We need more good players.

[Ilindith]

When I decided to start raiding I was honest. I always sent the leader of an lfm a tell asking if they minded a new guy (from a guild most didnt know). Sometimes I got declined and other times I was accepted. I tried to read guides on raids before I did them. I asked people about them, I made sure I was flagged etc. When I eventually got into raids I tried to follow instructions and ask a few questions when appropriate. I also tried not to be annoying by talking all the time or about stuff that didnt apply (or about how uber I was) etc.

THIS! It's so easy to ask leader if he/she minds having a new person in group. Do it!

It also shows that you are willing to learn and that's usually more than enough to get you in a group even if it's posted as "know quest" or whatever.

[JasonJi72]

Personally, I think a lot of us 'new' players aren't so new anymore. We may not have 4-6 years experience, but we are starting to figure out the game pretty well. I am in a guild with a buddy who started playing at the same time as me. It's a small guild, but it works for me. I have been in some of the larger guilds, but I didn't like the drama, or got booted for not logging my character in a while.

You see, I have a severe case of alt-itis. I have leveled every class well into the teens quite a few times. So, name recognition is kinda out the window.

That's two strikes for me.

I really hate doing the same thing over and over and over and over and.... you get the picture.

Well, I am trying to work with my alt-itis and being known problem by going the TR route. And no, I did not take the time to get all the max gear I could before TRing. Yes I was told that I had to do that first, but I don't really understand why. Leveling is easy, and I already have a lot of good gear. *shrugs*

I figure eventually, I'll get into the 'end game' to see what all the hooplah is about. I'm sure I will enjoy it, because I love a challenge, and I am a good player. The only thing is that I consider this to be a game, and having fun is the number one priority.

To the 'vets' who don't want to teach. Don't worry guys, we got this. We are learning and have been learning for some time now, and we are teaching the new players. From the way I've seen some TR vets playing, you guys could learn some things from us as well.

If you ever see a comical LFM that says something like BYOM! Bring Your Own Mouse! No Exceptions! It might be me.

Cya in game! Have fun!

[Lavek]

I like this guy. A buddy of mine and i run Abbot like clockwork and i would definitely appreciate any new people who do this exact thing. Acquainting yourself with a quest/raid before you do it is always a bonus if it's going to be your first time. Now, i can't speak for my friend, but if you see me leading an Abbot i'm always happy to take new people and help them learn, so long as i have all my bases covered first. Unfortunately with that raid you really need 8 or 9 vets at least so you know you have a shot at completing. Kind of a bummer you can really only let 2 or 3 new people in at a time unless you want to fail more than a few times.

Ultimately. We all need to be better about helpin out new people.

man...Im so gonna miss abbot this week

[Darkrok]

You see, I have a severe case of alt-itis. I have leveled every class well into the teens quite a few times. So, name recognition is kinda out the window.

That's my other issue. I've got a TRx2, getting ready to start a TRx2 on Toolbots, and have another TRx1. I'll decide to check out a build sometimes and spend a couple weeks leveling it up to the 12-16 range and sometimes get it to cap. I do have a long-term plan but I also realize that with my play time (maybe 4-16 hours a week that varies greatly) and alt-itis I may not reach some of those plans which is ok (queue cheesy quote about journeys and destinations). So by the time I get a bit of notice from people I'm either TR'ing again or on a new toon.

That said, I have gotten some notice in the TR community so it's just the raids that lose out. And again, I'm fine with that...the only reason I pointed it out was in the spirit of the OP. Some of the people that are actually good play the game far differently, spend much less time playing capped players, and only stay at the cap for a month or sometimes even less. They still may join in a raid from time to time but they're not going to be your everyday raid members. Though it's not anyone's fault, those players are going to have a hard time making a name for themselves as someone to trust in a raid, especially if they haven't run the particular raid much in the past if at all.

[Fundamental]

Come to Ghallanda, problem solved. ( lol )

[Allorian]

Sorry Glam, I liked running with you, but I get really annoyed when you make people wait 20-30 minutes in the LFM panel even though they've run EV6 with you 10-15 times before.
.

Well Sari sorry you feel that way, ya try and get all your guildies in who want to make the run as they ask for saved spots and then get in buddies as you save them spots, if ya don't include all of the afermentioned in and bring in everyone you have ran with at one time or another someone gets left out. Maybe I shoulda just told everyone its 1st come 1st served but I'll keep it in mind for the future. Thx fer letting me know.


Thx
Glam/Choh/Juggernutte

[Chai]

There needs to be a button for someone to recind their request to join which becomes clickable after 5 min of asking to join. If leaders "dont know" by then, they are just hanging onto you using you as a go to if someone better doesnt join. Holding onto someone as a "second fiddle" style choice for upwards of 20 minutes, then getting all riled up when they see that the person is in another group is hilarious.

Group leaders: If I waited 7-8 minutes, and THEN made it to Shroud part 4 before you found out I was in another group, after talking with you twice about what my build was and how many specific raid completions I have, the failure isnt on my part. If it took you that long to check all the references and set up a second interview, time to click "accept" on the other gimp I was being evaluated against and move on, heh.

[Munkenmo]

aybe I shoulda just told everyone its 1st come 1st served but I'll keep it in mind for the future. Thx fer letting me know.
Glam/Choh/Juggernutte

I've always hosted first come first served, zerg, etc. lfm's and tbh it's what makes me a bad guildie / friend. I don't often get tells asking me to hold spots anymore, sometimes it's to my detriment. It's primarily your group, you're hosting it, considering your success rate too I think your doing a fine job.

Maybe just add in comments x spots saved, and proactively decline people? I'd never hold it against you either way, but omg the power trip you get hitting decline! be careful it can change a man!

[Ilindith]

I've always hosted first come first served, zerg, etc. lfm's and tbh it's what makes me a bad guildie / friend. I don't often get tells asking me to hold spots anymore, sometimes it's to my detriment. It's primarily your group, you're hosting it, considering your success rate too I think your doing a fine job.

Maybe just add in comments x spots saved, and proactively decline people? I'd never hold it against you either way, but omg the power trip you get hitting decline! be careful it can change a man!

I enjoy all the rage tells I get when I decline people. The tears they cry, they are delicious.

[Zuka]

I see a lot of people with a lot of different opinions on what makes a good player, and I don't care about any of it, I have played end game and epic content for about 3 years now and have played DDO since it was strictly P2P 5 years ago (ish) and I can say beyond any shadow of doubt that having all of your epic gear and awesome named loot means nothing when you don't know what the quest requires of your character or build, I'm happy to teach anyone anything I can, after all my time playing I do have all the gear that makes me stand out, not all I want but enough to be somewhat impressive, and it doesn't change a thing, I still have the same success rates in the same content, I just have a different approach, it's important to remember that the effect of a piece of gear can taint an otherwise perfect play-style, getting to used to your vampiric effect on your weapon, or the neg levels on your dreamspitter, maybe you feel like everyone should have ToD rings (in which case you're an idiot) it's because you were lucky enough to get those drops when you were weaker, and it has tainted your standard of builds, but remember when you very first started playing? Your first character ever? When you ran your first epic or end game raid with +6 dex boots of springing +3? Or for that matter your +6 Str gloves of open lock+5? Keep in mind when you scrutinize others that you were once in their position.

In-Game I am Zenisch/Zestrata/Zerestin/Zerenas and a few other alts I don't play as much, please, if you have questions about whether or not you're geared for a quest, or if you'd like someone tolerant and understanding of your not exactly epic gear, please, please, please get a hold of me in game, send me a mail or something, I would love to help you out and help you get better, I know I'd like to be certain from first hand training that I have good players when I form up my next Master Artificer or ToD.

[Arkadios]

Make sure that before you run epics or any of the difficult raids you have EVERY piece of raid gear loot that you need so then when you do join, you are able to contibute and not just pike.

I think this is the big problem, is that people join these high level raids with things like ogre power +3 ring of listen +7 and expect to be taken seriously in the group as a contributing member.

Go make your shroud weapons, a shroud accessory, get the best possible random gen gear you can after that, run some easy epics like house P... get all the good gear you need before you start running eChrono, eVoN, and eDQ.

Ok sure raid gear helps somewhat however my healer (grethink since TR'd) does not have this and won't for a while but i've healer ev6's (before u11 not after though) with 1.6ksp and only 450hp. This was never a problem and I barely used pots. I know this has changed since, but gear is NOT everything you need someone who knows how to play and when do to what is needed (Cast this spell or that, attack now heal x, y or z) and although much of this comes from experience some is just down to whoever the player is and if they can adapt (and some cannot) so the only way to find more good players is hope that that newb joining your group can adapt.

At least that's my opinion (same philosophy goes for rl too).

[Kmnh]

Grow your guilds!

Most endgame-ish guilds can easily support 2 or new players in their guild runs, and it doesn't take long to get raid gear when you have all the raid loot being syphoned to you.

You will meet a few idiots, jerks and parasites while doing that, but it's the fastest way to get more geared/knowledgeable people on your friends list

[justice921]

Samulus from Fight Club is an excellent leader, and is prob the best at explaining every aspect of a raid that I have played with--however he TRs alot.

I ran a VoD with Samulus on my bard a couple weeks ago, outstanding player with good communication skills.

[Zzevel]

No I am not talking about a server merge, that would just mix more noobs in with us, making things more complicated and in a way... much worse.

I am talking about more ''good'' players. People who can competantly run eChrono, eVon6, eDQ and actually bring a strong contribution to the grooup. Dont get me wrong - I am not arguing with the challenge level of the raids, because if anything for the level of loot you get get they are in the right challenge area, if anything, still too easy - I am just getting very tired of having to wait for the same 30-40 ''good'' players to log on so we can run an eChrono. It seems when none of the ''good'' players are on, it is very difficult to get a competant group up.

I do not know the exact solution to this problem, the DDO community is too small to really have some sort of server filter or anything along those lines - but I am wondering if anyone else has suggestions? I know being in an active guild is one idea, but I like to be able to log on and run whatever raid I want... That way I do not feel constricted to any sort of time schedule.

Anyway, I am going to leave the debating to the Sarlonites - anyone have any other suggestions? How we can rally up some more ''good'' people? (Also please keep any jokes and BS out of this thread, thanks)

Sarlona has plenty of good players, its is just that there is an elitist group (your assessment of only 30 players to group with sounds about right) formed near the top that thinks everyone has to have a certain set of eq and a certain XYZ of players to complete successfully. If you don't fit their mold your not a good player and not worth playing with. Dont get me wrong they are great people when your running with them most of the time but when iot comes to certain quests... (I have zergged plenty of quests with Zonixx)

We routinely have 4-6 guildies throw up an Elite shroud and take the first clickers on the LFM with us. We have never failed. Get in, make sure they know your expectations and who is doing what, kill the boss, profit. It is not a hard concept and ANYONE can do it if they are willing to LISTEN.

I have only done a few of certain things (TOD (6), Abbott (3) , Epic Desert Quests(5)) not because I havent done them, its more that i don't like the hassle associated with not having something they expect or that I only have a 39 DC or that I only have 1 set of Greensteel... bla bla bla its the hastles of expected vs reality that are the issue.

The only way to get people into that upper tier great eq group is to open up and help them get that gear to begin with, not by saying things like youre not good enough no piking...