Dungeon Finder Needed Badly.

[Arandmoor]

A system similar to WoW's before they added the lfd tool would be perfect and suit everyone i think. Basically there was an interface where you could pick what you wanted a group for(instances, group quests, etc). This would add you to a an easily searchable list that others could look through to create groups. It also added you to a server wide LFG channel.

 

Here is a pic to give you the idea.

 

http://pcmedia.gamespy.com/pc/image/article/740/740486/440LFG_1161298228.jpg

 

Um...they traded that tool for the LFD queue tool for a couple of reasons...

 

1) Nobody ever used it.

2) It didn't work for s**t.

3) It was clunkier than the damn GTN.

4) Nobody ever used it.

 

It was the most horrendous, vile, worthless UI-PoS ever invented.

 

The golden-age of non-queue grouping in WoW was simply the global LFG chat channel. But do you know why blizzard ripped it out?

 

Spam.

 

Gold-sellers.

Kiddie anal-linkers.

Griefers.

Racist shock-chatters.

 

They implemented the silent LFG queue because the wow community proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they could not be trusted with a global chat channel (it's also a lot of bandwidth overhead by comparison).

 

If you think the ToR community is any better, just look around at the whining on the forums.

 

You don't want teleporting? Fine. I could care less about the teleporting. I actually found the teleporting to be a bit irritating.

 

You don't want cross server? Fine. I personally am a huge fan of x-server grouping.

 

Oh hell...while I'm here I want to say this about "destruction of community".

 

Cross server grouping doesn't destroy community. All the ******* crying about the "community" that cross server groups destroyed in WoW are deluding themselves. MMOs haven't had "communities" since phased dungeons were invented. The so-called "community" you keep hearing about (and many of the whiners haven't actually experienced an old-school MMO community) was present in games like EQ (and the muds before EQ) because when you went to kill something you had to get in line.

 

Everything back then had a terribly long respawn rate, and the loot went to whoever got the last hit. Not the first hit, not the majority of the damage. The last hit.

 

"Community" sprang up because games like EQ had a horrible retention rate, so when you got into the upper levels, you knew everyone and everyone knew you.

 

Because there were only a few of you.

 

If you find yourself whining about "community"...guess what. Any community that existed way back when...chances are most of the whiners wouldn't have been a part of it. Those communities weren't for the "casuals". They were hard-core. They were sparse.

 

They existed, because nobody played the damn games, much less near the level cap (EQ, at it's height, clocked in at just over 300k subs, and was considered to be a behemoth with that many).

 

The modern MMO community is the guild. Not server chat. If cross server grouping kills your "community"...then your guild sucked and deserved to die.

[TopsNL]

I agree the communitys where everyone knew everyone are long gone, i've been playing mmo's for many years and basically since Planetside and Vanilla wow i have not seen its like again, which is a real shame but oh well.

 

To be truly honest the idea of a lfg tool sounds nice but do we actually need it? Some people may not yet realise this but the current system in SWTOR makes instance running almost an experience of adventure then a loot run.

 

You remember the orange gear you get sometimes, with all the slots and all? Well... Guess what. You can upgrade it. And the higher level modifications you use (and quality) the better the stats are. So if you put a level 20 armor mod in a robe you found around level 15 then basically the robe becomes level 20, including increased armor.

 

This same thing works for weapons, using a lightsaber (for example) putting a higher level hilt inside it increases its damage to whichever level the hilt was.

 

So truly, for loot you really dont have to run them a gazillion times. And xp wise its not that much really. I mean, space battles give more (sorta)

 

Maybe for level 50 it could be handy but seeing most people are still leveling dont trust bioware to implement it anytime soon. Personally i think they will eventually add it anyway whatever and how much people will complain against it. Because it simply works well.

 

For myself i can say that i go to the fleet sometimes when i can do a new flashpoint and simply state once that i am lfg for it. And 90% of the times there arent any groups running so i change the LFG to LFM and suddenly whispers poor in with people who want to do it and within 5 and max 10 minutes we're off.

 

People need to overcome their fear to lead, and as long as they can't then they are welcome to run with me.

[Vermuten]

I've thought long and hard about this and I still come to the conclusion that if dungeon finder is released in wow's current form (Ie. Instant Travel & Cross Server) I will cancel both of my accounts. As much as I LOVE this game I can't bring myself to sit in the fleet waiting on a queue to pop. I barely am able to stomach it with pvp.

 

In the past couple weeks I have really gotten to know my server, most due to looking for flashpoints in chat channels. The whole act of initiating conversation with someone in regards to joining the group and then the actual inviting seems so....human?

 

I think the biggest issue I have with it is not the impersonal nature of it all or lack of personal responsibility that it breeds but the fact that from that point forward Bioware has to build their dungeons around that tool. We saw it happen in Rift and we saw what happened in WoW when they tried to make their dungeons "BC hard" with a dungeon finder.

 

I vote no and I'll be voting with my wallet when the time comes.

[RamataKahn]

Yes, yes it is.

[RamataKahn]

I've thought long and hard about this and I still come to the conclusion that if dungeon finder is released in wow's current form (Ie. Instant Travel & Cross Server) I will cancel both of my accounts.

 

Good, you won't be missed.

 

I vote no and I'll be voting with my wallet when the time comes.

 

Too bad it's already on the way and they aren't taking votes.

[Tirpe]

This game needs a decent LFG function. I dont see trying to get a group going as an adventure. For me the fun starts in doing the flashpoint and not in trying to find enough players willing to do a particular flashpoint. Furthermore the current lfg spam is pretty horrendous with people chatting in the general chat about "stuff" while you are spamming the chat with LFM messages.

 

I kinda wish that Bioware would implement a cross server LFG function because at least that way one would be guaranteed to get a group going within a reasonable time period. I find it especially interesting that a lot of the anti-LFG people are awfully willing to label the people who want a better LFG function as "anti socials", "lazy people" or just in general telling us to get back to wow.

 

If this is the kind of "community" that they are representatives of then I frankly dont care for a community like that. There is no point in trying to compromise with the anti-LFG people. Because it seems that it is their way or the highway.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Tirpe

[Sevvy_Boo]

I'm signing this.

 

I've been trying to get a group for Hammer Station on my Sage and for Athiss on my Agent and I simply can't.

 

Not to mention the piles of heroic quests I never seem to get done despite spamming general for groups. Even if I find one other person who wants to go, filling the tank and healer slot of generally a pain.

 

So I don't stand in the fleet for two hours spamming a chat channel in order to get a group? Sue me. That's good game design to you people? Give me a break.

 

This game NEEDS a same server LFG tool. Something that you can queue up for, then go on your merry way while it searches your server for others to play with. I'm not crazy about cross-server LFG, but SOMETHING would be nice.

 

Well, it's back to standing in the fleet spamming for Athiss. Maybe I'll just go play Final Fantasy.

[apololisst]

I think wow made us all noobs .. all i see here is people wanting the game easier ,everyone says ohh look this game gonna fail cause there is no end game and trololol... stop spamming and trolling around and last if u don't like the game **** off and go play something else

 

(LFG/LFR=FAIL)

 

that's only my humble opinion ......

[rylixav]

Yes, the game needs a dungeon finder... badly. If you don't like it, then don't use it. Just because you dislike something doesn't give you the right to try to ruin the game for people that do.

 

Oh, and give this "it will destroy the community" nonsense a rest. Trade chat on my server is just troll babble, and tons of people act like jerks all the time. Everyone in this thread keeps repeating "if we don't have a dungeon finder everyone will be nice because reputation will matter." Apparently this "reputation" you all talk about doesn't work in practice though, because none of the griefers seem the least bit concerned about it.

 

Anyone who wants a tight knit community experience joins a guild, and you could continue playing with guild members even if they add a dungeon finder.

Edited January 5, 2012 by rylixav

[Sevvy_Boo]

I think wow made us all noobs .. all i see here is people wanting the game easier ,.

 

No one is asking for the GAME to be easier, what people are asking for is the ABILITY to play the game to be easier. If you can't find a group, you simply can't access a major portion of the content, regardless of whether or not it's hard.

 

Personally, I love challenging games. I played WoW back in Vanilla, I played EQ before that, I could make you a list of my achievements in gaming, and I left WoW because of how watered down it got, but for christ's sake, implementing a tool that will make it easier for players to come together and play isn't going to ruin the game, it's going to strengthen it. I would love to be rolling a Flashpoint right now, but guess what, I'm in my fleet, spamming chat, a chat that is dead silent despite their being about 60-70 people in the fleet right now.

 

Fun fun. I feel closer to my community already!

[ticklefist]

Traditional means have not helped me find groups for FPs or group quests since hitting 50. Aside from one implant slot my character is at the limits of what I can do with it by myself.

 

Group queuing systems work wonderfully in the games that use them. I'd be very happy to see one added here in the near future.

Edited January 5, 2012 by ticklefist

[Korialstrazs]

This is a thread for people who somehow think "community" is impacted by a tool that increases the ease of finding a group. Whose server no longer has world pvp because people got BORED of doing it, not because they're busy in cross realm dungeons. This is a thread for people who think that any random person on your server is more likely to talk to you than the guy from one server over. Seriously, I played WoW from beta-cata, and not once did the "spirit of community" from having to spam for TWO HOURS to find a group that would take a rogue help me make friends or succeed in future endeavors. The worst groups I've EVER experienced in any mmo were not because of the anonymous people in lfg, but the friends of my friends, on my server, who represented their guild with their actions.

 

There is no reason to fight against a cross server lfg, people say it ruined WoW, and it somehow made everyone a jerk. The truth is that nothing has changed, and the lfg was the best thing WoW has implemented to increase the amount of content being seen at ALL character levels. My server still has world pvp, my server still has rivalries, my server still has persons and guilds of note with real presence wherever they go. If yours doesn't, then maybe you should've just gone somewhere else to find that community you're fighting so hard to keep, like an rp server.

[Jinuyr]

Just noticed a double post... sorry... Edited January 5, 2012 by Jinuyr

[Jinuyr]

This is mixed for me... On one hand I play with my guild almost exclusively but I do understand the frustration of having to PUG or spam chat.

 

I do like the compromise of having a pseudo Dungeon Finder system in the game. Maybe a search engine for LFG people of sorts that allows you to hand pick who you want to group with and invite them to your party. Perhaps a rating system as well for a + or - after the instance is done. At least this way, a known Nina Looter will get that stigma following them on the server and not break at least that aspect of the community.

[Skerry]

You can also try every modern MMO made since 2004. They all have dungeon finders.

 

No they don't. Stop that.

 

 

 

 

 

Why don't people actually TRY. Finding groups was done quite well for YEARS without the insta tool; a couple of games (yes a couple of games) put them in place and suddenly it is OMG we can't live without it.

 

These tools are destroying very basic skills and brainwashing people into thinking things are impossible without them.

[Moricthian]

These tools are destroying very basic skills and brainwashing people into thinking things are impossible without them.

 

LOL, you wouldn't happen to be a fan of Glenn Beck would you?

[Thunderslice]

Bottom line if the game dosent get a LFG people will just leave, I know i will. I am sick of spamming chat, getting to know the community my ***. I have over 100 yrs played and have run maybe 10 flashpoints, its a joke and I am a healer.

[Thunderslice]

No they don't. Stop that.

 

 

 

 

 

Why don't people actually TRY. Finding groups was done quite well for YEARS without the insta tool; a couple of games (yes a couple of games) put them in place and suddenly it is OMG we can't live without it.

 

These tools are destroying very basic skills and brainwashing people into thinking things are impossible without them.

 

 

 

 

Can you read? People are TRYING, did you not read the countless posts about spamming chat, people that think like you are just holding the game back, and the "fun" for everyone else. After reading these forums I dont even think I want to know the community.

[MasterSaucy]

OP. This game does not need a "Dungeon finder" tool, it was one of the reasons WoW became lame and overall crappy (I played a warlock in vanilla WoW, it was fun to be needed when summons were the best thing to get players to an instance).

 

I like how it is right now. And I HOPE BW won't change how we queue up for warzones because that's also one thing WoW ruined their pvp aspect of the game; introducing cross-realm battlegrounds. Sure it got faster to get into a battleground, but it removed the spirit of knowing players who play on your server.

 

I loved PvP in vanilla WoW, were everyone knew eachother and even guilds had status. Everything got ruined by whiners and people who isn't in a guild.

 

TL;DR: Find a guild.

[Spareplug]

What a lot of the detractors of the LFG//LFR don't realise is that Blizzard didn't implement LFG/LFR in WoW out of a whim or as a result of the vocal minority in their forums (we know not all players are even aware forums exist).

 

They had data and facts that lead them to understand, and quite sucessfully if you ask me, that is they didn't do something to aleviate the shortage of specific classes within the different servers the lifespan of the game would be greatly reduced.

 

There is a reason why Blizzard is so sucessful. They don't do things to please the vocal minority but the silent majority.

 

What Bioware should have done is take a look at what is currently out there and pick the best features and implement them in game. Look at the state of the AH in SWTOR...its horrendous. You can't search by stat, slot, schematics I don't know, etc. as a result I totally avoid it.

 

This leads me to one huge difference between SWTOR and WoW regarding group content is the current way to form groups, and incidentally the travel distance.

 

Currently we can flag our selfs as looking for group, but unless you are within the same instanced part of the planet/fleet as the person looking for your class you are out of luck. Thus filling the LFG field for BT while questing in Tatooine defeats the point add to that, that there is no automated transfer to assemble the group by the flashpoint/H Quest entrance and it becomes very frustrating and a time consuming exersice. Hence why much of group finding happens in local chat. Getting into a group instance is a lot more difficult in SWTOR that it currently is in WoW.

 

If you are doing quests on a planet, you won't hear the chat in fleet where the flashpoint groups are formed. And if a group form, getting from where you are to the instance entrance isn't all that obvious most of the time. And this is a very annoying issue with Flash Points. Unless you are physically present in fleet there is no way for you to know if someone needs your current class. I don't see how is a benefit to the community that I spend 30-45 minutes standing in one place waiting for other minded poeple, with the need to do the same flash point as me to appear.

 

The emergency fleet pass only works once every 18 hours for those of us that don't have an authenticator, so most of the time you need to "hearthstone" to the spaceport of the planet you are on, and that is on a 30 minutes CD, and then do a lot of running, find the fleet shuttle, if there is one or wait for the multiple loading screens to get from the spaceport via your hangar and your ship to the fleet and then the level where the instances start.

 

And then you have to take the same way back in reverse to continue with your questing after the instance. Not very convenient, and thus there is a lot less group action in SWTOR than it could be.

 

However I digress. The map size on SWTOR is larger by several degrees than that of WoW. Currently if you are on one side of the map in Tatooine it can take you up to 15 minutes to get to where you need to be and this assuming you know where you are going. I don't see how this is a benefit to the community.

 

I have not calculated how long it would take me to go to Fleet from any given planet but I'm sure is also a considerable amount of time given all the loading screen and the fact that the fleet pass has 18 hours CD. That travel time could be spent doing something more fun and social.

 

Cheers,

[Morghie]

I would LOVE a LFG system... Not necessarily anything as automated as LFD in WoW nor should it be cross-server, but anything just being... BETTER then the "Flag yourself as LFG" that we have now.

[Umbral]

Been wanting to do a particular Flashpoint for three days now, but after spamming for a hour + each day I've just been giving up and going questing. I figured I was going to be way over level for a regular group very soon and experience the content as it was meant to be first experienced, so today I told myself I would get a group or die trying heh.

 

First 45 minutes to get in a group to do the Flashpoint today as a healer, then another 30 minutes to find a tank. Then before we even got started the tank had to bail for RL issues, so then 35 minutes before finding another tank. We get in and are fighting for awhile when the tank and one of the dps start arguing because the dps was rolling need on everything, but nothing the player could use. So the dps rage quits, and their guildmate follows right after, both of them spewing profanities before they go. Then the tank says they can't wait for us to get two more and start again, so the group is over. Another 70 minutes before I got a group again. With everyone that I was grouped with there was never ONE word spoken except when the arguing started. This despite me making several attempts to start convos.

 

Ya no LFG/LFD tool is working great, and not having one is building such a wonderful community!!

Edited January 6, 2012 by Umbral

[eskachig]

Man there is some hardcore MMO nostalgia in this thread. There should be a separate server to segregate all the MMO junkies where they can relive their EQ days, and try to find a wife/husband based on their shared addiction. Maybe BW can disable fast travel options to make it properly old school.

[Korialstrazs]

Man there is some hardcore MMO nostalgia in this thread. There should be a separate server to segregate all the MMO junkies where they can relive their EQ days, and try to find a wife/husband based on their shared addiction. Maybe BW can disable fast travel options to make it properly old school.

 

Not everyone has played mmo's forever actually likes the old days. All I remember from old stuff is how inefficient or frustrating it is, like long spawn timers or self formed groups for specific, hard or outdated content.

[Umbral]

Well there's the rub right? It's the rose coloured glasses syndrome.

 

Everything was just ducky back in the day. So ducky that mmo companies just out of the blue decided to create all these new features just because they wanted to ruin people's gaming experience and make them stop subscribing, and they keep them in the games because they destroy them ..............