Eventual Party Finder/Dungeon Finder?

[BloodMage]

I think they NEED to add a party finder for the raids because there are people like me who don't have the time to plan up with an LS and just wants to jump in to the action right away, and this system will certainly help us. A lot of people in here seems to be thinking of spending hours preparing for raids but these are the hardcore gamers. For casuals or semi casuals we can devote only a few hours to the game so we need a system that can help us do a little more with less time.

Furthermore, SE really needs to revamp the party finder system in the game currently because it is not very user friendly and I can only handle a few "LFP" shouts in the game until it becomes a waste of my time. I know other people are feeling the same way especially looking back at how we all shouted like hell for hours in FFXI just trying to look for a grind party while also having the LFP status above our heads.

[Verecund]

I'm okay with it as long as it doesn't involve instantly teleporting into an instance. That really ruins the experience overall I think (not to mention throws potential content away).

[Vafilor]

I think they NEED to add a party finder for the raids because there are people like me who don't have the time to plan up with an LS and just wants to jump in to the action right away, and this system will certainly help us. A lot of people in here seems to be thinking of spending hours preparing for raids but these are the hardcore gamers. For casuals or semi casuals we can devote only a few hours to the game so we need a system that can help us do a little more with less time.

Furthermore, SE really needs to revamp the party finder system in the game currently because it is not very user friendly and I can only handle a few "LFP" shouts in the game until it becomes a waste of my time. I know other people are feeling the same way especially looking back at how we all shouted like hell for hours in FFXI just trying to look for a grind party while also having the LFP status above our heads.

Exactly, that would be the point, to aid the casual players.

I'm going to try to distinguish further a Party Finder versus a Dungeon Finder.

In FFXI (earlier anyway) it sometimes took hours to find a party. And then, when you got there (depending where you were it could be quite a travel time) the party might disband in a few minutes. A party finder would seek to remedy these. So, you queue up as I said, for a Party, not a dungeon. Then when the group is assembled you get teleported to a special Party Zone, where, potentially, there could be other parties. And there you would battle monsters around the area. Like a camp in FFXI. And when you want to leave, you can just choose to do so from a menu option.

But isn't that the same as a Dungeon Finder?

It's similar, yes. However the key difference is time. The dungeons it looks like are timed, and can only be done every once in a while. A party finder you could use indefinitely (or it could have some limits, but nothing like 1 a day use) and stay in the party indefinitely. And say, a member or two have to leave, you can keep on in that party, and now be looking for additional members that would be teleported to you.

This system could be augmented or changed a variety of ways. Say it could be just your server (but cross server would be far more beneficial for an easier time finding parties), or choose a light party or Heavy Party. It could even have some small overarching objective, say, a monster infestation, and you get some small amount of gil for killing each monster. But nothing like killing a Boss, that would be more a dungeon. Though there could potentially be "boss" type monsters in the area that spawn every now and then that parties could try and kill for some extra exp/potential reward. Technically it would be a Grind Fest like in FFXI, as its simply a party finder, but it could easily be changed to allow for more to be done there.

Possible Alternative
Alternatively there could be an auto-group feature across your server, that way you find party members, and go to a specific Gate all together. In this way you still have the parties on your server, and can still see people fighting across the world, as opposed to them disappearing to an instance. I believe there was something similar in FFXI, but I don't recall it ever working as it, in theory, should have.

Bottom Line:
Better Party Finding Tools.

[Jaide]

I'm fine with it as long as it isn't cross server. You'll either meet someone you like who you'll never play with again, or you'll meet someone you hate who uses the temporary nature of your relationship to steal from/abuse the rest of their group. One of the nice things about the job system in FFXI is that you stayed on one character and your name carried with it a reputation. That continues somewhat in FFXIV for those who are left, but I think a cross server tool would ruin that.

[zaviermhigo]

queue!, please try to remember this, ball you hit during billiards = cue, line= queue!

god damnit it bothers me.

[Vafilor]

queue!, please try to remember this, ball you hit during billiards = cue, line= queue!

god damnit it bothers me.

O.O
I used... the wrong word. ; ;. I thought it looked funny.

By thou word, it is fixed. Let me know if I missed something else.

[Delmontyb]

I could see something like this, but we would need more dungeons first. Once we have a few up and running (6 to 8) and the other systems fixed then I wouldn't stop them from building this tool. But for the time being I could think a long list of other items that they need to build before this.

I like the idea, perhaps we will see it next year or so...

[Vahzl]

queue!, please try to remember this, ball you hit during billiards = cue, line= queue!

god damnit it bothers me.

Right on queue, this popped up!

[Soma]

umm no thanks

Recently flawed design including the Trojan Horse of all MMO features — the Dungeon Finder — has resulted in the mechanization and trivialization of the beloved dungeon crawl. Dungeons have become nothing more than mob and loot conveyor belts designed to dole out instant gratification to mute loot addicted participants culled from various servers.
But the greatest sin of all is that the Blizzard has single-handedly created the worst community in MMO history after all. Everyone’s a perpetual stranger in this strange land. Players no longer talk to each other and when they do it consists of trash talking because they can get away with it due to lax policy enforcement and “we want you back” Blizzard overtures to suspended players.

http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/?p=5347#45389

enough said

[Vafilor]

I'm in no favor for this. Anything that takes away the adventure ruins the game for me.



I don't want a reapeat of FFXI though but this (Party Finder/Dungeon Finder) is not for me.

Could you please elaborate on how it takes away the adventure? Or possibly suggest an alternative? Just saying I don't like it doesn't help. Besides, you don't have to use it if you don't want to. You could find parties the normal way, or with your LS.

umm no thanks

Recently flawed design including the Trojan Horse of all MMO features — the Dungeon Finder — has resulted in the mechanization and trivialization of the beloved dungeon crawl. Dungeons have become nothing more than mob and loot conveyor belts designed to dole out instant gratification to mute loot addicted participants culled from various servers.
But the greatest sin of all is that the Blizzard has single-handedly created the worst community in MMO history after all. Everyone’s a perpetual stranger in this strange land. Players no longer talk to each other and when they do it consists of trash talking because they can get away with it due to lax policy enforcement and “we want you back” Blizzard overtures to suspended players.

http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/?p=5347#45389

enough said

Firstly, please do read the entire post before making a statement, as you'll notice it is not purely about a Dungeon Finder.
As to the second remark, about creating the worst community, despite it being histrionic, it is rather false, and a matter of opinion. Blizzard created a game. The people are the ones that make the community. I doubt Blizzard is in the business of making People.

As to it being a stranger's land, that too is a hyperbole. I played WoW not that long ago, I started a new character. I quested with strangers at times, sometime strangers offered to quest with me. I got into a guild, people talked there, they worked together there. So please, offer evidence in support of your claims, or claims you believe to be right, if they are as significant as you proclaim. And please elaborate on how such a feature as Dungeon Finder would lead to these "sins".

By the by, the worst community could possibly be this here Gaia, also known as Earth, it does have a couple of billion subscribers. Or do you say that you've never seen trash talk before a Basketball game, a baseball game. A Chess game?

Not to forget, WoW has about 12 million subscribers, if say, about 10% are the underbelly of society, that's already more people than most MMOs have. So by the nature of having more people, there are bound to be more unpleasant people, even if it is just a small percentage of the population (I'm not say that it is, just giving an example).