I used to do LDoN dungeons with pick up groups. I met some quite funny people (and some quite weird people as well). It was a lot of fun. But by the time I reached higher levels I had joined a bigger guild and mostly did grouping with the guild. I did miss some of the antics of the pick up groups though. You regularly met some odd people and it just made it a bit fun. The best pick up groups were the ones with an odd group make up as you never knew whether you were going to succeed or fail until the end.
My biggest gripe was when people would go AFK for 5 minutes right in the middle of an LDoN dungeon (they were timed). Used to really annoy me especially when we had spent 15 minutes getting the group together when they could have gone then.
Cromulent said:I used to do LDoN dungeons with pick up groups. I met some quite funny people (and some quite weird people as well). It was a lot of fun. But by the time I reached higher levels I had joined a bigger guild and mostly did grouping with the guild. I did miss some of the antics of the pick up groups though. You regularly met some odd people and it just made it a bit fun. The best pick up groups were the ones with an odd group make up as you never knew whether you were going to succeed or fail until the end.
My biggest gripe was when people would go AFK for 5 minutes right in the middle of an LDoN dungeon (they were timed). Used to really annoy me especially when we had spent 15 minutes getting the group together when they could have gone then.
Yeah, I hear you man, I used to lead my guilds PUG raids in VG for the last few years and it can be tough, ask anyone that attended one I used to be grumpy and strict because people keeps messing around, going AFK, trying to get loot they don't need, doing a mob on one character then switching to an alt when we still need the main to get the kill etc. lol
For me that happened during a dynamic event in gw2,everyone started talking spontaneously on the spot
and then we grouped up
Another time I can remember was in one of the Asian games I've played. While fighting some weird magical living treasure chests
in an open world dungeon
Suddenly I met this nice person,which appeared to be a guildmaster too.
Befor I knew it I was in a full group ( and guild)
Unfortunately,the game didn't capture me and I quit a week later
Now I think about it,in other games the only lasting contact I had was with people I met ingame
Rarely through a group finder.
These random group tools make it convenient not to know the people you play with and after you've done what you came to do
these groups disband 9 out of 10 times.For many people it is easier to abandon group,need loot they don't need etc because there is no attachement to the people we get matched up with.
The best PUG experience I had was during release of Ruins of Kunark. A friend and I were venturing into the new content looking for a group. Bounced around for maybe an hour or two eventually landing in a PUG with the most random collection of characters. Somehow the synergy of classes clicked and we spent the rest of the night getting to know each other as we rolled through the xp. Everyone was engaged, helpful, and considerate with loot. Caught up and adventured with them randomly over the course of the expansion and still game with a couple of them to this day.
I already recounted my most memorable experience (in a kind of convoluted, fan-fiction way) here. It was basically a random group I joined soon after TESO launched, when I had no inkling about groups and group dungeons, and who tutored me into tanking for the first time. I mostly played with guildies after I'd joined one but I still PUGged quite a bit. Had some good and some bad experiences, but that was the one that stuck the most.
Fluffy said:For me that happened during a dynamic event in gw2,everyone started talking spontaneously on the spot
and then we grouped upAnother time I can remember was in one of the Asian games I've played. While fighting some weird magical living treasure chests
in an open world dungeon
Suddenly I met this nice person,which appeared to be a guildmaster too.
Befor I knew it I was in a full group ( and guild)
Unfortunately,the game didn't capture me and I quit a week laterNow I think about it,in other games the only lasting contact I had was with people I met ingame
Rarely through a group finder.
These random group tools make it convenient not to know the people you play with and after you've done what you came to do
these groups disband 9 out of 10 times.For many people it is easier to abandon group,need loot they don't need etc because there is no attachement to the people we get matched up with.
Yeah, that is why we want to bring back the social interaction and cooperation in groups, it is missing in many games these days and one minute you can be invited into a group randomly for a kill then kicks a few mins later without even speaking a word, we want groups to be more meaningful than that and bring back the groups you remember and continue grouping with. :)
Azotate said:The best PUG experience I had was during release of Ruins of Kunark. A friend and I were venturing into the new content looking for a group. Bounced around for maybe an hour or two eventually landing in a PUG with the most random collection of characters. Somehow the synergy of classes clicked and we spent the rest of the night getting to know each other as we rolled through the xp. Everyone was engaged, helpful, and considerate with loot. Caught up and adventured with them randomly over the course of the expansion and still game with a couple of them to this day.
Nice! I like those kind of PUGs :)
daemonios said:I already recounted my most memorable experience (in a kind of convoluted, fan-fiction way) here. It was basically a random group I joined soon after TESO launched, when I had no inkling about groups and group dungeons, and who tutored me into tanking for the first time. I mostly played with guildies after I'd joined one but I still PUGged quite a bit. Had some good and some bad experiences, but that was the one that stuck the most.
Yeah, nice my friend! :)
Kilsin said:Fluffy said:For me that happened during a dynamic event in gw2,everyone started talking spontaneously on the spot
and then we grouped upAnother time I can remember was in one of the Asian games I've played. While fighting some weird magical living treasure chests
in an open world dungeon
Suddenly I met this nice person,which appeared to be a guildmaster too.
Befor I knew it I was in a full group ( and guild)
Unfortunately,the game didn't capture me and I quit a week laterNow I think about it,in other games the only lasting contact I had was with people I met ingame
Rarely through a group finder.
These random group tools make it convenient not to know the people you play with and after you've done what you came to do
these groups disband 9 out of 10 times.For many people it is easier to abandon group,need loot they don't need etc because there is no attachement to the people we get matched up with.Yeah, that is why we want to bring back the social interaction and cooperation in groups, it is missing in many games these days and one minute you can be invited into a group randomly for a kill then kicks a few mins later without even speaking a word, we want groups to be more meaningful than that and bring back the groups you remember and continue grouping with. :)
Sounds good :). When ever I was in a pick up group I always made sure the loot rules were set right at the start. I always preferred NBG (Need Before Greed) but occasionally having a group where anyone could roll on loot was good if you were running low on money. So it depends really. I never had a terrible experience in EverQuest. Most people were pretty friendly and didn't break the rules so if that is going to be the same in Pantheon (I think it will be) then I'll be more than happy to invite people to guild groups if we are missing needed classes from the group.
I see MMOs as a way of meeting people and by inviting unknown people to the group you might make a new friend or perhaps get someone new to join your guild. It helps everyone in the long run.
Spent a couple minutes thinking about it, then I went to Google...
In Everquest, when I started back in 2000, I was running around on a Paladin not knowing what to do. I think I was level 4. I somehow got grouped with a couple people from a guild. They started showing me the ropes and what to do. They gave me a bunch of Bronze armor. I grouped with them all day, probably 6 hours or so. I ended up joining their guild. I still talk to those friends to this day. They no longer play EQ, but we keep in touch on Facebook and such. I love the idea that a random PUG can earn me friends for life.
Kilsin said:that is why we want to bring back the social interaction and cooperation in groups, it is missing in many games these days and one minute you can be invited into a group randomly for a kill then kicks a few mins later without even speaking a word, we want groups to be more meaningful than that and bring back the groups you remember and continue grouping with. :)
I hope VR will succeed in creating memorable group experiences
In more recent games I've played,players often do group up spontaneously to take down a worldboss they can't solo
But those groups often last but a moment.
It is difficult to fingerpoint what would create lasting friendships.
What fuels the desire to seek out the players we've grouped with before,to group with again?
As you mention,some random invite to a group for a kill then kicks a few mins later without speaking a word is a very common scenario in these games.
I was glad to see non-combative content topic pop-up a while back
MMOs content has always been heavily oriented towards killing in order to progress
While killing only offers a very brief incentive to group up
When asking people why they stick with someone they often answer with things like -that person brings colour to my life-
-we've been through so much together-wind beneath my wings
As strange as it may sound ,if social interaction and cooperation in groups is to be returned I believe
the game has to allow us and provide the opportunities to help out fellow players.
Content that is oriented heavily towards adventure and where you can make a positive difference for other player's progression in the game.
A nice difficult puzzle where several players have to become involved to solve it together are perfect to get to know each other too
unfortunately puzzles are poorly presented in these type of games
So in short,yes,killing-oriented content on itself helps little to create lasting bonds
Adventure holds the key to bring back social interaction and cooperation
Kilsin said:What is the best PUG (Pick Up Group) experience or memory you have ever had and why?
The best Pug group I ever had was in EQ1 at the very beginning. My wife and I shared a computer so we only had one account. After getting to level 5 in freeport area we ventured to north ro. there we met a very galant paladin who was lfg . We got together and have been grouping and gaming in different games ever since. While playing her paladin in qeynos area my wife met a second group and we all became friends. In RL and in game. The funny thing about it was everyone switched classes around level 20 but we all still grouped and leveled together. This was the inspiration for me to build a second computer, with the help of a friend who was a computer wiz, and we were able to play all our people together without my wife and I sharing machines. With the help of a gm we were able to get my character moved to the second account so I was able to play him as well as my new druid.
I certainly hope ,and believe, Pantheon will have the same type of service that eq did.
Isaya said:Kilsin said:What is the best PUG (Pick Up Group) experience or memory you have ever had and why?
The best Pug group I ever had was in EQ1 at the very beginning. My wife and I shared a computer so we only had one account. After getting to level 5 in freeport area we ventured to north ro. there we met a very galant paladin who was lfg . We got together and have been grouping and gaming in different games ever since. While playing her paladin in qeynos area my wife met a second group and we all became friends. In RL and in game. The funny thing about it was everyone switched classes around level 20 but we all still grouped and leveled together. This was the inspiration for me to build a second computer, with the help of a friend who was a computer wiz, and we were able to play all our people together without my wife and I sharing machines. With the help of a gm we were able to get my character moved to the second account so I was able to play him as well as my new druid.
I certainly hope ,and believe, Pantheon will have the same type of service that eq did.
That sounds awesome. Always nice to meet new people. I'm probably going try and group with as many different people as I can during pre-alpha / alpha and beta for testing purposes just to get to know the community better. Hopefully I'll be able to meet lots of European players who will be playing on the EU server with me and my guild.
Having connections in real helps too hehe
I do miss the lanparties I used to have.
Remember my first MMO,friends back then desperately begging me to give it a try.
When I was in secondary school, my class used to have a guild on WOW so they convinced me too to give that a go.
Now,I'm like the only person still interested in MMOs,at least of the people that I used to play with.
Lanparties with a bunch of friends side to side were awesome.Wish I could still have them.But everyone that I used to play with moved on from these games
I more or less always had good PUG experiences, maybe 10% or less were bad/toxic in any way. That said I don't recall having any PUGs since vanilla WoW, and even those were usually short lived/sub 1 hour groups for dungeons. Then they and every other game added dungeon finders and real groups disappeared entirely.
I love PUGs, it's a great opportunity to network and meet new people. I'd love a static too, but that has never really happened for me as it tends to be too hard to find people on the same play schedule. Someone always outlevels the others or someone falls behind.
Kilsin said:What is the best PUG (Pick Up Group) experience or memory you have ever had and why?
Hmmm, that's a hard one. I didn't do a lot of PUGs in EQ1 until after LDON came out and most of them went well but never resulted in long term friendships. During EQ2 my husband and I mostly duoed so again not to many PUGs.
I do remember getting onto the "list" to join a group at a specifically good camp spot and once getting into the group spending 2-3 days nonstop playing with a rotating group as people left and the next person was invited reguardless of class, it did make for some interesting group setups to hold the camps, some more effective than others but generally chatty and fun no matter what.
Thinking about the different dispositions mentioned in the NPC dispositions and behavoir section : the Alarmist, the Bully, the Craven, the Opportunist, the Protector, and the Strategist-
I took a -what kind of MMO player are you test - So,I'm a mom lol
-Every group has a Mom. The one who takes care of problems, mediates disputes and makes sure that everyone is happy. They aren’t always women, though women typically fill this role more often than men. They often play the healer and are one of the first picked for a dungeon or raid. Everyone loves The Mom, and Mom loves everyone too.-
Would an advanced matching tool be achievable that finds potential matches based on some kind of profile or player habits ? Even if I seriously doubt it I'd love to hear other thoughts on it
Going on an adventure is like going out together in order to get to know each other a little better.There is no matching like adventure time together