[Sith] Finding a group for a flashpoint is painful...

[Kawolski]

The Imperial Fleet's a great place to find people for the Black Talon flashpoint. People are lead to it very smoothly from when they first arrive. However, trying to find people for the Hammer Station flashpoint was extremely frustrating.

 

First of all, if there are breadcrumb quests that encourage players in Dromund Kaas to go to this Flashpoint, they're bugged out or simply missing. The Flashpoint Shuttle, for example, would be an excellent place to put a comm terminal to talk to Malgus that's normally located in the Flashpoint Hub in the Fleet.

 

Ask around... I bet most of your fellow players don't even know that flashpoints exist beyond Black Talon because the game doesn't make any effort to introduce them.

 

2nd, the LFG system we have now is grossly under-utilized. First, to find everyone looking for group, you have to go through a series of unorthodox steps:

1. Press CTRL-U twice (the /who window bugs out after playing the game for a few minutes, this sequence fixes that)

2. /who

3. Remove your current area from the search terms

4. Search

 

Now I got a list of people in the server that are LFG. I have to find the people of the appropriate level, which sadly I'm just supposed to magically know what the appropriate level range is for this Flashpoint.

 

What level is this Flashpoint anyway?

 

Let's check the Codex...nothing about Flashpoint mechanics (e.g. recommended level range, recommended group size, etc.). Very unfortunate.

How about the quest? Level 17... that gives me some idea, but doesn't answer my question. Is Level 15 too low then? Is level 20 too high?

Ok, I guess we'll have to go to a 3rd party DB site like Torhead...it doesn't show a level range, although there are comments saying 16-19.

 

Honestly, a few lines in the codex would've been sufficient.

 

Ok, now I know what level player I want to look for. I just need to go through the LFG list...and everyone's comment just says "LFG"... great.

 

/t Stranger Hello. Do you want to heal or DPS Hammer Station?

"What's that?"

...

That brings me back to point one.

 

I finally got my group. Lo and behold, EVERYONE'S Fleet Pass is on cooldown, so everyone needs to wait until they make their way to the flashpoint. "Do you guys have a Flashpoint Shuttle on your map?" "No...where's that?"

 

It takes about 15 minutes for everyone to make their way to the station. Zzzz...

 

I spent about 30-45 minutes trying to get a group and to be honest, from now on, I'm not going to bother anymore. Finding Flashpoint groups isn't fun and unless my guild needs help with one, I'm done with them.

[fallenjedi]

/agree

 

Excellent Feedback!

[SUK_A_FACE]

this is how its supposed to be. if you want easy mode LFG go back to WoW.

 

i remember making groups in vanilla wow could like over an hour and then you had to get there and there was no centralized location that all of the flashpoints are you had to run across the world to get there. so stop complaining.

Edited December 19, 2011 by SUK_A_FACE

[TheBlackDragon]

Go to the fleet

Type LFG...... in /1

I had a group in less than 2 minutes and we were inside

Ur doing it wrong

Edited December 19, 2011 by TheBlackDragon

[Carolius]

Make some friends and/or join a guild.

[HuntressRoseclaw]

Go to the fleet

Type LFG...... in /1

I had a group in less than 2 minutes and we were inside

Ur doing it wrong

 

^This. I had no problems finding a group.

 

And go to this ---> Flashpoint Info

 

I made that thread with info so people didn't have to waste time looking for such info.

[Abfalter]

Clearly they need WOWs Dungeon Finder system.

 

The current LFG system is archaic. WOW has set the bar for this, and SW:TOR really needs to meet it.

 

Love this game, but....yeah, it's embarrassingly bad for a modern MMO.

[iceveiled]

this is how its supposed to be. if you want easy mode LFG go back to WoW.

 

i remember making groups in vanilla wow could like over an hour and then you had to get there and there was no centralized location that all of the flashpoints are you had to run across the world to get there. so stop complaining.

 

Wow what a d*ck troll response to a legitimate, well written post of constructive criticism.

 

I'm so sick of these elitist "I've been playing MMO's since vanilla wow" (like WoW was the first MMO) who feel that entitles them to be jerks on the forum. Hey guess what? I'm an MMO veteran too, and that doesn't mean I like spamming general chat to pug up, or that I despise modern MMO conveniences like, I dunno, not having to run 10 minutes to get to the flashpoint entrance.

Edited December 19, 2011 by iceveiled

[loudent]

First of all, if there are breadcrumb quests that encourage players in Dromund Kaas to go to this Flashpoint, they're bugged out or simply missing. The Flashpoint Shuttle, for example, would be an excellent place to put a comm terminal to talk to Malgus that's normally located in the Flashpoint Hub in the Fleet.

 

Ask around... I bet most of your fellow players don't even know that flashpoints exist beyond Black Talon because the game doesn't make any effort to introduce them.

 

Completely agree. I stumbled on then by accident (looking for my ship)

 

I'm just supposed to magically know what the appropriate level range is for this Flashpoint.

 

What level is this Flashpoint anyway?

 

The flashpoint mission in you quest log will give you both a level for the flashpoint and is also color coded like all quests

[Obiwanwillpwnme]

To put it simply:

 

I played instances in WoW all the time, loved them. Dungeon finder was amazing and improved my experience.

 

I started off playing Flashpoints in SWTOR, but after the first one it is just way too hard to find a group and wastes too much time.

 

 

 

Lack of a dungeon finder is taking the second 'M' out of MMORPG.

[Putok]

this is how its supposed to be. if you want easy mode LFG go back to WoW.

 

i remember making groups in vanilla wow could like over an hour and then you had to get there and there was no centralized location that all of the flashpoints are you had to run across the world to get there. so stop complaining.

 

Let's get rid of mounts, hearthstones, and flight points too, since WoW has those and they made things more fun and convenient for the player. Should probably ditch rest XP and respecs while we're at it too!

 

A well thought out post making constructive criticism about one area where the game could stand improvement does not warrant this sort of response. It's not like the guy asked to be able to play a Tauren, the "Go back to WoW" is entirely unwarranted.

[MADOGRE]

Just because some of you hate WOW does not mean that they do not have some very useful things. If your so blinded by hate for them that you cant see it I feed sorry for you, because in order for you beloved game TOR to with stand the test of time like WOW has it will need to have things such as this to make the game more appealing.

I like TOR and have been gone from WOW for some time but I do not see the need for bashing things that work great for any MMO just because it was in WOW.

[Katchii]

An automatic grouping system for specific things would be awesome. the LFG thing functions just like the one in FFXI and that is painfully slow.

 

Most people only have set windows of playtime, making a tool that would make it much easier to use that valuable window to its utmost, would be highly beneficial.

 

Let's face it, the LFD tool in WoW is awesome. The community feel that people get doesn't HAVE to come from running a dungeon with the same group of people....and on that point, something like that is usually called a GUILD....but anyway, this game seems to be begging for a LFG tool that auto groups players based on what they need.

 

With the amount of Heroic quests I've had to organize, a tool just for those would be SWEET!

 

TL;DR= Breadcrumb quests to Flashpoints, yes please. LFG tool that is much easier to use and less obtrusive (meaning doesn't have to take you away from actually playing the game instead of typing in chat), yes please.

[Gavin_Darkl]

this is how its supposed to be. if you want easy mode LFG go back to WoW.

 

i remember making groups in vanilla wow could like over an hour and then you had to get there and there was no centralized location that all of the flashpoints are you had to run across the world to get there. so stop complaining.

 

^ Agreed.

 

I am not having problems finding groups for anything. Why because I am using General to find people. I am asking in my Guild. I am not like everyone asking for a LFD tool just wanting the game to play itself for me. Sorry guys but its the truth. If you want a LFD tool so badly there are other games that have it, also you could play games like Diablo which you just join a server and beat the dungeon and move on. That is the type of game you are truly looking for. Not the MMO Genera.

 

An MMO means you need to put effort into the Social Aspect of the game and get to know people. If you want to Solo then dont do any group quest or instances. If you want to run with people Do not expect the game just to throw people in a group for you and allow you to run.

[Gavin_Darkl]

Let's get rid of mounts, hearthstones, and flight points too, since WoW has those and they made things more fun and convenient for the player. Should probably ditch rest XP and respecs while we're at it too!

 

A well thought out post making constructive criticism about one area where the game could stand improvement does not warrant this sort of response. It's not like the guy asked to be able to play a Tauren, the "Go back to WoW" is entirely unwarranted.

 

No its not unwarranted. Its Simple people dont want this to be WOWTOR. People are leaving WoW for SWTOR because they dont like the way it has gone. They dont like the LFD tool. They dont like the LFR tool. They dont want the game handed to them a silver plate. So if you want all this its not wrong to ask you to stay where its happening.

[Darth_Sinistor]

i remember making groups in vanilla wow could like over an hour and then you had to get there and there was no centralized location that all of the flashpoints are you had to run across the world to get there......

 

Sounds.....fun?

[DigiMajik]

While I agree with the OP that there definitely needs to be additional clarifications added to the game, I don't however agree with some of the other posters that a Dungeon Finder is the ultimate solution.

 

I agree with the poster that got called rude when he wasn't. Vanilla WOW was more fun when you actually had to look for people to find a group instead of using a tool.

 

Sure, the time spent looking and traveling were somewhat a pain, but even that added some flavor to the game. You actually had a reason to use hearthstones, portals, and your investment into a faster mount actually made a difference. Racing to the dungeon entrance was even like a fun meta game that you just don't get when you get a free teleport into the dungeon from a tool.

 

The biggest problem with the tool is that it really beat up the community quite a bit. It was a lot more fun to get grouped with people you know, or new people you have just met than it was just to get dumped into a group with people you were never going to see again. I can't tell you how many friends I've made from meeting up with them for dungeons. After all, you see them quite a bit as they normally need the same dungeons you will if you level at the same speed.

 

You completely miss that with a tool though. With a tool, you just pick where you want to go, get teleported in, and rush through it as fast as possible while trying to grab up as much loot as possible, whether someone else needs it or not. You don't care about them because you're never going to see them again. There's no "Sure, buddy, you can have it" because why be nice to them? You can sell that gear they need for 2g and hey, it's 2g in your pocket right? Why not?

 

This is one of the major reasons I quit playing WOW after years of doing so. Having to run the same dungeon/heriocs over, and over, and over with random people who are rude and don't care is simply exhausting. It's like a job. And the reason you have to run them so much, for so little points/gear, is because they have to factor in the ease in which you find groups.

 

So instead of getting the same amount of gear while meeting new people and using all of your spells and having fun doing so, you get a dungeon grind fest that sucks all of the novelty away from it because you're forced into running it a thousand times.

 

That being said, I'm not saying they shouldn't eventually add some sort of tool which helps you find groups. I would just like to see it be put together in such a way where running an instance is fun and not just another grind. I know something like that is hard to put together because there's a lot of different opinions out there. Mine is just another one.

 

Maybe if the tool was limited to people of the same server that would make a bigger difference. Of course, then you would have people unhappy with the wait times if you don't make it cross sever. I guess it's kind of a lose/lose situation. Would you rather have to wait for a dungeon group and have a healthier community or would you rather get that instant gratification, but ultimately get burned out and quit?

 

I dunno. There are no easy answers.

[DeathStarPlumber]

OP Great post and I really hope the devs take notice and read this. I'm now lvl 17 and had no clue about hammer station until i did a google search of swtor instances last night. I really love this game and I am having a blast playing it but i can't help but feel not enough attention and effort was put into the multiplayer aspect of this game.

 

I really love to experience ALL the raid content a MMO has to offer and hate missing out on a run after I realize I have exceeded the recommended lvl. Something needs to be changed here.

[Brakner]

Hell even a server wide LFG channel would suffice for now, that way the SWTOR purists can just leave it to stay happy. Even in City of Heroes and STO you have server wide LFG channels for "Task Forces" and SF's since day 1.

 

I would love to be able to go off questing when my guildies are not on and still be able to do pug Flashpoints without having to sit in the Fleet.

Edited December 19, 2011 by Brakner

[aymirstory]

Simply put, I agree. Some sort of LFG tool is pretty much needed for an MMO now. At the moment there are a lot of people doing the flashpoints so it's relatively quick and easy to get a group for them. But after the large influx of new players is gone it could take forever to get a group.

 

What is not needed is a repeat of WoW's LFG tool. It destroyed the community of the servers and took away the "massively" out of MMORPG. What would work is a tool where you have a list of flashpoints at your level that you can select, and you select what roles you can fulfill. Then you just list yourself, and you can see other people who have listed theirselves and you can form your own group and then run to the flashpoint.

 

Or even a gamewide LFG channel, but that would probably become a wretched hive of scum and villainy within ten minutes of being introduced.

[Putok]

No its not unwarranted. Its Simple people dont want this to be WOWTOR. People are leaving WoW for SWTOR because they dont like the way it has gone. They dont like the LFD tool. They dont like the LFR tool. They dont want the game handed to them a silver plate. So if you want all this its not wrong to ask you to stay where its happening.

 

Let's get rid of being able to queue for PvP from anywhere in the world without preforming a group too. Clearly, if WoW did it, and it makes life far more convenient for the average player, it's a bad feature. Being able to hearth to any bind point DEFINITELY has to go, since it's even MORE convenient than WoW. The whole crafting system clearly needs to get chucked out the window. It's world more convenient than WoW. I mean really, I can have my pets craft FOR ME?!

 

"WoW did it, so it's bad, because everything WoW has is bad unless TOR already has it." is not a valid reason to object to a feature. I just do not understand the WoW-phobia. What's next? Remove AE looting because Rift had AE looting, and failed?

[Varus_Praetor]

^ Agreed.

 

I am not having problems finding groups for anything. Why because I am using General to find people. I am asking in my Guild. I am not like everyone asking for a LFD tool just wanting the game to play itself for me. Sorry guys but its the truth. If you want a LFD tool so badly there are other games that have it, also you could play games like Diablo which you just join a server and beat the dungeon and move on. That is the type of game you are truly looking for. Not the MMO Genera.

 

An MMO means you need to put effort into the Social Aspect of the game and get to know people. If you want to Solo then dont do any group quest or instances. If you want to run with people Do not expect the game just to throw people in a group for you and allow you to run.

 

 

Prepare for disappointment. Casual gamers are the money making base of MMORPG's. The fact that BW decided to leave out some of the most important quality of life improvements for casual players developed over the past 7 years speaks poorly to their management. I find it interesting that they left out some tools most wanted by hardcore players as well, like a combat log, but that's another subject.

 

SWTOR WILL have a dungeon finder. It is inevitable.

 

I'd also like to throw out that I find all those who think spamming "LFG" in general chat qualifies as a "social" activity to be extremely pathetic. Why don't you just go down to the mall and shout "hello!" to random people and see if anyone shouts back. Then you can sit back and bask in the joy of your meaningful "social" interaction.

[SaltAU]

Massively agree with this post. I accidently stumbled across the FP for Hammer whatever its called.

 

How on earth was this not fixed in Beta? What do you Beta players do exactly? I hold both BioWare any and all players that played in Beta accountable.

[Orisai]

I did Black Talon with no problems at all looking for a group, since everyone and their mother-in-law was looking for it, but I had to skip Hammer Station and Athiss because I couldn't find people who would want to do them when I was ready.

 

Another problem is how many loading screens and meaningless timesinks we have to wait for, just to get to the spacedock and start spamming Trade like creazy looking for, or assembling a group.

 

For me, it's the only aspect I feel like a regression rather than an improvement in SWTOR.

[Vendril]

No cross server LFD tool is my preference. All the non-rl friends I made in WoW were from pre-LFD tool days when I met them just doing an instance like the daily heroic. Honestly, maybe it's just me -- but if you were a brand new player coming into WoW today -- how would you make friends?

 

Questing is a primarily solo activity. LFD means you get random people from other servers you will never see again. You just join a random guild? You won't be joining server PUGs generally until max level for raids.

 

Cross server LFD is bad for the community. Server-only LFD I would be absolutely fine with, actually in favor of.

 

And this doesn't even begin to go into the general lack of respect players show to each other when playing with people they will never see again.