Party search and lack of people that use it

So I was under the impression that it would be easy to get a exp party together with the party search feature in this patch and boy was I wrong.

I was really excited that they were adding this feature finally I could find a exp party I thought.

Before there really was no way to search members ended up getting to level 36 from release to before 1.20 solely on leves. Spent about 7 hours doing leves today while seeking not a single tell for a party but I managed to make it to lvl 37. Since I never had a exp party ever in FFXIV and only done leves obviously I wouldn't want to be party lead because I would have no clue on where to even go.

One of the biggest problems with FFXIV is leveling and finding parties. If they are going to improve the game they got to do something about the mind numbingly slow character progression.

I see some people seeking but never more then like 2-3 people all gladiators or other melee no mages ever at all. Sometimes I see a couple JPs seeking but can't really ask a JP to join don't know Japanese and if they are anything like JPs in FFXI they won't want to join a English party anyway. {English} {No Thanks}

I realize that the EXP problem will be solved in 2.0 with the cross server dungeon finder I can just queue up for something kill a ton of mobs get exp. But that won't be out for another year. Something needs to be done now. SE seriously wants us to pay for this game when you really can't do anything but solo mobs which give 40 exp or 80 with exp boost. Currently takes me about 8-9 hours per level which this is one of the most grindy games I ever played.

In contrast in FFXI I can log in seek on almost any job I got a party invite in less then a minute. I had my Paladin and Monk to from 95-99 in just over an hour with the newest level cap update.

FFXIV has an exp penalty for having people higher in your party FFXI did away with this in abyssea so you can pretty much invite anyone of any level range another problem with getting a party in FFXIV. Level 30s can party with 99 in abyssea and still get great exp.

With no level sync or anything exp penalty makes it almost impossible to find a healer.

With the lack of people doing exp and nobody using the party search how does SE expect us to play FFXIV and they want us to pay for it soon too? I searched every level range and came up with 516 total people. I think this is one of the main reasons not enough people even playing the game.

Exp party? Who the hell wants to form a party without the promise of a PL these days!?

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Originally Posted by Jynx

Exp party? Who the hell wants to form a party without the promise of a PL these days!?

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If its expected to have someone to power level you or people are unwilling to party then FFXIV is even worse off then I thought.

I have yet to see any issue with this power leveling, haven't seen others doing it, haven't seen people asking, and I have been in hundreds of other exp parties and not once has this even come up. Perhaps people run into this, but I have yet to see it. Also, I think people just need to get used to the new tools. :)

yeah ive been using the feature, and not a single invite. I also tried to see how many people are seeking, and it was just a handful of people.

We need the green seeking sign near our names ala xi.

But i dont get it, why do people refuse to use it? is it broken? is it easier to just shout?

shouting is easier, and partying with friends and ls members are even easier.

I reckon less than 20% of players know you can seek for a party, SE did a lovely job hiding that feature, d'oh.

I'll quote myself from a different thread.

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Originally Posted by Jinko

Part of the problem is that they have hidden the seeking party stuff in a seperate sub section of the search UI.

I imagine most players dont' even know you can select the "your settings" to bring up a seperate window.

I suggest that SE add a button so that players are made aware of said window.

As the above post suggested it needs to be streamlined or made so that players are aware of the seek function, I would also like to see them add a LFP icon this would make players aware that there is a seeking for party system in the game also.

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/7460/48961309.jpg

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I think Jinko is right, SE can leave that menu there but they need to put a Seek party button on the main seek UI.

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Originally Posted by Medura

shouting is easier, and partying with friends and ls members are even easier.

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How is shouting easier? Whenever I am in a main town I don't see any shouts at all but I am really only there to pick up leves then I teleport out to do them. I am not going to stand around in a town wait for a shout on the off chance that someone my level might do a shout, which probably would be very unlikly to happen.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jinko

I reckon less than 20% of players know you can seek for a party, SE did a lovely job hiding that feature, d'oh.

I'll quote myself from a different thread.

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I haven't played 14 much since the previous update however I could easily find how to set my status to seeking party and enter a comment "looking for exp party" Just by playing around with the search thing it took me like 15 sec to find where it was and start seeking.

But after a good 8 hours of no invites this thing doesn't work. It similar to FFXIs search function, only that you have to go through another menu to get there.

I don't know what they can do if LFG tools don't work because a majority of people just flat out refuse to use them.

Guess it needs to be more idiot proof and they need a huge "SEEK PARTY" button on it for people to use it.