MOGS

Flexible Raid System in 4.0.1

A recent blue post ¹ explained the new raiding system for Cataclysm. They are obtaining a new philosophy on raiding that “that the size of your raiding group should be a choice based solely on what’s more fun and enjoyable for you, and that you should not have to complete the same raiding content twice in a week to maximize your character’s progression”

With the new Flexible Raid Lock System, instead of being locked to a specific raid group and size you will now be able to mix and match raid groups throughout the week to complete your weekly raid lockout. For example; if you killed the first boss of Ruby Sanctum on 10 man and they wiped repeatedly on the second boss, you could continue the raid in another 25 man or 10 man group as long as the first boss is down. Or continue onto Zarithrian with a group that has already cleared the first 2 fights. Although you won’t be ale to go back and fight Baltharus if you were apart of the group killing Zarithrian. But you would be able to join other raids for the last two fights.

Heroic raids, however, do not follow this same formula. You can only complete a Heroic raid with the same specific group that started it. Although you can join another group and finish the raid on normal mode for the bosses you missed out on in Heroic.

This new system will streamline the old Raid system and will allow people to raid in the group sizes they enjoy most. But I fear this may bring a decline in 25 man raiding. But only time will tell and may the hardcore keep 25 man Heroic raiding alive.

1. source: MMO-Champion Blue Tracker  ↩