Party summary pane

[Schmoe]

As a new player to the game, one of the biggest frustrations so far has been the difficulty in getting information about a group that I've joined. I would really like to see a "party summary" pane that can be brought up from the main UI. This pane should have information for each character such as: name, level, class, race, current location, active quest (if any).

As it is right now, you have two options:

1. Start a LFM in the LFM tool, then keep the LFM open and periodically update it so you can see the group information

2. Ask in party chat where everyone is, what level they are, etc, then try to keep track of that information.

Neither option is very appealing or easy to use.

[OzmarDDO]

Seconded. Sounds like a useful feature.

[Magnicallus]

As a new player to the game, one of the biggest frustrations so far has been the difficulty in getting information about a group that I've joined. I would really like to see a "party summary" pane that can be brought up from the main UI. This pane should have information for each character such as: name, level, class, race, current location, active quest (if any).

As it is right now, you have two options:

1. Start a LFM in the LFM tool, then keep the LFM open and periodically update it so you can see the group information

2. Ask in party chat where everyone is, what level they are, etc, then try to keep track of that information.

Neither option is very appealing or easy to use.

Hey there,

The good news is that this option is already available When looking at the the LFM page put your cursor over the group you are interested in and the complete group make-up will appear. It tells you in symbols what thier levels and builds are. Also, if you look right below thier build make-ups it will tell you where that person is in the game.

Hope this helps

Mag

[Zenako]

When you join a group using the LFM panel, it is good practice to look over the current composition of the group when you join and as you indicated a lot of the info you seek is there.

It should be the normal practice when a group is formed for everyone to make their way to the quest entrance (or explorer zone) as they join the group.

Are you referring to a situation where you joined a group, and then sat around waiting for some time for some member of the group to actually get to the quest? Voice chat should be viable, as you indicate, but obviously it is only as accurate as the speaker on the other end wants to be. Some of the onus for this type of thing does rest on the shoulders of the "Leader" or person with the star.

What I often see put into place is someone is willing to pull a group together, but feels ill prepared to lead in a quest they do not know or know well and passes the star off once the quest is underway as a token of passing the mantle to someone better suited to lead or give orders/directions inside the quest.

The request is fine, but what I am trying to understand is how it would help in actual gameplay other than just giving some feedback that should be forthcoming anyway. You see when I play with other players of my vintage, we know we all know our ways around most places and the few that we don't we usually make sure that someone who does know the way to Chains of Flame for example holds back to lead those who don't so no one gets lost for too long. So it would be of little use to those who know the game, and it would also be of little use to those who don't know the game, since if I was in "The Wheeping Cove" how many would actually know which quest that was? (Hint: It is in Three Barrel Cove). Or what that would mean for my status or how long it would take me to get to "The Vulkoor Spiral"? The game will list the name of the zone you are in, not the actual quest name that appears on the quest list. So you will more times than not need to ask the other players where they are.

[Schmoe]

When you join a group using the LFM panel, it is good practice to look over the current composition of the group when you join and as you indicated a lot of the info you seek is there.

Agreed. Sometimes I forget though, and sometimes group makeup changes.

It should be the normal practice when a group is formed for everyone to make their way to the quest entrance (or explorer zone) as they join the group.

Agreed. Sometimes that doesn't happen. Sometimes people don't really know how long they will be. There have been times that I wanted to go find another party member so he could follow me. The chat pane works, but it's more convenient have the info already at your fingertips.

<snip>

The request is fine, but what I am trying to understand is how it would help in actual gameplay other than just giving some feedback that should be forthcoming anyway. You see when I play with other players of my vintage, we know we all know our ways around most places and the few that we don't we usually make sure that someone who does know the way to Chains of Flame for example holds back to lead those who don't so no one gets lost for too long. So it would be of little use to those who know the game, and it would also be of little use to those who don't know the game, since if I was in "The Wheeping Cove" how many would actually know which quest that was? (Hint: It is in Three Barrel Cove). Or what that would mean for my status or how long it would take me to get to "The Vulkoor Spiral"? The game will list the name of the zone you are in, not the actual quest name that appears on the quest list. So you will more times than not need to ask the other players where they are.

It's a convenience. Not a game breaker, and not something that can't normally be worked around, but it would make the group experience smoother and help to overcome communication problems that we all encounter from time to time. People don't always leave the LFM request up (in fact, they rarely seem to, in my experience), so that information is no longer available in a concise, easy to digest form.

[Maetrim]

There is also the issue that only the party leader gets to see the character build info when that character joins. If a message such as:

(Party): Fred the Dwarf 7 Ranger, 2 Rogue has joined the party.

was to be shown, to group members already in the party, people would not have to examine all new party member to get a general outline of what thier build/level is.

[sirgog]

There is also the issue that only the party leader gets to see the character build info when that character joins. If a message such as:

(Party): Fred the Dwarf 7 Ranger, 2 Rogue has joined the party.

was to be shown, to group members already in the party, people would not have to examine all new party member to get a general outline of what thier build/level is.

Yeah, this is the main reason I can see this helping.

Example: Running Monastery of the Scorpion (a quest where someone with trapsmith skills is a significant asset). I join a PUG group that has (when I join) a Sor17, a Pal18, me on a Brd16 and a FvS17. The group leader asks us to check with friends and guildies for 2 more, then just after that a ranger that is on anonymous joins.

If they aren't close, I cannot tell if they have trap skills or not without knowing their level (here I'm assuming a Rogue multiclass means they do have trap skills as pretty much every RgrXX/Rog1/Xxx1 build does). So I don't know whether or not the Clr15 on my friends list should be sent a /tell; likewise the ranger might be level 19 preventing my Clr15 from wanting to join anyway.