Auto-grouping

[Dandonk]

A new feature? DOoooooOOooOOooMMMmMmM!!11!!!!!!!

Waddya mean we don't know the details yet? Oh drat, I guess I'll have to postpone my DOOMsaying for awhile - oh never mind, I'll forge ahead! While I'm at it I think I'll also claim how <insert other feature here> was the worst thing ever for DDO and should be removed now.

I haven't given Dungeon Scaling much thought, but there sure are a vocal set of people who believe its the worst thing in the world. I bet if I thought about it, I'd decide it was fantastic -for my particular needs right now-.

Nothing at all wrong with preemptive caution and now sure is the time while everyone is formulating ideas and finalizing concepts, but there's no need for the colorful extreme adjectives (yet) at least until we see it in beta

True enough, but I don't think it hurts letting Turbine know what we would hate to see in this new feature. Especially since they have a similar feature in one of their other games, and it's not too unreasonable to think that our version might have something in common with that one.

[azrael4h]

*Sigh* You cannot force people to group. All forcing auto-grouping on people will do is **** them off. A hostile and alienated player base is not a satisfied customer base, and an unsatisfied customer does not spend money.

[Jendrak]

This whole thing makes me nervous tbh.

Auto-grouping as an alternative to the lfm for those people who just wanna grab the first 5 kooks and run is fine by me. However, if it replaces the current LFM or provides some kind of bonus, which is just about the same as it being forced on a player base who didn't ask for it, then this is gonna be chock full of epic f-ing fail.

Now Turbine might get it right and this could be the greatest thing ever. But given their track record with new systems like this I'm not holding my breath.

[KillEveryone]

If it is like the Mabar dragon grouping, no thanks.

That is the worst way to send people into a quest.

You don't always have your friends in your quest.

You may get stuck with people on your squelch list. I don't squelch people generally but there are some that I'd rather not group with.

I don't care to be forced to group with people that I don't care to run with. I'll avoid this system if they force me to do so.

[Cyr]

As long as there are zero bonuses or penalties associated with using or not using an auto grouping feature I would be fine with it being added as an additional option.

However, in DDO's other game which uses this LOTRO they made normal grouping less rewarding and put bonuses on the auto grouping side of things. This made for one of the worst designed systems in the game and frankly an abomination.

That sort of junk has no place in DDO and would likely directly lose Turbine customers.

I can not say how hated that system is in LOTRO and LOTRO had a barely functional grouping system to begin with where DDO has a great LFM system that works pretty dang well in comparision.

[Dandonk]

As long as there are zero bonuses or penalties associated with using or not using an auto grouping feature I would be fine with it being added as an additional option.

However, in DDO's other game which uses this LOTRO they made normal grouping less rewarding and put bonuses on the auto grouping side of things. This made for one of the worst designed systems in the game and frankly an abomination.

That sort of junk has no place in DDO and would likely directly lose Turbine customers.

I can not say how hated that system is in LOTRO and LOTRO had a barely functional grouping system to begin with where DDO has a great LFM system that works pretty dang well in comparision.

All of that. And then some. +1

[Ra'ehd]

Auto-group: To use the autogroup feature, you must have: Heavy Fortification, Greater False Life, +6 Con Item, toughness feat. (Or, the lower level equivalent of each ex. false life, +2 con item)

If this was required for autogrouping, I'd be happy.

[Zargarx]

Autogroup - absolutely must be optional and an add-on to the existing LFM system.
For incentive to do so, if that is planned, nothing more than +10% XP autogroup bonus and/or +1 loot bonus.

Everything else sounds sparkly!

[eonfreon]

Likely it will have some bonus built into it like LOTRO's version to incentivize it's use.

Which will be incredibly annoying if it's true.

If a feature is so desired by the players that it must be implemented, then it shouldn't need incentive to use.

If it needs incentive, then it wasn't something needed in the first place.

Turbine, just put auto-grouping with no incentives. If no one uses it, then tough luck. Don't try to find ways to "force" people to use it.

If it's such a great tool (and I do think it has merit) then there should be no need to create bonuses for it just so people will use it.

[Crann]

For those LOTRO players out there....how much incentive is there to Autogroup?

More xp, more loot? How much more.

Is it more to autogroup.....or is it less to solo/group with friends.

To be honest, I don't care if using the new system to group nets your extras shinies....it is a considerable leap in difficulty, there should be a subsequesnt increase in reward.

[eonfreon]

For those LOTRO players out there....how much incentive is there to Autogroup?

More xp, more loot? How much more.

Is it more to autogroup.....or is it less to solo/group with friends.

To be honest, I don't care if using the new system to group nets your extras shinies....it is a considerable leap in difficulty, there should be a subsequesnt increase in reward.

What leap in difficulty are you thinking about? Scaling? That applies whether you use the LFM panel or presumably the AutoGroup feature.

Why should someone who tries to Autogroup to find a group have any more bonus than someone who uses the LFM panel to find a group?

Because it's more random?

Just trying to figure why it would represent "a considerable leap in difficulty".

[My2Cents]

You may get stuck with people on your squelch list. I don't squelch people generally but there are some that I'd rather not group with.

I don't care to be forced to group with people that I don't care to run with. I'll avoid this system if they force me to do so.

You know, I hope the devs see this, that's a very good idea - that ANY grouping options should have some method of taking into account the /squelch list, whether it be to default to exclude and override, or the other way around.

[Four20]

You know, I hope the devs see this, that's a very good idea - that ANY grouping options should have some method of taking into account the /squelch list, whether it be to default to exclude and override, or the other way around.

pretty easy to assume they are reading this.

but the real question is can they do anything about it(if things are already planned for the worse). will the enormous negative feedback for this feature. . .or hints, tips, suggestions get ignored since its already planned/coded or if our suggestions go against what they feel is right for the community(or how they want it to be)

[fenrissulf]

Everyone with private channels and such say they do it because it makes their leveling/gaming easier and that's the way they want to play. Great, I totally approve of that. They can do instances faster with no pain/loss of exp from someone dying and that's the way they like it right? Just like I enjoy soloing because I have to go afk a lot due to real life, and I don't want to mess up someone else, and that's the way I enjoy my game.

So in theory this is a bonus to exp for grouping with random people, and people are crying that its punishing you? If you can still get faster exp with your channel group how are you losing anything? If you get bonus exp for grouping with random people, maybe even so its faster than channel groups for leveling, this is not a punishment its a bonus to encourage you to play a different way. I'm going to say the same thing that has been said to everyone that said "its not fair that channel groups exclude me" Suck it up and deal with it, or continue to play your channel groupings and enjoy the game your way.

tldr: Not getting a bonus to your exp is not a punishment, you are choosing to play your way and that has benefits and costs, as it always has.

[Xeraphim]

Scary stuff.

I often pug, but I also often want to ONLY play with a couple guildies/friends.

Many experienced players feel the same way.

I hope that the bonuses for getting other players thrust upon your group are not so large that it is essentially required.

I hope even more that it is not straight-up mandetory.

Either way, I think this is an incredibly poor change for DDO.

Attitude Adjustment = Mandatory.

[eonfreon]

Everyone with private channels and such say they do it because it makes their leveling/gaming easier and that's the way they want to play. Great, I totally approve of that. They can do instances faster with no pain/loss of exp from someone dying and that's the way they like it right? Just like I enjoy soloing because I have to go afk a lot due to real life, and I don't want to mess up someone else, and that's the way I enjoy my game.

So in theory this is a bonus to exp for grouping with random people, and people are crying that its punishing you? If you can still get faster exp with your channel group how are you losing anything? If you get bonus exp for grouping with random people, maybe even so its faster than channel groups for leveling, this is not a punishment its a bonus to encourage you to play a different way. I'm going to say the same thing that has been said to everyone that said "its not fair that channel groups exclude me" Suck it up and deal with it, or continue to play your channel groupings and enjoy the game your way.

tldr: Not getting a bonus to your exp is not a punishment, you are choosing to play your way and that has benefits and costs, as it always has.

Yes, I'll likely "suck it up and deal with it" when it becomes live. What great advice.

But until it is actually implemented and we know exactly how it will work, I will continue to voice my opinion that any new "autogroup" feature not be given any extra incentives to use it.

If it's such a great feature that people will want to use it, then it should be able to stand on it's own, without the need for extra bonuses.

If it isn't used then it is simply not needed. Putting incentives so that a feature gets used just because it will exist is a poor reason to do so.

The feature is either a benefit or it isn't on it's own. It shouldn't need incentives. If it does need incentives just so that people use it then why was it needed in the first place?

Autogrouping sounds like a good idea to help people who don't feel confident in leading their own groups. But that's what it should be for. Not to "force" random grouping. All it will do is create a new metagame to get the newest "shinies". If the Autogrouping feature works like the Instance Finder in LOTRO then I already know how to exploit it if it provides bonuses.

If it has merit it should stand on it's own.

[MRMechMan]

Attitude Adjustment = Mandatory.

Uhhhh because I sometimes want to play with friends and guildies?

[Crann]

Just trying to figure why it would represent "a considerable leap in difficulty".

Example:

1. Carefully selected group one is full of proven competant if not downright uber players.

2. Randomly selected group two may contain less skilled, capable, players.

Which group do you have to play better in to succeed? Which group will you have a harder time completing in?

[eonfreon]

Example:

1. Carefully selected group one is full of proven competant if not downright uber players.

2. Randomly selected group two may contain less skilled, capable, players.

Which group do you have to play better in to succeed? Which group will you have a harder time completing in?

I understand, but group two "may" contain less skilled and capable players. It doesn't have to necessarily be so.

Also you're forgetting group three:

3. Player creates an LFM for a specific quest and gets unknowns in his group. So, by your logic, shouldn't he also get a bonus?

I still say let the feature stand on it's own. See how popular it is on it's own. Let people use it or ignore it. If it's a good feature, people will use it. If it's ****, people won't.

[Hendrik]

Sounds like a good idea as long as it is in addition to the present LFM system.

Running something easy and just want to start fast? Use the new system. First five others and start.

Running something more challenging* and want to put together a more carefully chosen group? Use the present system, and go out of your way to get exactly one bard, a trapsmithing-capable toon and a divine plus whatever mix of DPS/CC/extra healing you think is optimal for the quest.



*- 'Challenging' means different things to different people. Some people want their idea of a 'perfect' group composition for 11-14 Normal Offering of Blood. Others might not bother for anything easier than 14-17 elite In the Flesh or 6-star attempts at the tougher challenges.

BINGO!

Could be as simple as clicking the LFG box, your matched up, pick your Quest and off you go.

But it IS rather funny to read all the nerdrage, hate, and doom about a new feature we know NOTHING about beyond it's name in DDO.