Party search and lack of people that use it

[Zemeckis]

It's funny in ff 11 finding a party was easy and its strong point but in 14 it need way more improved.I think a general chat would help alot.

[lackofwords]

Yeah, I agree. With the low population, the "Search" feature is easier to use since not everyone wants to participate in the activities. This is where the role of the PT leader comes in even in FFXI to decide what people should be doing.

However, I would still like to see "Party" feature left in, but tweaked. One the biggest problem I had with it is not allowing players to join into a party engaged in anything (crafting, harvesting, combat).

[UnrealTai]

I think XI originally had a system similar to 14's party and NO one ended up using it, perhaps search will just take time.
If anyone played 11 it was auto-group that put a red ! by your name lol

[Tempestmoon]

I believe the even larger problem is that everyone is out doing the Moogle fight, getting achievments and everything else the patch has to offer, and they are doing it with their linkshells, not pick up parties. When that content gets done, more people will be looking for parties. That being said the second biggest reason no one is using it is the fact that the community is old. There are to many high level people and not enough low/mid level. Higher level people have their own already set ways and people to party with. The only thing that will solve problem number two is new blood. Sadly I don't think this will happen for another year or so.

Once 2.0 arrives, PS3 goes live and all those people that are just waiting to get onto the game arrive, you'll see the search function bursting with people, and from then on, it will be common place because they won't know any different.

- Big "Seek party" Button is definatly needed.
- party flag icon next to name would be nice
- off topic but I want all gathering locations to show up on the mini-map!!


/endrant

[lackofwords]

I think XI originally had a system similar to 14's party and NO one ended up using it, perhaps search will just take time.
If anyone played 11 it was auto-group that put a red ! by your name lol

Auto-group was stupid. What it did was form a group when there are enough players in a region/area that has auto-group flagged. It doesn't consider anything else. It can form some really retarded unbalanced parties for you. Basically, it was just random luck if you get into a party that makes sense.

"Party" here is pretty much what 'shouting' does in game, but making it global instead of regional, and into a post instead of text spam.
Here's a side to side comparison of what shout does and party does for the exact same goals.

Either way works, Shouting or "Party", but due to the lack usage of "Party" with players, you don't see too many listed in comparison to shouts.

1. Getting the word out:
   Shout: You would have to sit in Uldah, or have people cover multiple city-states to shout, to get the message out to the public
   Party: Make a recruit post.
2. Seeking Particular Roles:
   Shout: You would have to talk to each player to see what role they want to play
   Party: List the roles you want filled in, and let the players decide.
3. Downtime:
   Shout: You're forced to stay in town shouting, limiting what you can do.
   Party: You and your party members forced to stop your activities for the moment a player is trying to join your party. <- (they should really fix this)

[HoolieWho]

I think Jinko is absolutely right. I tried the Search feature for the first time and looked at it, and looked at it, and thought, "ok, I can search with this, but the ability to set my status to seeking a party must be somewhere else." Clicking on your name is just not intuitive. A "Seek Party" button in the Search UI or even in the main menu would be a big help in getting people to use what looks to be a decent system.

[viion]

When you need like 5 people to print screen instructions on how to use it, its broken.

I find the search to still be a bad design, I am telling you, there are 3 ways to fix it

1. Commands
2. A flag icon, (on the name, not on a stupid ui window)
3. a ONE CLICK seeking toggle button, maybe on that new icon bar at bottom

The problem is, people have got used to shouting or asking in linkshell or playing with just friends due to the system being so late, old habbits die hard, especially when the new system requires you go to go through 3 fking UI windows and several form selections just to seek and search.

When seeking and searching is faster than typing out a shout, then people will use it. Until then dont expect much.

[Mamba]

I think it would be a nice feature to have something visible on your screen showing to people nearby that you are looking for a party (would encourage people to turn it on as well if they want a party)

Also, I noticed that when I received a party the "looking for party" status doesn't turn off unless you do it yourself. I had already left the party and had gone fishing when I received a party invite and only then was made aware that I was still seeking.

[Altanas]

The best thing for party seeking is free advertisement for it by having a party seeking flag appear by your name like in 11. That way others will subconsiously also know to seek a party.

In the new search:
There should be more tabs (that you can flick back and forth through like the tabs in your Inventory) that are titled "XP PARTY" "DUNGEON" "SYNTHESIS" Etc etc, allow people to list themselves under more than one category at a time. It would help clean up the search categories too once a lot of people start using it.


For the old method:
I think the old method should be merged into the new method, because still even if we can flag for parties, there are still going to be people shouting for things like dungeon or NM runs, as in 11 people would shout in whitegate/jeuno. In that regard, I wouldn't mind a widget/gadget/message type thing that announced when parties are being formed, something like
"CHARACTER X IS SEEKING MEMBERS (25)-(30) TO CLEAR THE THOUSAND MAWS OF TOTO-RAK"
"CHARACTER Y IS SEEKING MEMBERS (50)-(50) TO BEST THE FACTION NM TARBH UISGE"
It would be an alternative to a spam fest global chat channel.

Or even just another tab in the new search UI labelled "OPEN EXISTING PARTIES" that let a party leader recruit with a stated reason.

[Zumi]

Well still haven't found a party in FFXIV can't say I get any good exp at all because I am stuck doing level 30 leve since the 40 ones are currently too hard.