If no LFG tool, then how about a few more universal channels?

[McVade]

For a game that's really tried to encourage grouping, you've made it rather tricky to happen. Here's why:

 

1. No LFG tool.

2. No universal LFG channel.

3. No universal level channels (IE: One for 50, another for 40-49).

 

Basically, the only way you get groups going is either through your guild, which is hit or miss depending on whose online and if they've already done an instance that day OR you ask in the Republic Fleet hoping to get lucky, when there could be perfectly willing people in level appropriate planets or doing their dailies at 50.

 

I understand, for whatever reason, Bioware is taking their time on a LFG tool, but it's on the horizon. What I can't understand is why they haven't at least attempted to make it easy to chat with everyone near your level.

 

Can you at least put 1 of these 3 into the game? As it stands, I don't even bother trying to get instance groups going as it just takes too long and I think most others share that belief.

Edited January 25, 2012 by McVade

[Bamajawn]

Great idea on an LFG channel.

[Sarmea]

It's not much, but you can turn on your lfg and do a /who social check of the zone, and itll mark purple people next to those also lfg. It's not much better than asking in zone who'd like to group, but it's there.

[BadMoonWarboss]

You do realize you can flag yourself as LFG which comes up in a /who search, right? I've gotten groups together before with people who've been flagged. Most seem to forget that you can do this.

[GarbonzotheDude]

Well...technically they do have one. It is just very poorly done and hardly anyone uses it.

 

A universal channel that people can opt into would be nice. I know some players have made their own but one that everyone can use if they wish and are aware of would be great until their revised lfg mechanics come out.

 

I don't see the downside long as you opt into it. Long as you're aware regardless the level put on it to use the channel you're going to have spammers and Barrens chat.

[DarthKhaos]

Please read http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=224095 and help educate others on its proper use and the fact that the more people who use it the better.

 

 

I actually loled HARD last night, this is why. I logged in saw someone spamming "LF2M Athiss need healer & dps" over and over. So I decided to do a search for "LFG 15-25" and found 3 people tagged lfg and one was a healer. 30mins later they were still spamming.

 

The current LFG may be crude but it can work if people would bother to use it. It's like deciding to sleep in the lobby of your apartment building because the elevator is out even though the stairs work fine.

[Ascii]

Please read http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=224095 and help educate others on its proper use and the fact that the more people who use it the better.

 

 

I actually loled HARD last night, this is why. I logged in saw someone spamming "LF2M Athiss need healer & dps" over and over. So I decided to do a search for "LFG 15-25" and found 3 people tagged lfg and one was a healer. 30mins later they were still spamming.

 

The current LFG may be crude but it can work if people would bother to use it. It's like deciding to sleep in the lobby of your apartment building because the elevator is out even though the stairs work fine.

 

While this is nice and all, things have progressed pretty far with LFG tools... like a lot of things with this game for whatever reason. It also depends entirely on if people use the comment box as well... which most do not.

 

Now don't get me wrong, I used to do this very thing in FFXI so I am not opposed or even ignorant to the idea of it, but really... how many people playing this ever played anything outside of the WoW or even an MMO before here? It's a great post - make no doubt, but really a bit antiquated like the tool itself.

[Vid-szhite]

Please read http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=224095 and help educate others on its proper use and the fact that the more people who use it the better.

 

 

I actually loled HARD last night, this is why. I logged in saw someone spamming "LF2M Athiss need healer & dps" over and over. So I decided to do a search for "LFG 15-25" and found 3 people tagged lfg and one was a healer. 30mins later they were still spamming.

 

The current LFG may be crude but it can work if people would bother to use it. It's like deciding to sleep in the lobby of your apartment building because the elevator is out even though the stairs work fine.

 

People don't use it because it sucks. Even when the LFG flag, search tool, and /tell system was your only option to do ANYTHING in FFXI, even level up, people preferred to /shout in the major hub cities if they were forming anything other than a standard EXP party. Why? It's more efficient. We only used /tell when we had to, and even then we held our noses. Using /search and tells means you have to talk to one person at a time. This is a slow, tedious process, compounded by the fact that /who doesn't always work properly, people might go AFK with their flags up, and if people don't use search comments, you can't tell what spec they are. Worse, not everyone who may be interested in joining you uses /LFG, so if you want to find those missing gems, you have to hunt extra hard.

 

It's less like using the stairs instead of an elevator, and more like picking up individual pieces of dust off the ground with your hand instead of sweeping them up with a broom, when some pieces are invisible, and some are stuck to the floor. The broom gets even the invisible pieces, but the stuck pieces are stuck either way--except you didn't have to expend any extra effort to find that out the hard way.

 

A Dungeon Finder is a Roomba. Does all the work for you. We're not asking for a Roomba, we're just asking for a bigger broom. LFG is a start, but it's VERY inefficient. 90% of the time when I try to use it, nothing gets done anyway.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Vid-szhite

[McVade]

Please read http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=224095 and help educate others on its proper use and the fact that the more people who use it the better.

 

 

I actually loled HARD last night, this is why. I logged in saw someone spamming "LF2M Athiss need healer & dps" over and over. So I decided to do a search for "LFG 15-25" and found 3 people tagged lfg and one was a healer. 30mins later they were still spamming.

 

The current LFG may be crude but it can work if people would bother to use it. It's like deciding to sleep in the lobby of your apartment building because the elevator is out even though the stairs work fine.

 

See, I didn't even know this existed. I guess it's nice, but it still requires an active desire to join a group. The benefit of a universal LFG chat or by level chat is it could encourage people who hadn't actually planned to do a run to "be inspired" to try. "LF1M, need tank" can be alluring it someone who may not have actually planned on tanking and instance, but for zero wait is willing to try.

[aznthecapn]

I'd like you to meet the Suggestion Forums.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=349

[ferroz]

You do realize you can flag yourself as LFG which comes up in a /who search, right? I've gotten groups together before with people who've been flagged. Most seem to forget that you can do this.

you do realize that virtually noone does this, and it's an almost totally ineffective way for most people to form groups.

[GarbonzotheDude]

See, I didn't even know this existed. I guess it's nice, but it still requires an active desire to join a group. The benefit of a universal LFG chat or by level chat is it could encourage people who hadn't actually planned to do a run to "be inspired" to try. "LF1M, need tank" can be alluring it someone who may not have actually planned on tanking and instance, but for zero wait is willing to try.

 

Yep, really should be included in the tutorial so more are aware. Honestly though it is really subpar but least it is something.

 

Something that hardly anyone uses.

[McVade]

I'd like you to meet the Suggestion Forums.

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=349

 

Thanks for the bump, forum policeman.

[Kourage]

/join LFG

 

 

It's easy. Why do you and others refuse to use it? Same reason you people won't use /trade I guess

[DarthKhaos]

Using /search and tells means you have to talk to one person at a time. This is a slow, tedious process, compounded by the fact that /who doesn't always work properly, people might go AFK with their flags up, and if people don't use search comments, you can't tell what spec they are. Worse, not everyone who may be interested in joining you uses /LFG, so if you want to find those missing gems, you have to hunt extra hard.

So you got to talk to someone. Someone still have to talk to someone with the use of General Chat

 

• Say it in General
  
• Someone responds to your advertisement
  
• You MAY need to inquire about the player level/class/whatever & they respond (putting this into one step)
  
• Then invite.
  

 

OR

 

• Search in the Who window
  
• Ask if they want to go
  
• Get a yes/no
  
• Invite them (you already know their class and level from the who window)
  

 

And yes they have to use it. It's the same even with an automated tool. If 5 people on the server uses it and keep calling in General Chat THAT system would suck also. That is why I'm asking people to spread awareness. Using General Chat sucks IMO but it is still used and I'm not saying not to use it. What I'm saying is while we wait for a different system use what we got. It WILL make our lives easier when used.

[lubberlick]

I support tools that help show who is looking for group, but for the love of MMO please do not automate the process in any way.

[cuin]

problem with the LFG system atm is that you can't see anyone who's looking for a group outside that planet... and if there only say 20 people at a given planet its hard to find a group, while it may be that someone on the next planet or at the fleet wants to do it... how do you get those people?

[ChicksDigHarleys]

1. No LFG tool.

 

Same server LFG...yes please. Cross server...hell no.

 

2. No universal LFG channel.

I am totally mind boggled over no LFG channel in a MMO in 2012.

[pmaura]

I agree with a Universal channel completly

[Ashu-ri]

Truthfully, I would love a global (every planet and same faction fleet) LFG channel. While you may be spamming looking for something on fleet, someone on Tatooine may need it, and vice versa. It beats standing around in one place, getting no responses, and then having to change zones, and repeating the process. Once user created channels were implemented in LOTRO, this was one of the first user created channels on every server, and although its not strictly LFG - there is a lot of regular conversation - it's made finding groups or picking up that last person for a group that much easier.

[Kourage]

If people can't even /join LFG or set a comment in your LFG to mark yourself as LFG.... why should BioWare bother? I open the WHO list and see 2 out of 80 people marked. Including myself.

[Novastinger]

Yes, a faction-wide level 50 channel would greatly improve HM flashpoint group finding. If you don't want it for some reason, make it so the channel can be leaved.

[DarthKhaos]

problem with the LFG system atm is that you can't see anyone who's looking for a group outside that planet... and if there only say 20 people at a given planet its hard to find a group, while it may be that someone on the next planet or at the fleet wants to do it... how do you get those people?

This is completely NOT true. Please read the guide that is linked in my Signature.

[Kourage]

Yes, a faction-wide level 50 channel would greatly improve HM flashpoint group finding. If you don't want it for some reason, make it so the channel can be leaved.

 

create channel called HM

 

/join HM

 

Tell everyone on your server if they are 50, /join HM for Hard Mode FPs.

 

 

 

It's easy. Why must BioWare hold your hands and do it for you?

[raidyr]

create channel called HM

 

/join HM

 

Tell everyone on your server if they are 50, /join HM for Hard Mode FPs.

 

 

 

It's easy. Why must BioWare hold your hands and do it for you?

 

Or Bioware could just

 

you know

 

create a global LFG channel and we can finally move SWTOR to 2011 in terms of game design.

 

Why must every thread turn into a debate about how much effort the player should put into a video game? It's getting tiring seeing the exact same excuses being made for lazy decisions.