MoP raid releases will be staggered

#1 - July 30, 2012, 4:53 p.m.

From http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/6813350/Blizzard_Insider_45_%E2%80%93_Mists_of_Pandaria_%E2%80%93_Raid_Preview-7_30_2012 :

One idea we’re considering is to delay opening Mogu’shan Vaults until a week or so after the expansion’s release, similar to how we’ve always handled the start of the PvP season

Mists of Pandaria will also include two other raid zones, which we plan to make available a few weeks after Mogu’shan Vaults: the Heart of the Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring.

...I think that this is a good thing as long as they don't do something stupid like lock out heroic Vaults until people clear normal Terrace, like they did the last time they gated a raid release (ICC.) It makes marathoning through the leveling/5-man phase less important to the tier's progression race.

And as a general rule, I think that anything that makes progression less about time investment and more about skill (that can't be circumvented simply by upping the time investment even more, ie attempt limits in LK) is a good thing.

Crithto

Community Manager

#77 - Aug. 1, 2012, 5:05 p.m.

We’ve been keeping a very close eye on the feedback players have shared for both Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria raiding. We saw a lot of evidence and heard a lot of feedback which indicated that raid content was a little overwhelming at the beginning of Cataclysm. Our goal is to smooth that out a bit in Mists of Pandaria. Keep in mind, Mogu’shan Vaults opens up one week after Mists of Pandaria launches. And with its Heroic mode even the most seasoned raiders should be pretty busy. Once the raid dungeon has been cleared by a group on normal mode they’ll unlock Heroic mode, a definite ramp up in challenge. Also note, similar to Dragon Soul, Raid Finder mode for Mogu’shan Vaults will be available about one week after the normal raid has been opened.

Rather than putting a lot of pressure on players by opening up sixteen raid bosses in three separate difficulties upon release of the expansion, we hope you’ll have a chance to really dig into the lore, the gorgeous new continent, the amazing new quests, and all of the other goodies that are far too numerable to mention. Our intention here is not to artificially extend the life of the 5.0 content, but rather to pace it better than we have in previous releases. This is why we noted that a few weeks after Mogu’shan Vaults opens, raid instances Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring will become available. These dungeons will still very much be hot on the heels of Mogu’shan Vaults, particularly for the large majority of players progressing through Pandaria.

Here’s a basic breakdown of the pattern we’d like to follow for all upcoming raids: Dungeon opens on normal difficulty --> Heroic mode is unlocked once normal mode is completed --> the Raid Finder version becomes available about one week after the raid’s initial opening. To review all of the latest Mists raid release details, everyone is encouraged to check out our latest blog, Blizzard Insider #45 – Mists of Pandaria – Raid Preview, which has a wealth of exciting new information.

On a final note, thank you to everyone who has been testing the new content, sharing your feedback, and helping us bring you the most epic game possible! It cannot be said enough, but we genuinely appreciate it. =)

Crithto

Community Manager

#139 - Aug. 1, 2012, 7:48 p.m.

08/01/2012 10:43 AMPosted by Solistic
Just curious, why is raid finder being released a week after normal version?

This is a matter of striking a balance between preserving the feeling of guild progression and making the content accessible to players outside of organized guilds. We definitely want to see everyone have a chance to experience Mists of Pandaria raid content, so holding Raid Finder mode for a week feels like a reasonable window of time to accommodate players of all stripes.

08/01/2012 10:52 AMPosted by Penndamonium
For everything that thinks this is a good idea: Get ready to wait months for the second set of raids.

We thought our intent was made pretty clear in the Blizzard Insider article, as well as in my original post. But, if it’ll ease your concern, I’ll be more specific!

Raid dungeons Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring are scheduled to be released on normal difficulty four weeks after Mogu'shan Vaults has been opened. ;)

Crithto

Community Manager

#259 - Aug. 1, 2012, 11:56 p.m.

So to be clear, the full schedule for US realms is:

September 25: MoP launches
October 2: Mogu'shan Vaults (normal) opens
October 7: Mogu'shan Vaults (LFR) opens, those who cleared normal Vaults can access heroic mode
October 30: Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring (normal) open, with Terrace only accessible by clearing Heart
November 6: Heart of Fear and Terrace of Endless Spring (LFR) open; queuing for Terrace requires clearing Heart. Those who cleared normal Heart can access heroic Heart, same for Terrace.

Yup, this is the plan! Barring there aren't any 1s where there should be a 0, you've done your math well.

08/01/2012 01:19 PMPosted by Asanenine
The reality? The raids won't be completed for September 25th, and they're giving themselves an extra month to actually finish them.

This is 100% untrue. All 16 bosses are on the beta right now and have been tested. To be absolutely clear about why what you said has no basis in reality, once Mists is released we won’t need to apply a patch to the game before we can activate Heart of Fear and Terrace. This means we won’t have an extra month to continue working on these raids, as you’ve suggested.

Crithto

Community Manager

#425 - Aug. 2, 2012, 7:17 p.m.

Can someone answer this for me please?

I understand that Mogushan Vaults is going to be out a week after the xpac drops, but what about the 2 world bosses? Will those be spawning and killable the week of the xpac?

Yes, world bosses will be available on day 1. Oh, the days of trying to down Azuregos. September 25 is going to be epic! =D