Automated LFD tool

[ShimmerSwirl]

And has been also stated; that claim is dubious at best and the group/dungeon finding tools in games not called World of Warcraft have worked out just fine.

Oh yeah my bad, I forgot to exclude the biggest MMO in the history of the genre from the equation. We wouldn't want to look at THAT as a point of reference would we?

[Blznsmri]

Oh yeah my bad, I forgot to exclude the biggest MMO in the history of the genre from the equation. We wouldn't want to look at THAT as a point of reference would we?

We wouldn't want to use that as our only point of reference now would we?

[ShimmerSwirl]

We wouldn't want to use that as our only point of reference now would we?

Not to turn this into a flamewar, but I never said we should do that. But we certainly shouldn't ignore it either.

[Fencers]

Not to turn this into a flamewar, but I never said we should do that. But we certainly shouldn't ignore it either.

Yes, but continuing to express [your] anecdotal experience with LFD within the context of Warcraft and apply that experience as a blanket statement to all such tools does deny actual evidence & counter point.

Furthermore, there is no reason to believe the limitations of architecture & design present within Warcraft's LFD system can, are or will be carried over to other future systems- GW2 included if such a tool ever came about. What we have seen of group formation tools outside of Warcraft bears out no ill effect on the game's "community".

MMOs are vastly different play experiences than they were circa Ultima Online, Asheron's Call... even Classic/TBC. MMOs have developed a meta-culture not confined to the gamespace strictly. There was a conference at GDC which brought the lead system designers of the upcoming 2012 MMOs on... the integration of social media tools within the game space. From Facebook to Twitter, integrated browsers to Androids/iPhones. Which all of the 2011/2 AAA MMOs are featuring in some regard.

Stuff has changed. Warcraft is an important MMO to consider, it's not the only MMO with an LFG/D system or meta-game networking. Will we see a LFG tool in GW2? Time will tell, but there is no reason to believe such a speculative system will be copypasta from Warcraft.

[Ynna]

@Fencers: Do you have a link to that GDC panel? A video or some reports on it? It seems interesting, and I completely failed to follow GDC this year.

Now this thread can die. Everything has been said.

[Mif]

@Fencers: Do you have a link to that GDC panel? A video or some reports on it? It seems interesting, and I completely failed to follow GDC this year.

I suspect Fencers is referring to the "The future of online gaming" panel at Pax East 2011

There are a series of barely audible videos on Youtube.
The best way to listen to it was from an audio recording from a blog, but the file has since vanished.

[Jovanaar]

If it there's it's all good, if it's not there, it's all good.

Game is as good as it is, if it's an addition to the game, I don't care having one.

[Questar]

i would prefer to have a LFG tool than not. i never had problems with it. its incredibly convenient. i have been in terrible groups before but i treat it as part of the package. i have also been with groups where everyone was polite and knew what they were doing. u win some, u lose some.

as long as the person using the tool understands the baggage that comes with it, it is fine.
if ppl use it and expect to get slotted into a perfect group with perfect ppl and perfect personalities gift wrapped in silver, then of course they are in for a huge disappointment. maybe ppl should look in the mirror for the problem.

[Speedy92286]

Because, as stated many times already, its not about the instant-port aspect of LFD that is the problem. Its the effect it has on the server community.

This is where me and you will disagree. I am not blaming the LFD/LFR for the terrible community. I blame the players for the terrible community. They assume since they are anonymous that they are safe. Aren't there free server changes in Guild Wars 2, anyway? So wouldn't people found "ninjaing" just be able to change servers and continue there?

Unless you are talking about "bad players"(those that do not wish to improve and still think they are god's gift to the world)? Or players that find themselves high and mighty? In that case, there have been those kinds since vanilla and are present in every game

[Deleted]

Hmm, hard to say. I voted no, but let me explain.
Sure it has some very good things related to it (#1 being automated), but if it's done with WoW style it really "kills the world", as seen in WoW.

I would add it, but with a major tweak;
If there's a "lobby" (town, city, whatever) before the dungeon (like Temple of Ages, Chantry of Secrets, Zin Ku Corridor + many others in GW1), you'll must be in there in order to queue to that specific dungeon.

No idea how I would handle those outdoor dungeon queues, stay in nearest town?

[Fencers]

Hmm, hard to say. I voted no, but let me explain.
Sure it has some very good things related to it (#1 being automated), but if it's done with WoW style it really "kills the world", as seen in WoW.

I would add it, but with a major tweak;
If there's a "lobby" (town, city, whatever) before the dungeon (like Temple of Ages, Chantry of Secrets, Zin Ku Corridor + many others in GW1), you'll must be in there in order to queue to that specific dungeon.

No idea how I would handle those outdoor dungeon queues, stay in nearest town?

TOR handles instances and heroic areas in the open world in two ways, respectively: 1. central lobby as you describe 2. port to group recall. The problem is local- you have to be around the general area to use this stuff. Which in turn means you are standing around a lot. Though SW:TOR devs have confirmed their LFG tool will be purposefully delayed a few months.

Rift uses an interface like WoW's LFD in look but one can queue for open world raids (port to raid), dungeons (port), quests (no port) and single/duo mini instances as well as local group join. This has the benefit of being anywhere in the world so you don't have to hang out in the space station/stormwind to use the tool or join groups efficiently.

Perhaps a GW2 tool would straddle the line- we have scouts and no specific need to local join open world raids already. Maybe we will have something more like EQ2 or LOTRO's tools.

[Durzlla]

This is where me and you will disagree. I am not blaming the LFD/LFR for the terrible community. I blame the players for the terrible community. They assume since they are anonymous that they are safe. Aren't there free server changes in Guild Wars 2, anyway? So wouldn't people found "ninjaing" just be able to change servers and continue there?

Unless you are talking about "bad players"(those that do not wish to improve and still think they are god's gift to the world)? Or players that find themselves high and mighty? In that case, there have been those kinds since vanilla and are present in every game

You have a point, personally i'd rather LFR/LFD not be in existence because from the games i've played, people become very less social once the game gets one... I know in Rift, SWTOR beta, and WoW (from when i played in all of these) i never had issues getting a group together, so i don't really see a need for it...

However, as some said, in low pop servers, or at times of the day no one is on it would be VERY nice, especially if it were cross server... so i have slightly mixed views on it, overall though i'd prefer there not be one just to avoid any possibility of the server going to shit because of it, if they did add one though i wouldn't be distraught about it, i'd be a bit disappointed, but it wouldn't change my view on the game in anyway.

[Deleted]

i think the LFD tool worked well in its original state in WoW, when it just listed your name, and waht you're looking for, but you still had to whisper other people and travel to the dungeon, it beats spamming in a lfg channel or something, would be nice to see that. but i dont really want to see an automated one like wow.

[Speedy92286]

You have a point, personally i'd rather LFR/LFD not be in existence because from the games i've played, people become very less social once the game gets one... I know in Rift, SWTOR beta, and WoW (from when i played in all of these) i never had issues getting a group together, so i don't really see a need for it...

However, as some said, in low pop servers, or at times of the day no one is on it would be VERY nice, especially if it were cross server... so i have slightly mixed views on it, overall though i'd prefer there not be one just to avoid any possibility of the server going to shit because of it, if they did add one though i wouldn't be distraught about it, i'd be a bit disappointed, but it wouldn't change my view on the game in anyway.

Yeah, I have to agree with your last paragraph. I am thinking that WoW's community started going downhill around Wrath and the fact the LFD came shorty afterwards just made people associate WoW's community going downhill to that. I've very rarely had the bad players people keep on complaining about. Most people are really nice, although some are quiet. Then again, it was like this when I had to make my own group anyway. To me, the LFD is just a nice tool to have when you don't have enough people on to fill a group, or if you are really bored.

Then again, I am thinking GW2 might not really need one due to the real lack of a tank/healing role. There might be one where it takes 5 different classes and puts them in a dungeon, but that'd be about it. Honestly, most of the bad pugs I've gotten in WoW have been the tank or the healer. When you eliminate such a key role, people might get off their high horse. Of course there will always be those people posting meters(something I wish won't be in GW2 but that's a different topic) but usually the dps are just the nice bunch who are happy to get into a group.

[ddsad2212]

Btw just so people know this isnt wow, its probably close to some action based games then a normal mmo, comparing it to anything compare it to Tera which isnt out yet. Firstly the benfits of this is that you get a group, ok thats nice, now in gw2, you will not finish medium level content(by medium i mean pug level content) with full dps setups, maybe you could do it with some really skilled kiting setup, but i doubt brute forcing it will work. Anyway if they put this in theyll need to ask for a tank, a support and 3 dps or what ever. if anything that could force the game into a wow style, game, if people are forced to communicated with others on the sever then they will have to be a decent set up, as people will inspect others to insure they can help the group, this will then demand a certain level of play and communication with in the groups.

And help people make friends, i currently wouldnt have 2 or 3 friends if the lfg system was put into wow any earlier because thats where i met them, as well as the guild i spent most of my time in

[Durzlla]

Yeah, I have to agree with your last paragraph. I am thinking that WoW's community started going downhill around Wrath and the fact the LFD came shorty afterwards just made people associate WoW's community going downhill to that. I've very rarely had the bad players people keep on complaining about. Most people are really nice, although some are quiet. Then again, it was like this when I had to make my own group anyway. To me, the LFD is just a nice tool to have when you don't have enough people on to fill a group, or if you are really bored.

Then again, I am thinking GW2 might not really need one due to the real lack of a tank/healing role. There might be one where it takes 5 different classes and puts them in a dungeon, but that'd be about it. Honestly, most of the bad pugs I've gotten in WoW have been the tank or the healer. When you eliminate such a key role, people might get off their high horse. Of course there will always be those people posting meters(something I wish won't be in GW2 but that's a different topic) but usually the dps are just the nice bunch who are happy to get into a group.

Ya i agree, when ever i've had a bad player it was always the tank or healer, and it was usually because they were complete ass holes then anything. When you don't have roles (especially 2 that feed the egos of most people), i feel that most people won't be as entitled or full of themselves.

If they had a LFG system that put 5 different classes (or even 5 different races together) i have a feeling it'd be used, but there'd still be plenty of people that would put groups together themselves if they don't really care what their group comp is. I feel like it'd just end up being a better option if they do put one into GW2 because people will remain social (most likely) and it's still there for people who want to use it.

[Fencers]

Anyway if they put this in theyll need to ask for a tank, a support and 3 dps or what ever. if anything that could force the game into a wow style, game

No, they don't. LF instance YY, find 5 players within the level range.

[Blznsmri]

Btw just so people know this isnt wow, its probably close to some action based games then a normal mmo, comparing it to anything compare it to Tera which isnt out yet. Firstly the benfits of this is that you get a group, ok thats nice, now in gw2, you will not finish medium level content(by medium i mean pug level content) with full dps setups, maybe you could do it with some really skilled kiting setup, but i doubt brute forcing it will work. Anyway if they put this in theyll need to ask for a tank, a support and 3 dps or what ever. if anything that could force the game into a wow style, game, if people are forced to communicated with others on the sever then they will have to be a decent set up, as people will inspect others to insure they can help the group, this will then demand a certain level of play and communication with in the groups.

And help people make friends, i currently wouldnt have 2 or 3 friends if the lfg system was put into wow any earlier because thats where i met them, as well as the guild i spent most of my time in

I'm quite unsure you understand how Guild Wars 2 works.

[Ishu]

i think the LFD tool worked well in its original state in WoW, when it just listed your name, and waht you're looking for, but you still had to whisper other people and travel to the dungeon

I believe this is what GW1 has, and it is what GW2 should have too. A manual looking for group where you sign up on a list and can whisper people based on that list is great. As long as the tool doesn't put the groups together automatically it's great.

[sacrypheyes]

From what I read the dungeons in the game will be for the elitist. Having a group finder throw it together will not be very good and probably fail and make ppl rage at arenanet. Most of the encounters in the game will be in the open world and they expect you to travel there so if you use a group finder for something like that, and have no idea where it is. They also said you don't even need to be in a group for the open world content, everyone gets credit and rewarded depending on how much effort they put forward. So someone just showing up to go afk wont get anything even if he engaged at the start of the content.

"elitist" = people able to pull their fingers out of their asses to complete dungeons meant to be more challenging?