So it only differs from spamming chat in that its a more efficient use of time? Because you just described the results of same server chat spamming for groups as well. I'm sorry that you're apparently incapable of being sociable with strangers.

Neither is forcing people to interact with you. Luckily for everyone involved, LFD doesn't group you with a 'set of human controlled NPC's. Which truths? That LFD actually promotes grouping with other people? That LFD gets you into the social part of the game with less hassle? That DS just removes the tedium of a system that already lets you be any role available to your AC at will as it is? Which truth are you referring to?

Just so I'm clear, you're advocating that BW remove dungeons in the same manner that Blizzard removed group quests from leveling content in Cata?

Or, as an alternative to that theory, BW could have launched with a tool that people would use instead of a tool that history should have made abundantly clear, they wouldn't. You (and others) say the tool doesn't work because people don't use it. People don't use it because its a bad tool, especially when compared with LFG tools from other games. Could people take more initiative in forming groups? Probably. But BW would have been better served to launch with a tool that is better suited to the asocial masses that play these games.

While I'm not opposed to beefing up companion AI, you can manually move them wherever you move your character. If you run out of the fire, you can order your comp out of the fire as well.

Who asked for automated combat?

Its a good thing addons don't do that.

Pretty sure no one is asking for automation.

Actually, given enough people agree with you that someone is a bad egg, the problem sorts itself out eventually without any need for intervention. Unless a situation called for someone putting in a ticket, BW should never have to lift a finger to moderate bad behavior. I get that, I just think that people should be afforded the opportunity to make up their own minds with as little bias as possible.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. You won't ever see how someone else rates the people you get grouped with, nor will they see how you've rated anyone else. Its sole purpose is to facilitate grouping with people you meet and rate up. And I'm not a tech guy, so I have no idea how complex that would be to code. If I had to guess, those features are probably out of BW's reach for the immediate future.

The biggest reason pro-LFD advocates harp on the ignore function is because its the only way (and i can't stress enough the one and only way) to ensure you don't have to mess around with people you've had a bad experience with in the past. Server blacklists don't get it done. And mostly I'm just not comfortable with the more punitive suggestions people make - its always too open to abuse. Ignore fixes the problem in a more permanent way. Barring something truly obnoxious, you don't have to report someone you'll never group with again. I think a better way to go about this is to put more control (even via cross server) in players hands regarding who they group with using an LFD tool. Its been suggested multiple times (some of them in this thread) that along with cross server friends lists/chat, you should have the option to rate players that you've grouped with previously. A purely personal rating that only serves to rate your preference for grouping with that person again in the future and isn't in any way attached to the player being rated. You'd be able to rate people up or down and the LFD system would then attempt to place you with people you've previously rated up while avoiding those you've previously rated down. Yes, you'd still be subject to bad behavior while you're populating your lists, but it avoids the possibility of abuse that would come with a more public rating system.

Probably not. I got a good /chuckle out of imagining you typing that in your star wars underoos, surrounded by decades worth of accumulated star wars collectibles, though.

Why not?

I think that they made some vague noise about it hurting performance after they disabled it prior to release. I could be wrong on that, but I'm recalling some dev post about how you have a companion and you're typically fighting multiple mobs and that given those two things, having a combat log was a performance hit, or some such nonsense. If I were to put on my tinfoil hat though, I'd guess its more likely that they don't want theorycrafters to see some of the more glaring class imbalances.

Yep. I'd do some horribly degrading stuff for Vuhdo.

The tool they have now was cutting edge about a dozen years ago. Its fine if you want your players to completely skip the content its supposed to provide access to, I suppose. What they'll most likely do is an interface that's (not so surprisingly) similar to WoW's. They confirmed in one of the statements about LFG that it will support role selection at any rate. Which is precisely what you have with the tool as it stands. At least if the new tool auto ports, I'll be able to leave fleet to quest while waiting.

I don't have a problem with the argument or lack thereof. Seriously. It really does read like something he wrote for school credit. I don't care whether he likes the game or hates it.

Pretty much this. It just reads like a high school English take-home assignment.

I thought the point of companions was that they were a really cool feature? I'm currently leveling a Sage, Commando, Guardian and Sentinel (not quite in that order). I use whatever companion I have geared the most. I don't make distinctions between the specs of my companions. In short, dual spec wouldn't effect my choice in companion at all.

So your argument is that more people would use it than not, so BW shouldn't implement it? Just making sure I have that straight.

Hardmodes.

Translation: Its not enough to ignore someone and NEVER have to group with them ever again. I'm not going to be happy unless I'm able to more effectively attempt to ruin their experience as well. Its that mindset, more than anything, that destroys community.

If I tell you that I'm ok with your characterization of me as a lazy losebag who needs to l2p, can I get some inventory management, bag, chat, hotbar, unit frame and other various and sundry addons that have absolutely nothing to do with raiding?

Its comments like those that suggest that most people who oppose addons don't really understand what they are and/or what they do.

Its funny though how you can thoroughly beat a subtopic to death (e.g. server blacklists/servers policing themselves) - I mean like 20+pages worth of back and forth, only to have some knucklehead pop in and spout off about server blacklists as if we hadn't even thought about that aspect. 'Seriously though man! They'll never learn their lesson if I'm not there to teach it to them via blacklisting!!!' And by funny, I mean sad and a little frustrating.