WoW: Cataclysm still on target for a 2010 release
The Daily Quest: Dungeon finder tips and tricks
by Elizabeth Harper 
Mar 10th 2010 at 11:00PM
Because of dungeon finder, we're all PUGging a lot more these days -- for better and for worse. Let's just say that if today's TDQ covered horrible tales from the dungeon finder, it would be ten times as long, at the very least. But fortunately for all of us, WoW-bloggers around the world have some great advice to offer on how to improve your PUG experience.
- Panzercow discusses heroic PUG tanking.
- Too Many Annas walks you through how to be successful in a PUG.
- Can Tank, Will Travel talks about tanking irritants (many of which seem PUG-related).
- World of Warcraft Philosophized offers advice for dungeon speed runs and wonders if the dungeon finder should put people of similar gear levels together.
- And -- a bit older than the rest of the posts here, but still worth reading if you're interested in the topic -- our very first guest post covered tips for DPS running heroics.
Filed under: The Daily Quest
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
ToyChristopher Mar 10th 2010 11:30PM
Here is my dungeon finder tip:
Don't like a certain 5man? Decrease you chance of getting it by going into /raidinfo and extending the lockout.
Lucidien Mar 11th 2010 12:36AM
Wow. I honestly never thought of that. Can I marry you? Judging by your tag, I'm guessing you're male, which could be a problem in my jurisdiction (and religion...), but I'll make this exception. Seriously though, brilliant, sorry to Nexus and HoS, I won't be seeing you guys around much anymore. (CoS I don't mind so much, or Oculus, at least they give seven and eight badges each respectively)
Silversol Mar 11th 2010 1:12AM
This doesn't work. There was a blue post a while back when the dungeon finder first came into play saying that the random dungeons bypass your lockouts.
"Well, the basic system isn't actually even completely random. It is supposed to weight dungeons you've already done a little lower. The issue is that it's also trying to match you with up to four other players as quickly as possible who have relatively similar gear and have also been saved to X number of dungeons that day. The matchmaking system gets more lenient over time as far as item levels and saved dungeons are concerned, which still makes it pretty random. "
source: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=22049517735&pageNo=2#28
ToyChristopher Mar 11th 2010 1:26AM
@Silversol That's what I said decrease your chance, there is still a chance you will get them. It's hard to tell if it working or not but I haven't gotten Violet Hold or Nexus since I started extending their lookout and I used to alternate between them.
Of course random is random.
Moonkinmaniac Mar 10th 2010 11:33PM
Is it common place for tanks to sell a spot to group members for a random dungeon? Its happening on my server and it seems strange to me.
Task Mar 10th 2010 11:47PM
In regards to other servers like yours, maybe but on mine I have seen 1-2 tanks on my server doing but it's very rare.
It's mostly asking trade chat to fill the spots then queuing in for the random.
Sleutel Mar 11th 2010 8:18AM
What I generally see is:
1.) Tanks in Trade offering slots (free) to well geared players.
2.) DPS in Trade wanting to purchase the services of a tank to queue with.
Rai Mar 10th 2010 11:41PM
Just out of curiosity, how many people have experienced a ghostly third DPS? As in, where the fifth DPS nearly always doesn't accept?
Rai Mar 10th 2010 11:43PM
*party member. I blame ghosts.
ToyChristopher Mar 11th 2010 1:26AM
Yes!
StrawKing Mar 16th 2010 4:41PM
This happens to me ALL THE TIME, and since I'm DPS it means I have to wait at least another five minutes.
AlmtyBob Mar 11th 2010 3:29AM
I used to hate that ghost 3rd DPS as a tank. Just recently I built a DPS set out of spare Emblems and realized why it happens. On my tank or healer queues are never longer than 30 seconds. When I queue as DPS it's upwards of 15-20 minutes. The first time I queue'd DPS I almost missed my spot because I was loading laundry when it came up. Now I just feel sorry for that 3rd DPS that lost their place in the queue.
Sinthar Mar 12th 2010 3:45AM
God yes - worst run so far was 7 AFK dps in a run
bob Mar 11th 2010 8:13AM
I have.
galestrom Mar 11th 2010 11:10AM
I can only assume this is because for many DPS, even getting a group in a random can take a significant amount of time; on the order of 15 to 40 minutes during peak times.
That said, I shamelessly admit that I've been the tard gone afk at least a few times, hoping that perhaps I could quickly grab a beverage or take a bio break while waiting...
Alas, I was wrong. =)
thebitterfig Mar 12th 2010 10:43AM
well, numerically it makes sense... if there was an equal probability of any class roll going AFK during queueing, you'd still see a lot more "that last dps won't accept!" situations just due to the fact that there are 3 dps...
add in that someone is more likely to AFK during a longer queue, and that dps have the longest queues of anyone, and it makes sense...
Andrew Breese Mar 10th 2010 11:44PM
Posted about 5 man tanking too this week, must be on all our minds. I'm talking more about what attitude the tank should have, and when they are ready; rather than a series of strats.
http://typhoonandrew.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/how-to-tank-heroic-runs/
Elvaan Mar 11th 2010 12:26AM
Here's my tips:
Get naked and then enter the dungeon finder if you're tank or healer...
because if you are high GS tank,you'll get low healer GS and same goes to healers...
this tip will make the group PRO
ToyChristopher Mar 11th 2010 1:28AM
Supposedly it looks in your bag and bank for gear, although I don't know how that would really work, considering you could be a high-gear dps queuing as a low-gear tank.
Hollow Leviathan Mar 11th 2010 1:34AM
The LFG measures your gear based on your inventory and bank gear, too.
Sucks if you queue as a newb healer but have a pro dps gearset.