Better Partying System needs to be added.

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Originally Posted by Mack

Actually not really, its really simple to use and straight to the point, I can't understand how anyone would find it confusing lol.

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I've only tried to use it once and I didn't know wtf to do because everything I did didn't get any results. I would rather have a LFG flag and a message that we can edit to show what kind of party we want. I'm pretty sure that 99% of the people who have played FFXIV gave it one look and said screw it. If that isn't a sign of it being broken or sucking then I don't know what is.

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Originally Posted by Xeno

I've only tried to use it once and I didn't know wtf to do because everything I did didn't get any results. I would rather have a LFG flag and a message that we can edit to show what kind of party we want. I'm pretty sure that 99% of the people who have played FFXIV gave it one look and said screw it. If that isn't a sign of it being broken or sucking then I don't know what is.

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Actually no. People stopped using it initially because there was no reason to party to begin with. Until recently leve parties weren't that popular, people preferred to solo. What this caused is people adjoining themselves into groups as in static party of friends or LSs and because the game's population dwindled there is hardly anyone playing that doesn't belong to a group or LS.

The reason you didn't get results when you used it isn't because its a difficult system to use, its actually easy and straight to the point, but its because no one uses it for the reason above. IF on the other hand they make it more in your face: say you're a R30 Gladiator and two people are recruiting for a party that require R30 gladiator - a popup alert on the side shows up automatically (unless you turn it off) telling you there are 2 parties seeking you - you then proceed to click the alert and find that, for instance, one party wants you for a dungeon run and another for a leve run and you make your choice. I think if the system is more in your face its very intuitive and will work much better than FFXI's system.

The system in FFXIV works exactly the opposite of FFXI's. In FFXI say you were making a party, you were placed with the burden of seeking 5 different people individually and that wasn't always an easy task. This time its reversed, the person making a party puts up a "recruitment flag" and the person seeking can quickly pop in, see what he is making the party for, and decide whether he wants to join or not. Its really intuitive but just needs to be more in your face. That's my opinion anyway, and I think it can work well.

I think the party search feature is a good idea, but its either too complicated to use or there are no parties out there. Every time I've tried to use it I get 0 results.

Forming the initial party could be part of the problem, one the addition of searching for members should fix.

Players wanting to party can look for an existing party to join, rather than sending a /tell to every leader in the zone to see if they have space. Its better for the player because they don't need to just sit around for hours hoping someone picks them from the dozens of players seeking and its better for the party because they don't need their leader stopping every few minutes to /sea for additional members.

But, if no suitable party already exists, giving players the option of a seeking flag too gives those looking for form to party some members to choose from.

The current System does work, and if you really think it is hard... then you never used any form of filter on excell, a website, or anything. It is simple and really strait to the point.

The issue is 2 fold.
1) No one uses it (major community issue, nothing square can do here... since now party play far exceeds solo play although it did back after Nov as well)
2) There are less leaders then followers

#2 is the big problem and I been saying it since release. In XI most people logged on and put their search up and went about their merry way and waited for someone to find them and get a group together. I would say less the 10% of XI's population ever made partys. Honestly outside linkshell I never once made a single party in my 8yrs of playing the game and I am not rare in that regard.

So there is the issue, FFXIV's system forces the 90% of those who refused to make party to make them, and they are still refusing to... in tern forcing the other 10% to be completely out of luck.

In the end, the system FFXIV has would work perfectly if people used it. Unfortunately People refuse to use it so it is the most worthless thing in the game bar none.

Square needs to flip it back around, so leaders seek members. I think alot more people would click a seek button and wait for a party then they would seek for a leader wanting members.

Please SE give us the options to flag ourselves and to search for people flagged, leaders should be able to tell players seeking directly, most often people who are seeking wont tell the leader beforehand to ask exactly whats going on.

Putting up a party and details simple isn't enough, we need direct communication both ways, I'm not talking about pure sp party's but leve link party's as well etc.

I played XI for a long time and thought the system was very good for those who were let's say 'leaders' I found it satisfying seeking out players and communicating with them directly, it also gave me the opportunity to use the auto translate and recruit JP/HK players as well as I'm UK most of my playtime was their primetime.

The system as it is doesn't work IMO, not just because of no sp camps either, there's just no way for a leader to communicate with players beforehand, and it also doesn't influence players who speak another language to join the party, again a simple short tell via auto translate goes a long way here, it worked for me all the time in XI, so why not in XIV? :(

Also if I could use auto translate in the description box and be able to copy Japanese into Google translate to get at least an idea of what the hell the party leader is doing would be a MASSIVE help as well.

Also I vaguely remember is XI you could tell who was the party leader on screen, this helped as well, and sometimes if I seen a party with a member short I could directly tell the leader asking if there was any vacancies, this would help for things like behest, party's, leves etc out in the field or if I was crafting at a camp and not require me to say it in say and sit around waiting for a tell that mostly wont come, no one likes waiting in the dark, whoever initiates the start of a private conversation will at least get a response IMO.

I still do not see the problem big issue with out current system. I can see if you don't want to be the party leader and just want to join, but this system already allows that. It's just the leaders themselves who refuse to seek other people.

I really think there needs to be a toggle for an auto-recruitment listing upon starting a party, for those who forget our current system exists.

I think the current system is weak, and I much rather prefer to flag myself as interested in partying or when I want to create my party, pick people who've flagged themselves.

The system is just too inefficient and time-consuming, as opposed to seing a direct list of people within a level range and a willingness to party.

They had a great system at their fingertips before even releasing their game, but then they dumbed it down for some reason

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Originally Posted by Nayt

I think the current system is weak, and I much rather prefer to flag myself as interested in partying or when I want to create my party, pick people who've flagged themselves.

The system is just too inefficient and time-consuming, as opposed to seing a direct list of people within a level range and a willingness to party.

They had a great system at their fingertips before even releasing their game, but then they dumbed it down for some reason

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i agree the current system doesnt work, partys r for only leve quest or behest only witch makes it near pointless even having a seek party fuction, there is no real icentive peeps to party anymore. they just spam behest or grind-abandon leves in ls exclusive groups so the partying plan they have wont change much unless they make it worthless going to behests and alter leve sp.
then theres the whole putting one together...

Here is a vid I made of the current system, sorry about the editing it is a department I admit I lack in ^^

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAlexi...10/I3VPEtzd6ds

The current system is great and much better than FFXI's system. There is so much I can do with it aside from just make a Grind Party. I can set a certain quest and gather a group to do it (not that it is needed atm but in the future maybe) I can even go as far as setting a recruit for a Crafter to make me an item from Mats I have or repair pieces of my gear.

It has a lot more possibilities than FFXI's system, but like I said the main problem is there is no reason to use it as people don't need to group up with random people.

Also just from reading this thread it would seem a lot of people that don't like it have issues with being a party leader and that is why they do not set a recruit up themselves and wait for someone else to do it. See I don't have that issue so that may be why the system is fine with me, first I do a search for a party if there is nothing there I set up a recruit for what I want and any like minded players can join. If you have issues being a party leader then I can see how this is a problem for you.

But as was said the main issue is a lack of reason to party. Before the Nov. update loads of people used the system and we would run 15 player Eft parties all the time but once that update hit everything stopped and people moved onto the solo/duo on dobs/cobs once that nerf came it all moved to Leve abandoning. If you do Leve abandoning then you do it with your LS or people you know have the same Leves so again you will rarely group up with random players.

Until SE gives us a reason to form random parties like grind parties then it doesn't matter how good the Party builder system is, people will still not use it.

That was a great video demonstration, and the system evidently is more flexible than I realized. I hadn't entirely grasped how it worked, because noone else was using it so it never yielded any results.

The only thing I'd like to add (on the top of my head) is a lfg flag option. It'd be nice as a leader to be able to see interested players myself and, if I find someone I'd like in particular, add him to my group.

Much thanks for that! Let's hope SE gives us reason to use it again in the future.