So... anyone else here think he missed the point for a flashpoint finder completely here?

 

Q: A easier way to find groups. Having to spam in /1 is quite annoying to everyone in the zone, let alone those looking for a group. And noobdy seems to use that actual “Flag yourself for group” option because it’s not very successful. I would like to do flashpoints, but I’m not going to waste 30 minutes sitting in the fleet spamming /1 that I am looking for a group. Some kind of way to have a global search/group finder would be nice.

 

A: We’re aware of this desire, but we actually believe that finding others on the same planet as you encourages social interaction a bit more than a general ‘group finder’. We’re not saying it’ll never, ever happen but again, not high priority right now.

 

Posted via Ask Jedi from Community manager Stephen Reid.

 

The point of a fashpoint finder is in the name it self. To find groups for flashpoints. Not for heroic quests, not for operations. But to find groups for flashpoints. I'm missing out on a lot of content simply because I cannot find a group for Athiss, Raiders, etc.

 

I don't get where hes coming from really on the social interaction part, since all the finder does is help you with just that. Sure you're not spending a good hour or so typing in general LFG blah blah blah, so that "social interaction" won't be a part of it. But you'll find a group, run the content Bioware worked so hard to create, and possibly make a few friends in the flash point.

NO 4char

/who

Looking For Group?

Set LFG Note

 

/thread

No flashpoint finder thing ... it ruins Server community its just for spoiled brads

While I disagree that we need an auto queue because we already have an LFG system in place, the reasons against it some people come up with are just daft. If spamming the same message in a chat window for half an hour while being confined to the Imperial fleet and unable to play the game is "community", I'll pass thanks.

 

Spread the message, type /who !

Edited December 27, 2011 by KaiHeilos

When people actually needs to bother looking for a group they tend to actually care about the group more. How it does and how they treat their fellow group members. With the FP-finder usually I cant put the idiots on the idiot list and avoid playing with them anymore and therefor they dont care for being ******es.

 

also it works the other way around after healing both esseless and hammerstation people from those groups are /whispering me to heal in other fps.

 

=community

 

Also I´ve never been unable to form a group for lvl 10-36 instances in less then 10 mins as both healer and dps roles, and I seriouosly have doubts tanks are having problems.

 

Try /who people dont bite

Why not split the difference? Have the Flashpoint Finder be confined to your server only? You get groups faster and because your and your guild's reputation is on the line will make the bad apples think twice and the cool people you meet will forge the bonds you want to encourage.

The problem with any type of auto queuer is that you have very little control over who you queue with, which is why people don't like it. Because of that there will always be resistance to the idea.

 

 

Spread the word, type /who !

Some advantages of a flashpoint finder similar to WoW's:

 

1. You can queue from anywhere and get teleported to the instance. You can do your quests or gathering or whatever and at the same time queue. You don't need to be in the area where the instance is to spam general channel.

 

2. If someone leaves, you get a replacement right away. You don't need to leave the instance and spam general channel again.

 

3. It's faster and simpler. It's not impossible to get groups without it or with the LFG tool currently avaliable, but an automatic queue is faster and simpler.

 

4. You can still choose not to use it if you think it's bad.

Also:

 

5. You get grouped with people the right level for the instance. Not too high or too low.

Personally I think he just provided a random excuse as to why it won't be put in any time soon while the real reason is that they're too busy fixing bugs/putting other things in.

 

Really don't see how people spamming lfg in /1 encourages more social interaction. The only time I've seen any interaction about that was when one guy was doing that and another guy replied that he tried the related heroic earlier and it was bugged.

I've spent the last two nights looking for a boarding party flashpoint group. Nothing like being forced to stand around imperial fleet, spamming /1, and otherwise not being able to play the game because you'll never find a flashpoint group if you are on a planet doing something.

 

You never see people making friends and developing bonds, while waiting in line at the DMV, it's not gonna happen in star wars either.

 

You know what you get when you reduce someone's game down to a chat window when they want to be doing something else? Trolls. If they expand someone's game so they can chat while doing something else, that's when you get community.

 

Either they add a galaxy wide lfg channel/system, or a finder or whatever, but this seems to be the biggest failing of this game so far.

The point that I touched on that a lot of people are missing is the fact that some of us are missing out on the content, because people are either not doing the content that we would like to do, or they're not using the LFG system at all. And I'm not sure what its like on your servers, but on mine, very very few people actually use the LFG system. Sure I could spam in general about it, and get put on ignore for it. So its kind of a no win situation here as far as that goes.

On my server someone created a channel called ULFG for people to use when not on the fleet to find groups. The channel has been a huge success and has a large portion of the server using it to find groups.

Honestly I think a server wide LFG channel would do just fine atm. That way groups can get together without everyone having to congregate at the space station.

Flashpoint Finder should be added because lets face it, People have **** to do and i just love sitting at my fleet for 30 odd minutes spamming /1 just to find out that no one is doing the ones im looking for. But because everyone seems to be against this idea for the sake of the "Community" let me tell you im on a full server half time and the community is dead i get more conversation out of the random droid that walks by and greets me. But to keep everyone happy perhaps something should be added like a debuff from using the Flashpoint Finder like you gain 10% less exp where as those use normal means IE not the flashpoint finder gain 10% more exp. Hell i don't know im just tired of sitting there with my thumb up my *** waiting for a freaken group that never comes.

I just want one channel devoted for LFG. Seems simple enough.

dps lfg MR or cad, please help me earn my community points

 

I feel so much closer to you all now.

Flashpoint Finder should be added because lets face it, People have **** to do and i just love sitting at my fleet for 30 odd minutes spamming /1 just to find out that no one is doing the ones im looking for. But because everyone seems to be against this idea for the sake of the "Community" let me tell you im on a full server half time and the community is dead i get more conversation out of the random droid that walks by and greets me. But to keep everyone happy perhaps something should be added like a debuff from using the Flashpoint Finder like you gain 10% less exp where as those use normal means IE not the flashpoint finder gain 10% more exp. Hell i don't know im just tired of sitting there with my thumb up my *** waiting for a freaken group that never comes.

 

Deal with it. That's community building according to Bioware. Encouraging people to play the game whenever they want (or have free time) is "baaad" and breed "jerks" that don't like to play with "baddies".

 

You are meant to build social ties using a primitive IRC interface from the 80s (good god, how absurd is that). Then, based on how "popular" you are, you will be granted access to more casual (Flashpoints) content.

 

Amazing. I would like to give the SWTOR Products team an award: The Tunnelvision Award on how to not make a successful MMO by catering to a vocal minority of their player base.

As a FYI a more recent post from DamionSchubert has stated that a lfg system is in the works right now. For now it will be single server and they will watch how it goes.

 

Improving our LFG system is high on the list of features that Systems Design wants to add to the game. We want this to be good not just for helping people find Flashpoints and Operations to run, but also other multiplayer content like heroic missions. A key emphasis will be on advertising for specific role needs (healer, tank, DPS). This feature is currently in the design stage, and once this feature has moved beyond this to a development stage and has a firm ETA, I'll be coming back to you guys to give more details.

As a FYI a more recent post from DamionSchubert has stated that a lfg system is in the works right now. For now it will be single server and they will watch how it goes.

 

Improving our LFG system is high on the list of features that Systems Design wants to add to the game. We want this to be good not just for helping people find Flashpoints and Operations to run, but also other multiplayer content like heroic missions. A key emphasis will be on advertising for specific role needs (healer, tank, DPS). This feature is currently in the design stage, and once this feature has moved beyond this to a development stage and has a firm ETA, I'll be coming back to you guys to give more details.

 

Design Phase being the operative word. That's usually months away from a final tested product. That's because you are relying on existing technology (Warzone queuing system).

 

Cross-realm support is an entire different beast that Bioware clearly doesn't have. It requires several backend components meant for high-capacity traffic. It requires you to group realms in large aggregations (that's WoW Battlegroups). It's a lot of technology that takes huge amount of effort. If they aren't even considering it right now, it's likely a year or more away.

I spam the channels a few times, and then I feel guilty about it and move on. In a few hours, the Flashpoint grays out for me and I abandon it. I can finish almost 3 PVP Warzones in half-an-hour, or turn-in 5 quests, so why should I stand around waiting for a group?

 

What is the point of Bioware working hard to design content if people cannot experience it? Folks skipping on content will not be able to appreciate the game, and some of them will eventually leave.

 

Wow's DungeonFinder was designed to solve this problem. It may be disliked by many, but it is really one of the many smart features in Wow. Wow is what it is despite it's content, because it has solved the MMO design problem effectively. For folks who say "This will ruin the Community", I feel there will no Community left to ruin, if Bioware does not implement this feature within the next few months.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Zitori

No flashpoint finder thing ... it ruins Server community its just for spoiled brads

 

My name is brad and I take offense to that

LFG tools are the Devil...the Devil is say..nothing good will come of them! I hates them! Don't put them in!

 

(My new theory is that if people join the side that is against these tools then they will be added by the way.)

lol server community, such a joke. If if they implement a server only LFG tool it wouldn't do anything to the community, general will still be full or trolls asking "IS THIS EPISODE 1 OR EPISODE 2".