Feedback request from James Ohlen - Group Finder

[Aora]

Please, please for the love of God keep it single server only.

 

And with how spread out the population is, the only option for the group finder is for it to be cross-server, or queues will be too long. I know it's going to be single server at first, but it's guaranteed that this tool will need to be expanded to cross-server. Just watch. I expect a lot of hate for that comment, but I'm just being realistic here.

 

No, you are not being realistic at all. The solution is server merges to help correct the overall population issues. It's not just flashpoints that need more people, it's the entire game environment of which flashpoints are only a small part of. Cross-server is never the correct answer.

[jtobscure]

Its existence is more important than its content at this point. It's a basic feature that should have been in the original release.

 

There is still something to be said for organizing a group organically; it makes people actually socialize, which is great in an MMO. But it was really hard to PUG after the first three weeks of this game.

[Slobozache]

Cross server LFG tool is the best way to help people finding groups for flashpoints. It should have been added already, instead of UI customization.

[RachelAnne]

Dont copy the wow LFG, please! It killed the game, as it put you in groups that were not suited for your own playstyle.

 

A LFG can only work if people decide with whom they want to play. This can be achived by adding different filter settings like

 

- Casual

- pro

- elite

 

- rush

- slowly

 

- MS>OS

- OS<MS

 

At wow it happens a lot that a casual does end up with elitist players who want to rush and blame the casual for not wanting this. That situation aint fun for the casual, but also not for the elite. Or you end up with people that roll for every item, while you want to have a MS priority etc.

The wow tool does automate the group finding, which is actually very bad without filters.

 

It would also be possible to just give players a list of intrested players, so that they can invite them manually.

 

 

If you guys manage this, then I dont mind if its xrealm - to have it for raids and dungeons is also fine.

Edited April 20, 2012 by RachelAnne

[Esron]

Flashpoints, heroics, and Ops would be great but like so many before me has commented, WoW made one for raids wich basicly ended up killing raiding for hardcore pve players.

IF you however decide to make one for Ops, then make sure NOT TO LOWER THE DIFFICULTY ON THE OPS !!!

They are somewhat easy as it is allready so dont make it any easyer please.

With that said, i think that a tool for all of the above would be great BUT unless you start doing server merges then it will ahve to be a x-realm tool or it wont work for 75% of the servers i think since they really dont have the players to pull it of.

So PLEASE before you make a LFG tool, start some server mergings to ease it up for yourselfs and the players to. Xrealm lfg tool is not a good way to go about this since it still leaves alot of the stuff on each server undone and still makes them feel empty. plus you dont really get to create a community at all like that.

It would just be every man for himself instead of "hey i know that guy, he is fun and a really nice player, lets get him into the raid"

[Raiders]

I don't understand why people don't want a cross server LFG feature

 

What will be the goal to restrict it to your own server ? I'm leveling 4different alts at the moment... most of the time there is no more than 15/20 people on the planet I'm in.. if not 5/8

What would be my % of chance to make a group with a LFG feature which is not "cross server" ?

People who don't reply to my general channel LFG request won't join just because I put the same LFG in a tool.

 

I propose that :

- BW put an option to allow the user to choose if he wants the LFG "cross server " or "same server only" (simple tick untick thing somewhere in the LFG tool)

- BW add the loot restriction filter (it non class items can only be greed or pass) = non ninja

- BW ensure that the leader can remove (with vote) a player if he's AFK or not "playing properly"

- BW ensure that this tool can replace any lost member if "removed"from the group (due to irl, DC etc...)

- BW ensure that the selected player is transfered INSIDE the instance

- BW ensure that if anyone needs to repair during the FP, there is 1 NPC inside the instance or allow the player to exit the area to search for similar NPC and come back inside the instance by using a "return in intance" feature.

 

There must be other thing that should be added...

 

As I read on several post, this tool is very very imporant.

Guys stop refering to bad past LFG tool experiences as we can be sure than other people have as much good experience of similar tool (myself in RIFT for example)

 

hope to see such tool very very soon..

TBH I think that such tool was far more important that releasing a event... just my opinion.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Raiders

[Pokerface]

I do not need a group finder, because everything I do is with my guild mates. But if you plan to implement a group finder... well.. within the server of course.

[dazednconfuzed]

Just please don't make it cross server.

[Onmensch]

The priority for the groupfinder now is for Flashpoints. As it's a bit of a pain in the *** to even find a group yelling on fleet all day And no, the 'groupfinder' we have now its not sufficient. Too few people know of it and even if they know, they won't use it. As even yelling on fleet gives a group faster than that

[Xeromem]

In order of importance:

1- Flashpoints

2 - Heroics

3 - Operations

4 - Everything else

 

This game is heavily geared towards group play yet it has the worst group finder I've ever seen. Seriously the lack of a decent group finder is the biggest drawback to this game which is otherwise excellent overall. Both DDO and WoW have much better group finders.

[Flain]

Ops & Flashpoints mostly which is why I selected no preference/all of the above. I think it should be made cross-server too, single server is a bit pointless in my opinion.

[Shlamorel]

I selected All of the above (which seems odd to me to include alongside "no preference"... how will the SWTOR team have any idea of knowing if people want everything or nothing out of this option?)

 

I do think getting the group finder in for flashpoints is the single most important one. But I started thinking about when I was leveling up how hard it was to find a group for heroic quests, so I think that would really enhance the leveling up experience.

 

Regarding operations, I support a group finder for story mode (8 man version) only - Hard Mode / Nightmare mode with a group finder will make for some very, very angry people.

[Defdaddy]

Main feature of Group Finder I would like to see:

 

Players being able to setup a queue for a particular Operation/Flashpoint/Heroic, the player setting up the queue can define how many Tanks/DPS/Healers needed but cant specify what type of Tank etc...

 

When other players open the LFG Tool they can see queue's that are open and if they are able to fill a spot--join in. The joining a queue would be akin to queue'ing for Warzones. You should be able to join from anywhere so that while you are waiting for the group to fill you can do other things.

 

Additionally, the queue should have a level/gear check that will prevent seriously under-geared lower-level players from joining.

 

The LFG feature should have a manual area too with a list of players that have flagged themselves as LFG for a particular encounter--in which World Bosses could be specified as well.

[gwyneira]

I would like to see a feature added that lets you choose whether or not you get a group thats cross server or from just your own server.I have no interest in cross server grouping but I know it would be helpful for the people on light pop servers. There should be a way to designate that you want to spacebar though the story in a FP or Op.

[Anzel]

All of the above.

 

^^ This. I only get to play an hour or two every few nights. I'm not looking to spend half of that time looking for a group. I just want a tool that will get me grouped up with the appropriate players. Regardless of my activity.

 

HINT: Most players don't visit the forums or your Twitter account

[Shimargh]

at this time the Group Finder feature in development is limited to searching on a single server only.

please keep it that way.

[Holytoe]

The part of the group find most important to my play style is transportation to and from the flashpoint. Once I queue up I don't want to have to wait around the station while the group is found, or wait around for people to finish what they are doing and get to the departure point. Send a shuttle, zoom me away, and drop me back where I was when we've saved the Galaxy again.

 

Great point and I agree. The central location on fleet for all flashpoints and ops seems to be great. But flashpoints should offer a shuttle pickup (for a fee) that carts you from planet to flashpoint. This would allow players to level while waiting for a group to form.

 

I say this only because the flash points are not on the appropriate planet i.e. lvl21 Athiss flashpoint located on the level 16-20 planet (Taris/Balmorra), lvl25 Mandalorian Raiders flashpoint located on the level 24-28 planet (Tatooine), etc.

 

Point being as players are leveling they would more likely join a flashpoint group if it is convenient to their leveling experience, rather than disrupting it.

 

I am currently leveling my third character. This always bothered me about flashpoints; I think many others feel the same way. Once the level cap is raised, Ops group finder for level 50 ops should be added to those level 50 planets to find appropriate level players.

 

So, here is a typical scenario under this new feature. While solo questing on Tatooine, you open the LFG window, type "heals lfg mand raiders", and continue questing/leveling. After a bit, you get a whisper from a tank and a dps player.

 

You invite them both, become group leader, then update advertisement "lf1m dps mand raiders". Ten minutes later, a dps joins. You send the "ready check" status to everyone; they all respond as ready. Then shuttles show up for each player and open a clickable "enter phase" window. Everyone clicks, enters, completes the flashpoint Mandalorian Raiders.

 

At conclusion, they can continue other activities on fleet or re-enter the flashpoint to take the shuttle back to where they were questing on the planet.

[Dakia]

I would probably never, ever use it for Ops. i would use it for FPs and heroic missions though.

[Freeborne]

James,

 

The most important thing to me (something not listed on the form) is that the LFG Tool not destroy a servers sense of Community. That primarily means no cross-server LFG. It also means a sense of accountability for people who find ways to abuse, or use it to abuse their fellow players.

 

Thanks!

[SentinelDranoel]

operations are still some of the least wanted content in this game.

[Harlin]

My ideal LFG tool has many options and is not cross-server. It has drop-down selection for preferred class, quests, dungeons, and it has a listing of who is currently looking for a group.

[Mailek]

Flash Points for sure, I know of a few friends that have trouble getting a group together to do these.

[Crizzapp]

I personally chose "all of the above". The reasoning for this is, I don't get much time to play and the last thing I want to do is spend my time trying to get a group for a flash point, heroic, operation. I am in a great guild and group with them when I can unfortunately my play times are a bit off. What would be helpful is the ability to queue up for a FP, OP, or Heroic and choose your roll and go back to playing. When your group fills you get a notification much like you do with PvP. I understand it would not completely and magically fix the time it takes to get a group together everytime but it might make group forming more accessible with out constantly having to spam LFG every few minutes.

 

Thanks

[Satan_Claus]

Cross-server LFG tool please. It will help a lot 'casual' people, who dont want be in guilds, playing 2-3 hours per day and especially who have not same timezone as most people on same server.

And option for 'stick to same server' for all whiners who want play only with people from same server. So all be happy.

[LarryRow]

Here are my thoughts on your LFG tool (I voted All of the Above):

 

A group leader should be able to queue his group (to make LF1M and LF2M easier)

 

If you are questing and use LFG for Heroics, you should be able to apply to group for multiple heroics, if you have the quests. Once two players request the same heroic(s) they are placed in a group together, and more players are added as they queue. The players can discuss and decide which heroic to do [first]. The heroic LFG tool should *not* care about your class/role. You guys did a very good job of making sure heroics can be completed with pretty much any group of 4.

 

A bit ambitious, but you should also be able to check a box to sign up for all heroics for which you do not have the quest, but for which you have unlocked the map segment where the quest GIVER is located and for which you are eligible. The LFG tool will ensure one member has it and can share.

 

For the above, a sub-check box to exclude heroics already completed on a previous day.

 

This is probably obvious, but the LFG tool for FPs and Ops should work anywhere (e.g., while questing on Corellia, on your ship, in the fleet, etc).

 

The FP and Ops tool should allow you to indicate your role/roles that you can perform. There should also be options for group composition that you would accept. It should be done with an At Least/Most system like so:

>checkbox< At Least {#} Tanks and no more than {#}

repeat for dps and heals

 

The matchmaking system should always bias in favor of tank, damage, damage, heals (double all for ops) when possible.

 

You should be able to queue for multiple FPs/Ops for which you are eligible to OBTAIN (see what I did there) the quest.

 

Some people have argued against LFG for Ops. To those folks I say: You don't have to use it you don't want to.

 

Some other folks have pointed out that it would be cool to have an LFG for world bosses. This is a great idea! You need to able to queue for any world boss from any location in the game to make it work on all but the most populated servers.

 

The Cross server vs same server debate is going to mostly fall according to how populated your server is. Please acknowledge and address the issue of low population on some servers.