The new seek invite function

[Neptune]

Did anyone see the seek invite function from patch note?

"[dev1079] Two new options have been added to the party search and recruit features.
Instanced Raid
Seek Invite
* Players using "Seek Invite" as their purpose when searching for a party will appear in recruit searches only when the recruit purpose is also set to "Seek Invite." "Purpose: none" recruit searches will not turn up players who have set their searching for party purpose as "Seek Invite."
"

I don't get the system and don't see anyone using it. This could me just me.

What do you guys think?

I'm clueless about how it works but it looks like a quick fix until a more robust system comes online.

[Rhianu]

When putting up a seek-party flag, the only, and I mean ONLY thing you should have to specify is what job you want to come to the party as.

Forcing players to specify the purpose of their party as well is asinine. If players want to specify a purpose, that's fine, but the system should not force them to do so.

FFXI got this almost perfect by allowing players to seek a party with just one button, which was clearly labeled "Seek Party." You just can't get any simpler or easier than that, which is how it should be.

Though FFXI didn't allow you to search for entire parties, only individual members, so even FFXI's system has room for improvement.

My suggestion is this:
When a player clicks on the "Party" button in the main menu, the resulting window should immediately display a complete list ALL available parties on the entire server, without regard to purpose, location, or level range. It is only after players have had an opportunity to look at this list that they should have to specify any filters.

A good interface design principle to keep in mind when building search functions is to never make it necessary to filter search results before the user knows what any of the results are. Filtering should only be done after the results are displayed, never before.

[kukurumei]

That's basically the ideal behind inclusive and exclusive.

When you have to resort to finding parties, you want to be as inclusive as possible because you don't know who you're looking for at the start.

Exclusive should only happen within LS, or at events.

Doing an inclusive list and having various filters for GUI purposes has always been the optimal database scanning method.

Indeed whoever did the FF14 party match system was weak.


That's also how MMO's and anything in general approach AH. They simply give you a dump of their listing, and have the client end filter results. This makes for powerful searching tools to be made much like why WoW did it well by allowing 3rd parties to make superior interfaces.

The way to revamp FF14's party match system is...

Simply to have one system end seek function, with tags or even just a comment bar. Then have the client provide filters.

The list doesn't change, ever, it's simply the interface that's tweaked and filter based on preferences.

[SuzakuCMX]

When putting up a seek-party flag, the only, and I mean ONLY thing you should have to specify is what job you want to come to the party as.

Forcing players to specify the purpose of their party as well is asinine. If players want to specify a purpose, that's fine, but the system should not force them to do so.

The only fields you have to fill out when seeking a party are Purpose: Seek Invite and Class. The other fields are for people trying to create parties.

FFXI got this almost perfect by allowing players to seek a party with just one button, which was clearly labeled "Seek Party." You just can't get any simpler or easier than that, which is how it should be.

Wish we had one-button seeking :[

My suggestion is this:
When a player clicks on the "Party" button in the main menu, the resulting window should immediately display a complete list ALL available parties on the entire server, without regard to purpose, location, or level range. It is only after players have had an opportunity to look at this list that they should have to specify any filters.

Along with this, they should change "None" to say "Any" as that is how "Purpose: None" and "Location: None" function in both searching and creating, and they should also allow "Any" as an option when filtering classes/locations for "Seek Invite."

A good interface design principle to keep in mind when building search functions is to never make it necessary to filter search results before the user knows what any of the results are. Filtering should only be done after the results are displayed, never before.

Yep

[Rhianu]

The only fields you have to fill out when seeking a party are Purpose: Seek Invite and Class. The other fields are for people trying to create parties.

That's one more field than is needed. Like I said, the player should only have to specify their class/job, and nothing else. Also, seeking a party and creating a party should be separated into two different tabs within the window.

Anyway, I cooked up a simple mockup UI in MS Paint real quick for what I think the Party Search should look like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/snuuj/FFXIV/interface_redesign/partysearch.png

It's only a rough draft, and there's probably room for improvement, but you get the idea.

[SuzakuCMX]

That's one more field than is needed. Like I said, the player should only have to specify their class/job, and nothing else. Also, seeking a party and creating a party should be separated into two different tabs within the window.

Anyway, I cooked up a simple mockup UI in MS Paint real quick for what I think the Party Search should look like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v255/snuuj/FFXIV/interface_redesign/partysearch.png

It's only a rough draft, and there's probably room for improvement, but you get the idea.

It's not exactly more than one field since one of them is saying you're seeking an invite and not creating a party.

[Rhianu]

It's not exactly more than one field since one of them is saying you're seeking an invite and not creating a party.

That's something that should be done with tabs, not fields.

[SuzakuCMX]

That's something that should be done with tabs, not fields.

Tru dat.

/10char.

[Rhianu]

Tru dat.

/10char.

Indeed.

What did you think of my mockup?

[kukurumei]

Kinda over blown for what is consider (bare with the WoW-era speak) LFP and GLF. (Looking for party and group looking for)

Let's focus on LFP and forget GLF(which is FF14's unusable half system) for the time being. GLF can easily be replaced with "chat rooms" or some other form of short-communications

GLF can be as simple as "Recruiting" on/off with a description field to fill in, that shows the current party member status.

In any even GLF should be simple, not like FF14's weak setup. LFP should be the one with more options.