Vehicular raiding

(Post #2,500 by the way)

Blizzard released an interesting preview of what the next raid dungeon, Ulduar, will bring coming patch 3.1. Quote:

Many players have already gotten their Wrath of the Lich King raiding feet wet in Naxxramas and the Sartharion raid, but Ulduar is the first example of the expansion's much larger, truly epic scope of raiding, as will be evident from the moment you set foot in the instance. The most obvious difference between Ulduar and its predecessors is that the new dungeon actually comprises two separate raid areas. The first section is an epic battle against a vast army standing between you and the entrance of the dungeon proper; in the second area, you will dive into the heart of the dungeon itself and finally discover the secrets of Ulduar.

Ulduar's new master has rallied a massive iron army to guard the entrance to Ulduar and prevent any unwanted guests -- including you, especially you -- from reaching the inner sanctum. Thankfully, you'll be able to face the Iron Army on even footing: a small fleet of siege vehicles will be on hand to aid you in the assault. You and your friends will have to use these vehicles wisely to break through Ulduar's defenses. A mix of Choppers, Demolishers, and Siege Engines will be at your disposal, each granting unique abilities to the pilot and the passenger.

Yep, that's right, Ulduar will be using vehicle combat in the first section. For me that sounds like fun, but I foresee some people will not like it. The "problem" with vehicle combat is that your success is determined by your skill in driving that vehicle. Your gear doesn't matter. So it looks as if for the first part of Ulduar a raid group in green armor could be as successful as one in full Naxx-25 epics. Not exactly the exclusive "leet only" place some people have been waiting for. Especially if that gear-independant part of the raid gives some epic rewards, some of the elitists will be complaining. Which is ironic, because it is usually them who claim that raiding is all about skill and has nothing to do with gear. If done right, Ulduar would start with a real skill check, no gear involved, and that will be very interesting to see how some people fare.