Pugs: Its all about the Star.

[Mr_Ed7]

Pugs ain't so bad.

Every now and then you have to step-up and suggest the proper way to do things.

Sometimes it can actually be fun to run a group of newbie pugs.

Can the leader direct them? If they do not listen the first-time can he get them to listen a second? Can the leader formulate some tactics?

Sure, the group may be handicapped because of the inexperience, but sometimes a hindrance can be fun forcing you to come-up with more than the usual way of doing things.

It's really all about the star (leader) or someone else taking control who knows what they are doing.

Several times I have joined a pug and we wipe. Shocker! Then several players leave discouraged or whatever. I love to reform the group with some of its original members and try again.

If someone want to get ****y and storm out of the chat room and slam the chat door when things don't go well...go for it.

This makes you a poor-sportsman, a sore loser.
Try, try again...?

Don't shrug a pug! Play!

[coolpenguin410]

I pug almost exclusively. I don't know people on the forums hate them so much. People who do guild runs exclusively only to avoid bad pugs boggles my mind. Where do you get new guildies if you don't pug occaisonally?

It really is all about taking control, though. Just the other day, I joined a Titan raid late. People were standing around on the Green side debating what to do with a caster. The person with the star wasn't talking, let alone making a decision, so I decided to. I just about led the rest of the raid. I tried to defer to the leader, but wouldn't get any [worthwhile] responses.

That's what you have to do. Be willing to commit and go for it. The worst thing is, what? You fail and die? You get a small repair bill and start again.

[Mr_Ed7]

People who do guild runs exclusively only to avoid bad pugs boggles my mind. Where do you get new guildies if you don't pug occaisonally?

Right!?

[Montrose]

That's what you have to do. Be willing to commit and go for it. The worst thing is, what? You fail and die? You get a small repair bill and start again.

No, the worst thing is that I waste my time. I have a finite amount of time to play the game and I have been through pretty much every quest in the game a fair number of times.

Thus, I am not running the Titan so that I can see the graphics or experience the "thrill" of standing on a catwalk waiting for a machine to die. I am running the Titan so I can get my chattering ring and move on with my life.

When I run in a guild group I know the people around me. I know that they can complete the quest in a sufficient timeframe with little or no drama.

Pugs are an unknown. Some pugs I jump in are better than my guild groups. Most are much, much worse.

Given the risk versus reward, I would rather run guild-only runs for anything that requires coordination since I know everyone is on vent and everyone is at least moderately invested in making sure the group succeeds.

[Xaymaca]

People that hate PUGs (or refuse to do them) either don't have the patience to bother, or are insecure in their playing style (i.e. if they aren't with experienced guildies, they will not succeed, and even if they do succeed, it'll take too long).

[Lorien_the_First_One]

The star doesn't matter much to me. If the person with the star isn't showing leadership, I try to step up. Often the star and group will happily follow as it often means the star was just starting a group, not really wanting to lead. Other times people don't want to hear it, and then I finish the quest best we can and move on (or bail if its all FUBAR beyond hope)

[Srozbun]

I feel like many of the people who avoid pugs could carry them by themselves. I know that I for one, when doing a new quest love it when an experienced player joins and leads the team.

[coolpenguin410]

No, the worst thing is that I waste my time. I have a finite amount of time to play the game and I have been through pretty much every quest in the game a fair number of times.

This is something we have in common.

I will say 'To each their own', but I fear you're missing out.

[biggin]

Two sides to every coin I guess.....

I do like to go in a get my completions but then I'll miss runs like this one:

So when I TR'd my cleric, saw a LFM for a PUG elite Pit. Now we all know this is trouble, but I sent the person a tell, and he seemed to know what he was doing, so I figured why not. Party fills, we step in, clear out the first room. Party leader types, "Put on your ff item and follow me." He jumps off the ledge and floats to the next lower one. First guy jumps, no ff, goes straight to bottom and dies. So I say in party chat, "Hey make sure you have feather fall on before you jump." Next guy jumps and guess what? That's right, goes straight to bottom and dies. So I say over party chat, "OK guys just hang out, I'll go get them." Mr super Paladin pipes in, "You're just a cleric and you won't survive, I'll handle this." OK, whatever. Mr super Paladin jumps off, with ff item, but halfway down we hear, "Holy ****, there's lava everywhere down here!" Dies. I had to recall because I was laughing so hard I couldn't even walk around the edges in a straight line.

Those were the best 5 minutes I had playing DDO in a long time. Some people enjoy their time PUGing. Some people have certain goals when they log on (getting specific items, resetting raid timers, etc). No one is right or wrong. Just different playstyles is all.

[Tymoriel_Ayreweaver]

Pugs ain't so bad.

Every now and then you have to step-up and suggest the proper way to do things.

Sometimes it can actually be fun to run a group of newbie pugs.

Can the leader direct them? If they do not listen the first-time can he get them to listen a second? Can the leader formulate some tactics?

Sure, the group may be handicapped because of the inexperience, but sometimes a hindrance can be fun forcing you to come-up with more than the usual way of doing things.

It's really all about the star (leader) or someone else taking control who knows what they are doing.

Several times I have joined a pug and we wipe. Shocker! Then several players leave discouraged or whatever. I love to reform the group with some of its original members and try again.

If someone want to get ****y and storm out of the chat room and slam the chat door when things don't go well...go for it.

This makes you a poor-sportsman, a sore loser.
Try, try again...?

Don't shrug a pug! Play!

Am i the only one that was expecting the shooting star to appear from those NBC "The More You Know" commercials?

[mws2970]

Nope, pugs aren't bad at all. Well, not all the time. I was able to take my lowbie FvS/monk from level 4 to 7 and 2 ranks in 2 days this weekend mainly pugging.

[shadowsaun]

I have to say that I have made great friends from Pug-ing alot. Its so nice to have some one I know come on there alt and compliment our group when we realize we have all played together before. My friends list is healthy with active players and I never have an issue getting a quest done. I also get a ton of invites from people I know. Very cool.

All this because I give PUGs a chance.