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No LFD "tool"? Here's what you can do about it.
SpidaFly
Member Posts: 21
I met some of my greatest "online friends" in WOW *before* they implemented dungeon queues. Several of these "online friends" are people I still keep in touch with - one of which had a kid and doesn't even game anymore... another who I had drinks with regularly before I moved out of state. I had so many memorable experiences meeting people on my own server, getting to be known as a dependable tank, getting guild invites, etc...
After dungeon queues, I met nobody in a dungeon that I kept in touch with for more than the 20 minutes it took to rush through the crap. I don't have a single memory (good OR bad) of my times post-dungeon-queue in WOW.
In SWTOR, I'm tanking again and I'm having fun. I'm watching a server community develop around us. I recognize the helpful players as well as the trolls. I've been asked to join two guilds just today alone. I turned both down because I'm sticking with a IRL buddy and he wasn't online to talk about it. My friends list has healers and DPS on it, and I know I'm on others' friend lists as well - just today I got asked to tank flashpoints by several people I've run with before! It's a great deal of fun. This is what puts the "MM" in "MMORPG". If making connections isn't something you do in MMOs, try it sometime.
Now if you're really having trouble finding groups, here's a few tips:
1. Open your "who" box, type in "LFG", and click search. What do we have here? People flagged LFG - not just in your area, but all over the universe! Read their comments, check their level/planet. They know they're marked LFG, go ahead and whisper them!
2. Mark your self LFG and make sure to put a comment! For example, "Tank, Cademimu". Or, "DPS, Mand. Raiders".
3. General is your friend! Looking for a heroic/area quest? Keep questing, use ctrl-c to copy your LFG message, and occasionally paste (ctrl-v) it into general. That wasn't hard now was it? Some of these world group quests are a lot of fun - CC, proper tanking, healing, and cooperation required!
4. Friends list is great for tracking people you've enjoyed running with! Did you put up a good tanking performance in front of that healer? Vice verse? Friend that person and seek their assistance later on.
5. Start the group YOURSELF! :O Think about this: if you're sitting there thinking "I'm too lazy to put a group together right now!"... just imagine how many others are thinking the exact same thing! Even PRE-WOW (gasp!) I found that when I got the ball rolling, things could happened quicker! Plus you can think of it as an opportunity to make sure you get a group with nobody to roll on that blaster you've been wanting! >:D
6. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think Trade chat is global. :-) It's not as if it's being used for trade, so take a tip from WOW and use it :P
7. WOW trained us to be antisocial gogo-maniacs. It's time to put on some manners and do a little networking.
Looking for a group isn't hard. Don't be lazy. There's a lot of fun to be had. This is new community of players. Enjoy.
Comments
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Good ideas.
I have to admit, I've skipped running some instances because there's no LFG tool. But I have had fun doing pickup world bosses and there are some cool people willing to help out.
Still, I have noticed the rule on my server is roll NEED every time. I guess with a solid friends list, that will be worked out.
Nice post m8 totally agree.
Currently Playing: World of Warcraft
Hmm, the few FP's I've done everyone roll greed, if they need for companion they have asked before rolling.
My server is actually quite good, there's always the occasional odd one, or troll, but that's to be expected, overall, good experience.
I've been pretty lucky as well. Also since I'm often the group "leader" I point out loot "rules" when we start. I realize words aren't binding but it puts a clue in peoples' heads that we're here to gear player characters over companions.
Also, SKIFREE! (<3 your avatar hehe)
Nothing but good advice here. SWTOR community would be wise to follow it before the community implodes on itself à la RIFT.
"Never argue with a fool; onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."
I need to take this advice more.
Thank you.
Guild Wars 2's 50 minutes game play video:
http://n4g.com/news/592585/guild-wars-2-50-minutes-of-pure-gameplay
Everything We Know about GW2:
http://www.mmorpg.com/discussion2.cfm/thread/287180/page/1
There's nothing "dumbed down" about a LFD tool... it's a convenience thing. I never really understood the the reason for hating them. The game lets you flag LFG... you can put notes... what's the difference other than having a system that automatically groups you with compatible ppl? There isn't any. If there's anything that's dumbed down the game it's the lower player requirement for dungeons and allowing companions to act as players. That, and the homogenization of classes due to less people required by said groups and raids.
The LFD isn't dumbed down itself. It dumbs down the community. Over time it makes people lazy and it breeds morons who need on everything just to piss off people. It breeds gogogo Free EPIX NOAW kido's etc etc.
How many times can you wipe on content before half the people leave nowadays? Pre-LFD tools people realized it would take them a long time to find a new group for the content and just sticked with the people to work out diffrent strategies etc. Now it's just /leave, /requeue.
Also having companions instead of players is way harder in the later flashpoints, and I doubt its viable in operations.
I totally agree with the OP. I remember in WoW pre-LFD, my friend list was FULL, I got whispers every time I logged in to run heroics. After the LFD tool, it all imploded. Server communities crashed, friend lists where near empty....
-1
I don't play MMOs because I want to make friends! That's what RL is all about! I play MMOs because I like playing WITH people! That doesn't mean I wanna talk to them all the time. Even if it's just the usual 'hi', 'that was fun, thanks for helping' etc. chatter. That's ok, as long as it's fun. If I want to socialize I go to a bar or club or to friends...
Indeed. I've never even tried companions in flashpoints past Athiss, and that was just me (very over leveled) dragging my rl friend and some dude we picked up through.
And afaik companions are not allowed in operations.
Yes, we fully understand that most people who want an LFD tool find socializing with other people to be inconvenient for them. If they weren't being anti-social, they would already have friends and guilds and wouldn't be spamming a general channel.
I am truly grateful that Bioware has decided not to make this game a random lobby experience with anonymous asshats that do stupid things just because they never have to see you again.
Ok, please tell me one thing: what has socializing to do with LFG? How do you socialize? Is it the time you spend spamming the /1 channel while talking to the other DPS, waiting for tanks/healers to answer you call?
You don't have to "talk all the time" to people. I never said that was requisite to finding groups. The tools are there, and easy to use if you're not lazy and know how to interact politely (albeit minimally per your preference) with others online. I'm not sure I follow your point.Only one small caveat here, you should probably have run the instance at least once yourself before accepting the driver seat.
No, not essential, but the other players tend to appreciate some experience.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Only one small caveat here, you should probably have run the instance at least once yourself before accepting the driver seat.
No, not essential, but the other players tend to appreciate some experience.
No big deal. If I'm facing a new dungeon I read about the encounters quickly before the run. Or I ask those that I invite if they have experience. The game is a week old, it's common for people to have no experience in a particularly dungeon. Since few boss mechanics are very new in any MMOs anymore, common terms go a long ways toward preparing a group for a easy encounter.You're right... it is the community. There's really no difference between having a LFD tool and looking for people. cool you made some friends... all it did was make it easier. But it's really the community's fault for expecting everyone to be the same... know fights... ect. People need to grow up and understand not everyone learns at the same pace or has access to the wealth of knowledge that you act like you have... Elitism at it's purist form.
You're making my point for me, because the only two options you seem to be able to see are an LFD tool or spamming chat channels.
This thread is such a load of bollox.
LFG tool in WoW got you into dungeons within 5 mins, having to LFG over general (no group chat) just spams general and takes about half an hour to find a group for what you want to do, sometimes even more. The other thing I hate is even if you get in a group you all have to run there and that can take an hour on top....... in WoW even before LFG you only needed two people at the stone.
LFG tool is gonna happen because it works and most people prefer it, get over it!
Also LFG has caused me to socialize more because I'm in groups for often, spamming general LFG means people don't only just hate you on the chat but you'll have to drop quests because you cannot do them and there is a 25 quest limit.
Well, conveniences do have consequences, and they're not all good. If a convenience tool is letting you elude accountability and the necessity of manners, it ultimately may become troublesome.
Let me invoke HG Wells.
Invisibility is absolutely convenient - who wouldn't want a power like that? But... It's inconvenient for community as a whole, because now someone has the means to elude accountability and consequence.
A LFG tool as it works in WOW does pretty much this (mostly because it's cross-server). It lets you not pay mind to consequence while interacting with other people. Actually, I know firsthand this is precisely why some people prefer it: now you don't have to mind what other people will think, and the social stress has been relieved.
Not according to Bioware. They've already said that a LFD tool is NOT a priority for them.
THANK YOU BIOWARE!!!
Never had any problems with groups using the LFG tool in WoW. It is all nice being social, loved SWG Pre CU which was a game based on it, however sometimes I just want to do the content and play the game and not have a chat.
It is a simple way to fix this, just have a rating system you can rate people up or down or something or it goes down if you always keep dropping out of the group etc.
LFG Tool cross realm allows you to play with more people, especially if you're on a dead server. In fact the whole millions of servers idead is what is killing MMOs in the first place, this tool was made to fix that and guess what... SWTOR is going to have the same problem after the first month, lots of dead servers.
All the people complaining it isn't there and asking for it on the forums will change their mind. They also said they wouldn't make loads of servers that become dead so people quit the game because they have no one to play with. Well they've made hundreds of servers that are going to be dead like every other MMO and oh look cross realm LFG tool fixes that!
Three months time it'll be in the game and THANK GOD!