The current find/setup party system is great

[Dubont]

i like the repeated responces..... its all ways ppl looking for a group but no one forming a group. Kinda is a bit of proof to what I said. PPl are willing to look for group, but no one wants to start one. That is a flaw in the player base SE.

If they go back to ffxi system it would be a step backwards. The current sysyem promote ppl to actually form parties. Not just seek them out.

In response to your first comment...that's a lie. I made a group and recruited for a good 3 hours. 1 person joined. Also, my party was the ONLY party that showed up on the search list so I know there there were no others recruiting. It goes both ways. People aren't willing to form one but they also aren't willing to search for one either.

In response to your second statement, I don't think the 11 setup would be a backstep at all, but the biggest flaw with the current system is that it requires players on both ends to actually do something. The leader must recruit and the player must search for the party. Also keep in mind that a lot of 14's players are rather ignorant so half of them get lost as soon as the word "search" pops up.

[Ceons]

There is no reason why you could not do both. Be able to seek and search, or perhaps just one or the other.

The current system could work imo if

** 1- They add a window to confirm or accept someone joining the party. I don't know how others feel but I hate to feel like I'm intruding and would love to chat and have conformation that I am indeed welcome to the group (and perhaps then also see if we all can communicate)
2- They would add a flag/icon (nothing too ugly or in your face like the aggro icon please...) on top of people's head/next to their names - of those who are searching or seeking for a group.
3- I like having a comment on my character. It's very common in MMORPG's but most will probably remember it from FFXI. Weather you wanted to be informative or funny or afk, it was a good option.
4- We need to be able to search for individual players. Something like /sea command would be very nice.
5- Please bring back the number of people logged in per server. That tells us weather it is peak time or not etc
6- Make it so 'invite to group' can be an option from your friends list or LS chat, so we stop seeing 'LS only' Group recruitments.

Edit:1

7- Would be nice to know who speaks what language by adding something like you had in FFXI about languages spoken. This would help a lot in knowing weather someone who is German is okay or interested in also having an English or a Japanese group as well.

Anything else as I think of it... :P

Not sure if point 1 is going to make it too much hassle for a leader etc... but I thought its important to feel like you are welcome to the group instead of just popping it without any prior communication or invitation. Anyway, I am curious to read the opinions about this.

[viion]

I dont use it, because there is no reason to use it. Where is this "party" content peep speak of? And please quote me without saying Raptor pt, you only need about 4-5 people for those 40+ and theres usually 30 people in my LS of which most will come. So i dont even get strangers.

[Shaone]

What about instead of a seeking flag, you "register" as seeking on the search page, and as soon as a party meeting your criteria begins recruiting you get a notification?
edit: just saw GabbaGabbas suggestion. Yep like this.

[Rhianu]

If they go back to ffxi system it would be a step backwards. The current sysyem promote ppl to actually form parties. Not just seek them out.

It wouldn't be a step backwards at all. FFXI's system was a lot better. People actually formed parties in FFXI because the UI for doing so wasn't a pain to use like FFXIV's is. You can't expect people to conform to a convoluted system, because they won't, and demanding that they do isn't going to change that fact. Besides, it should be the system that conforms to the people, not the other way around.

FFXI's system is older, yes, but that doesn't mean it would be a step backwards. What's a step backwards is FFXIV's current party search system.

[Malakhim]

It wouldn't be a step backwards at all. FFXI's system was a lot better. People actually formed parties in FFXI because the UI for doing so wasn't a pain to use like FFXIV's is. You can't expect people to conform to a convoluted system, because they won't, and demanding that they do isn't going to change that fact. Besides, it should be the system that conforms to the people, not the other way around.

FFXI's system is older, yes, but that doesn't mean it would be a step backwards. What's a step backwards is FFXIV's current party search system.

I think people form parties in FFXI is because people are still playing it. :P

Ironically, I think the biggest problem with the current party search feature is that it's too rigid given the level of freedom you have with the Armory system currently.

I.E. it asks for specific classes, but a person could be a pugilist and be a tank or a DD, and a conjurer could be a healer or a nuker. They need to remove the class search and just allow people to type in "We need healers!" or "DD's requested!" or whatever.

I still think that a seeking icon would probably help as well, but I'm more partial to the party search in general simply because I hate the stress of being a leader and having to spend a shitload of time coordinating recruiting and bringing new recruits up to speed, only to find out they want none of it.

[Zkieve]

i Dont understand why people think this party feature is great.
You need 5 people for example .
You put up party search for 2h and 2 other people join.In the end you could not find the 5 people you needed so those 2 h were wasted.

Now lets see the flag feature.
You do a sea and you see there are no 5 people looking for whatever you need. You go do something else.
Later 2h after you do a sea again.O hey now there are 5 people. you ask them to join and go hunt .
Really no1 see the difference ?

[Malakhim]

...Later 2h after you do a sea again...

...Later two hours after...

TWO HOURS

If you don't see the problem with this, I think you've pretty much missed the entire point. Feel free to continue slamming your face against that slab of concrete though.

0_o

[Kazimir]

There actually isn't anything wrong with the party menu, people are just either too stupid to know how to use it or too lazy to want to go through all the menus.

In actuality the search function makes sense. The game is built around grouping for guildleves and it's set up so you can search for people who want to do that specifically, and also what camp they have leves for. The only problem I have with the menu is that you have to search for specific classes. I feel that is unnecessary and it's just an extra annoyance to go through when making a group.

I honestly think people would use it more if it was simpler. Just make it so we can toss up a party flag and wait, or just search for people in a certain level range. We don't honestly NEED all these other menus, most people have just searched for/as Purpose: none and Location: none then worked out what to do in group chat anyway.

[Zkieve]

If you don't see the problem with this, I think you've pretty much missed the entire point. Feel free to continue slamming your face against that slab of concrete though.

0_o

So because i dont agree with your point im slamming my head against concrete ? alright.
The party feature does not work.I just put 2h as an example .
Dude , you can put the current party feature up all you want , the possibilities of getting a party are close to 0.Why? because is a shit tought out feature.if your understanding is so close you dont see i put 2h just as an example of time , could be 10min 30min 1h . The point is the party sea does not allow you to do somethin while you sea, as freely as a flag would.Also, you do not know what the possibilities of you finding the desired members are , unlike with the party sea system.

If people dont use it then is a worthless system , as simple as that.
Saying people are stupid /dumb or they dont use it becouse they dont know is a stupid and biased comment in itself.Is not rocket silence, but it does not serve the porpoise it was built for well, in reality.