vaugerant Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Time is my killer, if I don't know how long something takes - I skip it. My suggestion is to add something like the following to the mission logs: --- Expected makeup of group: * Tank, DPS x 2, Healer Expected time of event: * Average clear with bonus: 30 minutes * Average quick clear no bonus: 13 minutes --- Expected makeup of group: * Tank x 1, DPS x 5, Healer x2 Expected time of event: * Average clear with bonus: 1 hour 20 minutes * Average quick clear no bonus: 48 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeryl Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Time is my killer, if I don't know how long something takes - I skip it. My suggestion is to add something like the following to the mission logs: --- Expected makeup of group: * Tank, DPS x 2, Healer Expected time of event: * Average clear with bonus: 30 minutes * Average quick clear no bonus: 13 minutes --- Expected makeup of group: * Tank x 1, DPS x 5, Healer x2 Expected time of event: * Average clear with bonus: 1 hour 20 minutes * Average quick clear no bonus: 48 minutes And you'd want to increase server load by compiling all these averages across all servers and exporting it to everyone's mission log every time they accept something? No thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wadetho Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 i dont know why they would invest time into this when soooo much else is on their plates.. seeing as how times could differ per group by 20 minutes, what if you wipe, have to repair.. waiting on slow traveler in the group.. cig break, bathroom, food... waiting on so and so to get out of a warzone... computer crashed.. have to log back in.. joe wants to explore everything, kill all the mobs, not just the ones that block your path, etc.. seems like a lot of time and effort invested in a 'time' that may or may not be accurate.. plus, it only takes 1 run to figure out how long it will take you to do it again.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaugerant Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 And you'd want to increase server load by compiling all these averages across all servers and exporting it to everyone's mission log every time they accept something? No thanks. I'm not talking 'live' averages. Simple and to the point. They know approximately how long an instance should take - hard code that into the text. I do agree, creating a live average across all servers would be a waste of resources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaugerant Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 plus, it only takes 1 run to figure out how long it will take you to do it again.. This is my point. Because I do not know how long an instance would take up front - I won't do it to begin with. My guess is that I am not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomerioLopez Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I'm not talking 'live' averages. Simple and to the point. They know approximately how long an instance should take - hard code that into the text. I do agree, creating a live average across all servers would be a waste of resources. But would be very cool And then we could have E-peen boards that show the fastest clears . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayfax Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Reasons why this would never work, or at least be so inaccurate as to be meaningless: It assumes - All tanks pull at the same rate. - Everyone is capable of the same DPS. - The Flashpoint is being run at the appropriate level. If you want quick runs, find out what level the bosses are. Then only run with groups that are over that level. The only thing that will ever slow you down are the alignment choices & social cutscenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dooseyboy Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 everyones already pointed out the flaws, i just wanted to add that this would take some of the fun out of it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhaker Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Casual players != time related. Casual players are people who are not dedicated in min/maxing. Casual players are people who are not dedicated on being the best. Casual players are people who just enjoy the game for what it is PvE and PvP, with no stress on others. If you are worried about time, its best you dont play MMOs in general cause it takes some time to do some things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayfax Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Casual players != time related. Casual players are people who are not dedicated in min/maxing. Casual players are people who are not dedicated on being the best. Casual players are people who just enjoy the game for what it is PvE and PvP, with no stress on others. If you are worried about time, its best you dont play MMOs in general cause it takes some time to do some things. I prefer the definition of casual as someone who can only play a few hours a week. What you're describing isn't a casual player, it's just a bad player. Almost intentionally so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaugerant Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 Reasons why this would never work, or at least be so inaccurate as to be meaningless: It assumes - All tanks pull at the same rate. - Everyone is capable of the same DPS. - The Flashpoint is being run at the appropriate level. If you want quick runs, find out what level the bosses are. Then only run with groups that are over that level. The only thing that will ever slow you down are the alignment choices & social cutscenes. I see what you are getting at, but the term 'average' and needed assignments should alleviate those concerns. It might even be benifitial to add comments similar to the space missions and also be very conservative for times stated. Recommendations for Story mode Tank x 1, DPS x 2, Healer x 1 Level 35 gear would be a moderate challenge Upgraded (blue+) level 35 gear would be an easier experience Average time to complete: 30 minutes Full clear with bonus: 50 minutes My goal in this thread is not about 'quick' runs. My goal is to know what to expect before I commit to something that I do not have the time for. If I am questing, I can stop at any time and log. It really stinks when a group member has to leave unexpectedly. I do not want to be that person. Whereas if there were times described in the text of the event, I could make sure that I have the time to complete my assigned task for my group/guild etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaugerant Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 Casual players != time related. Casual players are people who are not dedicated in min/maxing. Casual players are people who are not dedicated on being the best. Casual players are people who just enjoy the game for what it is PvE and PvP, with no stress on others. If you are worried about time, its best you dont play MMOs in general cause it takes some time to do some things. No offense, but I do not think you understand my concerns. But you are right in that we all have different definitions of 'casual'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Padkhar Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 I see what you are getting at, but the term 'average' and needed assignments should alleviate those concerns. It might even be benifitial to add comments similar to the space missions and also be very conservative for times stated. Recommendations for Story mode Tank x 1, DPS x 2, Healer x 1 Level 35 gear would be a moderate challenge Upgraded (blue+) level 35 gear would be an easier experience Average time to complete: 30 minutes Full clear with bonus: 50 minutes My goal in this thread is not about 'quick' runs. My goal is to know what to expect before I commit to something that I do not have the time for. If I am questing, I can stop at any time and log. It really stinks when a group member has to leave unexpectedly. I do not want to be that person. Whereas if there were times described in the text of the event, I could make sure that I have the time to complete my assigned task for my group/guild etc... I don't see this as being difficult or impractical at all. People ask "how long" something is all the time-and right now players have to guess based on personal experience. The developers, I'm sure, have the kind of information this poster is asking to know, because if the developers did not have this information, then how did they know how to tune the encounters? You think they just randomly threw a level number on it, and rolled the dice as to how many enemies to put in the encounter? Yes, some groups will take longer*, some shorter, but there is a target time, and they could add some padding to that, then add this information in the mission logs. Some of you may have hours and hours to play the game, but I know plenty of people who do not, at least not every time they play (for example, they have three hours between classes or a 40 minute lunch break at work, or half an hour until bedtime). One thing that makes instanced pvp a fun grouping event is that games are timed, though they can end faster, there is a limit at the uppper end. Why should this not be the case for group PVE? Finally, to the peple saying that casual can mean short on time as well as attitude to the game--as long as everyone you play with is having fun playing with your level of skill, then you are not a "bad" player. Of course, there are plenty of "hardcore" people who would NOT have fun being grouped with someone unless that player has the perfect gear, plays with the same strategy as they do (which may not be the only one, but they'll assume anyone who doesn't do things their way is stupid and they'll say so). I think such players are "bad"even if they are not casual. Bad, because they are not fun to have in the group. Of course, I'd also prefer to group with someone who does sort of know what to do without triggering a wipefest, but sometimes that's how players learn and get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenthletter Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 The simplest idea they could implement would be server forums. This would help easily facilitate PUG raids and PVP premades, and foster server community. You know, community, the whole reason Bioware is against a PVE Queued Dungeon Finder (though embraces the exact same system for PVP Queued Warzone Finder.) I honestly think there are no server forums because they know they opened too many servers at launch and are waiting for server mergers. Some of the decisions this company makes are...interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raeln Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 There is nothing wrong with the developers posting (in the codex) relevant information about a Flashpoint or an Operation. There has been several times where I have wanted to know just about how long something will take before I commit to it and I have more "time" to game MMOs than most people. It's nothing for me to play 6 hours a day total, but I may only have an hour before I need to leave for awhile or take a break. I certainly don't want to start an instance that is expected to take 1.5 hours at that point - but I would start one that is supposed to be finished in 30 minutes. The days where developers give no information about their game needs to die. There is nothing wrong with stating (again, in the codex) that a Flashpoint requires a pure tank, pure healer, 2 dps. There's also nothing wrong with outright stating that boss_01 has a 5min 22second enrage timer, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts