I've seen a lot of posts about the upcoming Gauntlgrym 'raid'. I'm going to make two statements about my interpretation of the
released video preview of Gauntlgrym. Orange text are links and will be included throughout the post.
1. You will not be able to queue as a 20-man group for the PvP component of Gauntlgrym
I make this assumption for a few key reasons
- The video indicates just a 5 man group UI - why wouldn't they include imagery of a raid UI just two weeks prior to launch? (proof)
- The dungeon itself is a 5 man dungeon (more on this later) - what happens if you queue with 13 people?
- They could solve the second point by FORCING a 20 man queue - but then content would not be accessible to anyone
2. Gauntlgrym is a 5 man PvE dungeon
Again, a few key details about the video give this away
- The video displays an image of the final boss with a dungeon delves chest (proof)
- Only five people are displayed in the dungeons, one of each class, for both dungeons (proof)
- The dungeons are specifically referred to as 'EPIC DUNGEONS' (1:50), a classification currently used for the hardest 5 man content.
- There isn't a single command in the entire game referring the string 'raid'. (proof)
If I had to make a
guess as to how it's going to work - you queue with 5 players for the PvP zone, and you then are matched with 7 other 5 man teams, forming a 20 v 20 instance. The 4 groups on the winning side are allowed to enter the tier 2 dungeon seperately, and the same for the losing side, most likely just once.
There appears to be no system in game that allows for more than 5 people in a group at any one point, nor has any indication been given that this is the plan. If Cryptic (or a user with more information) could give some clarification that would be appreciated. I don't mind if the whole thing is 5 man content but that is information that needs to be clarified.
Comments
Adding a raid wide grouping system is essentially recreating a lot of abilities, buffs, commands, and etc.
EDIT: Guilds will still be able to form their own 20 man team. But they will have to make up 4 "Groups". I played WoW during that era of development.
This game will never have a raid because the developers are too stupid to come up with a raid fight.
You will queue up or join with a 5 man, be added to other 5 mans to allow for 20v20 PvP(lol in this game). Once that is over, you will take your group - and god help you if it's a pug - and go into the probably much overhyped add filled dungeon fights.
After checking on what's coming, I can be happy that my decision to quit this <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> was justified.
PvE "resource gathering", then PvP, then the option of two 5-man instances. But basically.
That doesn't explain the specific use of the term 'Epic Dungeon' and complete lack of a raid UI (despite all the other fully functional Gauntlgrym PVP UIs). I just see a lot of evidence, or clues that indicate that the entire thing is going to be a 5 man affair (except for the part where they glue 4 groups together for PvP).
I mean I'd love to be proven wrong, my guild seems to be convinced that this is a 20-man deal and is gearing up people appropriately, but I just can't find any evidence (in this video or in any form of developer correspondence) that indicates this is the case.
You put way to much **** thought into this.
The email you got when you dinged 60 TELLS YOU the two dungeons in Gauntlgrym are 5 mans.
Durrrrr.
Thanks! Needed to be 100% certain that preparing for any sort of raid content was a waste of time.
"In this epic 40 player end-game event, competing heroes are divided into 2 factions of 20 and must wage war across 3 phases which includes player vs player and player vs environment encounters."
During the whole video the word faction is used presumably being all 20 players on the "faction". The way it is worded leads me to strongly believe the pve will be 20 player dungeons.
I think it's highly unlikely that the pve side of Gaunt will be 5 man dungeons.
The screenshot OP provided of the 5 classes is from the video. The only reason the 5 classes are together is because they are showing what hte new armor will look like, for all 5 classes. They do this twice for both t1 and t2.
As far as the delve chest and labelling of "epic dungeons" I don't think they are indicators of party size at all. It's quite possible delve chests will be in raids imo, just as possible that raid loot would be BoE. The label of epic dungeons to me doesn't mean 5 man pve content either, just means it'll be a place where an epic monster lives.
Edit: I stand corrected, the email does indeed say it is 5 man.
You guys need to realize how sad it is to sit a game's forums that you hate, and constantly bash it. Test Shard is up, that is where I will be, because I PLAY the game.