We knew we wanted to do something that was daily when random queues came out, but at the time that we released Hero's Challenge, we didn't want to set up a convoluted rotating event. Random: Hero's Accord is essentially the replacement, which will grant a jadeite which is half the value of a blood ruby. However, you get it for running a single queue and you can get 7 per week. So even if you run only 4 queues, you'll get twice the value you got from the Hero's Challenge quest.
While this is strictly true, there is an unsaid assumption here, namely that people will want to run Hero's Accord with a random Queue.
This is just not the case and here is why:
To enter the random queue, you need to have a party made up of 1 Tank, 3 DPS and 1 "healer", right ? Well, completing ToNG with a group like that is hard today, and after the bonding runestone change it will get even harder.
I have done ToNG a number of times, with a number of different party arrangements. You don't "need" a group with 2 DCs, a GF and an OP to complete it. Such a party may allow you shave a few minutes off the run time (say, 25 minutes instead of 30), and increase the chances of the run being successful in the first place. ToNG is perfectly well doable with a single DC, and you can leave either the GF or the OP at home - the run will take a bit longer and it will be harder, with a higher chance of failure.
Now, with the upcoming changes to bonding runestones, it will become harder still, and I seriously doubt that most "1 Tank, 1 Healer, 3 DPS" groups will be able to complete it at all - certainly not if they barely meet the entry requirements.
So, for many players the chance will be between a RQ run which may take an hour or two, with uncertain chance of success (but an Jadeite reward, and a private group run, which may take half the time of the RQ run, with a higher probability of success but no Jadeite.
Thank you @asterdahl for giving us a choice between two bad options.
The bottleneck is going to be the first boss - the Avatar of Orcus. If you want it to be doable by an average RQ group after the bonding runestone nerf, you may have to adjust it - my estimate is for a 20% reduction in its HPs - otherwise the group will simply not have a chance to take him down before the TempHP pool of the "ball" player runs out.
Comments
This is just not the case and here is why:
To enter the random queue, you need to have a party made up of 1 Tank, 3 DPS and 1 "healer", right ? Well, completing ToNG with a group like that is hard today, and after the bonding runestone change it will get even harder.
I have done ToNG a number of times, with a number of different party arrangements. You don't "need" a group with 2 DCs, a GF and an OP to complete it. Such a party may allow you shave a few minutes off the run time (say, 25 minutes instead of 30), and increase the chances of the run being successful in the first place. ToNG is perfectly well doable with a single DC, and you can leave either the GF or the OP at home - the run will take a bit longer and it will be harder, with a higher chance of failure.
Now, with the upcoming changes to bonding runestones, it will become harder still, and I seriously doubt that most "1 Tank, 1 Healer, 3 DPS" groups will be able to complete it at all - certainly not if they barely meet the entry requirements.
So, for many players the chance will be between a RQ run which may take an hour or two, with uncertain chance of success (but an Jadeite reward, and a private group run, which may take half the time of the RQ run, with a higher probability of success but no Jadeite.
Thank you @asterdahl for giving us a choice between two bad options.
The bottleneck is going to be the first boss - the Avatar of Orcus. If you want it to be doable by an average RQ group after the bonding runestone nerf, you may have to adjust it - my estimate is for a 20% reduction in its HPs - otherwise the group will simply not have a chance to take him down before the TempHP pool of the "ball" player runs out.