Being a newbie (45 years old, having played SWG only for 3 weeks total), I can speak from experience this past week.

Things I didn't know before flashpoints.

 

1. I didn't know the difference between greed and need. Got yelled at and passed on everything from then on. Kind of figured it out now, though.

 

2. Being a sentinel, I kind of recognized I needed stuff with strength, I don't think it is hard to recognize what you need for your class.

 

3. I can't type and fight at the same time in flashpoints. I don't know how you guys do it.

 

4. Shouldn't they, Bioware, let you trade items dropped in Flashpoints? It would do a lot to cool hard feelings for people who don't know the difference and pick up something they don't need but another group member needs. I would have gladly traded but the stuff is bounded.

They just added #4 with 1.6, so way overdue, but on the right track:)

I have been demeaned once in a hmfp on my healer, before the flashpoint even started because I was not wearing my rakata shell top. The guy bemoaned me for a good 5 mins about needing the set bonus. I let him moan, ignored him until he threaten to kick me. I then said only two words Campaign Armoring. So before you give someone advise, think about how you are doing it and also make sure you know what you are talking about.

Heh this is quite funny! I have my marauder which I play as main dressed into cartel item chestpiece because it looks way more cool than the cybernetic end game pieces marauders get and I can still feel strange looks on me because of the chestpiece even though I have over 20k health with my fully augmented rakata/BH gear with campaign armorings I sometimes have to ask people to inspect my gear when they begin to complain about my "gear"

The most funny thing I have seen around was on Tatooine when I saw a ~25 level trooper running around! Yeah a level 25 TROOPER with no advanced class

Heh this is quite funny! I have my marauder which I play as main dressed into cartel item chestpiece because it looks way more cool than the cybernetic end game pieces marauders get and I can still feel strange looks on me because of the chestpiece even though I have over 20k health with my fully augmented rakata/BH gear with campaign armorings I sometimes have to ask people to inspect my gear when they begin to complain about my "gear"

 

The most funny thing I have seen around was on Tatooine when I saw a ~25 level trooper running around! Yeah a level 25 TROOPER with no advanced class

In regards to being a Trooper with no advanced class, a lot of people do that for fun. I think Trooper/BH are one of the easiest classes to do that with.

In regards to the other points, I have never had somebody complain about my gear. I like to give my characters distinctive looks (damn it, why is there no good light armour for my sorc?). My latest character (Marauder) is using the quest reward from the Revanite chain on DK. The only thing I got asked when I got picked up for a SM EC Kephess kill was, "Do you know the fight".

I just wish tanks would guard me when I am on this new 50 or on my PT. I'm forever saying "you may want to guard me" and then pulling aggro as they haven't. I even wait 5 secs before attacking, but that gets annoying on high hp trash.

I just wish tanks would guard me when I am on this new 50 or on my PT. I'm forever saying "you may want to guard me" and then pulling aggro as they haven't. I even wait 5 secs before attacking, but that gets annoying on high hp trash.

Oh yes this indeed! My gear starts to be so high end for the regular HM FPs and easier HM Ops I tend to pull aggro from tanks that are a little bit under my gear level so much I constantly have to burn my defensive CDs I constantly keep telling the tanks they should put their guard on me because that would help their and healer's jobs so much but quite few actually believe me...But after few groups of normal thrash they usually admit that I was right and give me the guard

Leveling new characters, the only real problem I've had with PUGs lately is players who quit the group because they're so "good." Kind of the opposite of the "elite" testimony on this board.

In every case the group goes on to beat the heroic or flashpoint without too much trouble, usually using a companion.

Literally have had 4 cold-quits lately, sometimes after a wipe, sometimes not. Once as I was just politely trying to explain CCing to group members before we even started.

Spend a minute talking to the people in your group if they don't understand the dynamics. Worse-case scenario is you wipe a couple times, which makes it more fun when the group gets it together and triumphs.

It's frustrating when people don't understand basic tactics that could fit on an index card, but you've got a chat box.

Once as I was just politely trying to explain CCing to group members before we even started.

 

Spend a minute talking to the people in your group if they don't understand the dynamics. Worse-case scenario is you wipe a couple times, which makes it more fun when the group gets it together and triumphs.

No - worst case scenario is the group patiently listens to your explanations, then repeats all the errors and you wipe again, as if you'd said nothing at all.

I too spent some time explaining CC to a group and explained that the droids in the pull needed to be CC'd and that I (the tank) needed to make the pull.

After Leroy 'Marauder' Jenkins had made the pull for the third time, and between the three characters with droid CC, not one droid was mezzed, I gave up.[1]

Obviously, people need to learn the game, but that can be from listening and learning "on the job" so to speak, from people with more knowledge and experience. The problem is with those who don't want to listen, have no interest in learning and think they can zerg through all content with mediocre gear. Hardmode FPs aren't particularly difficult, but they do require basic MMO tactics and something better than tissue paper armour and pop guns.

[1] False Emperor - Didn't even get off the hangar deck.

Learning comes in many forms, as we all know. Technical OTJ training is what I do. Ive trained many employees in a highly technical work environment. At work I'm at the "Subject Matter Expert" level. Sometimes human's learn quick and sometimes not.

I started this game with zero MMO knowledge. To say the least it's difficult learning the many aspect's of this game. For the most part peep's here are patient and willing 2 help. I still struggle at times in tier 1 FPs. Personally I think I'm doing well and often i get "good job/ good heals". The few times u mess up it's hard 2 see anything but the bad.

Everybody need's to learn sometime. Not trying to say the OP is wrong in requesting people to learn first but thats also hard not knowing MMO's / lack of official MMO academy.

As I said earlier most all are helpful and encouraging. However yelling and screaming gets worse results(not directed at OP but those in game that do this).

In the real world if u acted like the idiot's that come unglued because someone hasn't learned yet, I would tell management that u have zero skills/ respect and should be fired.

Learning's a great gift but teaching even better. This response isnt directed at u the OP, but more to the creeps that live in this Virtual world so high on themselves. If you got attitude and lack of respect in my world, o I would make u wish u never applied.

I love this game its so much fun. Please be kind and help evry1 learn this game cause I bet even the most eleet raid group has still something to learn.

Don’t get me wrong I have been on a few bad PUGs, but for the most part I believe 99% have been very smooth. Most of the bad ones I have been on have been because of elitist jerks that thought they were all of that. Had a tank quit Taral V once because a dps accidently pulled at the bridge and instead of helping by doing his job he cussed us all out until we wiped. Tank rage quit, we completed the HMFP with 2 dps, my dps companion and my healer without another death. We didn’t even skip the bosses since both dps needed gear. Actually saw the tank later on when guild PUG a tank for HM EV run for comms, for an elitist he had no skills. Glad he rage quit or we would have been stuck with not only a jerk, but a jerk my dps companion could out tank.

People should learn their class somewhat before entering group play, so they pull their own weight and can fulfill their role. However, you don’t have to be MS. 2000 dps or Mr. 2200 hps to complete a flash point or an operation. I would much rather have someone that knows their abilities and plays with common sense, rather than someone that is only concerned with biggest heal or biggest damage even when standing in the middle of a AoE.

One more thing, if you are someone that finds every healer, tank and/or dps incompetent in random groups you get, then it is time to look in the mirror, if every group you are in stinks, what is the one constant for all those groups?

fun pics

Shadow tank with these gears

http://postimage.org/image/ycvf9zhn5/

http://postimage.org/image/u2d4qhn6z/

and

CLAIRVOYANT STRIKE

http://postimage.org/image/b78ns6uj9/

Levelling through story mode flashpoints, for someone of your skill, should be easy enough that even with these ragamuffin and rag tag groupmates, you can faceroll it all.

I like you guy, and your stupid name ...

fun pics

Shadow tank with these gears

 

http://postimage.org/image/ycvf9zhn5/

http://postimage.org/image/u2d4qhn6z/

 

and

CLAIRVOYANT STRIKE

http://postimage.org/image/b78ns6uj9/

Which server are you on?

In the process of leveling 5th 50 pub on the pot5 server. I have noticed some hilarious and frustrating things while queuing for flashpoints. Tank jedi knights with endurance/willpower sabers and aim/ endurance implants that wipe on the first boss. Sage healers with strength/endurance sabers. Jedi knight tanks with wrong stat weapons again that will que as damage role and stay in soresu the whole time taking aggro away from you. People needing for things they don't need for their class then equip them right after. Numerous people not letting the tank attack first and just aggroing everything to themself. People that won't listen to you on final bosses that will stand in the fire on cademinu after you told them not to. PLEASE people this game is not hard read up on it search the forums you make it frustrating for people that want a quick run through these for gear. I literally LOL when I see tanks in flashpoints with the wrong gear on and when I try and call these people out on it they magically never respond. :facepalm:

this is not limited to your server .. standing out of the fire in cademimu seems to be an extremely hard mechanic to understand for a lot of people ... more than that on EU servers you can never tell whether that person actually speaks english or not .. which makes it even more frustrating ... they just stand there .. say nothing .. die .. ninja loot and disappear ...

it's still better than doing esseles with its hours of conversations and running with someone who doesn't even have sprint yet ..

then you have people who join warzones in GREEN LVL 40 gear ..

Bioware repeatedly assured us f2p will NOT affect subscribers .. yet it does in so many ways. Please make separate queues for f2p people ...

fun pics

Shadow tank with these gears

 

http://postimage.org/image/ycvf9zhn5/

http://postimage.org/image/u2d4qhn6z/

 

and

CLAIRVOYANT STRIKE

http://postimage.org/image/b78ns6uj9/

gief names and server so my ignore list can (if needed to) be improved!

fun pics

Shadow tank with these gears

 

http://postimage.org/image/ycvf9zhn5/

http://postimage.org/image/u2d4qhn6z/

 

and

CLAIRVOYANT STRIKE

http://postimage.org/image/b78ns6uj9/

Good god, I laughed so hard! Even though his gear makes my eyes burn.

As a new player, 12 shadow and that's it, I think your over-reacting a bit if it's a lowbie fp. I just did esseles last night and for a first fp is was a lot of fun. Tried to whirlwind extra mobs, keep the droids off their feet. I made a few misfakes and am guilty of pulling before the tank. Noone got angry and noone raged because of my mistakes. I did read a lot on forums before I started playing. I looked at anything before I rolled. Passed on anything I get ouldn't use and only went need for improvments. I'm obviously not uber geared out being my first toon and skill tree thing is relatively new to me.

Just have a little patience is all I'm trying to say. If you don't blast the person and explain the error of their ways most people will listen as long as you don't come off as a pompus jerk.

As a new player, 12 shadow and that's it, I think your over-reacting a bit if it's a lowbie fp. I just did esseles last night and for a first fp is was a lot of fun. Tried to whirlwind extra mobs, keep the droids off their feet. I made a few misfakes and am guilty of pulling before the tank. Noone got angry and noone raged because of my mistakes. I did read a lot on forums before I started playing. I looked at anything before I rolled. Passed on anything I get ouldn't use and only went need for improvments. I'm obviously not uber geared out being my first toon and skill tree thing is relatively new to me.

Just have a little patience is all I'm trying to say. If you don't blast the person and explain the error of their ways most people will listen as long as you don't come off as a pompus jerk.

I have to agree with this paragraph, and nice work on reading up before hand. Don't worry, there are plenty of resources on the internet that can help you with stuff such as skill trees. And to be fair, there really are tanks and what not in Esseles as people don't have the skills, such as taunt, to be able to tank nor have gotten high up enough in the skill tree to be able to do it effectively. It's when you start getting into FPs like Hammer Station and Athiss that the roles are more defined and need to be obeyed more.

I make a point of trying to be patient while I level an alt, and/or am in a HM with young 50s as we were all beginners once. If they are trying their best, willing to accept helpful hints, as well as doing their job effectively then I'm ok with it. But if they don't listen, keep pulling before the tank (or worse deviate from the group to do their own thing and wipe us in the process), and are just plain rude when someone tries to politely ask them to not do what they are doing, then I lose my patience as that kind of behaviour is really wasting time in a FP that should be simple, like Hammer Station.

Luckily most of the time i'm healing and if the tank sucks, well i'll do my darndest to make him look like a million bucks. Just to prove a point here's a short story.......

On my sage healer, late night around 2am server time que'd for fp. Got insta que with a guild group of fresh 50's for Kaon. My tank had 17k hp in daily purples no set bonus's. I had a gunslinger in columi. The other dps was a Sent in greens, wish I had a screenshot.

We didn't die once, didn't hit enrage timers, and I have since then heal'd them many times for fp's cause for some reason they have a hard time keeping healers around due to gear prejudice and they're a late night crew. I think they're 2 brothers and a cousin, super polite dudes, listened well, took advice and even APOLOGIZED for lack of gear to which i replied. "We'll be fine" and "You gotta start somewhere".

All it takes is for the new people to be willing to listen, and a good teacher who is patient and willing to teach. I wish all the new groups I ran into read the same book these guys did. 3cheers!

All it takes is for the new people to be willing to listen, and a good teacher who is patient and willing to teach. I wish all the new groups I ran into read the same book these guys did. 3cheers!

Very similar experience yesterday, was in a group for Hammer Station and our Tank had never actually tanked before. We did fine up til last boss since with an Op and 2 Snipers, plus the PT tank, we had plenty of CC and DPS to go around.

We wiped a couple times on last boss, but the Tank listened when we told him how to position boss, how to get a hold of adds, and how to move to avoid AOEs without causing them to take out the rest of the group. We were nice and we were patient - he was reasonable and he listened and made changes accordingly.

It's not a matter of learning to play - anyone can solo quest. It's a matter of learning to play in a group. That can really only be done by experiencing the FPs first-hand.

I have no problem playing with new players... as long as they make it known that they're still learning their way around the game. We were all there once, and it's ok to be a noob. I'm actually playing with my three roommates and two of them have never played an MMO before so I've had to explain mechanics regarding threat. focusing targets, kill order, cc, and the like. Not a big deal.

My problems come when people queue up for flashpoints and attempt to play the wrong role, don't listen to group members, and need on loot they can't use. A few nights ago, I was running Hammer Station on my Powertech with a PUG group: PT tank, Sorc DPS, PT DPS (me), Merc healer. Well, the Merc healer (level 19) would not use the heal cell despite me asking him repeatedly to switch to it. He also needed on EVERY SINGLE DROP. There was a pair of blue gloves for our Sorc friend that he needed on and won. Everybody flips out (rightfully so), the tank even said, "Mercs use willpower now?" Then he tried to extort 50 credits out of the Sorc for the gloves. We told him to give up the gloves or he was getting kicked, so he gave them up. Then he needed on the BH Hammer Chest piece (which he was already wearing) when me and the tank could have used it, and then needed on willpower boots that the Sorc needed on. We kicked him after that. He had the gall to ask, "Why are you guys kicking me???" and "I don't know what type of gear I use!" before we got rid of him. Personally, I refuse to believe that you can finish the Hutta and Kaas and reach level 19 without knowing the kind of gear you use. I think he was either a loot ninja or some little kid playing his brother's/dad's/friend's character.

I have to admit I needed help with the gear problem. Fortunately I had friends in a guild that helped me. Explained the things I should look out for. No ya I never had the wrong states for my gear like this morons well might have when i first start a toon till i got the right helmet or gloves for the toon.

You would think after lvl 25 people would have that figured out by the selves though Right?

If they dont they might appreciate it if some one filled them in nicely. No reason to rage at someone just let them know hey your stacked wrong.

Its extremely annoying, but I don't think anything can be done about it, I'm thinking of not doing any fps until lv.35 or so.

I am trying to level my tank now, and wasn't able to finish Hammer Station with 3 last pugs at all due to ninja looting and weird behavior. Last time we wiped 3 times on a 1st large trash group, due to people pulling unnecessary mobs into fight, attacking random targets and a healer attacking mobs instead of healing half the time. I quit of course, every one of us was a noob once, but its common sense we're talking about, not some advanced tactics or knowledge.