Idea for boss encounters

#0 - April 27, 2010, 9:23 a.m.
Blizzard Post
I have been thinking about some of the boss strategies in the game lately, and I had an idea for abilities for raid bosses, like for example Deathwing.

Most of the dragonfights we know are pretty much all the same, Flame Breath, Tail Knockback, Whelps, etc etc.. You know what I’m talking about.
All of the fights now are set up in fixed phases, when the boss starts phase 1 begins, then at X% phase 2 starts, etc..But what if Blizzard made a bossfight less predictable? For example, give a boss a range of possible phases that could happen, like 10 different phases and let them happen "at random”. Then when the fight starts no one knows what phase is going to happen first and what phase is next. This way one of the key factors in raids is communication, and learning how to adapt to an unknown situation.
To announce the start of the next phase, an emote could be shown on the screen, indicating what phase could be next.

I think this might be fun and challenging. I’m sure there are flaws in my idea but this could be worked out?

Let me know what you guys think, and thanks for the feedback/info/flaming!
#2 - April 27, 2010, 3:38 p.m.
Blizzard Post
Q u o t e:
I like the idea, there's only one problem with it though.

RNG. Someone would get a world first in something and everyone will say 'Not fair, you had X phase first, makes it ez mode.'


Hmm... If a boss for an example has 3 phases that would each appear 1 time during the fight, but in a random order, wouldn't that fight be just as fair as if you have to go through all 3 phases in a fixed order?

Q u o t e:
A fight I would like to see is where players can influence what phase comes next, depending on what they do. Choosing what 'phase route' to take could be a new degree of tactics to make fights a little more challenging.


This is a very interesting concept for sure, but if such a boss fight was actually to be designed and implemented, how would it actually work? What would be the best way to make it both fun and balanced?

We would love to see more ideas on this and other types of boss fights, so post away people... share and discuss your ideas :-)