QoL: Update LFM Panel - Suggestions and Solicitations for Comments

[UurlockYgmeov]

So many people complain about not enough group being posted, and when asked why they just don't post one themselves, one of the major reasons given is that the UI is cumbersome and generally a PITA.

My Suggestions:

• Allow for longer Comments
• Add Search (on quest name)
• Chain / Saga selection
• Auto set levels for BB on selected quest (or check-box)
• check-box to disable 'public grouping' from working while in this party
• check-box to disable 'anonymous' applicants

What are your comments and suggestions?

[Sarzor]

Isn't there a forum for suggestions?

[mudfud]

People will always find excuses about why they don't want to do something. If they refuse to create an lfm now for whatever reason, they will find another reason if it's ever changed to suit them.

[UurlockYgmeov]

People will always find excuses about why they don't want to do something. If they refuse to create an lfm now for whatever reason, they will find another reason if it's ever changed to suit them.

while I do agree with you Mudfud, I would hope that you would see that this UI needs a serious upgrade that might? help with more LFM's being posted / pugs being hosted.

[xaul17]

Personally I feel some people just don't like leading PUGs. Now I cannot speak for everyone on this, but most times I personally would much rather join a group than to put one up myself. It may be something people don't like admitting for whatever reason, but it's more common than you think.

I guess for some, uncertain players, they feel that if they put up a PUG, then do something in the group to screw up (or die a lot), or then end up leading a group that ends up in a wipe, people will be less inclined to group with them in the future. I'll admit to this... being a casual player, I have a playstyle that is different than what most are used to. I'll often times break out a pocket healer, take things at a slower and steady pace than a lot of people prefer, and generally take a less-than-optimal time to complete the quest.

As for a revamp with the grouping UI, I do agree that it is a little sloppy, and it is long due for a HUGE overhaul. I'd personally suggest to the devs that they just start it over from scratch, rather than trying to add to/fix the current one. One option I'd particularly like would be to allow the LFM to update to whichever quest the party leader steps into (this could be toggled on/off, of course). This would lessen the confusion... don't know how many times I've stepped into a group, thinking I was going to Flesh Makers, but wound up going to Inferno instead.

[Brac]

I like the idea of a search option for a quest. I can never find them because they are listed by Heroic level and I am often running the epic level and don't know what level the Heroic is. I also like the idea of checking a bravery bonus box.

I don't think it is something that hits the priority list. More like, if you happen to be in there doing something that is necessary adding this stuff would be great.

I don't actually think it would incent more people to make groups, I think it will just be a convenience for those that already do.

[SirValentine]

What are your comments and suggestions?

Add the wilderness explorer areas to the quest list, so we can directly choose to display them (and others can filter content-owned & level-range for them) without having to resort to evil so-called "public groups".

Actually, don't just add them. List them separately. And list challenges separately, instead of mixed in with normal quests. And, since the list is level-sorted, having quests with both Epic & Heroic versions listed at each relevant level, rather than just one.

• Auto set levels for BB on selected quest (or check-box)

Yes, that. Current default range is stupid. 5-level spread gives power-level penalties to those at bottom of range, potentially loses Bravery bonus or gives over-level penalty, etc.. Need smarter defaults.

[krimsonrane]

If I could write more of a description I might start more LFM's

[Selvera]

Personally the only ones I'd probably use are quest search and longer comments. But both of these would be nice.

[Enerdhil]

One option I'd particularly like would be to allow the LFM to update to whichever quest the party leader steps into (this could be toggled on/off, of course). This would lessen the confusion... don't know how many times I've stepped into a group, thinking I was going to Flesh Makers, but wound up going to Inferno instead.

Isn't it what happens when you got "public group" option on? There's pop up asking you about updating selected quest every time you step in something (personally i hate this option, it's annoying when i got quest selected in lfm and every 30 seconds someone step in wilderness and as a leader i'm asked about marking wilderness in lfm just because someone with this option is running to quest entrance. I think when leader got public group option off it shouldn't ask him about changing quest every time someone with this option on is stepping in other instance ). I think it's more about being lazy/having not enough knowledge about lfm panel. For example if there's fleshmaker selected as quest in someones lfm and there's no "adventure active x minutes" it means they're not inside/in other quest or quest is already done. There's no way to disable "adventure active" when you're inside quest seleced correctly in lfm. Questions like "is it in progress?" when lfm someone hit 5 seconds ago is yelling with blue/grey letters that it's active are annoying for me, but despite it i'm trying to set lfm every time i'm running something.

Of course more user friendly lfm panel will be nice, but i dont think it's the reason of so few lfms last days. First of all: lfm panel must be fixed. And i think we all know what bug i'm talking about. It's joke that most important grouping panel is bugged for almost year and devs are doing nothing. It's even not so annoying for me, but it's just a shame for every serious game. I love idea of search button. In my opinion handy can be an option to choose pack, then quest. For example instead of scrolling down whole quest list i select devils of shavarath pack from pack list and i can see new list, with quests from that pack. It'll be easier to select stuff i'd like to run and i wont have to look for quest in all quests in game when i'm going to run single pack. I got nothing against being able to select quest lvl range while looking for quest i'd like to select in my lfm, same mechanic we've already got in WHO panel. The third thing that will improve my own comfort is being able to select multiple quests. My personal experience tells me that a lot of players are too lazy to set lfm and update it every quest while they're zerging through and finishing them in few min. Quest "playlist" can be handy, so for example i can mark 10 quest as the ones i'm going to run, i can put them in correct order and everyone who will see my lfm will know which quest will be next, what will be after and what else i'm running. It can be a cool option especially for low lvl quests like the ones in harbor. There's no reason to zerg through quest in 60 seconds and then waste next 60 seconds on looking for the next one just to update lfm. Playlist is something i'll really enjoy, it's helping to avoid not only pointless clicking and searching, but also everyone will be able to make sure party will run something interesting and there's reason to join/keep looking at lfm or not.

[UurlockYgmeov]

Add the wilderness explorer areas to the quest list, so we can directly choose to display them (and others can filter content-owned & level-range for them) without having to resort to evil so-called "public groups".

Actually, don't just add them. List them separately. And list challenges separately, instead of mixed in with normal quests. And, since the list is level-sorted, having quests with both Epic & Heroic versions listed at each relevant level, rather than just one.[/LIST]

Yes, that. Current default range is stupid. 5-level spread gives power-level penalties to those at bottom of range, potentially loses Bravery bonus or gives over-level penalty, etc.. Need smarter defaults.

So have the drop down filter for:

• Challenges
• Sagas
• Chains
• Wilderness
• Epic
• Heroic
• Legendary
• Quest Pack

Add a 2nd and 3rd drop down filter...

so you could select
+Heroic
then also
+ Quest Pack
then also
+ Gianthold

and it would only show a list of heroic gianthold quests (and remember the selection)

Totally agree on the wilderness areas - and challenges and sagas...

Quest "playlist" can be handy, so for example i can mark 10 quest as the ones i'm going to run, i can put them in correct order and everyone who will see my lfm will know which quest will be next, what will be after and what else i'm running. It can be a cool option especially for low lvl quests like the ones in harbor. There's no reason to zerg through quest in 60 seconds and then waste next 60 seconds on looking for the next one just to update lfm. Playlist is something i'll really enjoy, it's helping to avoid not only pointless clicking and searching, but also everyone will be able to make sure party will run something interesting and there's reason to join/keep looking at lfm or not.

I love this... would love to be able to save / export / import a playlist - handy for things like daily xp runs, token runs, sagas, chains etc.

[Enerdhil]

Ok, 4 more things i came up with.

1. More one click options like: byoh/not byoh. Shortman/full party before starting. Leader afk/not afk (many times i was under spam attack when i put lfm and went for 1-2min bio break). Main ed required/random one is ok(especially when you want in party someone well prepared for thing you're going to run, not xping random ed with no ability to kill single mob). Know the quest/newbies friendly. Zerg/slow run. All opts, bonuses/finishing asap. Specific skills (tanking, solving puzzles, cc, etc etc) required warning when someone is trying to join (i'm sure everone know the feeling when you've got last spot in party, you need only tank, you write it in description and ppl not able to tank are spamming their requests and trying to join).

2. Same "adventure active" clock, but with turned upside down meaning (optional option of course). Let us show everyone how long we're going to wait for more players before we'll start, helpful especially for raids that lock after starting. Ppl usually got no patience and everyone hits lfm when it's ip, will be nice to let everyone see exact time when i'm going to start (maybe add autocanceling lfm when clock will reach 0). I think everyone hate the moments when he start doj, buff, prepare to go forward and in the same moment someone join/write save spot, relogging etc, etc.

3. Additional window for players interested in joining party, but not being in correct lvl range/class/other requirements selected in lfm. I many times saw pugs, when someone hit lfm and leader accepted his request without paying attention. Bah, we've got for ee raid someone with lvl 20. Bah, for lvl 13 quest we've got someone lvl 20 who is smashing our xp. And yelling at each other starts, everyone ends angry, with bad experience about pugs.

4. I know a lot of players not interested in setting lfms and then babysitting useless ppl. Idc much about it (i was taking care about it when i was too weak to solo everything and i need someone who'll be more able to handle difficulty than me xD), but i think many players soloing quests now wont have anything agaist players with some skills. I think more ppl will set lfms when they'll be able to choose "player skills range" like newbies friendly/ feel free to tag along/be able to handle difficulty/be good enough to solo part of the quest/be able to recognize quest by location and do your job without making me angry.

Honestly after reading my post i'm sure that adding all my ideas to lfm panel would cause more mess than we've got now, so i'm not going to bump them as solution for problems with low amount of lfms. But maybe you'll compare something with your own experience and you'll find something usefull, so i' ll post it anyway.

Edit: ability to banish player from quest, maybe some kind of votekick. I saw many situations when someone was piking whole quest, was doing something stupid, causing failure/red alert, not listening to orders, acting against wrote in lfm rules etc. I know many ppl with bad experience about pugs they hosted and it's only reason why they're no longer trying to find party and prefer solo instead. Of course always we can meet someone "very rude" who will kick us just for joke right before looting chests, but there can also be information with warning that leader got ability to kick some who is inside quest. (leader will have to make choice: party with or without kicking before starting quest in the same way we can choose public/private group)

[Vellrad]

DDO have ne of best grouping UIs in MMOs, simply because most don't have them at all, or have horrible random dungeon finder filling it with random people, or spamming chat channels.

Personally I feel some people just don't like leading PUGs. Now I cannot speak for everyone on this, but most times I personally would much rather join a group than to put one up myself. It may be something people don't like admitting for whatever reason, but it's more common than you think.

I just love when people in LFM ignore all instructions.
Nothing better than seeing 3 melees beating portals and rest people chasing trash mobs, then 4 people standing at crystal waiting for 4 400k bosses to be prepped, instead of helping prep them and going to crystal when they're needed there (bonus n00b-points with warlock with hurl who said that he will hurl repeatly and no one els needs to touch crystal, and there's still 4 deaf/illiterate people piking there), or killing trash in p5 when told we're saving one and waiting DoJ part out.
Sigh.
But I still come back and put LFM each 3 days, its either Stockholm syndrome or masochism.