Nobody uses the search function still?

[SirOleas]

This. Being able to call it up quickly with text commands would cause it to be used more.

It's not that people don't know how to use it, it's that it's not as... snappy as it should be.

How many times did you call up the search function from the menu in FFXI, versus doing /sea all MNK. The beauty of the FFXI search function was how you could easily search for anything with a text command:

/sea all GAL PUP 99 Tah (Player names beginning with 'tah')
/sea region TAR BLM 75-99 Bastok
/sea Jugner HUM 60 ballista

I don't disagree with text commands being faster. They don't exist in this game for that function though. Just because it's something people would like doesn't mean they should ignore a current function that is more than adequate for their purposes.

People honestly don't know how to use it by the way. Look back a few pages, a player didn't even know he could add a search comment to his seeking party status. There's really no excuse when you have proper documentation telling you how to use the feature. That's the real problem here...not the simplicity of the system. The search feature is simple enough as it is. Could it be more simple? Sure, but players not even educating themselves on the systems of a game is more to blame if you ask me.

Why would you want to run through a game not knowing how to play it fully? that doesn't make any sense to me.

[JakeRoon]

There are numerous game that have intuitive easy to use party search menus with very in depth features, this game just isn't one of them. It's a clunky interface.....the WHOLE thing is a clunky interface.

[neminis]

It is pretty sad actually standing in uldah having flag up and seeing 3 people shout for members in the same range without any of them whispering you ;_;


And the search interface really isnt hard to use nowadays...

[Biggs]

I think your answer has more to do with the low population combined with said population being made up of mostly vets that got all there jobs to 50 long before the search function was added. It will be interesting to see how the ps3 servers develope in contrast to the how the pc servers have.

[Xianghua]

I think most people wouldn't even use a text search like XI had anyway. I've seriously seen 3 people shouting for a party same level range with 2 others LFG on search. And none of them take the time to make a party. People are just lazy and would rather shout for 3 hours then click 3 buttons for some reason.

[Zumi]

I am not the kind of person who stays in 1 town doing nothing on the off chance I will see a shout that someone in my range wants to exp. Ill go off and do leves or solo mobs for exp.

However I seek every time I am doing leves, even put in a simple message that I am seeking a exp party. I have gotten like 2 tells out of it but that was when i was in the 40s on my Gladiator. My Conjurer is 20 now all from soloing seeking the entire time too.

[Riaayo]

I know I often times feel a stigma with Pickup groups and thus only really group with my own linkshell or friends, since I can guarantee their skill level. I generally dislike putting together a group with pickup players too as I feel responsible if they end up being really bad... and in the end, all my battle classes are 50.

I agree with the comments that the system is a tad clunky, but more importantly could use some more handy shortcuts. I think as far as exp groups you might see some increase around patch days, but otherwise it's really a waiting game until 2.0... which is a long time to wait.

[Guevara]

They should make you seek different things for different classes, like someone proposed a while back in a great OP.

So you could seek dungeons+Ifrit with your GLA50, XP with CNJ23 and PGL44, Stronghold with THM50, and so on.
People would search for class AND level AND event.

Maybe they can do something similar in 2.0.


Right know what they CAN do, is make the system remember your messages and seek status... I don't wanna redo it every time I dc or log off.


Truth is, though, that very few people exp party right now^^ I have the same issue trying to exp THM and LNC.... got CNJ from 0 to 50 doing only 3 parties and spamming leves over and over....

[Firon]

This. Being able to call it up quickly with text commands would cause it to be used more.

It's not that people don't know how to use it, it's that it's not as... snappy as it should be.

How many times did you call up the search function from the menu in FFXI, versus doing /sea all MNK. The beauty of the FFXI search function was how you could easily search for anything with a text command:

/sea all GAL PUP 99 Tah (Player names beginning with 'tah')
/sea region TAR BLM 75-99 Bastok
/sea Jugner HUM 60 ballista

But you can do sea all with the search function.....

[Babydoll]

I've used the search function a lot...got a few parties out of it. Most of the PT I've joined has been from seeing shouts or friends..

I hope they add text commands soon or at least by 2.0!