Lead Systems Designer Damion Schubert gives us details about the new Group Finder feature coming in Game Update 1.3: Allies:

 

Hi, I’m Damion Schubert, Lead Systems Designer. In Game Update 1.3: Allies, players will notice that there is a new button attached to their minimap, for our Group Finder. Usable by any character who is at least level 10, the Group Finder should be very helpful for players who like to group up and adventure with others.

 

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"Heroic Missions that are neither overly easy or OMGWTFBBQ hard"

 

Best. Thing. EVER!

 

Been testing on the PTS, liking the group finder, but the queue gets pretty long sometimes. :/

I cant wait until this feature goes live.

 

I have had a great time testing it on the PTS with very minimal glitches or bugs with it.

I love the "Go on and try to break it." quote in this article. I've been using the group finder on PTS and haven't done it so far. Only issue I'm having is the same long pop times that we're all having atm.

I can't wait till this comes out so I can start queing with randoms with my 50 to start getting my PVE gear.

Good read. I am interested to see how the implementation of this tool will work and how well you will be able to polish it before it goes live. Best case scenario: the tool will have few kinks and not break the game on release. Best of luck, thank you Damion.

I love the "Go on and try to break it." quote in this article. I've been using the group finder on PTS and haven't done it so far. Only issue I'm having is the same long pop times that we're all having atm.

 

How many people are usually on the fleet (for example) on the PTS?

 

Just wondering if the group finder queue times are similar to what happens on a low population server with warzone queues...

Since day 1 I've waited for this feature. I'm glad to hear they did it right. Can't wait for it to go live.

"Heroic Missions that are neither overly easy or OMGWTFBBQ hard"

 

Best. Thing. EVER!

 

I saw that and was like 'what'? I have never seen that acronym before....and now I'm hungry for BBQ.

 

One thing people need to keep in mind is that no matter how great any LFG tools are, they are nothing unless people use them. Also, I'm happy for it not being cross-server because I often find the people I've pugged with are great and since they're on the same server, we keep in touch and we can easily call on each other for other group content. Or maybe we stay together after that Heroic and do regular quests together, having fun being social.

The OMGWTFBBQ ref made me laug hso hard, good to see some humor from the team. Edited June 13, 2012 by Eillack

It turns out that players are more likely to play respectfully if there is a chance that they may be paired with the other people in the group again

I must applaud the whole paragraph that defends the non-cross-server argument.

I wish all communication your could always be as sincere, direct, convincing and reasonable as that.

The call to action at the end seems very proper to soften the 'us vs them' mentality that forums always nurture.

Thank you.

Edited June 13, 2012 by cellar_door

I, as a healer, concur that things are generally a lot more polite when groups are kept in-server, as there is not only the chance that they may group up with you again, but that you can put the word around your server on that players rudeness/non-team spirit. I have done about 8 runs (on various characters) on the PTS & each one has been great fun. As to those saying about wait times: This is often due to a lack of a certain class (normally Tanks/Healers), but again: With keeping it same-server, those that have been put off from those rolls, in the way described in the article (because it's *Never* the dps's fault o_O), may find Tanking/Healing fun again. Edited June 13, 2012 by Marcus_Cade

Thanks for the info. The OMGWTFBBQ was priceless

(snip) Also, I'm happy for it not being cross-server because I often find the people I've pugged with are great and since they're on the same server, we keep in touch and we can easily call on each other for other group content. Or maybe we stay together after that Heroic and do regular quests together, having fun being social.

 

Exactly.

Wouldn't it be better if players were able to access it earlier than level 10 so that they could use it on their origin planets?

Wouldn't it be better if players were able to access it earlier than level 10 so that they could use it on their origin planets?

 

Decent point, I'm pretty sure there are 2 to three heroics per origin planet, and at least one heroic 4 per planet as well.

Wouldn't it be better if players were able to access it earlier than level 10 so that they could use it on their origin planets?

 

That was my thought too. I created a new player on PTS to test and the group finder while not able to queue shows both hutta and korriban as content able to be selected would make it easier to get content done such as the heroics.

Well if we ask for it before level 10 i feel like we can get it. Plus the Origin planets usually have a bit more people on them that you can find just by general chat.

Sounds nice... but I don'T know if I will continue to play... I thought my server did not that bad, still it was not chosen to become one of the few servers people can transfer to, so I had rename my main and that is a dealbreaker for me.

"OMGWTFBBQ hard" that made me lol

i have a question if say me and a friend want to play together and find 2 randoms is there a way to do that using this tool? if we queue together will it be like warzones where we get into the same group?

I would imagine that the currently long queues on PTS have little to do with the tech, and more to do with the fact that it's probably not as populated.

 

What I'd like to know is if anything is being done about players who queue up as healer/tank (Vanguard, Commando, Guardian, Scoundrel, Sage, Shadow, and their Imperial counterparts) fully intending to only play DPS just to get in quicker. I suppose kicking and adding them to the ignore list is the solution. I'd kind of like to see the option when kicking someone from a group, to automatically add them to my ignore list, or at least a pop-up that asks me if I'd like to add them to my ignore list.

 

And I'm glad the tool will not be cross-server. This is a great way to meet potential guildies.

 

I'm not sure it's needed for the origin planets, though. Tython has one 2+ Heroic that is easily soloable once you've got your companion, and the Heroics on the other planets, though fun, aren't really all that important. The only thing you can get with starter world commendations is the one chest-piece.

it has undergone internal playtests and should be heading to the Public Test Server very soon.

 

-1 cookie for posting this more than a week after it was written

-100 cookies for a complete lack of proofreading for someone to notice that bit at the end of it "heading to the Public Test Server very soon"

 

EDIT: That said, Group Finder FTW.

Edited June 13, 2012 by SanguineSphinx

i have a question if say me and a friend want to play together and find 2 randoms is there a way to do that using this tool? if we queue together will it be like warzones where we get into the same group?

 

I believe so. The two of you will have to party up first, then the party leader will queue your semi-group in the LFG, and then off you go to rain forth pixelated mayhem with two brand new friends!

I really can't wait for this to be added to the game. With the bump in the server population, Ebon Hawk, this will really be a great tool for me to find some groups for those flashpoints I never finished.