What is a Raid?

Overview

What is WoW?

What is a MMORPG?

Fundamental Concepts of MMORPGs

What is a Raid?

Aspects of Raiding

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft

• Sword and Board Fantasy Game

• Persistent online personae(s)

• Players are Heroes

• Two Factions

• 11 classes with 3 specializations each

World of Warcraft

• Monthly subscription fee is $14.99 / month

• 9.6 million players 4th Quarter 2012

• WoW is an MMORPG

MMORPG

The term MMORPG was coined by Richard Garriott, the creator of Ultima Online, the game credited with popularizing the genre in 1997.

MMORPG

In nearly all MMORPGs, the development of the player's character is a primary goal. Many MMORPGs feature a character progression system in which players earn experience points for their actions and use those points to reach character "levels", which makes them better at whatever they do.

Fundamental Concepts

MMORPG

Endgame

Refers to the content and activities that players can engage in once they have reached the max level in the game

Currently, level 90 in WoW

Raiding is an endgame activity

Leveling

Initial gameplay is focused on improving the player

Lots of soft and hard scaffolding applications

Leveling is the Journey to exploring character ability. Endgame is about mastery and optimizing performance

Teamwork

Many MMORPGs actively encourage collaboration and teams

Many activities require more than one player accomplish

Social structures and game infrastructure are created to allow convenient collaboration and sharing of resources

Leadership

Leadership is organic in most MMORPGS, minimal at first, but rapidly increasing opportunities the longer a player plas

Leadership is also flexible and temporal in many games. Players will take leadership roles for things they know

Guild

A group pursuing a common goal

Social structure with infrastructure attached to it. Shared Bank, Chat, notification of who is online, Roster, and Ranks.

Guild Master has greatest control

Remember all members are Volunteers

Player v. Environment (PVE)

Traditionally, combat with monsters/opponents and completing quests, either alone or in groups, is the primary way to earn experience points.

Monsters/ Opponents do a set action based on programming

Most players prefer this type of play

Non Player Character (NPC)

Refers to all characters in a game that are programed into the game

Run on a set of commands / actions determined by programmers

Majority of player activity will revolve around engaging with NPCs (Quest givers, monsters, bosses, repairer, vendors, etc.)

Player v. Player (PvP)

Players compete against each other or opposing faction players

Play is live, enemies are other players

Fast Game play, No set action, Can be unfair

Players can choose to pvp or not

2012 Predictions for MMOs

Of all 50 million MMO gamers in the US, 23 million spend money on free-to-play or subscription MMOs.

Overall, the US market is expected to grow to $2.9bn in 2012.

Gamasutra

What is a Raid?

Like a Team Sport

Choreographed Dance

Everyone has a Role

Tank

DPS

Heal

What is a Raid?

• A Raid is typically the final (end game) content in an MMORPG

• The journey leveling your character to max level serves as the foundational skill/ training for end game

• Raids require mastery of player skills and game mechanics

What is a Raid?

• Company's point of view

o Raids are the most challenging content of each release and need to remain challenging until the next expansion / edition.

o If not enough players are succeeding, may reduce difficulty (nerf) to allow more to succeed and retain subscriptions

What is a Raid?

• Player's point of view

o Success in Raids requires collaboration, communication, and mastery

o Raid Gear symbolizes achievement, status, and should only be obtained by those that are the best

What is a Raid?

• Educator's point of view

o Success in Raids requires collaboration, communication, and mastery of competencies

o Raids offer hard fun, strategy development, research opportunities, authentic assessment, critical analysis, team building, leadership simulations, and peer evaluation

Raid

Need x number of Players

10 players

25 players

40+ players

Typical 10 Player raid

2 Tanks

2 or 3 Heals

5 or 6 DPS

Raid

Need mix of roles

Tank - take brunt of the attack

Heals - heal up tanks and DPS

DPS - do damage

Raid Process

4 - 8 Opponents known as Bosses

Progress through a series of smaller NPC (Non- Player Characters) and/or monsters.

Starting Alignment

Once Boss is Engaged

World Boss

World Boss

Call to all players on the faction

Can takes 30 -80 players

Current World Bosses

WoW Mists of Pandaria

Nalak

Oondasta

Galleon

Sha

Zandalari Warbringer ( NPC really)

Raid Requirements

• A Raid requires

o a group of playerso a mix of classes and roleso in depth knowledge of your charactero in depth knowledge of how you fit into the groupo continuous improvemento acceptance and embracement of failureo adoption of a fail fast mentality

Raid Components

• Bosses o Big Nasties that are hard to kill

• Adds o Minions that attack during boss fight

• Game Mechanicso Each boss fight is a dance, have to learn

the rhythm and adapt

Raid Components

• Gearo Reward must be worth the investment

• Group Size Limitso Typically 10, 25, 40 o May vary between MMORPG

• Mobs / Trasho Weaker monsters that occur between

bosses

Raid Components

• Wipeso Term used for when everyone dieso Raid leader may call for a wipe, if key players have

died

• Failureo Like sports, raiding is about managing failureo May take 45-80+ attempts to down a Boss

WoW Specific Raid Components

• Item Level (ilevel)o Average level of all gear worn or in your bags

• Enrage Timero Have a time limit before boss kills the group o Time can be either soft enrage or hard enrage

What do Raids Look Like?

Types of Raids

In WoW

Retro

Raids from Previous Expansions

Looking for Raid (LFR)

25 player intro to new raids

Serve as training ground

Boss stats, mechanics, damage, and gear drops are reduced

Types of Raids

10 player - Normal

Raid is set to full power

Gear drop is full level

25 player - Normal

Raid is boosted to offset 25 players

Gear is the same as 10 player, but more drops

Types of Raids

Heroic - 10 player and 25 player

Bosses are buffed

Gear is higher level

30 to 80+ player

World Bosses

Types of Raids

World of Warcraft

Types of Raid Groups

Dedicated

Serious

Tiered

Hard Core

Progressive Raids

Mix of players that are typically not part of a guild big enough to do guild raiding. Heavy use of pick up groups (PUGs).

Non - Progressive

The Raid takes place whenever there seems to be enough level 90s with minimum item level on. Group will figure out targeted Raid as they go along.

Casual

Series of raiding times set for people to sign up as convenient. Raid leader or invited guest guides the run and explains fights as needed. Emphasis is on social interaction and completing the Raid and gear is secondary.

Social

Series of raiding times set for people to sign up as convenient. Raid leader or invited guest guides the run and explains fights as needed. Emphasis is on social interaction and completing the Raid and gear is secondary.

Gear

Quick Vocab Quiz

Boss

Mob

PvE

Wipe

Questions / Discussion