Advise for Pro's and PUG's

[MaximumCharisma]

I have noticed the increase in the amount of very experienced players looking to fill groups with PUG rather than using channels and whatnot. As many have stated in previous posts the symptoms have to do with harder content that can't really be short-manned, Pro's quitting, among others.

Unfortunatly, many of the experienced players around have been so long away from the PUG scene that I think they are shocked to see what's out there. They had originally guilded themselves with other like-minded players who accepted their negative attitudes about other players/builds/etc and everything was peachy. But now they are creeping out of the shadows and looking for random players to fill their groups. It's a culture shock for them. To learn that not everyone wants to be just like they are.

But the pro's have a point. Although this is D&D, it is also an MMO. MMO's are designed to have challenges that are based on being the best you can be, through experience/build/gear/group etc. The problem I have with the recent upswing of complaints that the experienced players have is that they really haven't adjusted their tactics of LFM's to not be rude. Seems they put LFM's up expecting their friends to hit them. But instead they get all these unknown players wanting to get into their groups.

So here is my advise:

Player sends tell saying that they are new, then click lfm (technically I think they should just hit lfm, then say they are new in chat). You take them and screen them as you want, over voice if you think the hear/understand is important which it probably is. If they don't meet your requirements, dismiss them after explaining what you need. Many players take it personally when they get automatically declined due to group full (both personally themselves and personally as in You the leader are a jerk). Neither is true of course. The player who gets declined just wants to play the game, and the leader who puts the LFM up wants the same.

If your lfm gets loaded with requests to join, just update the lfm with full message. Then decline all those in your group pannel, it's not hard to do.

But either way, use the LFM pannel, don't use channels. Show the other players that end game exists and that it is active. Lets face it, most of the players aren't reading the formus and have no experience of the game apart from the LFM pannel, which has been rather ****y lately.

[Mangloid]

But either way, use the LFM pannel, don't use channels.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using channels. The whole purpose of setting up many of these channels is for easier ways to contact people with like minded play styles and that you enjoy grouping with.

Do I think it's a good idea for people to branch out and PUG some? Yes. Sometimes they are a pleasant surprise and you end up meeting new people that you enjoy grouping with.

However, let's be real. You can't expect everyone to not use channels. We come to play to enjoy our time and socialize with people we like.

To be perfectly honest sometimes people are having bad days, and maybe it's safer for PUGs not to group with an already edgy old grizzled vet