LFG solution. Works every time.

[Qoojo]

i've used that trick but I've found what works really well is just putting up funny lfg messages such as.

 

FREE PUNCH AND PIE AT COLICOID WAR GAMES LF 2 MORE

 

I think you need to add the punch too, because sometimes pie isn't enough. I remember having problems once before when just offering pie. People just want something to wash the pie down with I guess.

[metalfenix]

Cold invites are a bit annoying, except when I'm standing at an heroic's entrance so it's logical that I'm about to do one. I remember something funny, I was cold invited once on tatooine, but when the guy tried to share the quest, it told him that I wasn't eligible lol . We parted ways in good manner, but it was a total lol.

 

But I like the OP's method, wishpering first (always wishpering first) to the eligible players on the who list. If someone have the courtesy at least of wishpering me first, 99% of the times I'll join (specially true with my healer. Healers are on high demand even in the empire).

[lueckjathom]

i've used that trick but I've found what works really well is just putting up funny lfg messages such as.

 

FREE PUNCH AND PIE AT COLICOID WAR GAMES LF 2 MORE

 

Unfortunately the /who window is so terrible it only shows about "FREE PUNCH AND P" and the rest gets cut off.

 

This game needs some sort of real lfg window or tool or anything at all.

[meancraig]

Please explain to me why it's "infuriating"? Why does it bother you so much?

 

It's infuriating for the following reasons:

 

1. For the same reason pop-ups are annoying in any sphere. I am in the middle of doing X quest, or a fight, etc., when this surprise pop-up shows up in the centre of my screen.

 

2. I don't know you, I don't know what quest you're on, or anything you're doing, but you're inviting me to group with you? That's incredibly presumptuous.

 

3. It assumes that I can't read. 9 times out of 10, the person that just cold invited me, spammed general chat for the last 10 minutes LFG. If I had been interested in grouping with you, I would have sent you a tell.

 

4. It's lazy. How hard is it to send me a whisper first giving me pertinent details. 'Hello, I am a 50 tank, and I am doing Herioc X, our group needs a healer, are you interested in joining us?"

 

5. It's bl**dy telemarketing, is what it is. Cold-calling, I think they call it.

 

However, I have only ignored one person since I began playing this game, and would never ignore because of this reason, 50's aren't THAT common yet and we may group in the future.

[Gun-ho-Gun]

I did the same thing in every mmo when trying to start a group. It work most of the time but there is a drawback. It's even more troublesome than spamming the chat channel.

[jonamir]

It's infuriating for the following reasons:

 

1. For the same reason pop-ups are annoying in any sphere. I am in the middle of doing X quest, or a fight, etc., when this surprise pop-up shows up in the centre of my screen.

 

2. I don't know you, I don't know what quest you're on, or anything you're doing, but you're inviting me to group with you? That's incredibly presumptuous.

 

3. It assumes that I can't read. 9 times out of 10, the person that just cold invited me, spammed general chat for the last 10 minutes LFG. If I had been interested in grouping with you, I would have sent you a tell.

 

4. It's lazy. How hard is it to send me a whisper first giving me pertinent details. 'Hello, I am a 50 tank, and I am doing Herioc X, our group needs a healer, are you interested in joining us?"

 

5. It's bl**dy telemarketing, is what it is. Cold-calling, I think they call it.

 

However, I have only ignored one person since I began playing this game, and would never ignore because of this reason, 50's aren't THAT common yet and we may group in the future.

 

 

 

Ok seems I misunderstood what you meant by COLD INVITING. I agree that inviting someone randomly can be annoying to some people. Honestly, clicking decline isn't such a big deal to me. It doesn't make me rage. But I understand your angst with it.

 

But can we both agree that whispering someone, "hey we need a x class for a x heroic, would you want in?" is a very very reasonable way to find people for group? And mind you, just ask ONE TIME. No response, or a "no" response would be sufficient.

 

Do you agree that ignoring someone who whispers to you is generally anti-social in its nature?

[VanorDM]

But can we both agree that whispering someone, "hey we need a x class for a x heroic, would you want in?"

 

This is exactly what people want, by cold invite they mean just sending a team invite, without a whisper first.

 

Do you agree that ignoring someone who whispers to you is generally anti-social in its nature?

 

Yes and I'm sure most people would agree, ignoring someone who is being polite is quite possibly the height of anti-social behavior.

[DelphinHunter]

Great posts, thanks Im still learning, trying to join, create groups for missions, flashpoints I cant solo.

Sometimes I hang out in the area of the quest oops mission and wait for people and ask to join or create using wisper.

never cold invite except old buddies.

Have to reset phase sometimes.

Embarassing when I didnt know how to do this, right click my face, mission, reset phase or something.

I mark myself LFG with comment mission title and look for /who else is marked LFG and whisper to them.

Also post inviting LFG to general with needs, like we really need a healer will pay cash up front or item of your choice lol

Edited January 31, 2012 by DelphinHunter

[XLauncher]

This was actually really commonplace in FFXI. I didn't like doing it then, I'm sure not much different 10 years later. But the OP is right, it does work if you can stomach doing it.

[jonamir]

This was actually really commonplace in FFXI. I didn't like doing it then, I'm sure not much different 10 years later. But the OP is right, it does work if you can stomach doing it.

 

Honestly I don't mind at all. It's a great way to meet new players and to get a group tiger quickly and efficiently. I'm a very outgoing social person but I know everyone isn't . A little socializing goes a long way for enjoyment. Give it a shot

[warpedlogic]

OP: I've done that, but only limited it to people who have their LFG flag set and never really though about asking others without their LFG set. Thanks for the tip!

[Moricthian]

I'm hesitant to just randomly message people. It just seems rude to me. I don't think someone is anti social because they are annoyed at getting random whipsers from people looking for groups. That's like calling someone anti social becasue they get annoyed at a telemarketer. People want to be social on their on terms and not have it forced on them.

 

We need a system that doesn't force people to bust out their call sheets just because they want to do a flashpoint. That seems pretty cold and impersonal to me.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Moricthian

[jonamir]

I'm hesitant to just randomly message people. It just seems rude to me. I don't think someone is anti social because they are annoyed at getting random whipsers from people looking for groups. That's like calling someone anti social becasue they get annoyed at a telemarketer. People want to be social on their on terms and not have it forced on them.

 

We need a system that doesn't force people to bust out their call sheets just because they want to do a flashpoint. That seems pretty cold and impersonal to me.

 

I admire your drive to be polite, but to be honest I don't find anything rude or annoying about asking someone if they want to do a group quest with you. Chances are, they more than likely need the quest themselves and everyone can benefit from the grouping. Telemarketers call you at the worst times to sell you **** you don't want. I'm whispering players on the same planet that are likely wanting to finish the same heroics I'm trying to finish. So, respectfully, I don't think your analogy is accurate.

[Valkirus]

Most servers also have a dedicated global lfg channel now too. Try /cjoin lfg, encourage others to use this feature. It gives you access to an entire universe of people also lfg instead of just a specific zone.

 

How do I leave the LFG channel?....type /cleave lfg? it is a very anoying channel with all those players leaving and logging on all the time. PLus...does not work well for finding groups anyway..

[Noctis_XZ]

This was actually really commonplace in FFXI. I didn't like doing it then, I'm sure not much different 10 years later. But the OP is right, it does work if you can stomach doing it.

 

I'll back you up on that one. I played the game for many years and this was how things were done.. don't get me wrong. You could stand around in Jeuno or Whitegate or wherever you were and use /shout to find people but I found it far more productive to just use /tell.

 

It would get annoying at times when you couldn't find anyone but most of the time once I found a person for my group generally we had the same objective in mind. We'd end up laying out plans for the coming days involving whatever it is we were working on and become really good friends. Eventually it got to the point where I didn't have to find people for anything at all because of the people I met.

 

Things need to go back to that way or meet somewhere in the middle. An auto-group function is great if your server is dying. But it really won't kill people to actually have to reach out to other players and communicate with one another.

 

If you can't stomach someone sending you a /whisper asking if you'd like a group then you really have no right playing an MMO, single player is for you. And at least in FFXI if that kind of thing really bothered you than you could go anon. When someone did a search people wouldn't be able to see you except for certain cases.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Noctis_XZ

[zuile]

This is useful but we still need a real LFG system, much more convenient, still surprises me that they didn't launch with one so outdated.

[terminova]

This is useful but we still need a real LFG system, much more convenient, still surprises me that they didn't launch with one so outdated.

 

Games will always launch without some feature a player will fervently believe should have been in at launch.

[DimitriM]

yes, because instead of having modern tools in a modern rpg, we should be forced into harassing people.

 

Talking to people is harassing now?

Do you understand what the acronym MMO stands for?

 

As for the OP, I've done this for a long time, in SWTOR and WoW before the LFG was put in. Most people are up for doing things, they just don't think "Why don't I do something instead of sitting around on the fleet."

 

Not to mention most just ignore the chat if they're not actively looking for a group. If you bring it to their attention by whispering something simple, they will be more likely to do it.

[WoodChipper]

I cold invite all the time and very rarely get denied. People are always up for group quests.

[Dkzero]

Copy and paste is your friend. Write something in notepad like "Hi, need one more for foundry if you're interested" (keep it as polite as possible). Copy what you wrote. Open who menu and do your level range search. Now go down the menu and right click - whisper, control v, right click - whisper, control v, right click - whisper, control v and on and on and on.

 

This works every time, usually only takes a few minutes. If you're looking for something specific like a tank, just do a level range search and sort by class and spam the tank classes.

 

I used to do this ALL the time on LOTRO as well.

 

I think maybe 2 times someone got pissed, but if someone's going to get mad about 1 whisper I wouldn't want to group with them anyways.

Edited April 14, 2012 by Dkzero

[DogMeat]

Great idea OP, I have done this in many MMO's and it works most of the time.

 

I personally do not idle in Gen chat, never liked it in any game.

 

So feel free to /whisper me any time you need DPS......

[Esproc]

The best thing, after checking, is to whisper someone Before inviting them to a group. Courtesy goes a long way.

 

It is the same if you guild invite, always ask and talk to the person first.

 

A cold invite on anything is a sure no. I have no idea what you want and am simply put off by what I consider very bad manners.

 

So for now, please do use the LFG tool that was provided, and whisper the person/s you find first, before trying to make them join a cult or something (like I said, how do I know what you want?), so they know what the group is for.

[Othehto]

Yeah well I say, "bollocks!"

 

As an MMO vet I am very use to the intricacies, tricks and methods of getting people to to run a mission.

 

Even after 1.2 with over 130 people in fleet; over 2 hours last night were spent without getting a group to run Foundry. Even having a healer dedicated to the mission people wouldn't bite.

 

There is no carrot to run these missions when you can simply get equivalent gear from other sources whether via drop, commendations, pvp, etc. People have seen the stories once and have no desire to repeat them; and there is truly no need.

 

I'm a content whore. I enjoy doing everything possible in a zone,especially the H4 missions. Getting groups to do sub-50 content on new characters has become grossly painful.

 

So while you can try to make "hey I'm going to kick this puppy." the end all, be all of solutions, in the end it's tripe. Yes, I have had success doing similar; but the point is the game content itself should motivate people to execute it not snarky or witty commentary by the playerbase.

 

There is a flaw in the current rewards/grouping system that is detracting from forming groups and executing group content.