So Saturday afternoon I log on and see that a city seige of Altdorf is underway, so I plod on over to Reikland and go through the gates to join a scenario, just as another warband is going in. Fine, maybe with a bit of luck I will get to play with people who know what they’re doing, which is always a pleasant change, reminds me of the good old days of Team Conclave on the DAOC servers. It’s nice not to get spanked all the time.
I recognised a few names from people who often lead warbands on the order side, a good sign. I watch as they juggle around their groups to make best use of the resources available and let them settle down. I’m sure you’ve all seen it when everyone leaves you and some other poor smuck on the side, as they jump to group 5 and 6 (In this case it was 3, 4, 5 and 6). It’s very much like the last 2 players picked for the football team, we’ve all been there, some more than others.
Fair enough, they’ve settled down and I join a group which has a slot, so that at least I get some heals, it’s not unreasonable, I am that proverbial glass cannon.
Then I get a pm from 2 of the people in the warband, in which I’m asked to leave the scenario to make room for someone else who can’t get in. They were polite, not rude. If I was to say that I was peeved, it would be mild understatement. I’m older than most of you and there are very few things in gaming that actually bother me, since I treat it as the game it is. This was one time when I did get annoyed. I replied that I wasn’t happy, but I would leave anyway.
I’m sure that there isn’t a general misunderstanding here, but when you join a scenario (a city seige), it’s random, it’s in the lap of the gods who you get.
When I used to run Team Conclave in DAOC on Dvyet, I had a very simple rule. If we needed someone to fill in a slot, for whatever reason, they had that slot for the full 4 hour RvR session. They helped us out of a bind, then they would get to reap the rewards for that night, even if someone else from the guild came on later. No matter how much it may have annoyed a late arriving guildie.
Now I appreciate that this isn’t the same, but it gives you some kind of idea of where I come from. So I would like to thank the fine members of Uprising of Karak Norn for their community spirit, since obviously 3 groups wasn’t enough, to pown Destruction. Heaven help us if one of their groups couldn’t have gone into another scenario to help some other lowbies. A one side slaughterfest is about as much fun as pulling nasal hair, the ones you remember are those that go to the wire. Maybe I’m just strange like that.
Should I have written about it, maybe not. I would however ask that for those of you who read this, have some thoughts for others and consider the message you send when you play.
A final note. If you want to annoy those fine guilds who want to join with 4 groups, watch as they group up outside the gates of the city and when they go in, join in. The server wants to split them up, so help it out.
If they run in with 4 full groups all spots in the instance should be reserved for a period.
I don’t agree, I believe they should be spread out, unless they can be matched against a equal warband. So when they log into the scenario, they are told they are being queued until a suitable match is made, be it 5/10/15 mins. If they don’t want to share, then fair enough.
Mythic actually said they wouldn’t allow a whole warband to jump into a single scenario, which if I was to guess at, was to stop one sided slaughters. This is why I guess you see whole guilds waiting outside the gates, waiting for the plebs to jump in, thereby improving their chances of getting all into one scenario.
I seriously don’t understand having a fight, which is so onesided, that it isn’t a fight. Unless it’s all just an exercise to get the loot in the quickest time possible. Which if it is the case, is disappointing.
As a full warband you can easily run into another full warband. Or as a pug you can get an empty instance for no challenge. It’d be nice if they could add a system to make pugs avoid premades, but it’d be pretty hard to implement. It could also make for some more challenging and interesting fights for organised players.
But at the end of the day the problem isn’t the organised peoples’ fault.
As a solo player you are expecting them to support you. You say it’s them ‘not sharing’ but I read it as you wanting help. But you haven’t bothered to organise a group and help yourself. This isn’t a solo game, its definitly a group game. Yet people run around and expect to be catered for if they run solo, or join some random pick up group rather than join a guild that’s capable of forming warbands.
Yes I run solo into scens, city sieges, and sometimes join open warbands. However I don’t complain if the results are crap when I do.
What I am complaining about, is being asked to leave a scenario, so some other joe can join in.
Last time I looked there wasn’t an option to join as a warband, unless I am very much mistaken. So therefore I have every right to be in that scenario. Maybe I am under some illusion, that my subscription fee somehow weighs in less than some other person.
Now, I don’t expect a premade to support me, I just look on them as a bonus in a city seige, hopefully turning it from a one sided slaughter into a more even contest. Oh and lets be clear, there are premades and pug premades, with a world of difference between the two.
What I look for by the way, is an good contest, ultimately the rps are irrelevant. I don’t enjoy those fights where it’s 500 to 30. It’s the 500 to 499 that are real gems. So as I said early, unless pre made warbands are going to be guaranteed a good fight, then why not spread themselves out, so that they can find a more balanced fight, since I’m at a loss to understand the challenge in a premade wb vs randoms … ah yes, there is no challenge, it’s all about the gear.
Skar, there’s really no reason to be insulted. Obviously you are under no obligation to yield to them but it’s normal that they’d want their own person in the instance rather than you.
As I say, if Mythic wanted to guarantee that they’d all get in one instance they’ve have given them tools to ensure that so you would be in the right to simply tell them to screw off but trying to purposefully split them up isn’t cool.
On a macro level, Aezelbeth misses the point. This game was advertised as a “casual” game, the most revolutionary element of gameplay are open groups and public quests. It’s Mythic’s fault for selling a “casual” game then at lvl 40 RR 60 incentivizing ppl to exclude other ppl.
And make no doubt whatever you were doing in the instance Skar, it wasn’t going to be as effective for the WB as whatever they’d have had their own guy doing… not lead because he’s in their vent and using their assist train
I agree with the point about effectiveness, but unless they were matched against another proper warband, it’s going to be so one sided, which is what I struggle with.
Isn’t it about fighting a good fight, or is it always about the loot?
Sorry my second comment was responding to ‘I believe they should be spread out, unless they can be matched against a equal warband. So when they log into the scenario, they are told they are being queued until a suitable match is made, be it 5/10/15 mins. If they don’t want to share, then fair enough.’
Not the initial comments on being asked to leave.
I don’t remember it being sold as a casual game, I remember it being said that everyone would be able to contribute. They can and that’s fine.
People who make the effort, to get organised and make connections in the game should never be penalised. It should be rewarded. Remember on a macro scale its an MMO. If I want to play casually solo I pick up Mass Effect 2
Our alliance runs full vent wb int o the city. The simple fact is that the spots are only held for a short amount of time. Their WB shouldn’t have run in until they were all there, or you run in knowing you’ll lose some of your WB if they aren’t there. That’s that wb fault, for running before everyone was ready.
However, I do agree that they at least asked nicely. So I guess you should be too angry.
Unfortunately I think they would have found that their missing members spot was probably going to be taken again by another pug. I have yet to see the queue to work right.