looking-for-group
Latest
LFG channel to return
Wow, this is honestly surprising to me. After having stated in no uncertain terms that the LFG channel would not be coming back, Blizz apparently changed their mind. From Drysc: We're making many improvements to the Looking For Group tool, most of which are still in production and can't yet be discussed. Player suggestions and feedback are playing a large part in the changes we're making and we want to emphasize that we are indeed making improvements. The change we can talk about right now is indeed the return of the looking for group channel in the next major content patch. With it comes a rather significant requirement, and that is that you will have to be in the LFG system set to looking for a group or looking for more to see and use the channel. The global LFG channel will only be viewable and available for use to players while they are in the LFG system. We hope to see the combination of the LFG tool coupled with the ease of use of a global channel help to improve the LFG tool and players use of the tool. Again we're making other improvements based on feedback and suggestions which we'll be able to discuss in the near future.In my opinion, this is actually a really good move. It gives the people who want the channel back what they want, but at the same time it forces more people into the LFG system. In my opinion, the biggest problem with the current LFG system is that not enough people use it, and this should remedy that. What do you guys think?[Thanks, Kyle]
Using the LFG tool
Is the reason that the game's built-in LFG tool is little-used really lack of knowledge on the part of the users? While we know Blizzard is planning some changes to the tool (hopefully for the better), right now it's still all we have for finding groups . And Mairek of Medivh has posted some tips on the official forums to help us all make better use of the tool, and maybe even get some good groups in the process. If you are looking for a group to go to an instance, make sure you click off the Auto-Join option. This will guarantee that you have control over the groups you will join or the classes that join your group. Comment box: this is a great field where you can let people know what you currently need or have for a certain quest or dungeon. Ex. if you are a warrior and you prefer to DPS to tanking, then include this information in the box. Searching for members is easy: go to the LFM tab and select the dungeon/quest that you are looking for more members. You will get a list of everyone that has that dungeon/quest selected. When you mouse over the character's name, you will get a small window that will display the character's information, commentaries, dungeons/quests they are LFG, and a list of group members if they are grouped. This allows you to carefully select the groups that you want to join and the classes that you want to add. When inviting other people, send them a whisper first saying that you want to join or invite them to the dungeon/quest that they are LFG. It is rather annoying just getting an invite out of the blue and not knowing what it is for. This sounds like a good start -- though it still doesn't solve the issue of people not using it. Have tips of your own? Let us know in the comments.
Breakfast Topic: Looking for...
In the time it takes you to read this post, another hundred players will have posted on the official forums about the shiny new looking for group interface that rolled out with the 2.0 pre-BC patch (on the 9th of January). Blizzard told us to give the new LFG tool a chance -- after all, the system can't work if no one utilizes it -- but nearly a month later the steady stream of complaints hasn't stopped. At this point, are you still willing to give Blizzard's LFG system a chance, or have you resorted (like so many others have) to searching for groups over whatever channels are available to you?
Breakfast Topic: Looking for group!
Do you remember the mass chaos that occurred with the global looking for group channel went in? As I recall, it was a little crazy. The line was quickly overrun by random spam which drove many players from the line and lead a number of people back to old habits -- like typing /who priest 58-60 and whispering down the list. Many protested the flawed system and asked for it to be removed. And now that it's gone, replaced by a sleeker interface? There's a number of players that can't stand the thing and demand the global LFG channel be reinstated. So if the old system wasn't right, and the new system isn't right, what's the best way to go about looking for a group? What do you think Blizzard should have implemented?
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New LFG system
So...it has been a couple of days, and I still don't know if I like the new LFG system. Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate that Blizzard is giving the idea a shot, but I still have some problems with it. I think some of my problems stem from the feeling (correctly or not) that I have "lost control" of the situation. Instead of occasionally throwing up my "DM LF2M" message in a channel, I am sitting there waiting, with no response. As you'd imagine, the forum folks have some complaints. Some of the more common gripes: The system counts paladins, druids and warriors as tanks, and shamans, paladins, priests and druids as healers. Now this system would work OK if you end up with a rogue, hunter, druid, shammy and mage, provided everyone is specced for their task. But if the druid is a moonkin and the shammy is dual wielding? That could be a problem. You can't look for more than three instances at a time. If someone is a new level 60, and would happily hit Dire Maul, Scholo, Strat or LBRS, they can't let this preference be known. Not enough people are using it. I know it has only been online for a couple days, but I have run into this problem myself. Some forum folks are claiming that the system itself is too difficult for people to use, which is keeping players away, but it seems pretty straightforward to me. The level restrictions seem a tad off. For example, some players were complaining about a level 40 being able to LFG for Mara. The lack of support for things like PVP raids. When you are on an alt, you can't search for groups for your main. You can't find people looking for Scholo if you are on your level 33. I don't agree with all of these complaints, and some of them seem downright petty, but those are the most common I have seen. Now, granted, a lot of these problems could be solved by shooting someone a tell, but I am getting the impression that a lot of players were expecting the new LFG to be an all-in-one solution, which it isn't. With the way people are using LFG now, it is functioning more like a transportable meeting stone, which is fine, but I guess some people were expecting a lot more. What do you guys think? Have you made use of the channel? Any suggestions on improvements?
New LFG interface announced
We saw some leaked screenshots not too long ago, but now we have official news of an interesting new LFG interface. And, if we're lucky, players might actually use it. Via this new interface panel, you can select what sort of things you might be wanting to group for, and other players can use the same interface to find folks interested in grouping for the same activities. Tobold also gives some information on this system in the first of his Burning Crusade journal entries, in which he notes that most players still seem to shout out for players via the old LFG line. Hopefully by the time the expansion is released, we'll see a whole slew of players making use of this feature.
Possible leaked screenshots of the new LFG and PvP windows?
The new LFG system that Blizzard has been hinting at is one of the things I am most looking forward to in the expansion. The current system, either using meeting stones (nobody does) or braving the LFG channel (if you're crazy) simply is not up to the task. These screenshots over at Gaming Hybrid seem to indicate a rather robust looking for group system and PvP matchmaking service awaits us in the Burning Crusade.If these screenshots are legit, and I have no reason to believe they aren't, that could mean that the days of looking for a group while sorting through endless spam could be at an end. Granted, the best way to find a group now is within your friends list or guild ranks, but this seems to be a much better solution than Blizzard's previous efforts at helping us find a party of like-minded adventurers. You can check out the screenshots after the jump.[Thanks Gamerz22 for sending this in and Gaming Hybrid for providing the leaked pictures!]
