The current find/setup party system is great

[Zkieve]

I'm not saying people are using it and that it's the hottest thing since the advent of fire.

What I'm saying is that there is an inherent problem in having to wait any more than 20 minutes to find a party in a game that is(or at least was until I stopped playing 3 years ago) nearly entirely dependent on party play.

Picture this: You're in the dunes at around lvl.16 trying to get a party together to wail on snippers/pugs/damselflies... You have that ONE white mage that MAY join the party if you manage to get another 5 people together. Cool, you run searches, check out the recruiting lists, and send out party invite shouts. No takers. 20 minutes pass and you ask the white mage if he's still willing, as you FINALLY managed to find another DD. He says he has to go in 30 minutes. Fuck, he's out, and the other dude is getting impatient. Now you have to run even more searches. Another 15 minutes passes. The other dude says "fuck it" and runs off. Your entire plan is fucked because you can't get anyone, and there are no other parties seeking as the ones that are around are already full.

"Go do something else."

I don't fucking want to do anything else. I logged on to get some levels in my main class which I have no way of doing without a full party so I can make it to the next timesink the game has in store for me because this entire experience is an exercise in masochism and FUCK THIS GAME!

This have NOTHING to do with the party feature.
What you are saying is that there should always be people there for you to party with . Wth do that have to do whatever the party feature is good or bad ?

[Malakhim]

This have NOTHING to do with the party feature.
What you are saying is that there should always be people there for you to party with . Wth do that have to do whatever the party feature is good or bad ?

Absolutely nothing. I was pointing out that waiting for 2 hours is stupid, and saying do something else is just as stupid.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the party seek flag, but it would also be easier if as a leader(which I usually tend to be unfortunately) I could just send of a recruiting message for people as opposed to having to run an entire stratified scan every waking minute.

As someone posted before, there are two perspectives: that of the party seeker and of the leader, and the party seek flag only addresses the seeker, whereas having a system where you can set specific things you need in your current party would be great.

[Zkieve]

Absolutely nothing. I was pointing out that waiting for 2 hours is stupid, and saying do something else is just as stupid.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the party seek flag, but it would also be easier if as a leader(which I usually tend to be unfortunately) I could just send of a recruiting message for people as opposed to having to run an entire stratified scan every waking minute.

As someone posted before, there are two perspectives: that of the party seeker and of the leader, and the party seek flag only addresses the seeker, whereas having a system where you can set specific things you need in your current party would be great.

As a leader , this party feature is horrible.You have no idea who /when will join.You dont know if its posible to make a party. You have 0 control.How is this good ? I dont understand it.Leader NEEDS to make their party , is what leadership is about , about leading.Not about siting there and hoping whatever you get is worth a damn.

[Malakhim]

As a leader , this party feature is horrible.You have no idea who /when will join.You dont know if its posible to make a party. You have 0 control.How is this good ? I dont understand it.Leader NEEDS to make their party , is what leadership is about , about leading.Not about siting there and hoping whatever you get is worth a damn.

It is a huge waste of my time to have to communicate over and over again what the goal of the party is as well as the level range, location, etc.

It's much easier just to launch out a party recruit that will stay open for long while, while being able to specify ALL the parameters to the party.

We're looking for x classes.
We're looking for x number of classes.
We're looking for x rank.
We're going to be at x location.
We're going to be doing x thing.

After reviewing all this information, a person can decide whether or not they want to tag along. The party then plots out the course of action. If nobody wants to form a party, then I'll know it wasn't because I happened to run searches at the wrong times or places. It'll be because nobody was looking to group.

I'm sure much more people would use this had SE not given us a crap instruction manual for the game.

[Zkieve]

It is a huge waste of my time to have to communicate over and over again what the goal of the party is as well as the level range, location, etc.

It's much easier just to launch out a party recruit that will stay open for long while, while being able to specify ALL the parameters to the party.

We're looking for x classes.
We're looking for x number of classes.
We're looking for x rank.
We're going to be at x location.
We're going to be doing x thing.

After reviewing all this information, a person can decide whether or not they want to tag along. The party then plots out the course of action. If nobody wants to form a party, then I'll know it wasn't because I happened to run searches at the wrong times or places. It'll be because nobody was looking to group.

I'm sure much more people would use this had SE not given us a crap instruction manual for the game.

No UI is gonna replace a good conversation with someone to know if he is what your looking for.What if the person that joins is not what im looking for ?Okay you like to get random people to join your party , but what about those who dont want this ?should we suck it .Im gonna say the same i said for the agro indicator .Options and customization is how it should be .If you whant to make parties this way , be my guest. I rather sea and ask in 5 min and decide if its the time or not, then go on with my life and try later instead of wasting my time and those who do join if theres is no garantee we will have a full party.

You asume with the flag feature you would have to wait hours to make a party . This is wrong.In fact . You dont even have to invite them until you have all members needed . That is the beauty of a flag . No real waiting .

Typical party scenario in FFXI with a flag .
/sea all healer. /tell party?
sure
Okay let me see what else i can get and ill let you know.

/sea all tank /tell party? got a healer .
ok.
1 min let me find dd

/invite tank and healer.

/sea all (melee debufer job)
invite . win .

All done in 5 min.Or in case you didnt find it . go do somethin else and try later.


Now lets look at current system.

Put party member sea up. input parameters.
wait.
wait.wait.wait.

2 people join.
wait wait wait.

1 person leaves .

wait wait wait.

You really do not see the difference ?What exactly is good about this system ? honestly.

Please stop saying is because people dont understand it .

Is not rocket science .

[Kazimir]

Typical party scenario in FFXI with a flag .
/sea all healer. /tell party?
sure
Okay let me see what else i can get and ill let you know.

/sea all tank /tell party? got a healer .
ok.
1 min let me find dd

/invite tank and healer.

/sea all (melee debufer job)
invite . win .

All done in 5 min.Or in case you didnt find it . go do somethin else and try later.

Now we both know that's not true. It's more like:

Check party flags, see 1 tank and 10 DD.

/tell tank Party?
No response......probably afk taking a dump. I'll ask again in a few minutes.

/tell DD's Party?
DD's > Sure!
/invite DD's

/sea all healer
/tell random healers Party?
Healer > No thanks I'm busy doing blah blah blah

Unknown DD sends you a tell > Are you making party?
You > Yeah but we're full on DD

/tell tank again > Party?
Tank > Sorry something came up I have to go ^^;

Wait 10 minutes

New tank flags LFG
/tell Tank > Party
Tank > Sure!
/invite tank

Wait 5 minutes

Healer flags LFG
/tell Healer > Party?
Healer > Yes but I'm partying with my tank BF lolz only if he can join

You > FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU

[Zkieve]

Now we both know that's not true. It's more like:

Check party flags, see 1 tank and 10 DD.

/tell tank Party?
No response......probably afk taking a dump. I'll ask again in a few minutes.

/tell DD's Party?
DD's > Sure!
/invite DD's

/sea all healer
/tell random healers Party?
Healer > No thanks I'm busy doing blah blah blah

Unknown DD sends you a tell > Are you making party?
You > Yeah but we're full on DD

/tell tank again > Party?
Tank > Sorry something came up I have to go ^^;

Wait 10 minutes

New tank flags LFG
/tell Tank > Party
Tank > Sure!
/invite tank

Wait 5 minutes

Healer flags LFG
/tell Healer > Party?
Healer > Yes but I'm partying with my tank BF lolz only if he can join

You > FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUU

why would you invite dds before you find the most rare classes first ? i think you need to learn how to make parties effectively bro . lol.If you dont see healer or tank available dont bother then and go do somethin else.This isnt any diferent from the current system.At least with flag you KNOW there is nothin avaliable , while with the current system you have NO IDEA WHAT IS.

Anyways , at least there you have control of whats happening . Unlike with the current system you do nothing . You just stand there and hope you get the members.

You keep missing the point of the comparison between the two system for some reason.