Finding a Group: Flashpoints

[MXIII]

So one of the biggest things hurting the social aspect of this game imo is the lack of group finding tools. During my play time Ive noticed that while the fleets are the central hub for the faction, many people dont usually go there as often between the levels of 18-49. I mean theres really nothing to do in the fleet so why hang around there.

 

So as I want to build groups for flashpoints I find it easier to find group members in leveling areas on different planets rather than spamming chat on the fleet. So my suggestion would be to cut down jumping from planet to planet shouting "LFG!" If maybe their were Flashpoint terminals near all the flashpoint couriers on the different worlds. That way when you pick up your flashpoint quest on the planet you can access the terminal and see a list of all the open groups for all the different flashpoints, or create a new group that other people in the galaxy can view and join via flashpoint terminals from any given world.

 

So the player would be like "Hey I got the Mandalorian Raiders flashpoint" So he checks the terminal near the courier and selects Mandalorian Raiders from a drop down box of all the available flashpoints from the sidebar. Then on the main pane he sees a list of open groups with an option to create a new open group posting.

 

If he finds an available group, he can click on it and it slides up to reveal a small detail panel with the selectable slots that are open, TANK, DPS, DPS, and HEALS. Then he just selects the role and bam he is put into the group and the group leader gets a little chime and his chat pane reads

 

Starfire (Heals) has joined the group.

 

Once the group is filled the posting automatically disappears from the terminal.

 

 

If the Player wants to start his own group he can click the create group button, which will create a posting on the terminal automatically. If he already has group members the panel will close out what roles he has filled. Then he can wait for people to join automatically through the terminal, or manhually invite people, which will result in another slot on the terminal closing. Once all slots have been filled whether they joined automatically through the terminal, or been invited manually, the posting will automatically clear from the terminal.

 

You can make Ops, and PVP terminals that work like this too. Making it very easy for someone questing on a planet galaxy wide to be able to search for, or start flashpoint groups. A terminal should also be on the fleets so players who have people drop out can find replacements without having to leave the fleet to search for new players again.

[MXIII]

bumpo

[RepublicChicken]

Or do it like DC Universe Online:

 

1. Pick up a FP quest (like Mandalorian Raiders.)

 

2. Open the FP terminal (you can do this anywhere you want in DCUO), select the desired FP and click "Ready".

 

3. Go back to the game and play as normal.

 

4. Once the instance is ready, click "Enter instance", and voila! You're in the FP. Once you are done, you are teleported back to where you were.

 

Couldn't be simpler. You don't have to spam the general chat over and over. You don't have to look through lists of groups or make your own. You don't have to stand in one place and wait for someone to join you. You sign up, play as normal and join when the instance's ready. That's it. It's brilliant and really easy, so why can't we do it in Old Republic?

[chaosdefined]

Just like in WoW, just like in Rift, just like in pretty much every single MMO.

[RepublicChicken]

Except in Old Republic.

[livnthedream]

its coming. stop whining.

 

also, if more people actually used the /who lfg function getting a group isnt a problem.

 

"omg i have to talk to people" is a pretty poor reason to not finding groups, especially when it is a "social experience" you are looking for.

[chaosdefined]

its coming. stop whining.

 

also, if more people actually used the /who lfg function getting a group isnt a problem.

 

"omg i have to talk to people" is a pretty poor reason to not finding groups, especially when it is a "social experience" you are looking for.

 

The /who option is an extremely outdated and difficult process, not helped at all by the fact that Bioware designed it fairly poorly.

 

And it's coming sure, but it doesn't have a date yet. Patch 1.3 we've been assured, which is at the soonest June or beyond.

 

For a game that supposedly encourages community and social experiences, they really designed it badly to actually try and achieve these goals.

[Moricthian]

its coming. stop whining.

 

also, if more people actually used the /who lfg function getting a group isnt a problem.

 

"omg i have to talk to people" is a pretty poor reason to not finding groups, especially when it is a "social experience" you are looking for.

 

Biowdrones gonna drone.

[MXIII]

The /who option is an extremely outdated and difficult process, not helped at all by the fact that Bioware designed it fairly poorly.

 

And it's coming sure, but it doesn't have a date yet. Patch 1.3 we've been assured, which is at the soonest June or beyond.

 

For a game that supposedly encourages community and social experiences, they really designed it badly to actually try and achieve these goals.

 

How is offering a solution in a calm and constructive way whining?

[Katahn]

Just so long as it NEVER becomes cross-server (it won't be to start)

 

In a cross-server LFD pug...

 

* You get the "gogoogo" guy who finds even a moment of pause to be too much.

 

* The "I *need* credits" guy who thinks its ok to hit "need" on everything.

 

* The "stood in the fire and yelled at the healer cuz they died" guy.

 

* The "dps-specced and geared 'tank' who queued tank just to get a group faster" guy. (see also the equivilent for healers)

 

* No ability to friend or otherwise contact cool people you run with so you can run with them again in the future. Over sufficiently long periods of time this can make the process of making any new friends in the game difficult as it eventually turns into a bunch of silent people standing around in their capitols waiting for a dungeon pop.

 

* No ability to warn your same-server friends about some jackwagon you got stuck with. Assuming you still have any of course.

 

Fortunately in SWTOR the LFG tool when it comes won't be cross-server and there's really no need for it to teleport you to the instance - fleet pass or quick travel to the fleet shuttle is very nearly the same thing already.

[tkinnunzero]

Just so long as it NEVER becomes cross-server (it won't be to start)

 

In a cross-server LFD pug...

 

* You get the "gogoogo" guy who finds even a moment of pause to be too much.

Putting the "gogogo" guy on ignore should prevent LFD from ever putting you into a group with them in the future, like in WoW.

 

* The "I *need* credits" guy who thinks its ok to hit "need" on everything.

Items won with a Need roll should be made worth 0 credits when sold. Also giving a +100 to your Need roll if the item is for your class and it's better than what you've had before should make unpleasant people (AKA *******es) rolling need on everything a much smaller problem.

 

* The "stood in the fire and yelled at the healer cuz they died" guy.

Putting these on ignore should work just as well as with the "gogogo" guy.

 

* The "dps-specced and geared 'tank' who queued tank just to get a group faster" guy. (see also the equivilent for healers)

There's no need to require players to pick their role, the LFD should check talents and set the roles automatically. If you want to get fancy, being able to vote to replace Agent BadHeals with his companion Dr. Lokin would be pretty great.

 

* No ability to friend or otherwise contact cool people you run with so you can run with them again in the future. Over sufficiently long periods of time this can make the process of making any new friends in the game difficult as it eventually turns into a bunch of silent people standing around in their capitols waiting for a dungeon pop.

A RealID-like system would be pretty nice, cross-server queue with your friends, maybe pop into ME3 multiplayer and get some commendations in SWTOR

 

Maybe call it OriginID…

 

* No ability to warn your same-server friends about some jackwagon you got stuck with.

Being able to link their name in guild chat and right-click ignore should be possible.

 

I think with these tweaks SWTOR's cross-server LFD/LFR would be even better than what WoW has.

[Katahn]

Putting the "gogogo" guy on ignore should prevent LFD from ever putting you into a group with them in the future, like in WoW.

 

 

Putting these on ignore should work just as well as with the "gogogo" guy.

 

Yet in practice not getting someone you've ignored did nothing to improve the quality of LFD pugs in WoW. The reason for it is pretty straightforward actually when you consider that they'd have to be a huge jerk for a very long time to a large number of people who all agreed to ignore them before it would ever produce a noticeable impact on their queue times.

 

Add into that the fact that ignore lists are limited and you're faced with a finite net to try and stop a seemingly infinite flow of jerks. I quickly realized that adding them to my ignore list was doing absolutely no good and ended up giving up on it.

 

Conversely when you are working within a single server community you have a much smaller crowd of people to hide in. Your bad behavior and misdeeds will much more quickly impact your ability to find people who want to hang out with you. This produces a much faster and thus more effective feedback loop where the community can effectively police which behaviors are considered acceptable and which are not.

 

Items won with a Need roll should be made worth 0 credits when sold. Also giving a +100 to your Need roll if the item is for your class and it's better than what you've had before should make unpleasant people (AKA *******es) rolling need on everything a much smaller problem.

 

Not a bad idea, but I think it would be easier to place limits upfront than ask the database to remember whether or not any given item was won in a pug on a need roll or not. I should think that if an item doesn't match your class (role optional) that you can't need on it. Then add in "companion need" for whichever companion you have active as subordinate to that. Lastly, greed/dissassemble.

 

There's no need to require players to pick their role, the LFD should check talents and set the roles automatically. If you want to get fancy, being able to vote to replace Agent BadHeals with his companion Dr. Lokin would be pretty great.

 

That works if people are focused in one tree, but what if they are some kind of hybrid spec? 1/3 tank and 2/3 dps for instance but for a flashpoint they are willing and able to tank - such a system wouldn't let them if it picked for them. Conversely someone who is closer to 50/50 (or maybe exactly 50/50 pre-level-cap) may or may not want to be a tank or a healer - they may be dipping into that other tree for pvp purposes and when they do want to run a FP they prefer to be DPS.

 

A RealID-like system would be pretty nice, cross-server queue with your friends, maybe pop into ME3 multiplayer and get some commendations in SWTOR

 

Maybe call it OriginID…

 

How about just the ability to consistenly meet and make friends with people on your own server so if you don't want to be followed or seen to be playing alts on that server or some other server you don't have to be seen? I'd hate to have to pick between "make a casual in-game friend" and "share information that would let them see me wherever and whatever I am playing". The latter would be appropriate only after we've been friends long enough to make the transition from acquaintance to casual friend to good friend.

 

Being able to link their name in guild chat and right-click ignore should be possible.

 

I think with these tweaks SWTOR's cross-server LFD/LFR would be even better than what WoW has.

 

The problems with WoW's cross-server LFD have nothing to do with their system and everything to do with human nature and our propensity to turn into raging antisocial jerks when anonymity is combined with a complete lack of meaningful reprecussions.