Warlords of Draenor: Blizzard wants to offer regular new 5-mans

Lead Encounter Designer Ion "Watcher" Hazzikostas has given those of us who really missed 5-man content beyond the first patch of Mists of Pandaria something to really look forward to in Warlords of Draenor.

The blog post to which he's responding is one that talks about the lack of 5-mans in Mists. You should check it out, it's a good read. The writer talks about how they feel like they can participate in social interaction in a group of five people, but feel lost and overwhelmed in a group as large as that in LFR. This is a really reasonable complaint, and one that I doubt the author is alone in their concerns. They also bring up how, with the absence of the "trinity" of tank, healer, and DPS roles; scenarios do not serve as a viable replacement for dungeons.

The proposed solution is simple: regular new 5-man dungeons with patches as a stepping stone to raid content. Maybe some catch-up gear, maybe at least one or two that are longer and harder, like miniature raids. All of this is good in my book, this will help tanks and healers learn their roles, will help players get the mentality required for more difficult progression raiding encounters rather than the AoE and leave idea that currently exists.

And the best part is that the man in charge of designing these encounters wants to make it happen. It's something I feel is sorely needed, that none of the new types of content in Mists managed to adequately replaced, and something that's making me even more excited for Warlords than I was already.