question for a community manager or a developer, but I'd definitely like input from the community in general, particularly those in raiding guilds who might have experimented with different class combos or non-standard builds.
When these places are designed do the developers intend for multiple paths to beating it or is there just "one true way"? Do they design an encounter with the idea that there will be X amount of warriors and Y amount of priests, or is it more freeform than that?
I'm particularly interested in how this affects how people build their characters. My guild is great and isn't forcing me to respec (even though I will go Restoration at 60, because we need extra healing power), but I'm wondering just how unconventional can you go with building a raid before it's unviable? Are all these guilds who are asking for very specific builds just following the myth of the "one true end-game"?
| | | http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-general&t=8131356&p=#post8131356 | | | Poster: Tseric at 5/8/2006 2:56:07 PM PDT
Subject: Re: Developer Question: "One Build" Myths? |
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Glad this post is still here. I liked it when I read it, but didn't have the time to reply, due to more pressing matters.
The testing of raid encounters is more loose than the testing of a 5-man encounter and it is approached differently.
A raid encounter is usually tested with a general mix of classes. All of them are usually accounted for in equal numbers. A raid encounter tends to have scripted events to which a larger group of players can respond to differently. It will never really go the same way twice, so having a set order of 'necessary' groups goes against that philosophy.
If a group of players decides to bring some warriors and fill out the rest of the raid with warlocks, that's acceptable game play for the devs when it comes to the encounter. If you can beat it, more power to you. Obviously, it will be something more of a challenge, but that is not something that needs to be tested to understand the flexibility of the encounter or raid composition.
Alternatively, something like the 45-minute Baron run is tested with at least two distinct groups. One group is optimized in class composition(with gear that could be reasonably attained from same level dungeons such as DM or world drops of comparable level). The other group is the "odd" group of classes that may not have all roles optimally filled out. For example, three paladins and two rogues. Both of these groups test the encounter to gather what is a reasonable disparity in data. If the first group can clear it in 30 minutes, the other group has to be able to clear it within at least the predetermined time (in this case, the group could do it quite reasonably in less than 40).
So, in designing for smaller encounters, we see the need to collect two or more sets of conflicting data, to see where possible obstructions exist.
Hope that clarifies your thinking on the matter.[ post edited by Tseric ]
Repo man's got all night, every night!
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