[DEV????] Proposed Search and Seek Invite interface (PICS)

Buuuuuuump.

This is the single most important thing that needs to be addressed in my opinion. Without an improved search function its going to be very hard to keep players around that are new to the game, no on wants to sit around and shout all day. No amount of content will matter when you can't find people to do it with in a timely manner. The current one just plain sucks. Can we get some kind of response to this?

beautifully presented, well described, and EXACTLY what i've been asking for since release. kudos OP, Devs! take note! we WANT this.

This needs acknowledgment from the Dev Team.

I know they had a response in a previous thread, that is buried and the reply is hard to find w/o a way to search for dev posts w/o list all Dev posts.

But we need to be reminded and reassured that this is in fact being worked on, and that these awesome suggestions are brought to the attention of the programers.

BECAUSE THIS IS THE SYSTEM WE NEED!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChiefCurrahee

This needs acknowledgment from the Dev Team.

I know they had a response in a previous thread, that is buried and the reply is hard to find w/o a way to search for dev posts w/o list all Dev posts.

But we need to be reminded and reassured that this is in fact being worked on, and that these awesome suggestions are brought to the attention of the programers.

BECAUSE THIS IS THE SYSTEM WE NEED!

---

Agreeeeeeeeeeeed

Omg, we need party flags so SO bad!... Face it SE, nobody uses the damn recruit tool, and it doesn't look like they ever will.

We need a function like in FFXI, you just put your flag up.. Then people can see you on a list... And then people who want to play leader can send tells out to people on that list, (because THERE NEEDS TO BE "THAT LIST"!!!) and presto, a party has formed.

Solo'ing in mmo's is stupid, and it blows. Idc that some people want to, that's fine, give them w/e they need to do that and then w/e. But damnit we need means to facilitate partying and basic need-to-have functions like the old party flag list are just absolutely essential.

I've been VERY 'go with the flow' about everything SE wanted to do with this game thus far, but this is one feature I flat out demand they add. Grrr >:(

Good job, this is definitely better than nothing!

Yessss, please add this! It would make finding random parties much easier!

Bumping this because it needs love. This function is do or die for this game.

/sea all inv 30-35 FFS! its getting old

What happens when a Miqo'te gets over 200 likes? :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Antanias

What happens when a Miqo'te gets over 200 likes? :D

---

Apparently nothing lol.

(Bump)

still no response on the obvious needed function in the game....sad.

Needs more likes!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zanfire

still no response on the obvious needed function in the game....sad.

---

No they have responded, months ago. The Dev reply is just difficult to find, and it wasn't to this thread but one created over 6 months ago.

I agree they need to readdress the issue, and reassure us that it's being worked on or in development.

Basically what the dev said was: ' the current system is being scrapped and a whole new system, that is more along the line of traditional MMO player search is being worked on, but server fixes need to be addressed in order for such features to work'

I'll see if I can find the direct quote. result: can't find the quote but i remember reading it, anyone else?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Antanias

What happens when a Miqo'te gets over 200 likes? :D

---

Maybe a hard one?

@ Topic

I think the Searchfunction could look exactly like that. Would make a lot of people happy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChiefCurrahee

No they have responded, months ago. The Dev reply is just difficult to find, and it wasn't to this thread but one created over 6 months ago.

I agree they need to readdress the issue, and reassure us that it's being worked on or in development.

Basically what the dev said was: ' the current system is being scrapped and a whole new system, that is more along the line of traditional MMO player search is being worked on, but server fixes need to be addressed in order for such features to work'

I'll see if I can find the direct quote. result: can't find the quote but i remember reading it, anyone else?

---

noone i know (ingame) has heard of it and if it was obvious one of the many people on many threads about this would have brought that up. 6 months ago they said that yet 6 months later all they added was a shitty "seek" button that barely works. This needs to be addressed badly especially with this game adding in more and more group content that will only be hindered by a terrible search function. Even right now i hear about how people are doing group grinds and constant raid runs, but every time i use the search its empty or says "LS only".

This game right now feels even more dead because there is not much that promotes grouping up with people outside of an LS. Even my server which is supposed to be pretty big i rarely see shouts for stuff or the search being used...and it sucks.

Hmmm how to translate this... lol got over 240 likes so was gonna post on JP side but dunno if I should do the whole thing or if anyone got better summary or gonna take some time for me to translate lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinheart

Hmmm how to translate this... lol got over 240 likes so was gonna post on JP side but dunno if I should do the whole thing or if anyone got better summary or gonna take some time for me to translate lol

---

You should be an absolute champ and just translate the whole thing, pictures included.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MeowyWowie

I personally hate to play solo and will usually log off after a short time if I can't find something to do with other players. I'm sure many others feel the same way. I have seen multiple new players having the same problems with finding parties and such, and it just doesn't have to be this way.

---

Amen to that, though, -sometimes- I like playing solo (to recover from some hardcore adventuring lol).
I also LOVE your suggestions!

Additionally, a new search feature should cover AS MANY LFPs of all kinds AS POSSIBLE!
I so hated in XI that I only could search for ONE thing at a time. Usually the wrong thing at the wrong time. :\

SE, do it!

found a bit of an interview from FFXIVcore with Yoshi P: (not the dev rep. post i remember reading a while back though)

A majority of players would like to see the player search system redone, because currently unless you're almost standing on top of someone you can't form a party, but in Final Fantasy XI for example you can type "/sea all player name" and if they have a party flag up and are within the same region you can invite them to a party, send a tell add to friendlist etc. Will we get a better searching system in this regard?

We recognize this as a very important problem that needs to be solved. It's just that currently we're trying to overcome some of the server issues, how to get the search feature to work. But we know that as we're creating more party-based content, the player is going to want an easy way to make a party--to limit the stress of making that party. So this is one of the things that's high up on our list, it just might take a little bit of time. There's going to need to be a lot of restructuring of what we have now to make it work.

Thumbs Up! Looks great! Exactly what we need! SE listen to this man and buy him a f'in cookie! Kudos sir thanks for all the effort you put in.. Hopefully it wasn't for not!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Reinheart

Hmmm how to translate this... lol got over 240 likes so was gonna post on JP side but dunno if I should do the whole thing or if anyone got better summary or gonna take some time for me to translate lol

---

I would say translate the whole thing, many parts of it may mean more to one person than another. Take your time though, no rush lol, and thanks :)

/signed

Well presented post. Thanks.

It is nice to see there was some acknowledgement from the developers that this is indeed a problem. The seek/search mechanics together with a lack of content are the two things keeping this game the sad, anemic thing it is going on a year now.

The ability to easily form parties should be part of the bedrock foundation of an MMO. I hope the current options are not considered adequate, because they aren't. I'm not struggling along with the current tools while waiting for better ones. I'm not using the current tools. I'm not forming/joining parties. I'm not meeting new people in the game. And I'm sure I'm not alone.

Please move this from "very important" to "most important." If there are vexing "server issues," well it's past time to get over them.

great idea OP.. multiple LFG for all your ranks was what was missing from XI. So we dont need copy/paste XI search we need better!!!!

PS and developers... current system is useless, the fact that no one uses it should tell you that!!!!
this should be one of the top fixes in thios game.

Great job Meowy! Mind boggling that a dev with a big team of "professionals" like SE couldn't get anywhere near how good a few ideas from just one gamer is.

Here's a quote from Bayohne today in the Server side adjustments thread. I believe he may be referring to this thread, at least partially.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bayohne

As an aside, I do want to address the feeling on the forum that things need to be constantly bumped, or that we aren't going to address something unless someone translates it and posts it onto the Japanese forum. We read each of the threads and consider all of the comments that are being discussed. While responses cannot be made immediately in certain situations, and need time to be able to addressed, I don't want the mood of the community to be that we're ignoring it, or that only concerns on the Japanese forum are addressed.

We want you all to focus on the discussion and let us worry about making sure your thoughts, feelings and concerns are properly communicated.

---

I'm glad to hear this and truly hope that they are taking this thread into consideration when planning their new system.

Thank you Bayohne.

i almost feel like this games "PS2 limitations" will be "server and coding issues". This always seems to come up with anything that seems pretty necessary, like a fricken mail system or a search system. Most of the people on the team have been there from day one working with the code/servers so why is it taking them so damn long to make it work decently.

A basic function like this will severely hurt the game, no matter how much content you jam into the game, its sad to see how after a year there is still server and coding issues holding them back so much.

The customers should not have to be told by the developers/reps that they have coding problems. Frankly, we don't care, we just want a better service/product. We did, after all, pay for this product. They should do the job they are paid to do and not complain about "under-the-hood" details to customers. Also, I think the OP presented a very nice interface and concepts for the party search feature - but its sad that it has to be taken to this extreme length to get the point across to the infinitely slow and stubborn developers at SE.

Great idea! Solid gold, If they implement your version they better pay you royalties for every party found! lol Just brilliant.

Still no dev response?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tempestmoon

Great idea! Solid gold, If they implement your version they better pay you royalties for every party found! lol Just brilliant.

---

They could add a "(c) MeowieWowie, dude" in fine print at the bottom of the search window.

I can't believe SE can't hire one specific person to handle and respond to all these forum posts. I bet even if they respond with irrelevant information, a lot of people will be more calm. It would show that they care.

16 pages and almost 300 likes and no dev responses ... *sigh* ... this is perfect imo and mixes the old system with new (So can continue to seek for specific classes and other nice features of the current system while giving the people an easy seek invite)... hopefully devs respond soon to this thread xD

I just came in to post what probably has been said a hundred times:
The shoops look amazingly good. And the proposal looks efficient.

Seriously, if it didn't say "proposed" in the topic I would've exploded with excitement over this "update" thinking it was official. And it should be.

Dang it Square, I hope search is priority come pass the next patch, not all of us come in here with friends, we gotta find the people for the content. Some of us are even suffering other games, because friends are there.

TL;DR: Shoop is amazing, proposal shatters current system, listen to this man.

What are they going to say?

Our server architecture was programmed by a 3 year old and its too inferior to support this at this time? That's about the long and the short of it isn't it?

Even with the junk server architecture, I am not sure why they couldn't bring another server (hell make it a VM-we'll call it playersearchserver) to just manage players on a world. It's a band aid fix, but pushing player name, location, job out to playersearchserver every minute or so doesn't seem like an insurmountable task.

My guess is they don't want to pour money into the adhoc solution I suggest above because it doesn't resolve the overarching issue of junk server architecture that must be addressed anyway at some point before this game goes on ps3.

My other guess is they don't care about the current player population, so this is not a priority.

Dear Devs, just release the source code for this game and let us fix it in 1 weekend.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fullmetal

Dear Devs, just release the source code for this game and let us fix it in 1 weekend.

---

I think this is a brilliant idea.

/signed, people please keep this at the top of the general list!

Your seek party interface is golden, I'd like to remind SE, you're hiring! What better addition to the development team than an actual player with a sophisticated eye for UI design?

Get on it.