Can we trade some story for some MMO?

[Meleagaunt]

If I prefaced everything I typed with "In my opinion" then I'll have spent way too much time catering to the people I disagree with. It's called strong language. It enforces your opinion by stating it as fact. It doesn't mean that you have a closed mind, I see the advantages of an LFG system.

 

Plus, my notion is more like post-conceived. I've used LFG in WoW, tried to socialize, and never talked to a groupmate once, and when I did, it was to defend myself. That's not to say there aren't exceptions to the rule, but when I used LFG, intending to get well-mannered, sociable team members was just too much to hope for.

 

Plus, would it really be an optional system? It would be so conveinient that everyone would use it whether they wanted to or not, because otherwise they could spend a long time trying to find a group. Like if they gave the option to travel to every other place instantly, who wouldn't use it in lieu of flying in your ship?

 

I find it rather amusing that your disdain for a LFD system comes from a desire to socialize. Your opening remarks on your previous message don't paint you as the "socializing" type.

 

It is convenient and may be used by many, but it will not make it the ONLY way to group for a dungeon. The great majority of people socialize in their guilds... Right?

 

Nothing stops you from asking guild mates to run FP's with you and use LFD for quick sessions where minimal "social" interaction would be ok.

[Sephendrine]

OP:

 

You can form and join guilds with other players.

You can craft and buy and sell on a trade market with other players.

There are other players running around you in the world.

You can join warfronts and pvp with other players.

You can /who and look for other players to play with who are looking for a group.

You can ignore other players or put other players on your friends list.

You can RP with other players.

There is social gear specifically designed to reward you for playing with other players.

 

Why? Because SWTOR is an MMORPG.

 

What it doesn't have, though, is some mechanic that forces me to play with you if I don't want to.

 

It also has a multitude of rich, interesting, cinematic stories to play through. It has instancing to protect me from the dirty rotten ninjas that would surround you otherwise, running right up through the path you just cleared to grab the objective right out from under you, or tag the boss you were just recovering to attack.

 

All in all, it's a pretty well thought-out MMORPG, actually.

 

I do though support some kind of better LFG feature to make it easier for people who want to group to be able to do so. Considering how enormous the game world is, I only see the benefits of this. Would that be enough additional MMO for you?

 

Or are you suggesting they shrink the world, allow ninjas to intrude on your quests, force people to have to always play together, require mandatory guild membership, or allow you to force invite people to your group so you can use them as additional pets?

[StonySpider]

I find it rather amusing that your disdain for a LFD system comes from a desire to socialize. Your opening remarks on your previous message don't paint you as the "socializing" type.

 

It is convenient and may be used by many, but it will not make it the ONLY way to group for a dungeon. The great majority of people socialize in their guilds... Right?

 

Nothing stops you from asking guild mates to run FP's with you and use LFD for quick sessions where minimal "social" interaction would be ok.

 

You're assuming that all players like joining a guild, and that they're active in it. What about casual people who don't want the commitment of a guild, they just want to meet and play with new people. I know I personally just made a guild with 4 friends of mine because we had an amusing guild name in mind, but I still want to play with others, it's an MMO, and I know I'm not the only one.

 

Then there are the guilds that just spam invites to absolutely anyone, which might as well be playing with strangers in the first place because you're not really involved with them aside from having another title under your name.

 

I understand how useful a LFG tool would be, trust me, I do. But I like this game, I'm extremely emotionally invested in it since I played KotOR 1 and 2 upwards of 20 times each. I want it to have a cohesive community that isn't venomous or spiteful, and the LFG tool is part of the reason that happened to WoW.

 

If it's implemented and doesn't group you with spiteful teammates that don't discuss anything and DC when your party runs into trouble, then great. I'll be it's number one fan, but I can only speak from personal experience, and that experience tells me that it won't be the case at all.