Khyber PUGs, from a new guy's perspective

[~spathic]

Good in lots of different dimensions. Sometimes, I've ended up filling a spot in a group of long term vets, in which I mainly try to make sure I contribute more than -10% to the group. I've joined in the drunk raid and full XP raid nights a couple of times too. But mostly I end up in a group of strangers, most of whom are learning (which I'm certainly in that category). For those, I would say it's been a 95% positive experience in that we adapt and succeed even when things don't go perfectly. Sure, there are some duds, and you run across the occasional person who isn't receptive to the talk about fortification. But mostly, you run into a group of people who have an idea of what to do, even if it isn't perfect, or are willing to learn.

Tonight was a great example. I put up the LFM for Coalescent Chamber and the group filled pretty quickly. I've run it just enough to be dangerous. The group filled with a couple of 14s and 15s, and at the last minute a 17 cleric that kept us from having to use a pocket healer. I believe 4 were first timers, one who had only run once (think that's what he said), no true reincarnates, just a group of people who decided they were up for a challenge and were willing to learn. At about 4 completions all told, I had the best idea of what to do, which isn't saying much. We had one awesome save in the room right before the shrine, when the cleric went down (acid cloud I think), the other melee and I went down and one of the sorcerers too. The bard and other sorcerer managed to grab all of the stones, charm enough enemies to survive and drop down the shaft. Awesome save. If we'd been vets of 50 runs through the quest would all of that have happened? Probably not. But it was awesome seeing it in gray. It ended up taking us 85 minutes, which is probably about 40 too long by a lot of people's standards, plus a couple of extra deaths from the casters in the shafts, but at the end, the tiefling dropped in nothing flat. The end result was a few more people who are familiar with the quest and won't be intimidated by it, and who put a stone of victory in their ingredients bag. The bard and sorcerer who stayed calm and saved the group are going to be filling spots in your Shroud LFM any day now, and I think any group they're in will be better for it.

Why am I posting this and wasting your time? Not sure really, other than to say that for all of the occasional doom and gloom I hear about how bad PUGs can be, and how bad noobs/newbs can be, I've had a great time grouping with strangers. I don't think I'm that lucky to always get a great group. On paper, the group of mostly underlevel and inexperienced folks probably didn't have that great of a chance of success, but we made it anyway. Does the average group from the social panel complete quests as efficiently as possible? No, but I think the group of us that started in the past two years is starting to catch up, and some of us may just surprise you.

[Anzanel]

Cool story bro.

Seriously :P I've had similar experiences: most of the PUGs I've joined did all right, whereas only a minority of them were a freaking disaster.

Additionally, some of the PUGs with a...frustrating player can generate some interesting/funny stories to be shared in guild chat! Like that one time where I was in a PUG for Rainbow in the Dark, and people kept getting separated, and one guy kept spamming "nax haste rage", "NAX HASTE RAGE" when he still had a full minute to go on both buffs while I was in a pitch-black pit two in-game football fields away from him. We did complete, though!

But I'll stop now with the facepalm-worthy PUG stories because otherwise I'll be called a whiner, a bad person, be accused of breaking ToS, neg rep'd, and told that I will never be grouped with XD The bottom line is that I do like PUG'ing overall.

[katana_one]

I PuG almost exclusively, and my experience has been much the same as yours, OP. The runs that don't go smoothly are often the most fun.

[iconiclastic]

I pug mainly because I want to be doing quests rather than standing around waiting for my friends to log on.This has been the sum total of my expirence with guilds and the friends list.I just stand around waiting or I can hit an lfm and go.I however am an expierenced player so Im prepared for disasters.You can amass alot of equipment quickly pugging raids/quests.I suggest it on a regular basis.

[Beer_Dude]

Good in lots of different dimensions. Sometimes, I've ended up filling a spot in a group of long term vets, in which I mainly try to make sure I contribute more than -10% to the group. I've joined in the drunk raid and full XP raid nights a couple of times too. But mostly I end up in a group of strangers, most of whom are learning (which I'm certainly in that category). For those, I would say it's been a 95% positive experience in that we adapt and succeed even when things don't go perfectly. Sure, there are some duds, and you run across the occasional person who isn't receptive to the talk about fortification. But mostly, you run into a group of people who have an idea of what to do, even if it isn't perfect, or are willing to learn.

Tonight was a great example. I put up the LFM for Coalescent Chamber and the group filled pretty quickly. I've run it just enough to be dangerous. The group filled with a couple of 14s and 15s, and at the last minute a 17 cleric that kept us from having to use a pocket healer. I believe 4 were first timers, one who had only run once (think that's what he said), no true reincarnates, just a group of people who decided they were up for a challenge and were willing to learn. At about 4 completions all told, I had the best idea of what to do, which isn't saying much. We had one awesome save in the room right before the shrine, when the cleric went down (acid cloud I think), the other melee and I went down and one of the sorcerers too. The bard and other sorcerer managed to grab all of the stones, charm enough enemies to survive and drop down the shaft. Awesome save. If we'd been vets of 50 runs through the quest would all of that have happened? Probably not. But it was awesome seeing it in gray. It ended up taking us 85 minutes, which is probably about 40 too long by a lot of people's standards, plus a couple of extra deaths from the casters in the shafts, but at the end, the tiefling dropped in nothing flat. The end result was a few more people who are familiar with the quest and won't be intimidated by it, and who put a stone of victory in their ingredients bag. The bard and sorcerer who stayed calm and saved the group are going to be filling spots in your Shroud LFM any day now, and I think any group they're in will be better for it.

Why am I posting this and wasting your time? Not sure really, other than to say that for all of the occasional doom and gloom I hear about how bad PUGs can be, and how bad noobs/newbs can be, I've had a great time grouping with strangers. I don't think I'm that lucky to always get a great group. On paper, the group of mostly underlevel and inexperienced folks probably didn't have that great of a chance of success, but we made it anyway. Does the average group from the social panel complete quests as efficiently as possible? No, but I think the group of us that started in the past two years is starting to catch up, and some of us may just surprise you.

It's always good running with you. You summed up what most of my pugs have been as of late. After 5 years of only pugging I do have to say there was a stretch of time the pugs were horrid but other than that stretch of time they've always been as you've explained.