Suggestion: Party finder tracker/watcher

I'd like to see a way to keep a background search for certain types of parties in party finder. Perhaps something in the duty list.

For example, set up a search for Hydra parties that need a healer (or any other PF party search), and set it to keep tracking if nothing's found. Every 5 minutes or so, it checks in the background, and if someone has created a PF party, a notification pops up. Either a small window that lets you open that PF entry's window, or just the window itself.

Why not just create it yourself? If you want a Hydra party and there isn't one there that suits you, start one and add it to the party finder. I'm pretty sure you'll get notified as people join you.

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Originally Posted by Bixby

I'd like to see a way to keep a background search for certain types of parties in party finder. Perhaps something in the duty list.

For example, set up a search for Hydra parties that need a healer (or any other PF party search), and set it to keep tracking if nothing's found. Every 5 minutes or so, it checks in the background, and if someone has created a PF party, a notification pops up. Either a small window that lets you open that PF entry's window, or just the window itself.

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Nice idea. Not comfortable every 5-10 minutes open PF to see whats new. Such notifications will be very nice

Greetings,

Thanks for the feedback and suggestion! :)

Below is a comment from Hiroshi Minagawa in regards to a similar requested feature for the party finder.

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Originally Posted by Hiroshi_Minagawa

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Can you add some sort of feature where we can select what content we would like to do and then there is a notification when someone creates a party for it? For example, if I want to fight Ifrit, I can check a box on the list and when someone starts a party in Party Finder for Ifrit I would receive a notification.

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The notification feature that is to be added in patch 2.16 is an extremely simple message that displays the number of recruiting parties every 15 minutes.

By only notifying the number of new parties and sending this to all players, the stress on the server would be minimal.
*On the client side, you can hide this notification, so that it won't appear in the chat log.

This feature alone should be sufficient enough to prompt you to check the party finder list, instead of having to open the party finder window to check if there are any new parties gathering.

However, from a player's perspective, the requested feature is useful and it would definitely be convenient to have this.

The problem with this, as usual, is server stress.

To implement the requested feature, the following is a rough idea of the data and processes that would have to be added.

1. Expand the party finder server so that players can register content they wish to participate in and be notified when it appears.
   
   Add server memory.
   
   Make it possible for each player on each World to register (roughly a max of 5,000 players).
   *With the implementation of the feature in 2.16, this memory is not needed.
   
   
2. Make the party finder feature server execute the notification process at either of the below timings:
   1. When the notification list is updated in #1 (possible for 5,000 people to update this whenever they like).
   2. When a new party recruitment is registered.
   To give a breakdown of the notification process, all of the newest notification list registrations and all of the newest parties that are recruiting would be compared, and then the system would determine to which character and for which recruitment a notification should be made, and this process would involve sending out notifications to each character on an individual basis.

Therefore, compared to the previously mentioned feature planned for patch 2.16, memory would be needed to perform this process on the server side, and due to the fact that the processing load would significantly increase, countermeasures would be necessary to disperse the load (which could potentially involve enhancing the actual servers). As a result, this would drive up the time needed for implementation as well as the work needed to ensure stable operation.

Due to the above reasons, we will be pushing out smaller-scale changes to features that can be accomplished with a small amount of server stress and bit-by-bit improve their convenience. As for features that run large risks of server stress, we will continue to look into everyone's requests and see if we can implement them in some way as operation of the game moves forward and the conditions change.

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Yay, another feature to disable.

Will this be giving the number of parties matching your search criteria every 15 minutes? Or just the number of parties in the party finder all together?

The first is at least a first step, though 15 minutes is, IMO, too long. The second is pretty much useless, and may as well just be a reminder that you haven't checked PF in 15 minutes; the total number doesn't tell you anything useful at all.

I agree, if it's just spitting out the total number of parties in party finder at the time, then it's entirely useless spam to be filtered off. Plus the 15min window makes it even more useless. Many parties are formed and filled in less than 15mins. I don't see this providing anything of value to anyone.

I agree with Niwashi, why not just create it yourself?

What is the point of waiting until someone makes a party search you want to join? If there is no party search for what you want to do yet, just make one yourself. In my experience there are always people that want to join.

I just want a feature to select what to show on the PF, for example if I want to do Turn 4 or Ifrit Extreme, then select both instances and just show parties for those 2 instances only, since I'm not interested on doing Crystal Tower or Garuda HM at the moment, those other results would just litter the search PF window.

Yes, after fifteen minutes of starring at a static window of available parties, I need to be reminded with a message that I should refresh the list because it might have changed.

Why are you adding this? And if you limit a player search to just 200 why would you ever think that every player on the server will register a party? Why would you even allow this? At any given time, the most open parties is probably less than 20. I'm going to bet that if all 5000 parties are added to the party finder, it would probably take so long to download that all the open parties would be irrelevant when the list has finished being retrieved.

Why not make the party finder easier to use. Allow search via a command. Do not add a feature you KNOW that people will disable and won't take seriously. You need to find a better solution.

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Originally Posted by Bixby

... Every 5 minutes or so, it checks in the background, and if someone has created a PF party, a notification pops up ...

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Originally Posted by Camate

Below is a comment from Hiroshi Minagawa in regards to a similar requested feature for the party finder.

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Can you add some sort of feature where we can select what content we would like to do and then there is a notification when someone creates a party for it? For example, if I want to fight Ifrit, I can check a box on the list and when someone starts a party in Party Finder for Ifrit I would receive a notification.

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1. Expand the party finder server so that players can register content they wish to participate in and be notified when it appears.

2. Make the party finder feature server execute the notification process at either of the below timings:
a. When the notification list is updated in #1 (possible for 5,000 people to update this whenever they like).
b. When a new party recruitment is registered.

...

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This is different to the request given (I noticed that you said similar requested feature).

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The notification feature that is to be added in patch 2.16 is an extremely simple message that displays the number of recruiting parties every 15 minutes.

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If it can display the number of recruiting parties that are relevant to the player and in shorter intervals, it would be good enough replacement for the feature asked for in Hiroshi Minagawa's response.

FFXIV is the only MMORPG I've ever seen that has so many server stress issues. Why is that? Why is every other MMO, even F2P, able to give us many of these types of features and be fine, but FFXIV can't? Are they using sub-par servers? We pay for this game, there's no reason that "server stress" should prevent any sort of new feature like this, which is very minimal on server interaction.

I love how he said that adding a feature would cause them to have to "enhance" the servers and so therefore it's not a good idea. LMAO SE you should be "enhancing your crappy servers anyways! Sick of the lag spikes!

I just want a refresh on the party finder window. It's stupid having to close and reopen it every 5 seconds.

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Originally Posted by ForteXX

Yay, another feature to disable.

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Choice is good .. pity I don't get to choose not to be pestered with ninja party/FC invites.

This is silly. Instead of every 15 minutes announcing how many new parties are recruiting, why not set it up to announce something like: "X parties are recruiting for The Navel (Hard)", "Y parties are recruiting for The Howling Eye (Hard), etc."? Just have it announce on a separate line the number of parties recruiting for everything that you can recruit for, but make the default setting such that they are all filtered client side. Then when people check a box to be notified of parties recruiting for X content it just disables that one filter. This may be sending out a ton of messages that are never seen, but at least the filtering can be done client side and the message to players, while long, is identical for all players so shouldn't cause any undue stress server side.

15 minutes is far too long for a physical DPS looking for certain type of content, like Garuda Ex or Coil groups. Will be good for Tanks or heals, maybe

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Originally Posted by RatedKh

I just want a feature to select what to show on the PF, for example if I want to do Turn 4 or Ifrit Extreme, then select both instances and just show parties for those 2 instances only, since I'm not interested on doing Crystal Tower or Garuda HM at the moment, those other results would just litter the search PF window.

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There is Search / filter option there already ...

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Originally Posted by ForteXX

Yay, another feature to disable.

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SE is king when it comes to them.

Now it'll be even easier for people to bail on your group without saying anything in favor of a more ideal set up, less loot competition, a more full group etc.

Maybe some party finder lists are longer. On Leviathan there are usually 10-15, which isn't really difficult to manage. If there are like 30-40 parties up I could see it being frustrating finding something particular, there is a search feature but it's rather clunky.

Is there a way it could be sorted similar to the DF? Different tabs for All/Dungeons/Raids/Trials/etc?

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Originally Posted by whiskeybravo

Is there a way it could be sorted similar to the DF? Different tabs for All/Dungeons/Raids/Trials/etc?

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That would be fantastic. Either having separate tabs or at least have the list auto sorted into type, all the trials sorted together, dungeons, fates, etc

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Originally Posted by Xenor

I just want a refresh on the party finder window.

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We will also be adding a refresh button to the Party Finder window in patch 2.16. :)

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Originally Posted by Camate

We will also be adding a refresh button to the Party Finder window in patch 2.16. :)

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Awesome, thanks. :D

As a DD you have to camp that PF like an NM because the BLM spot fills so fast.

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Originally Posted by Camate

We will also be adding a refresh button to the Party Finder window in patch 2.16. :)

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By button, I hope you mean auto refresh. Giving a server polling button to this group of screaming kids could only cause server stress equivalent to what Google would see if Justin Bieber where to get married.

An even better idea would be to update it in real time, but that must use a lot of resources too.

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Originally Posted by Codek

By button, I hope you mean auto refresh. Giving a server polling button to this group of screaming kids could only cause server stress equivalent to what Google would see if Justin Bieber where to get married.

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Because it's normal to take something someone says and assume they meant something else entirely? Chances are, like some other windows in the game, if you hit it to quickly it won't update again until a few seconds pass. Try going to the AH and checking listings quickly. Eventually you get throttled.

SE, Thanks for the refresh button!

Easy indicator of the fight would be nice.
Right now, I have to scroll through each entry to see if it's the fight I want.

All you see is an icon and the text they put... "pls be experience, farming pt, 1 death = 1 kick"
I'd rather see the fight type (i.e. Ultima (hard mode)) and highlight it for for the description/comments.

I feel this would also cut down on people who make Party Finder entries just to sell stuff or looking for static members or whatever.

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Originally Posted by Bixby

Will this be giving the number of parties matching your search criteria every 15 minutes? Or just the number of parties in the party finder all together?

The first is at least a first step, though 15 minutes is, IMO, too long. The second is pretty much useless, and may as well just be a reminder that you haven't checked PF in 15 minutes; the total number doesn't tell you anything useful at all.

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OK, so yeah. This feature is almost entirely pointless. The only time the total number of parties in the party finder is a useful piece of information at all is when that number is zero. Any other time, that number tells you nothing of value after 15 minutes. Did the number change in 15 minutes? Great! You don't know anything you need to know. Check PF. Did the number stay the same? Great! You don't know anything you need to know. Check PF.

I think the point is to advertise for party finder, because a lot of players probably doesn't even know it's here.